Pat's 90 gallon reef

[pat8you]

Ok so i am setting up a 90 gallon full reef. Hope to keep mostly SPS but i do like zoas, acans, and challice corals as well. I was originally going to put a 33 long in with the rest of this set up and eventually upgrade. The 33 was not drilled and i was not able to find the hole saw bits i needed to do the job. I was also a little worried about drilling it because the glass is still not all that thick on the 33. So long story short i found a 90 gallon on craigslist for 150$ and couldn't hold back the urge to have a bigger tank. (Shameless sale pitch insert) If anyone wants the 33 gallon let me know. I don't want to store it. 48x12x12 i think or at least real close to that. Long and shallow if anyone needs a frag tank

 

Ok back to the thread at hand. First on the list of things to do was reseal the seams on the tank.

The previous owners were not careful when scraping the glass and tore up the silicone pretty bad. They said it still held water and i believed it would have but i will sleep better at night knowing there was fresh nice looking silicone in the tank.

It was actually easier then i thought it would be. A couple new razor blades, a tool to make the seams look nice, and a caulk gun from the hardware store and i was on my way. I used GE silicone 1 to do the resealing.

 

I'm going to break this up into a couple of post because i don't know if there is a picture limit in each post or anything.

[pat8you]

Ok i built this stand myself because i wanted a stand that was wide enough to be able to fit a 48" tank underneath for the sump. I also wanted to be able to build in an auto top off tank.

 

 

I built a small tank into the stand using acrylic that will be part of my auto top of system. If i remember right from when i calculated it the volume is in the ball park of 12 gallons. It is a little difficult to really see since it is recessed in the stand and there is a 2x4 frame around it.

 

 

I made my own sump as well using a 65 gallon tank and pieces of cut glass from lowes. Caulked them in place and i have my self a sump. Not pretty but functional.

 

Flow from left to right. The sections are set up to be: tank water input -> remote deep sand bed/ fuge -> skimmer and equipment section -> two dividers for a bubble trap -> return pump section and auto top off

 

 

Skimmer is from my brothers old tank. He was down sizing and i was upgrading so we traded skimmers. Needs a good cleaning but it will do the job. ASM G3 if i remember right.

[pat8you]

First picture is the plumbing. Pretty simple for the most part. No bells and whistles here. I did put a ball valve on the pressure line so that if my overflow cannot keep up with the mag 9.5 i have in the sump i can reduce the flow.

I also transferred the rock that i have had curing to the sump for right now until i can get around to moving it up in the display and aquascaping it. Will have to add more base rock to that since i was originally planning on only needing rock for a 33 gal but it has been curing for several months and will provide enough bacteria to keep up with a fish or two until the rest of the rock is cured.

 

I am using a new 55 gallon trash can and the wheel/dolly you can pick up at a hardware store for my salt mixing container. Makes it easy to mix large batches of salt and then just roll it over to the tank. I have a small pump that serves two purposes. First, i leave it in the trash can and it does all the mixing for me when i add salt. Second, i put a little flexible hose on there and it keeps me from having to haul and lift 5 gallon buckets of water when i am doing my PWCs. Again pretty standard stuff here.

 

This is how i am working the auto top off system. The tank is built into the sand and then i just used some PVC and the float valve from a toilet that will control my water level. Water will just gravity feed the system.

 

Kind of a difficult picture but this is looking around the back right corner of the tank up against the wall. This line runs into the back wall of the auto top off tank and then i just put a flexible hose nipple on the end of the PVC. I can then hook the same pump i was using before up to this in order to fill the auto top off tank.

 

Because the pump vibrates a decent amount and it is sitting right on the bottom glass of the sump i wanted a way to make sure it didn't make noise. I used some left over silicone to make little swirls on some wax paper. They are hollow on the inside and should work nicely for putting under the pump to isolate the vibration.

 

Last but not least a couple of other things i picked up over the weekend that i will need. Some GAC which i will be running for a couple days before i put anything in the tank to make sure any chemicals or pollutants that may have got into the water from setting up the tank are out. A mag float for cleaning the glass. Some of the sand i will be using for my DSB (which will go where the live rock is right now). A 10gallon tank and small hang on back filter which will be my QT tank. I am just going to leave the HOB in my sump so it is ready for when ever i want to add new fish.

 

That's as far as i have gotten for now. Might be a little busy over the next few days but when i get more done i will post it all up.

[Coral Hind]

Nice job on re-sealing the tank. It looks really clean and professional. Let me know how the ATO works with the flush kit as I might try that on my new tank.

 

When filling a sump with baffles it is always good to fill each compartment evenly to equalize pressure or the baffle can break or blow out.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Coral Hind

[pat8you]

Yeah i was a little concerned about the baffles especially since they aren't all that thick. I'm working on filling the tank as we speak. Hopefully if my RO/DI unit cooperates i will be finished filling by tonight.

[rocko918]

from first look you are not going to have enough room in your sump if you lose power. Test that out asap.

[Der ABT]

nice build, i really like the resealing, i recently gave away a 30g b/c i didnt want to reseal it and have it leak later, next time ill just try it out.

 

Love the top off, great idea with the toilet filler, i mean thats priceless...only thing i could see in the future is cleaning the top up container and hooking it up to a kalk reactor if you need to bring your ph up if you go the CA RX loop or just to help suppliment Alk/CA with limewater. but adding a pump shouldnt be too hard.

 

Definately agree with the trying the sump out for power off situations, its not too hard to adjust, but with the overflow in your tank i dont think it will be much of a problem as long as you put a siphon break in your return (aka drill a hole just below or at the water surface on the underside to suck air in.

 

I have a 90 too and there are alot of little things i would change, as is with every tank, i cant reach the back of my tank very well and wish i could for cleaning sake and finding dropped frags.

 

 

I run an ASM G3 on about 170g total system and it does great, Definately want to do the enkamat on the pinwheel, i like my gate valve though some dont. If you need any enkamat let me know i just got a bunch in and have plenty extra

 

Look into a durso standpipe for the overflow to quiet it down, my old 75 was similar and was really noisy till i put one in.

 

will be watching the thread, keep up the nice work, let me know if you need anything i have some good friends out your way so im out there every so often

[pat8you]

from first look you are not going to have enough room in your sump if you lose power. Test that out asap.

 

I have not filled the last secotions of the sump for that reason yet actually. After work today i will fill the sump with power off and then power up. I then make a sharpie line on the sump where ever the water is and i know that is my max water line. This helps me make sure i always have enough room if i lose power.

 

only thing i could see in the future is cleaning the top up container and hooking it up to a kalk reactor if you need to bring your ph up if you go the CA RX loop or just to help suppliment Alk/CA with limewater. but adding a pump shouldnt be too hard.

 

That's a good idea. I've never had a kalk reactor before. It will probably be a while before i have enough SPS in this tank to need one but when i do i will keep this in mind.

 

Look into a durso standpipe for the overflow to quiet it down, my old 75 was similar and was really noisy till i put one in.

 

There is already a durso standpipe in the overflow. It is just not shown in any of the pictures. They are great. So much quieter.

 

What is an enkamat? Skimmer mod of some kind?

[jason the filter freak]

looking interesting, love the utilization of a big sump, how do you get to your ato container? if it leaks or needs the film cleaned off of it?

[Coral Hind]

If you can cut the last baffle down a few inches it would help to prevent any water fall effect which might create bubbles. The bubbles then end up in the pump creating micro bubbles in the tank. I actually prefer sumps without baffles myself.

[Der ABT]

enkamat is the stuff you use to do what is called the mesh mod, just look up asm mesh mod on google and you will see a ton of stuff on it.

makes alot smaller and more bubbles compared to a normal pinwheel, i still have one that is just a pinwheel an the other i have the mesh mod on and i have only used the mesh mod since,

 

 

for limewater, you could alwasy just mix up the limewater before and or drip it into the top up line you have now that i think about it.

 

the thing i like about baffles is keeping your skimmer constant and ability to have a dsb/refugium if you want otherwise i agree open sumps are much nicer and easier to work with.

[pat8you]

looking interesting, love the utilization of a big sump, how do you get to your ato container? if it leaks or needs the film cleaned off of it?

 

Well that is the biggest flaw in my plans so far. I decided to build in to ato tank into the stand half way through construction. So right now i would not be able to get to it. If i have problems with it i will have to get a decent sized hole saw so i can put an access hole and a way to seal it off. Going to cross that bridge when i come to it. Worst comes to worse i stop using the ato and do my top offs manually.

 

If you can cut the last baffle down a few inches it would help to prevent any water fall effect which might create bubbles. The bubbles then end up in the pump creating micro bubbles in the tank. I actually prefer sumps without baffles myself.

 

The one set of baffles i have in there are to act as a bubble trap since that will be the chamber for the skimmer and i need a way to separate out all the micro bubbles those things put out. The ato valve (aka toilet valve haha) has an adjustment on it for you to change where the float is in order to change the water level. I am hoping to use this to raise the level of the water to around where the high of the last baffle is so that there isn't much of a waterfall effect.

 

enkamat is the stuff you use to do what is called the mesh mod, just look up asm mesh mod on google and you will see a ton of stuff on it.

makes alot smaller and more bubbles compared to a normal pinwheel, i still have one that is just a pinwheel an the other i have the mesh mod on and i have only used the mesh mod since,

 

Ahhh ok thanks. I've heard of the mesh mods before. Never tried one myself but i have seen a few threads. Did you see a noticeable difference in the amount of skimmate it produces?

[pat8you]

Ok well the tank is up and running. No leaks in the plumbing and after some minor adjustments is pretty quiet. I think i am going to get a piece of fabric to put across the back of the stand which is left open right now. I think this will still allow for air movement in the stand while cutting down on the running water sound through the plumbing a bit. It isn't bad but if I am watching a movie i can hear it and that drives me bonkers. (if you are a person who talks during a movie i hope you get run over by a truck)

 

I was worried before about the auto top off tank leaking and it doesn't appear to have any problems so far. Unfortunately, the float valve did not work. I guess those valves need more pressure then just the gravity feed in order to work. I have removed it for now and i will have to head to the plumbing store some time to find an alternative way of handling the float valve/auto top off.

 

I placed and order with marco rocks for some more base rock and got the shipping notification today. I am going on a vacation starting this weekend and won't be back for about 10 days so i think the aquascape is going to have to wait until after i get back.

 

I found somewhere to buy the rest of my sand. I now have about 7 -8 inches of sand in the 18"x18" remote DSB in the sump. I have about another 110lbs to put in the main display which will give me about 2-3 inches.

 

I also got the small bio-wheel hang on back filter running in the sump to get the biological filtration primed for when i need to set up my QT tank.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Ahhh ok thanks. I've heard of the mesh mods before. Never tried one myself but i have seen a few threads. Did you see a noticeable difference in the amount of skimmate it produces?

 

 

Here is a thread about the mesh wheel mod, with user experiences and step by step instructions with pics: LINK

[Der ABT]

mesh mod definately puts out some more skimmate. if you have an extra pinwheel i strongly suggest trying it, i have a regular pinwheel as a backup but ive only used it when waiting for new enkamat to come in, please let me know if you or anyone wants a little extra, i bought a big sheet cause thats how they sell it and you have to redo it every so often (like every year or every other)

 

good link you posted there and is exactly what im saying, it makes a huge diff on the asm, well it did on mine, i mean the chamber has another 2 to 3 inches of bubbles and the bubbles are much smaller.

[treesprite]

Let me know how those silicone dollops work out for keeping pump noise down.

[pat8you]

Let me know how those silicone dollops work out for keeping pump noise down.

 

They worked great. The pump is running and i don't hear a thing from it.

[jason the filter freak]

have you thought about what happens when you get build up or snails, worms, algae, etc on the toilet top off? its a really cool idea I'd like to see how it pans out long run

[pat8you]

have you thought about what happens when you get build up or snails, worms, algae, etc on the toilet top off? its a really cool idea I'd like to see how it pans out long run

 

The top off has already failed. The toilet float valve would not work from just the gravity feed pressure. It was a bit of a gamble but i wanted to try it out. I am putting that on the back burner until i get the rest of the tank set up and i will start looking for an alternative solution.