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Matt Carden
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Thanks
Matt's SCA 150 repair and redesign
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Matt Carden
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Return from Dt is closest chamber on the right and returns to DT in closest left chamber.
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Matt Carden
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Filled sump for leak/integrity test 3/30/20.
I completed the Bean Animal return to sump piping today. I used 1 ¹/2" PVC Sch 40 with Hayward Bulkheads and a Bagdad Plastics 1 ¹/2" Gate valve i found laying around at a water treatment plant I was working at last year. I also found some ¹/2" Gate valves which I plan to put to use in my water station.
I completed the Bean Animal return to sump piping today. I used 1 ¹/2" PVC Sch 40 with Hayward Bulkheads and a Bagdad Plastics 1 ¹/2" Gate valve i found laying around at a water treatment plant I was working at last year. I also found some ¹/2" Gate valves which I plan to put to use in my water station.
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Matt Carden
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It's been about a week since my last update. Plumbing is done. I filled and tested the sump. No leaks. I drained the sump to add divider to the second chamber which will be my Xenia chamber. The divider will allow the Xenia to grow vertically. I started pulling rock and sand out of the barrels they've been cooking in since September. I'm using the smaller pieces to build pillars for a reef flat in most of the sump chambers.
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Matt Carden
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I filled the entire system today to test the operation of the plumbing. The test was successful!
I finished painting the front and left side of the stand a couple days ago. I didn't install the back or right side because I haven't finalized the right side design due to my intention to buy a house in the next 6 months to a year. The positioning of that right side in relation to adjacent rooms that I could use as fish room or if I will have to use a basement fish room is what I'm waiting on. I did create a 2" tall catch basin around the sump for inevitable overflows. In this current apartment the drain won't be connected to anything.
This is the start of my electronics control center where I will be building a reef-pi controller:
I decided to elevate the stand off the floor this time for 2 reasons that I discovered in my last attempt to move. First was getting the stand on furniture dollies without moving the tank separately proved extremely difficult. The raised elevation is to allow the use of a floor jack to raise the tank onto furniture dollies. The second reason being that with the inevitable overflows, there was no way of getting the water out from under the stand. I don't currently have a plan to install kick plates to cover the risers but possibly in the future after I move.
I finished painting the front and left side of the stand a couple days ago. I didn't install the back or right side because I haven't finalized the right side design due to my intention to buy a house in the next 6 months to a year. The positioning of that right side in relation to adjacent rooms that I could use as fish room or if I will have to use a basement fish room is what I'm waiting on. I did create a 2" tall catch basin around the sump for inevitable overflows. In this current apartment the drain won't be connected to anything.
This is the start of my electronics control center where I will be building a reef-pi controller:
I decided to elevate the stand off the floor this time for 2 reasons that I discovered in my last attempt to move. First was getting the stand on furniture dollies without moving the tank separately proved extremely difficult. The raised elevation is to allow the use of a floor jack to raise the tank onto furniture dollies. The second reason being that with the inevitable overflows, there was no way of getting the water out from under the stand. I don't currently have a plan to install kick plates to cover the risers but possibly in the future after I move.
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Matt Carden
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So it's been about 6 weeks since I've posted my progress. I am still working on getting running again. I have the tank set in it's final location. I had to shim the back side a 1/4" to level the tank because of the uneven concrete.
I finished the plumbing to include supports and piping for AWC.
Work has been extremely slow on the control box and board. Many engineering hurdles to figure out. Plus I ordered my IP67 connectors from Aliexpress and they are on the slow boat from China. This is the doser box and pump controller mounting board that will be a door to access the plugs for everything.
I finished the plumbing to include supports and piping for AWC.
Work has been extremely slow on the control box and board. Many engineering hurdles to figure out. Plus I ordered my IP67 connectors from Aliexpress and they are on the slow boat from China. This is the doser box and pump controller mounting board that will be a door to access the plugs for everything.
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Matt Carden
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I'm still working towards completing my rebuild. It's just going much slower than I had anticipated. I have some progress in the last 2 months since my last update. I started a
Reef-Pi build thread here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/matts-reef-pi-build-thread.745599/
Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Reef-Pi build thread here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/matts-reef-pi-build-thread.745599/
Pictures are worth a thousand words.
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Matt Carden
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Thanks. That's why its taking longer than expected.
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Matt Carden
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Thank you
Thank you
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Matt Carden
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I have made some slow progress on my diy electronics controller/ board. Here is the cable I made to go from the ML Reefkeeping Ph interface to the ML Reefkeeping Hat which will be contained within the control box.
I decided to use wire loom to route the wiring from the control box to the equipment. I have realized that this is probably a mistake. It can be a hassle to get the wiring into the loom which may make it hard to do maintenance in the future. Also the method I choose to secure the wire loom to the stand was flawed. I will be looking into something different for my wire routing.
I planned to use a ground probe in the DT and in the sump. I purchased a new probe for this with the intention of using the ground probe I had used in my first setup. When I stripped the old probe wire it looked burned
When I tried to solder this it would not take solder. This leads me to believe there may have been current leakage. It may have something to do with a galvanic reaction. Maybe the titanium probe acts as a galvanic anode possibly causing current from the water not the equipment to flow to ground? I will be purchasing another new grounding probe to get a good connection to ground.
I decided to use wire loom to route the wiring from the control box to the equipment. I have realized that this is probably a mistake. It can be a hassle to get the wiring into the loom which may make it hard to do maintenance in the future. Also the method I choose to secure the wire loom to the stand was flawed. I will be looking into something different for my wire routing.
I planned to use a ground probe in the DT and in the sump. I purchased a new probe for this with the intention of using the ground probe I had used in my first setup. When I stripped the old probe wire it looked burned
When I tried to solder this it would not take solder. This leads me to believe there may have been current leakage. It may have something to do with a galvanic reaction. Maybe the titanium probe acts as a galvanic anode possibly causing current from the water not the equipment to flow to ground? I will be purchasing another new grounding probe to get a good connection to ground.
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Matt Carden
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It should be nice once I finally get it wet again. I am currently trying to tile the living room where the tank is going to sit.
@Matt Carden - Great rebuild and looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I'm going to check out your the ReefPi build - I started dabbling with the Raspberry Pi for a DIY arcade which turned out great and was curious how you can use it as a controller. That being said, I'm also in the Metro Detroit area and starting up a new build myself. Good to know of other reefers in the area (there aren't a lot of us around here...)
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Matt Carden
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The build has been on hold while I finish the tile in my newly purchased house. I hope to be restarting my build in the next couple weeks.
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Matt Carden
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What city do you live in? I'm in Clinton Twp.
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Matt Carden
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Right
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Matt Carden
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I stopped dosing the Orenda around 11/15/21. I performed a 99% water change and cleaning of all surfaces inside the tank that weekend. What a mess that stuff makes when allowed to enter tank uncontrolled. The return nozzles have a permanent haze to them now.
I had the freshly mixed IO with RODI in the tank complete on 11/22/21. I checked my PO4 yesterday with Hanna checker 0.09 PPM. It's not as low
to start as I would have liked.
I ordered 3 softies? from WWC Cyber Monday After sale received and added to tank yesterday. A pulsing Xenia for my Xenia fuge, a Kenya tree, and a Midnight Daisy Polyps?
I also received some real live rock from the only site I could find it on gulfliverock.com . I'll post some pics later.
I had the freshly mixed IO with RODI in the tank complete on 11/22/21. I checked my PO4 yesterday with Hanna checker 0.09 PPM. It's not as low
to start as I would have liked.
I ordered 3 softies? from WWC Cyber Monday After sale received and added to tank yesterday. A pulsing Xenia for my Xenia fuge, a Kenya tree, and a Midnight Daisy Polyps?
I also received some real live rock from the only site I could find it on gulfliverock.com . I'll post some pics later.
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