Taking sump offline.

TroyClark

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
227
Reaction score
125
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello all,

I am currently in the process of moving my reef system from a 125 gallon 6 ft long tank with 55 sump in my storage room and transferring everything to my 120 gallon 5 ft long in wall display tank. I need to do some work on my DIY 55 sump and make some mesh tops for the 120 before I move everything. I have about 10 bags of matrix media in the sump for my bio filtration. If I take the sump offline to move it and do some maintenance on it, can I take the bags of matrix and just place them in the current 125 to maintain the bio filter and keep it doing its job or will the water quality suffer?

I have a pair of clowns, a medium/large BTA, a yellow tang, 2 bangii cardinals, a lawnmower blenny and a blue chromis. I also have a couple of emerald crabs, a coral banded shrimp and numerous hermits. About 12 various coral frags. I want to siphon some substrate out and start placing it in the new display tank little by little to clean it up also.

Thanks

Troy C.

Also, has anyone used steel corners to stiffen the screen mesh tops? I thought if I super glued them on the corners, I could make it stiffer, especially for where I plan on making recesses for overflow and return plumbing.
 

Timfish

Crusty Old Salt
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
3,738
Reaction score
4,927
Location
Austin, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If they have good water flow it should work. But having moved a few tanks in my time what should work doesn't always work. If you can, having lots of saltwater ready for water changes and a reactor(s) with GAC and GFO would help if problems develeop.
 

Heart of Dixie

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Messages
179
Reaction score
145
Location
Chelsea, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For the screens you can buy painted aluminum screen extrusion from Home Depot and use the plastic corners to join them. The aluminum cuts easily with a hacksaw.
 
OP
OP
TroyClark

TroyClark

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
227
Reaction score
125
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The corner braces with super glue looks like its going to work. Used cross bars to help keep things tight and square. This is an in wall tank so the tops will never be seen by anybody but me.

0913202110.jpg 0913202110_HDR.jpg
 
OP
OP
TroyClark

TroyClark

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
227
Reaction score
125
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For the screens you can buy painted aluminum screen extrusion from Home Depot and use the plastic corners to join them. The aluminum cuts easily with a hacksaw.


That was my plan. I use an electric miter saw to cut the rails. Soft aluminum is easy on the blade and the cuts are square. Used the steel corner braces on the inside corners to stiffen it up a bit.
 
OP
OP
TroyClark

TroyClark

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
227
Reaction score
125
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Got about half the substrate out and washed and in its new home, dang there were a lot of bristle worms. Gonna move everything else this Friday. Wish me luck.
 
OP
OP
TroyClark

TroyClark

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
227
Reaction score
125
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Up and running for awhile. Having a minor problem with algae. Got a used Octo 150-sss skimmer, a clear water algae turf scrubber and a pair of the BRS dual reactors for a steal. Got them all cleaned, repaired where needed and installed. Algae, get ready to be destroyed....... LOL

I had to take the base rock out and scrub the algae off and rinse well with tap water to remove a bunch of hair algae and put it back in the tank.

I thought about getting a bunch of Hydrogen peroxide, about 3 gallons of it and put it in a 5 gallon bucket with a good tight lid and use it to periodically dip my base rock in until the algae problem is gone. Can I reuse the peroxide for a few months or will it go bad in the bucket?

I also got a bunch of used dry base rock. I bleached the rock for a day and have had it in a barrel with RO water and a bunch of Seachem Safe. Been in there for over a week with a circulation pump. How soon can I add it to my tank?

Any input is appreciated.

Troy
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 53 48.6%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 60 55.0%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 25 22.9%
  • None.

    Votes: 28 25.7%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 8.3%
Back
Top