Ken's Reef Tank

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Ken Good

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Yesterday, I drilled a hole between the garage and the laundry room and another between the laundry room and my home office. I hooked the RO/DI system to the washing machine and plumbed for the automatic water changing system and the auto-top off pump. It probably took 2-3 hours. I thought it was pretty easy. I was a little disappointed in the lack of give for the 1/4" tubing to turn. But other than that I was very happy with it.

It took my wife less than a day to figure out I did something and to ask me about it. You cannot get anything past those smart ones. I just love her.
 
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Ken Good

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I have been working on my computer cabinet for the aquarium.

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Looking good man.
 

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Just went through your thread, congratulations’n looking forward to seeing more. :)
 
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Ken Good

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I wish I could say that everything has been going smoothly, but that is not usually my game. Sometimes I enjoy it when things do not work as planned and then I have to redo them. Other times, it is very frustrating. The painting of my computer cabinet is a good example. We had been out of town all day. We got home late in the day and I laid out plastic in the garage and was preparing to get up the next morning and start painting. Right before I planned to go to bed, I decided to give the paint can a good shake and I dropped it. Of course, I dropped it where there was no plastic. The can came open and black pait spilled every where. I was up until 2 in the morning figuring out how to get the paint off the floor before my wife saw it. It was crazy. Not fun at all. Ha!
 
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Ken Good

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The plumbing is completed, pending water test. I purchased a overflow box from marine depot. In finalizing the plumping, I cracked one of the bulkheads. I went ahead and tried to seal it. I have had the worst time finding a replacement. Most one inch bulk heads will not fit this space.
Also, I installed a UV Sterilizer.

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Ken Good

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The current canopy is not tall enough for the lights. So I have been pondering what to do about it. At first I thought I would just add 5 inches to the current canopy. But I thought it would look too weird. So I decided to build a new one. I bought supplies yesterday after making the design. After I completed the canopy, I discovered that I designed it one way and built it another and so it turned out too small. So I had to redo it. This is the second attempt. This time it was too big. If this is starting to sound like the story of the three bears, I am a little frustrated. So I am going to give it a rest until Thansgiving. I also mashed my thump with the drill. I kept bleeding and would not stop. I figured out the next day that I had tried to pierce my thumb. Ha!

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Ken Good

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I decided to go with Kessel AP 700 lights. I ordered 2 sets. I received the first one right away. The second one was lost in shipment. It took a month to straighten out. Afterward, I ordered a second one and it was delived this week.
 
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Ken Good

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As you may recall, I secretly drilled several holes between the wall of the garage and the laundry room and then the laundry room and the wall of our home office where the new aquarium will be placed after leak testing. I used some cord covers to hide the four 1/4 inch lines. They did not work as planned and I had to redo them last night. Also, the adhesive on the back of the cord cover pulled some paint off when it came off so I had to do some paint touch up as well. The four lines are color coded: red is tap water; black is waste water; white is salt water; and blue is RO/DI water for top off water. The lines go along the wall, pass by the dryer and then go to the plumbing with the washing machine. I became concerned that the lines might rest on the vent and get too hot and even melt. So I used some tube brackets to ensure that the lines did not come into contact with the vent. I also reapplied the cord covers to the wall after touching up the paint. I added some stronger adhensive this time. We will see if they stay this time. My wife told me that she is starting to not like my aquarium project. Ha! I think she will like it in the end. We will see.


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Ken Good

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I have been rethinking my ATO thoughts. Originally, I was planning to use 2 maxi dosers: one for WC and the other for ATO. But with the pandemic, I have not been able to find a second maxi doser after finding one from this site. So I thought I would just "figure it out." This is never a good thing with me. Ha! Also, I have space limitations in my cabinet. I originally bought a 10 gallon tank to keep next to the water mixing station.


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Ken Good

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I finally decided that I did not like my options for this. So I decided to have a smaller reservoir and have it under the tank in the cabinet like a traditional ATO. I decided to build a small shelf over the chiller and put the reservior there. The next container I ordered, was the wrong size. It was 5 gallons and it was too tall for my cabinet where I planned to put it. I think I ordered it thinking the dimensions were right and they are IF it is laying on its side. Ha!


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Ken Good

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The container will hold 2.5 gallons. I plan to connect it to the RO/DI system and then it will have a float valve and a solenoid that will allow it to fill certain times a day. I plan to complete this once I move the tank into the house next month after leak testing.
 
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Ken Good

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The ATO and the WC will be automated to some extent. I am bringing lines for RO/DI water (blue) and salt water (white) to the tank and then a waste water line (black) will go from the tank to the washing machine drain line. The waste line is already completed. I also have a KH Director and need to plan what to do with the waste water for tests. Have not finalized plans for that yet. Some people put it back in the tank and others do not. Ideally, I would put it in the waste line. I wonder if I could put a T on the waste line and a check valve that allows the water to flow only one way? If I put one on both the waste water for the WC and this, it should work in theory.
 
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Ken Good

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I think the leak test was a failure. I filled the tank and the sump and let the pump run for several days. After a day and a half, the bulkheads started some small dribbles. The UV sterilizer also was leaking on one joint. I re-taped it and that solved that joint. I found a few other issues that I fixed as well. The bulkheads are going to be a bigger problem. The overflow is very noisy because I set up the water intakes too low. They will have to be redone. Also, I will have to trim some of the trim away from the rim of the aquarium so that the overflow box fits better. Also, the center bulkhead cracked. I have ordered several replacement bulkheads but none fit inside the small space of the overflow box. I also set the water level too low in the box so it makes a lot of noise from the water running into the box. Very disappointed. I may have to start all over with the overflow box. It it was not for bad luck, I would have no luck at all. Ha!


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Ken Good

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Also, I made the sump myself. It appears that I did a real crappie job doing it. All of the seams leak and one came apart completely during the test. It will have to be completely redone.


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A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 78 38.0%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 33.7%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 26 12.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 30 14.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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