Byron & Reneé's 465g reef - 700g+ total

[Sugo]

I think this could be a quick fix:

1) Check the TDS for water being used in your water changes and top off.

2)Increase flow in the problematic area and in your fuge.

3) Sand sifters

4) too much carbon dosing?

We all learn as we go, and this problem will be short lived.

Merry Xmas!

 

[byron]

I think this could be a quick fix:

Merry Xmas!

thanks for the reply...

1) Check the TDS for water being used in your water changes and top off.

RODI system is showing 0 on the output meter... ATO comes directly from the RODI tank.

2)Increase flow in the problematic area and in your fuge.

whole fuge is the same... I only have a pump at one end of the fuge, I can add one to the other end as well. DT has 2 MP40 at each end -- maybe not enough??

3) Sand sifters

In the DT, I have around 1,800 (just added 1K last week) dwarf ceriths in the sand bed. Do they not do the job?? Fuge has no sand, only LR.

4) too much carbon dosing?

what does this mean? how do I end up with too much carbon dosing and how do I tell if that's true? I run a BRS jumbo reactor with 6 cups of carbon that I change twice a month. Also run a BRS jumbo with 4 cups of GFO that I change monthly.

Also running separate BRS dosing with Ca, Alk & Mg.

 

[jdpiii3]

Byron you have an amazing system!

 

[DSLR]

May I asked why did you choose the DT to be 31.25" and not 31 or 32 high?

 

[zoous]

It could be your not getting enough flow in that particular area.

 

[byron]

.

Byron you have an amazing system!

thanks...

It could be your not getting enough flow in that particular area.

that may be true because there is a small lagoon shape with the aquascaping there. I have to invest in another MP40 (or 2) I guess. I was considering getting an MP60, they are somewhat pricey...

May I asked why did you choose the DT to be 31.25" and not 31 or 32 high?

an an engineer myself, I have wondered about that as well sorry, I don't recall how we got to that exact height. When I was going back and forth with Miracles on what we would create, we were kicking around volume in gallons and maybe Derek was working to get me the exact volume I was mentioning... but, I need to come with a better story than that. I'll play around with a few equations and make up a story that fits the "preciseness" of the implied height

Might I inquire about your screen name? Are you a professional photographer? As a Certified Professional Photographer myself (I own a portrait studio), your screen name jumped out at me -- with that disclosure one might wonder why I take my crappy fish images mostly with an iPhone (I'm lazy)

 

[DSLR]

I'm in the process of getting some glass cut and have been scouring the forums for similar projects. Your measurements waived a flag at me, since my plan calls for 32" high DT (down from 36"). Traditional 1/2" glass 3 feet high can not support the pressure from the water column and requires additional strengthening from bracing/wall thickening. However, I'm not entirely familiar with the structural engineering side of the equation and thus not sure exactly where the height cutoff for standard .5 glass takes place. I was afraid you found this out and didn't go any higher due to the need/expense to reinforce taller DT walls beyond this precise 31.25 measurement. Hoping to get around starting a build thread of my own in another month or two.
You're the first person to ever get my screen name/email. Sadly, that's just another very expensive hobby of mine. While I'd love to quit my day job, as many enthusiasts do, I'm afraid my skills wouldn't put enough food on the table these days. Fun stuff though.
Hey, this got me thinking... how many times an hour are you circulating the total DT volume thru your sump, and did you designed the overflow weir size to purposely give you that rate? Thanks & happy new year!

 

[byron]

I'm in the process of getting some glass cut and have been scouring the forums for similar projects. Your measurements waived a flag at me, since my plan calls for 32" high DT (down from 36"). Traditional 1/2" glass 3 feet high can not support the pressure from the water column and requires additional strengthening from bracing/wall thickening. However, I'm not entirely familiar with the structural engineering side of the equation and thus not sure exactly where the height cutoff for standard .5 glass takes place. I was afraid you found this out and didn't go any higher due to the need/expense to reinforce taller DT walls beyond this precise 31.25 measurement. Hoping to get around starting a build thread of my own in another month or two.
You're the first person to ever get my screen name/email. Sadly, that's just another very expensive hobby of mine. While I'd love to quit my day job, as many enthusiasts do, I'm afraid my skills wouldn't put enough food on the table these days. Fun stuff though.
Hey, this got me thinking... how many times an hour are you circulating the total DT volume thru your sump, and did you designed the overflow weir size to purposely give you that rate? Thanks & happy new year!

my DT is all 3/4" glass - Starfire front.

I did not spec the 2 overflows to be a specific length, I just asked for 3 1.5" holes in each so that I could do a Bean overflow. One overflow goes directly to the sump, the other goes to the fuge which drains over to the sump.

I have not calculated the effective turnover rate. The system is 1.5" Sch80 pipe horizontal from the sump to Barracuda running unrestricted. The head height from the Barracuda to the DT is 60" -- there are gates & values in that pipe but they are all wide open -- that Sch80 pipe is partially 1.5" and partially 1". So its effectively whatever a Barracuda pushes through 5' head height. The internal flow comes from 4 MP40 units.

 

[byron]

haven't updated in a while now... just added a pair of MP60s to get more flow. so each end now has an array of: left: MP40, middle MP60, right MP40.

probably overkill, but the 4 MP40s were maybe not enough... should have gone with MP60 initially, but didn't. Oh well...

I may move one or 2 of the MP40 over to the fuge eventually.

 

[Sugo]

haven't updated in a while now... just added a pair of MP60s to get more flow. so each end now has an array of: left: MP40, middle MP60, right MP40.

probably overkill, but the 4 MP40s were maybe not enough... should have gone with MP60 initially, but didn't. Oh well...

I may move one or 2 of the MP40 over to the fuge eventually.

Pics of that set up please!

 

[byron]

Will do, should have done that ... On the road at the moment, will post a few when I get back

 

[byron]

here are a couple images of the Vortech pumps. The center pump is an MP60 and the ones on either side are MP40.

pictured from back (the same setup is mirrored at the other end:

inside the tank at the same end:

sorry, these are iPhone pictures, I didn't have a camera handy...

 

[Sugo]

here are a couple images of the Vortech pumps. The center pump is an MP60 and the ones on either side are MP40.

pictured from back (the same setup is mirrored at the other end:

inside the tank at the same end:

sorry, these are iPhone pictures, I didn't have a camera handy...

Awesome setup!!!

 

[Breakbeats2334]

I notice you have 3 foam guards on your vortechs have u notice a drastic change in flow due to the restriction they cause?

 

[CoralFragZ]

Very nice work on your buid. I love the attention to detail. looking forward to seeing this tank ful of SPS.

 

[byron]

Very nice work on your buid. I love the attention to detail. looking forward to seeing this tank ful of SPS.

thanks... we're still fighting algae problems around various parts of the tank, so we have decided to hold off adding more inhabitants until we learn how to get that totally under control.
.

I notice you have 3 foam guards on your vortechs have u notice a drastic change in flow due to the restriction they cause?

When I added the MP60 pumps, Ecotech seemed to suggest that the guards were needed to prevent sucking inhabitants in to the pump due to its power. So, since I was changing stuff around anyway and came across 2 of the guards that came with the MP40 pumps, I added them. So actually they don't all have foam guards -- the 2 front MP40 and the 2 MP60 have guards -- the back 2 MP40 do not.

But in answer to you question, I haven't noticed a flow diff, but I'm not sure how I would see it. I do probably need to take those off and clean them on a schedule. Maybe someone with more knowledge can jump in and respond. Does the MP60 really require the foam guard for safety? IDK.

 

[Breakbeats2334]

Im just curious if i should be worrying about foam guards in the future. How do you like mp60's so far? I hear some people say they're alot louder than mp40'sand comments/thoughts on comparing the 2 besides sound?

 

[byron]

I'm just curious if i should be worrying about foam guards in the future. How do you like mp60's so far? I hear some people say they're alot louder than mp40'sand comments/thoughts on comparing the 2 besides sound?

I only installed them recently, so IDK, but they seem OK. As for noise, the fish room is not quiet. I don't sense them appreciably higher than b4, but my ears are shot from Zeppelin in the 70's

 

[byron]

Here is a pull back from the media room so see the DT:

sorry, for the poor image quality, pocket cam use Reneé is out buying furniture tonite, so something will be sitting front of it soon... I suggested to keep the budget under $10K, so we'll see what we get

 

[Zack]

Amazing stuff!