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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
I hate you!! lol...
I loathe plumbing. My instinct says, go with the hard plumbing method. I am trying to talk myself out of that route.. lol
My new 135 build!!
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I hate you!! lol...
I loathe plumbing. My instinct says, go with the hard plumbing method. I am trying to talk myself out of that route.. lol
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
My old 75 (10 years ago - maybe more) had soft tubing for the return. I liked how easy it was to plumb. My current 75 and my 125 have PVC with a by-pass valve so I can control the amount of flow going back to the tank. It makes it so I can adjust the tank level without adjusting the overflow. That and the fact that 20' of PVC pipe and fittings cost less than the 4' of tubing I'd need.
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
What I have is the soft ribbed tubing for the drains. I have a roll of soft tubing for the returns as well. I may still just go that route as I have what I need on hand. I do like the clean crisp look of using hard pipes for the drains though.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
My drains are the ribbed tubing as well. I only hard plumbed the return. I liked the idea of PVC but with drains on my overflow I didn't want to mess up on any measurements and be stuck.
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
We'll...? I got my return glued last night and salt is almost done mixing. How's your stand looking?
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Oh yeah, you said you were going with blue for the background color, right? I hope so! The my tank with the black background is so dark and dim looking next to the 125. My 5 gallon is sitting next to it with a 50 watt Nicrew turned to 65% blue and 0 of the other two channels and the 125 looks lit up just from the spill over from that tank
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
I am going to use a sheet of the reversable blue and black vinyl stuff from the LFS. I have that on my current tank, black side in tank, and also on the 180 with the blue facing in. I had the black showing on the 180 for a while, but (when I still had them) the Domino Damsels all but disappeared against it.. lol. All you could see was 2 white dots moving around.. lol!
I just got home from work about an hour ago, topped off all the tanks and ATO buckets so I can now focus on making water for the new build.
Tomorrow, (or later today) I will begin tearing down the 55g. Going to put all the fish and rockwork into a large brute can along with as much clear tank water as I can. As many of the corals as I can, will go into a smaller container. Probably a 5g bucket.
I will reserve the water in the canister filters so I can use it to ensure a seamless skip-cycle. I have all the new "dry" rock I will be using already soaking in a brute can filled with tank water from a water change a couple weeks ago. I have been ghost feeding a tablespoon or so to that can and I have one of the new wavemakers going in there so I should have a good level of bacterial growth going.
I plan to test that water later to make sure I am ready to go with those rocks.
One of the biggest fears I have with this upgrade is that the new white dry rock will kickstart an algae bloom. The 55 had been super stable for months. I hate to unleash the green headed monster again!! ugghhh
I DO have the awesome new AR300 gen 4 sump with the huge refugium section, plus a small ball of chaeto that I have been running in my 180 for a while now. That should help with algae control (I hope).
So with any good fortune, I should have the 55 torn down completely by end of day tomorrow (later today). If I really get lucky, I can get the 55 moved into the other room and get the new tank on the stand and ready to move into position.
One thing I did not realize until last weekend was that the included drain hoses, are only 3 feet long. I had to order a 6 foot hose to reach from the opposite corner overflow. That won't arrive until Friday. So, I can't really start filling the new tank, or at least to the overflow level until after that arrives and I can get it plumbed in.
One factor in my favor, the overflow boxes on the new tank, only have drain slits at the surface (what is that about I wonder? I expected a mid-level set of drain slits as well... especially for such a large tank). I can actually fill it to just below that level and run the canister filters as a stop-gap IF I need to.
I am going to have to take a run to Lowes or HD to get a couple clamps to connect the drain hoses to the barbed end of the bulkheads from the drains. I may pick up a large 40g size storage container to hose the fish and most of the rocks for this build. I can always repurpose it for something else later.
16 fish, over 120 corals, and about 70 pounds of rocks... Not a job I am really looking forward to, but I know the end will be worth the effort!!
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
Today, I replaced ALL of the filters in my RODI. New membrane and all. I was way past due for this service, so it seemed like a good time to get it done. Of course, like all plumbing projects, a run to the hardware store mid process was needed... Ugghhh I hate plumbing!!
In the morning, I will take a run over to the local Walmart and pick up a 45g storage tote that will be the interim home for my rocks and fish as I make the tank swap happen.
I am making new water as fast as my system will run... I have about 80g ready to go right now. Still need another 50 or so to be sure I have enough.
I am planning to use as much water from the existing tank as I can, just not sure what I will end up with. Pulling rocks and netting out fish can stir up a LOT of gunk that I would rather not put into the new build.
A few weeks ago, I put my box of new dry rock into a 20g brute can and filled it with waste water from the DT to attempt to get at least a small cycle started. I have been ghost feeding this can of rock since I filled it up. Tonight, I transferred all of that rock from the 20g to a 32g can. I did this so I could shake off as much of the "dust" that came with new dry rock as possible. It's amazing how cloudy the water was in the original can. I shook off as much as I could and filled the new 32g with new fresh saltwater.
I would have to test this can in order to give you all actual numbers, but my experience says that it is tank ready as is. I do not now, and never have, owned an ammonia test kit, and I am not going to waste my money on one for this. I know full well that the rock in the existing tank is plenty to skip-cycle the new tank.
I am only pre-treating the new rock to remove dust, and hopefully avoid as much of the uglies as possible in the new build. I am confident that this will be as seamless of a process as is possible.
In the morning, I will take a run over to the local Walmart and pick up a 45g storage tote that will be the interim home for my rocks and fish as I make the tank swap happen.
I am making new water as fast as my system will run... I have about 80g ready to go right now. Still need another 50 or so to be sure I have enough.
I am planning to use as much water from the existing tank as I can, just not sure what I will end up with. Pulling rocks and netting out fish can stir up a LOT of gunk that I would rather not put into the new build.
A few weeks ago, I put my box of new dry rock into a 20g brute can and filled it with waste water from the DT to attempt to get at least a small cycle started. I have been ghost feeding this can of rock since I filled it up. Tonight, I transferred all of that rock from the 20g to a 32g can. I did this so I could shake off as much of the "dust" that came with new dry rock as possible. It's amazing how cloudy the water was in the original can. I shook off as much as I could and filled the new 32g with new fresh saltwater.
I would have to test this can in order to give you all actual numbers, but my experience says that it is tank ready as is. I do not now, and never have, owned an ammonia test kit, and I am not going to waste my money on one for this. I know full well that the rock in the existing tank is plenty to skip-cycle the new tank.
I am only pre-treating the new rock to remove dust, and hopefully avoid as much of the uglies as possible in the new build. I am confident that this will be as seamless of a process as is possible.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
You're going to be done quick! For ammonia (don't tell anyone I said this) you can always grab some test strips. You're not really concerned with actual levels as much as 0 or not 0. Same with Nitrites.
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
So today is the big day!!!! Went down to the local Wal-Mart and picked up 2 30g totes for the temporary home for all my stock.
Got everything out of the tank except the sand and now I am taking a break for dinner...
Got everything out of the tank except the sand and now I am taking a break for dinner...
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
I have 3-32g brute cans filled with new saltwater ready to go. The RODI is busy filling up the last can with fresh water now so by the time I am ready to start filling the new tank, I should have 120ish gallons of new clean saltwater ready to rock and roll. I estimate I have about 40 gallons of water from the existing tank, plus there is about 8g in the two canister filters, and another 7 in the "sump". I should have enough water to fill the new tank tomorrow.
It has been quite a bit of work, and a little extra expense than I had planned for, nothing extravagant, but I am about $250 over what I had planned for. The final product however, will be well worth the effort. I am super excited to see the new tank set up and running!!
It has been quite a bit of work, and a little extra expense than I had planned for, nothing extravagant, but I am about $250 over what I had planned for. The final product however, will be well worth the effort. I am super excited to see the new tank set up and running!!
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
OK guys.. The new tank is inside and on the stand!!!!
I have the overflows plumbed in and am leak testing them right now. If I don't get to it tonight, I will be plumbing in the sump in the morning.
I still need to complete this by end of the day Sunday as I have to go back to work on Monday morning and I won't have time to do anything with the tank until Thursday.
@tbrown3589 Here are a couple pics of the new AR300 sump. Notice in these pics, the bypass area below the fuge? I am actually excited to get this running and make a video of it in actual operation. I have searched YouTube in every way I can think of and have not found a single video of one of these in actual operation.
I have the overflows plumbed in and am leak testing them right now. If I don't get to it tonight, I will be plumbing in the sump in the morning.
I still need to complete this by end of the day Sunday as I have to go back to work on Monday morning and I won't have time to do anything with the tank until Thursday.
@tbrown3589 Here are a couple pics of the new AR300 sump. Notice in these pics, the bypass area below the fuge? I am actually excited to get this running and make a video of it in actual operation. I have searched YouTube in every way I can think of and have not found a single video of one of these in actual operation.
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
Well, now that I have the tank on the stand and the overflow plumbing installed.. I really do not like how the "soft" drain hoses are going to work. There is no practical way to run them to avoid an uphill flow area. With that discovery, I think that my best route will be to go with "hard" plumbing. I have all of the piping I will need on hand now, all I will need is a few elbows to make it work. I will likely also add in a couple ball valves as I like the ability to simply shut off the drains at the turn of a knob rather than shutting the power down and waiting for gravity to drain the system.
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Jedi1199
2500 Club Member
Not to attack you for this, BUT there is no "way"! If it works it works. The most valuable thing that we as individuals possess, is the freedom to make our own decisions.
There is no reason at all that soft tubing would not work in a build. I could use my tubing as it is and still reach the results I intend. I simply do not wish for an aera in the drain setup where water will have to flow uphill.
Sean Clark
7500 Club Member
At one point soft plumbing worked for me and was the best option. I liked the simplicity and the fact that it did not transfer any vibrations. I wouldn't discourage anyone from using it. We all have our own circumstances that we are working with.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
I think BRS has a video of one but it's a review video (not in operation I think).OK guys.. The new tank is inside and on the stand!!!!
I have the overflows plumbed in and am leak testing them right now. If I don't get to it tonight, I will be plumbing in the sump in the morning.
I still need to complete this by end of the day Sunday as I have to go back to work on Monday morning and I won't have time to do anything with the tank until Thursday.
@tbrown3589 Here are a couple pics of the new AR300 sump. Notice in these pics, the bypass area below the fuge? I am actually excited to get this running and make a video of it in actual operation. I have searched YouTube in every way I can think of and have not found a single video of one of these in actual operation.
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