Prime's 75 gallon build

[CaptainRon]

To get the water past the top of the hole, you'd have to pump in more water than the drain hole can hangle, or, slow the drain down. But as others have noted, doing that without a backup can have pretty bad results in the form of an overflowing tank and an empty sump. You could put an overflow box around the bulkhead or a 90-degree fitting angled to get the water height you want.

 

Good luck!

[.OptimusPrime.]

To get the water past the top of the hole, you'd have to pump in more water than the drain hole can hangle, or, slow the drain down. But as others have noted, doing that without a backup can have pretty bad results in the form of an overflowing tank and an empty sump. You could put an overflow box around the bulkhead or a 90-degree fitting angled to get the water height you want.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks! I think that's what my problem is since it seems to be a common comment.

 

I had to take the box off to fix the leak from the bulkhead and just havent had a chance to silicone it back in. Hopefully that solves the issue

[.OptimusPrime.]

So for whatever reason. My tek light legs seem to be too long for the edges of the tank.

 

I have tried every notch and everything. One side never fails to be longer than the other

 

Can someone with Teklights and tank mounts help a brother out??

 

Its a 48" both the tank and the light.

[.OptimusPrime.]

Couldn't edit this since I remembered late...but i figured it out 5 mins later..LOL

 

Is there a big difference between using the coral pro / reef crystals VS. their regular counterparts??

 

I've seen most people use IO vs RedSea.

[hypertech]

Got a pic of this light problem? It doesn't make much sense to me. IIRC, there are a couple screws that tighten down the adjustment on the legs. If it is crooked on one side, you might just need to loosen them and tighten it up. If it won't fit at all, you might have the "feet" on backwards.

 

About the salt, that's just a can of worms. IMHO, there isn't much difference and I buy the cheapest stuff I can get. Other people disagree and spend lots of money on salt claiming it is "better," but I've yet to see a compelling argument quantifying exactly how they are better to justify the price.

[.OptimusPrime.]

I got the light issued fixed but thanks I figured it out like 5 mins after I posted, but when I came back to edit the original post i was passed the 30min window.

 

Sounds like a plan to me. Guess I'll stick with IO regular stuff.

[Integral9]

The "salt" is just a chemical that when mixed w/ RO water produces a solution similar to sea water. Just like apple pie, everyone and their mother has their own recipe. Some solutions result in a closer approximation to sea water than others in certain tests, but none are exact. It's generally a good idea to pick one and stick with it.

[.OptimusPrime.]

Should hopefully be able to get this setup finally this weekend, pending the BRS order comes in tomorrow.

 

Overflow box is back in. RO/DI is hooked up and ready to go.

 

Couple of questions:

 

1. For those who have drilled tanks, is it necessary to drain all the water in the tank after you've tested? I have about 1cm of water at the bottom of my tank that didn't drain from when i leak tested.

 

Do you siphon it out manually? or just use a bunch of paper towels to clean it up?

 

Or should i forget about it completely since im going to be putting in 75G of RO/DI water on top of it and it will pretty much wash out the standing water?

 

2. Getting the tank filled.

a - Set up Rock

b - Wash and put in the sand

c - Fill DT to overflow level

d - Fill Sump baffle height

e - Add Salt to DT. (Do I add salt to the sump too? or just leave that as RO/DI water?) 1.025SG if im not mistaken

f - Turn on power heads and let the salt mix for 24 hours.

- Do I turn on the return pump as well?

 

Am I missing anything on this step? Or is there a better way to do this?

 

3. Cycling tank

Do I just toss a shrimp in after the tank has cleared up/salt has mixed and wait for the ammonia and other parameters to be ideal?

NO skimmer and NO lights correct?

 

4. Water changes

20% WC after tank has cycled?

10% weekly after cycle

Have a 20G brute next to the tank. Would a small return pump (im thinking ehiem 1040 79PGH) be sufficient in mixing salt and pumping the water back in to DT?

 

Anything I may have missed or if I can improve on anything let me know. I'm eager now that it's sooo close, but I still want to do it the right way

 

[hypertech]

Get as much of it out as you can. If there is a little left, it will be fine. If you have a shop vac, it'll suck it out.

 

For filling, I just fill the display tank and let it run over into the sump. Realize that the sump level will drop when you start the pump up. Also make sure you are ready the first time you shut it off to make sure the siphon breaks before the sump overflows.

 

If you are running the return pump when adding the salt, there is no need to add the salt to the sump too. It will all mix up. Remember to let it heat up and mix for a while before testing the salinity.

 

For cycling, you don't even need to do the shrimp thing, but if you do, just let it soak for a while. Don't let it rot.

 

An eheim is an expensive pump for mixing water. I use a maxijet 1200.

[.OptimusPrime.]

Awesome idea with the shop vac. Didn't even think of that one thanks!

 

Forgot about heating. I have two heaters. I can stick both into the return chamber and have them off set by a degree or 2.

 

If I dont need the shrimp, I wont even worry about it.

 

for the maxijet - I could just connect a hose to it and have it pump the water back into the DT right?

[hypertech]

 

for the maxijet - I could just connect a hose to it and have it pump the water back into the DT right?

 

You could. It will pump faster without the head pressure so I pump the new water into the sump and periodically run the return to move it up to the display.

[.OptimusPrime.]

hadn't been to the laundry room since I hooked up the RO/DI unit yesterday afternoon.

 

I came in and saw this..

 

 

Is this normal?? For it to turn color that fast? I only used it for an hour and that was to flush it as instructions mentioned.

 

Side note: Dual TDS monitor. 160ppm in and 004ppm out?? It was at zero before?? What could be the problem?

Edited November 4, 2011 by .OptimusPrime.

[hypertech]

Are you on city water? Old house with rusty pipes? Mine don't really change color, but some people with high iron in the water do have them change fast.

 

Where are you measuring? Input and out or RO that sounds about right. It might have been reading zero before if you had just turned it on and there wasn't any water to the sensor yet.

 

If that's out of the DI and its only been run an hour, while it is possible the DI is used up, its highly unlikely. I'd be more inclined to think you have channeling in the DI resin and it needs to be packed in tighter.

[.OptimusPrime.]

Yeah im on county/city water. I dont think the pipes are rusty.

 

The monitor sensors sit about 1 foot before the unit and a foot after the unit, if thats what you mean on where am i measuring. I could have sworn it said 0ppm when I was letting it run for that hour. But you could also be right in that there was no water to the sensor yet.

 

the canisters go as follows right:???

 

Seditment - Orange

Carbon - clear

DI - black

 

Is 004ppm really that bad?

 

I will try to repack the DI and see if it does anything differently.

[hypertech]

Its tough for me to see on the picture, but if you have a 4 stage RODI with the far right canister being the DI resin, it should read 0 until the resin is exhausted. This is also assuming you are measuring after the DI and not between the RO membrane and the DI.

 

A reading of 4 is in range if it is the output of the RO membrane before the DI canister. It is high if it the product water after the DI resin.

 

That said, if you have some kind of an economy unit and the membrane is crappy or not fitted right and you ran a lot of bad water through the DI resin, it is possible that it is exhausted. The water should be coming out as a trickle. If it is flowing with a lot of pressure, the membrane isn't installed correctly.

[.OptimusPrime.]

Its a 4 stage RO/DI economy from BRS.

 

The monitor is after all 3 canisters so I think im good to where its measuring after the DI unit.

 

Its trickling not a constant high flow but not dripping either.

 

/shrug I let the unit run for 5 mins and turned on the monitor and it read 0TDS. So what gives?

[.OptimusPrime.]

Aquascape??

 

[.OptimusPrime.]

Changed the scape....

 

and added the sand!!!

 

 

Time to get it wet!!

Edited November 6, 2011 by .OptimusPrime.

[BowieReefer84]

Nice rocks. Where did you get them?

[.OptimusPrime.]

Thanks. They are the reef saver dry rock from BRS

[.OptimusPrime.]

I hate playing the waiting game....this is taking FOREVER!!!!!!

 

At least the unit is still putting out 0 TDS

[SunWyrm]

Very nice 'scape

[.OptimusPrime.]

Thanks! I tried a bunch if times and still, not 100% in love with it. Still think in needs an arc right where the ro/di line is coming in.

[.OptimusPrime.]

I'm noticing the water is murky looking...

 

is that normal?? is it because I didnt rinse the dry rock?? Can I make it less murky? or will it work it self out?

[Cliff Puckstable]

The scape looks great. Glad to see it coming along. If you didn't rinse the sand, I bet that is causing it to be murky. It will clear up in a few days.