Buffy's 1st Ever SW Build - Reef Tank

[Dary421]

True, right now I can't auto anything. At least I still enjoy LOOKING at my little mess though.

I just have too much going on at work that has beaten me so far down it has affected my whole life but I'm only gonna be down for the moment. I'll kick back just is gonna take some strength which I don't have yet.

"... Rub some dirt on it" ... It's time to feed the crabs again....... Youve gone this far,..can't stop now !!

 

[Buffy]

Norma Rae Trailer - YouTube

Duh me LOL, I realized that was the name while I was riding my bike today. Felt good to get out and feel free again.

"... Rub some dirt on it" ... It's time to feed the crabs again....... Youve gone this far,..can't stop now !!

You're mean, rub some dirt yuk. I don't plan on stopping, just keep getting beat down and things go awry on me.


What tangs are good for a 75 gallon? I trust you guys and with my research I'm finding mixed thoughts on them.

 

[spoonman]

I have a tomini in my 75 and he has been great!

 

[Dary421]

You're mean, rub some dirt yuk. I don't plan on stopping, just keep getting beat down and things go awry on me.

... Lol... Last week I was a sweetheart,..this week I'm a meanie,.:-/ ... Just hoping you can get everything behind you so you can concentrate on the build agin.

 

[Buffy]

You're mean, rub some dirt yuk. I don't plan on stopping, just keep getting beat down and things go awry on me.

... Lol... Last week I was a sweetheart,..this week I'm a meanie,.:-/ ... Just hoping you can get everything behind you so you can concentrate on the build agin.

I was smiling when I called you a meanie LOL.

I made up a 10 gallon tank and put the "loose" corals in there so they aren't affected by all the hair algae in there.

Spoonman - How does your Tang like hair algae?

 

[Buffy]

sump overflowed

So I got the all done and ran it today, while adjust the level in the tank was slowly coming up. When I looked it was now at the tippy top of the tank and getting ready to overflow over the sides and ends well I unplugged the pumps and saved it from overflowing......HOWEVER the Sump didn't hold it all and I flooded the cabinet and the floor anyway. Grrrrr,



I'm gonna go mow the lawn. Safer

 

[scottayy]

You've got too much water in there.

 

[scottayy]

Or your pump is set too high if it's sucking all of the water out of the retun compartment and overflowing the tank.

 

[Grizz]

Sounds like both Here's how i set up my sumps take most of the water out of the sump let the DT drain down to the bottom of the over flow so no more water drains out then fill the the sump till it's about 2/3 full it wont overflow.You want to just cover all the baffles. Turn on the return pump if the return runs dry then you need to dial back the return pump so the over flows can keep up

 

[Buffy]

Sounds like both Here's how i set up my sumps take most of the water out of the sump let the DT drain down to the bottom of the over flow so no more water drains out then fill the the sump till it's about 2/3 full it wont overflow.You want to just cover all the baffles. Turn on the return pump if the return runs dry then you need to dial back the return pump so the over flows can keep up

Thanks, I figured I had too much water. My DT didn't drain down to the holes in the return lines (I didn't let it this time) I'm gonna take water out of the DT til just above the holes and see where it gets me on the sump. Then the rest will get dumped.

This time though I'm not gonna run the protein skimmer and return at same time til I have the return situated.

 

[Buffy]

Knock on Wood

Knock on Wood the sump is running albeit with an air pocket at the top of the u-tube I got tired of drinking saltwater over and over to try to get that out. Time to see how long this works.

I have to be gone for awhile today so I can't hover over it, I will just have to see if all is well when I get back.

 

[Ibrahim]

Knock on Wood the sump is running albeit with an air pocket at the top of the u-tube I got tired of drinking saltwater over and over to try to get that out. Time to see how long this works.

I have to be gone for awhile today so I can't hover over it, I will just have to see if all is well when I get back.

If there is more flow then the air will be pushed out so if there's a ball valve on the return open it up a bit more. Otherwise no matter how hard you try the air wont come out.

 

[Buffy]

If there is more flow then the air will be pushed out so if there's a ball valve on the return open it up a bit more. Otherwise no matter how hard you try the air wont come out.

If I open the ball valve open anymore then my pump sucks air, if I close it too much then the sump fills. With it closed 1/2 way the level stays good but the level for the return bounces like the skimmer and then it sucks air and no air and sucks air again. The overflow and the sump are LOUD!!!!! I thought they were supposed to be quieter then what I'm hearing, I had to turn my tv up to hear it now.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[scottayy]

You will learn your sump lol it just takes a little bit of time. You will probably end up having to mod your overflow drain pipe to make it quieter.

 

[Buffy]

Buffster's kinda sorta back

You will learn your sump lol it just takes a little bit of time. You will probably end up having to mod your overflow drain pipe to make it quieter.

Sounds like you're right. I'm afraid to add any more water but my return pump keeps sucking the chamber down til it sucks air/water combination. My overflow is only half full and the level is almost (and I mean almost) touching the black lip of the tank. I have holes in the return but none in the overflow so questions:

1. Is the water supposed to "fill" both sides of the overflow?
2. Is anyone using the foam inside the overflow that's is sitting over the drain pipe inside the overflow (hope that made sense)?
3. The foam is getting dirty and if I remove it I will lose the 1/2 filled contained I have and the syphon also. Is anyone else's getting gobbed up?
4. I can maintain level just above the skimmer pump chamber and the fuge chamber but not the return pump chamber, what can I do to correct that?
5. My skimmer that is dumping into the fuge is splashing all over and making the sand go everywhere, what can I do to stop that?

Here are some test results between last night and today. Tell me what you think, a few are out of whack, like my salinity (wooooaaaa). (got that way cause I added straight ro to the sump and should have mixed it up.

Temp: 80.8
pH 8.1
Specific Gravity 1.018
KH 147
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 160 (gotta whole lot of hair algae and diatoms inside sand going on.
Ammonia 0
Alkalinity 2.96
Calcium 320
Silicate 0

I'm doing water changes, got the skimmer running, trying to manually remove algae as I can, what else can I do.

All fish are ok except can't find one...not worried yet cause he disappears for a week or so, losing inverts (snails,3 more emeralds...i hear they don't like bad water but I was trying to use them to clean up.

Am getting some gunk from skimmer but then it just started.

Sorry so long but as you can see I'm trying to get this act together, oh and by the way the majority of my corals that are in a 10 gallon tank, others couldn't be moved and are 2 are slowly deterioring.

Help if you can/want, I appreciate the following and the support ya'll have given me, sorry for my moods lately, they are still there but am slowly handling them better.

P.S. Can't test for phosphate as I can't find my reagents, and I don't have any close by and am not gonna pay 35.00 for shipping for that and I can't afford much more.

I just bought a couple of fish, 2 corals (all to be qt'd) because I believe when qt is over this mess should be straighted out, especially with ya'lls help).

Thanks again for reading.

 

[Grizz]

Have you shut off the return pump and let the DT drain until it stops you want simulate a power failure,
when you do you can fill the sump to within 2 inches of the top This is the max safe water level
Try putting a nylon stocking on the skimmer return it will calm it some I have mine dump back into the return area (kinda like a recurc skimmer) then it flows over the baffle to the fuge

 

[Buffy]

Have you shut off the return pump and let the DT drain until it stops you want simulate a power failure,
when you do you can fill the sump to within 2 inches of the top This is the max safe water level
Try putting a nylon stocking on the skimmer return it will calm it some I have mine dump back into the return area (kinda like a recurc skimmer) then it flows over the baffle to the fuge

Yeah I've simulated, I have room to add more water, just kinda chicken after my first power failure simulation.

I have to make up some water, this time, am gonna add salt though so I can try to bring up my salinty.

 

[scottayy]

1. Is the water supposed to "fill" both sides of the overflow?
2. Is anyone using the foam inside the overflow that's is sitting over the drain pipe inside the overflow (hope that made sense)?
3. The foam is getting dirty and if I remove it I will lose the 1/2 filled contained I have and the syphon also. Is anyone else's getting gobbed up?
4. I can maintain level just above the skimmer pump chamber and the fuge chamber but not the return pump chamber, what can I do to correct that?
5. My skimmer that is dumping into the fuge is splashing all over and making the sand go everywhere, what can I do to stop that?

1. Is this an HOB overflow or internal? Or are you talking about the inside box of an HOB overflow? I think it's the later. It shouldn't fill it all the way up. You can get close to the top, but due to the u-tube the water level inside of the box will actually be a little bit lower than the outside of the box. This is what creates the "surface skimming" effect of the box skimming the surface of the water.

2. No. IMO it's just an extra foam to rinse out every week. As long as you're using a filter sock this is unnecessary. Theoretically I guess your drain pipe could get clogged but it hasn't ever happened to me.

3. Remove it. You won't lose the siphon. I haven't lost siphon in forever.

4. When you match the amount of water going in and coming out, this will automatically level off.

5. PVC pipe or tubing to redirect the flow. If you can hook something up to it just aim it towards the back wall of the fuge.


I wish I could come set this up for you.

 

[Buffy]

Thanks Scottayy for your help. I'm still messing around with the flows, it's slowly getting there I think.

I just put the tank in black out. I have a black show curtain that I draped over it and it's covering 3 of the 4 sides. I have major algae and nothing I've done works and it's seems to be taking over the tank.

I plan on a small water change tomorrow, no I can't do a 50 percent cause then half the rock and a few corals will be exposed.

I plan on lights out for about 4 days, god I hope these corals survive that long without light, but they will get a little each time I do a water change but that's it just the light from the room while I do the change.

Any suggestions to get rid of it? Plus every rock has bubbles on them and it's getting to turn brown and looks like it is streaking up from the rocks and well jeez it's just wrong lol.

 

[Sniperhank]

IDK about a blackout buffy...there has to be something going on that is being overlooked. I wouldn't do it more than a day, let alone 4. I just see it as setting yourself up to fail and stressing yourself out over it. Don't do it!