About to Quit

BostonReefer300 · Jul 19, 2021

Apollo7235 said:
Thank you!! I will definitely look into these clamps as well, I am sure at this point, we will probably go 100% rigid PVC just to be safe, but if we keep any kind of flexible tubing, we will definitely use those clamps.

Thank you so much for all of your kind advice and support!!

I will link the new thread here! Haha taking ideas for new names for my nightmare tank, currently!

Just my two cents: regular hose clamps generally work fine as long as they're not right near or submerged in saltwater. I've also used those plastic clamps suggested by Weasel1960 but I've frequently had bad luck with their sizing given that tube outer diameters seem to vary a lot. Anyway, for anything submerged or in danger of getting splashed, I just use plain old zip ties (cinched tight with help of pliers) most of the time. However, they don't work however on braided or super thick tubing so use the plastic clamps for that. Also, the zip ties are one-time use. Once on, you have to snip them off if you want to remove.

Apollo7235 · Jul 19, 2021

BostonReefer300 said:
Just my two cents: regular hose clamps generally work fine as long as they're not right near or submerged in saltwater. I've also used those plastic clamps suggested by Weasel1960 but I've frequently had bad luck with their sizing given that tube outer diameters seem to vary a lot. Anyway, for anything submerged or in danger of getting splashed, I just use plain old zip ties (cinched tight with help of pliers) most of the time. However, they don't work however on braided or super thick tubing so use the plastic clamps for that. Also, the zip ties are one-time use. Once on, you have to snip them off if you want to remove.

I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
At this point, I think sticking to the rigid PVC and using PVC cement to lock together the joints is going to be our best bet. Hopefully we can just keep it simple and make it work without the need for clamps at all!

Weasel1960 · Jul 19, 2021

Apollo7235 said:
Thank you!! I will definitely look into these clamps as well, I am sure at this point, we will probably go 100% rigid PVC just to be safe, but if we keep any kind of flexible tubing, we will definitely use those clamps.

Thank you so much for all of your kind advice and support!!

I will link the new thread here! Haha taking ideas for new names for my nightmare tank, currently!

Your welcome, glad to help, and learned quit a bit along the way myself.

BostonReefer300 · Jul 19, 2021

Apollo7235 said:
I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
At this point, I think sticking to the rigid PVC and using PVC cement to lock together the joints is going to be our best bet. Hopefully we can just keep it simple and make it work without the need for clamps at all!

Usually you want to put some flexible tubing (I use soft silicone from BRS) between your return pump and your return plumbing. It cuts down on vibration. Several inches is good enough

Apollo7235 · Jul 20, 2021

BostonReefer300 said:
Usually you want to put some flexible tubing (I use soft silicone from BRS) between your return pump and your return plumbing. It cuts down on vibration. Several inches is good enough

That’s actually how we currently have it plumbed, so we’ll be sure to keep it that way now that I know it’s a good thing! Thank you!!

Apollo7235 · Jul 23, 2021

Well guys, I think this marks the end of this thread and the beginning of something new. Now that we have determined the source of the problem, we will be rip cleaning the tank this weekend, replumbing with 100% PVC, refilling with 100% new water, and starting over with 100% live rock and live sand from Gulf Live Rock.

I hope that the past 27 pages of troubleshooting and madness prove to be of some value to those of you who may be going through something similar. For me, it ended up being a dang little brass fitting causing all of my issues. The latest ICP shows the ever-increasing copper levels and the lowering of zinc levels since zincification of the brass has likely been completed, leading me to believe the inside of the fitting is now likely completely copper. Al of this despite the fact that I’ve been running both Poly-Filters and Cuprisorb for the past 3.5 weeks. I will post photos of the inside of the fitting once we take apart the plumbing.

Thank you all for all of your support and advice. I couldn’t have made it through this without you all!

Here is the link to my new build thread for those of you who would like to continue following me on my journey:

Build Thread - All Live Everything, Tank Reboot

Hello all, For those of you who don’t know, my 38-gallon-not-a-reef tank has been the object of my nightmares for the past 5 months. After 27 pages of troubleshooting, two ICP analysis, and countless hours of continuous headaches, we finally found the source of the deadly levels of copper...

www.reef2reef.com

And here is what is hopefully the last photo of my tank nightmare!