Wwidener
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2017
- Messages
- 115
So you're using them to stabilize the sump? 
?
?
Another sump build...
- Thread starter coralbandit
- Start date
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OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
They keep the Berliner at a constant level so the pump for protein skimmer runs steady and does not cavitate . Even with a 90 on the Jeboa and running it on egg crate for clearance off bottom it still is powerful enough to whirlpool and suck in bubbles compromising flow and efficiency to protein skimmer. Seems like 7-8 inches deep is the magic number for the pump.
Wwidener
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2017
- Messages
- 115
Can you take a picture of it and message me? I'm having a hard time visualizing it. The guy I bought my sump from put two on his and I'm struggling to figure out what to do with them. Thanks.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Most of the time bulkheads are used for external pumps that can not go in sump.
So either go with good external pump [Blue Line] or cap them with a pvc cap and use an internal pump..I like internal everything so drips don't worry me.
Besides DC pumps most transfer heat to tank so many serious reefers use external for temp control as Dc are still 'fairly new'.
So either go with good external pump [Blue Line] or cap them with a pvc cap and use an internal pump..I like internal everything so drips don't worry me.
Besides DC pumps most transfer heat to tank so many serious reefers use external for temp control as Dc are still 'fairly new'.
Wwidener
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2017
- Messages
- 115
Makes sense. I'm considering adding a small Mangrove farm in another tank next to the sump and connecting it through these bulkheads. I dunno yet.
Tbox
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Your Sump thoughts and mods are over my head. I'll need to crawl around under your stairs for a day to fully saturate this info into my noggin.
That skimmer is sweet!
That skimmer is sweet!
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Once you know how /see a sump work it is not complicated..
A box holding water..What you do in it depends on what you want /know..
I have had sumps since the 1980's so this is no big deal.Just a big sump !
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
All fish , inverts and mushrooms have been moved to the 120 and the 75 shut off.
I will take it down and hopefully get it clean this week as the weather is supposed to be warm enough to hose this down.
I lost the mandarin in the move ?
Her and the clown along with mushrooms ,coral banded shrimp and brittle star got moved yesterday and she looked frozen today? She was not breathing or moving for hours yet then I see her swallow a brine shrimp and spit it out...
She passed about mid day. I think she was over 3 years old .I am pretty sure the water is not at play since the tanks have been joined for weeks now ?
I decided to start moving stuff yesterday when I saw bugs on the glass in the 120..They along with the random asterina star seemed to indicate the tank was growing?
Hoping to move canopy and lights tomorrow and will get pics up then.
Brought arc eyed hawk to LFS and replaced him with an algae blenny.
Also found my porcelain crab I thought the hawk had eaten...
Glad to have him still and glad I got rid of the hawk in time.
The blenny will serve a purpose in the tank and is a fun fish to watch..
I passed on a copper banded butterfly considering the mandarin as warning flag.
My last CB lasted about 3-4 years and was an easy 5 inches.. Maybe another one in the future ,he is good looking fish and one many ,like the mandarin have trouble with.
I figure I will let the tank grow some more bugs and give it a little time before I add to the bug eating collection.
I will take it down and hopefully get it clean this week as the weather is supposed to be warm enough to hose this down.
I lost the mandarin in the move ?
Her and the clown along with mushrooms ,coral banded shrimp and brittle star got moved yesterday and she looked frozen today? She was not breathing or moving for hours yet then I see her swallow a brine shrimp and spit it out...
She passed about mid day. I think she was over 3 years old .I am pretty sure the water is not at play since the tanks have been joined for weeks now ?
I decided to start moving stuff yesterday when I saw bugs on the glass in the 120..They along with the random asterina star seemed to indicate the tank was growing?
Hoping to move canopy and lights tomorrow and will get pics up then.
Brought arc eyed hawk to LFS and replaced him with an algae blenny.
Also found my porcelain crab I thought the hawk had eaten...
Glad to have him still and glad I got rid of the hawk in time.
The blenny will serve a purpose in the tank and is a fun fish to watch..
I passed on a copper banded butterfly considering the mandarin as warning flag.
My last CB lasted about 3-4 years and was an easy 5 inches.. Maybe another one in the future ,he is good looking fish and one many ,like the mandarin have trouble with.
I figure I will let the tank grow some more bugs and give it a little time before I add to the bug eating collection.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
The 75 is out and cleaned ! I have a 4'x18" foot print free n my fish room !
The 120 is running like a champ. It is looking like the mandarin will be only loss.
I see all inverts[CB shrimp ,porcelain crab , 2 tiger conchs and brittle star ] every day and they are active.
All other fish have chosen spots on the new reef and my comet is out more then ever.
The comet has to be in the top 5 all time favorites along with the mandarin.. I will get a pair when I see them.
Here it is .
Still have to get a GFO reactor and UV light hooked up.
Probably going to get the ozone installed and still need to build an algae turf scrubber.
For now I have Cheato in a high flow area helping to act as a bubble trap near skimmer out flow...
The 75s filter is also out of sump now there is plenty of room for equipment to be 'organized '.
Pretty pleased with how this turned out so far and the comet being out more a is a real bonus for me.
The 120 is running like a champ. It is looking like the mandarin will be only loss.
I see all inverts[CB shrimp ,porcelain crab , 2 tiger conchs and brittle star ] every day and they are active.
All other fish have chosen spots on the new reef and my comet is out more then ever.
The comet has to be in the top 5 all time favorites along with the mandarin.. I will get a pair when I see them.Here it is .
Still have to get a GFO reactor and UV light hooked up.
Probably going to get the ozone installed and still need to build an algae turf scrubber.
For now I have Cheato in a high flow area helping to act as a bubble trap near skimmer out flow...
The 75s filter is also out of sump now there is plenty of room for equipment to be 'organized '.
Pretty pleased with how this turned out so far and the comet being out more a is a real bonus for me.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's the sump ATM
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
All is well so I added 2 cleaner shrimp and 2 turbo snails Friday .
On the hunt for a pair of mandarins but so far 0 for 2 on search...
Pics later today of tank.
On the hunt for a pair of mandarins but so far 0 for 2 on search...
Pics later today of tank.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here is tank last night.
I took off the crummy handles on cabinet doors and replaced them with replica antique copper door knobs..Mrs .b and I have had them a while and both thought they would look good on cabinet. I really like them.
Happy comet
Cleaner shrimp
Some of my shrooms and a leather that grew out of the LR over the last 4 years. It was a single polyp with no clue of what it was years ago...
Mr. Gramma and his new cave
I took off the crummy handles on cabinet doors and replaced them with replica antique copper door knobs..Mrs .b and I have had them a while and both thought they would look good on cabinet. I really like them.
Happy comet
Cleaner shrimp
Some of my shrooms and a leather that grew out of the LR over the last 4 years. It was a single polyp with no clue of what it was years ago...
Mr. Gramma and his new cave
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
In my search for a pair of mandarins I found a Ruby Red !
I have only once had a ruby red so this is pretty cool.
There are definitely bugs in the tank but I target feed him fresh BBS so he is eating and exploring well..
also snapped up 2 feather dusters and turbo snails. The snail will not leave that rock till ALL the red is gone !He has been on it for 2 days now and may 50% of it gone...
My little leather just shed !
Tank is running nice.
I picked up the Kent Target feeder and am using it to stir up the sand and or any dead spots ,but there are not many with the 2 gyres running pulse mode.
I have only once had a ruby red so this is pretty cool.
There are definitely bugs in the tank but I target feed him fresh BBS so he is eating and exploring well..
also snapped up 2 feather dusters and turbo snails. The snail will not leave that rock till ALL the red is gone !
He has been on it for 2 days now and may 50% of it gone...
My little leather just shed !
Tank is running nice.
I picked up the Kent Target feeder and am using it to stir up the sand and or any dead spots ,but there are not many with the 2 gyres running pulse mode.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Tank is running good .
PO4 is high but coming down. I just got the GFO going last week.
Since I am running out of 'bio pellets ' I am switching over to vinegar dosing.
Currently dosing 20ml a day and NO3 seems reasonable for amount of food I feed fish.
We will see how low I can get it . Going to need a better test kit to know as API only goes to 10 as lowest and I am under already . Next time I test I will cut water in half and then see what it reads at 2X. All articles says Red Sea Pro is a good nitrate test ?
Added a few things to the tank . Got a mis bar "true percula' clown to go with my 4 year old 'Picasso clown'.
I chose the second smallest from LFS and he seems to be matching up to her well. She tolerates him 100 times better then I ever would have predicted . Also got a sebae anemone and porcelain crab that hangs out on him. Fingers crossed with it . It seems to be settling in ? Got three green mushroom rocks .One appears to be 'elephant ear ' type mushroom/anemone that may actually be a suitable host for clowns ...Giving 2 red Montipora frags a shot to see how I do with them ?
I also added a Lubbocks fairy wrasse who seems to enjoy the tank.
Most those are nothing fancy so I will get pictures of them as the tank settles in and I leave it alone maybe , but this I had to take a picture of ...
I got a 'fancy brittle star ' . I have never even heard of them or seen one before but he was too cool to pass up. To boot the LFS guy took $10 bucks off him so for $15 ?! Here is a couple pics of him in 1 gallon drip acclimation bucket.
I guess they are also called 'bubble tip brittle stars ' due to the crazy things on his legs !
My other brittle is 4 year so this guy ought to be cool to watch .
He easily could have touched all edges of the bucket ..
He is like 8 inches tip to tip !
PO4 is high but coming down. I just got the GFO going last week.
Since I am running out of 'bio pellets ' I am switching over to vinegar dosing.
Currently dosing 20ml a day and NO3 seems reasonable for amount of food I feed fish.
We will see how low I can get it . Going to need a better test kit to know as API only goes to 10 as lowest and I am under already . Next time I test I will cut water in half and then see what it reads at 2X. All articles says Red Sea Pro is a good nitrate test ?
Added a few things to the tank . Got a mis bar "true percula' clown to go with my 4 year old 'Picasso clown'.
I chose the second smallest from LFS and he seems to be matching up to her well. She tolerates him 100 times better then I ever would have predicted . Also got a sebae anemone and porcelain crab that hangs out on him. Fingers crossed with it . It seems to be settling in ? Got three green mushroom rocks .One appears to be 'elephant ear ' type mushroom/anemone that may actually be a suitable host for clowns ...Giving 2 red Montipora frags a shot to see how I do with them ?
I also added a Lubbocks fairy wrasse who seems to enjoy the tank.
Most those are nothing fancy so I will get pictures of them as the tank settles in and I leave it alone maybe , but this I had to take a picture of ...
I got a 'fancy brittle star ' . I have never even heard of them or seen one before but he was too cool to pass up. To boot the LFS guy took $10 bucks off him so for $15 ?! Here is a couple pics of him in 1 gallon drip acclimation bucket.
I guess they are also called 'bubble tip brittle stars ' due to the crazy things on his legs !
My other brittle is 4 year so this guy ought to be cool to watch .
He easily could have touched all edges of the bucket ..
He is like 8 inches tip to tip !
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Man, I’ve never wanted a SW tank but that brittle star is way cool!
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok busy busy but still working on improving this .
Added a 10g gravity ATO [ Auto Top Off] with a float valve in the sump so water and SG stay constant . I took the plastic airstone apart and removed metal weights and replaced them with aquarium gravel and super glued it shut. The syphon hose has a $.70 hard U shaped hard airline so flow will not become restricted. I used one of my adjustable float valves exactly like what I use in my water storage vessels so I am confident it will work properly for a long time.
I have measured the 10g and calculated the amount of evaporation in tank/sump to be 1.25gpd .
So I add like 5g and 100ml of vinegar and the tank is good and dosed [evenly] for the next 4-5 days.
Using craft fabric and a simple LED spiral compact light I have a make shift ATS [Algae Turf Scrubber ] that is not only working ok as an ATS ,but also a bubble trap and home for many[I mean many] bugs ! So I may make a better ATS in the future more in line with others design run off a manifold ,but for now and just for the bugs I will keep this in place .I use ' vinyl coils stock' to make my reflector inside sump.
BUGS
Bubbles and algae
I have yet to organize the sheets properly yet but they still seem to be serving several purposes !
The GFO reactor
I am wrong and my API kit goes to 5 which I am not at yet !
Still think I would like a better test..
Anyone have experience with the Hanna Digital Photometer for nitrates ?
Kind of pricey but if it is like other Hanna tools probably worth it.?
Wrong about the brittle star also ..His legs are easily 10 " each ! He is often under a cave with his legs out in the flow searching for food. If he catches anything he passes the particle along his little bristles like a conveyor belt and never even moves his leg !
He doesn't move around constantly but in all honesty both Mrs .b and I think he is about as close to having an octopus as we will ever get. He is so cool ! A can't go wrong purchase at $15..
30g water change day today [every Sunday for now] .Hoping to parameters more in line .Tank pics later when lights come up .
I also just ordered Sea Kleer [Lanthanum Chloride] to start aiding in getting my PO4 down to reasonable levels.
Added a 10g gravity ATO [ Auto Top Off] with a float valve in the sump so water and SG stay constant . I took the plastic airstone apart and removed metal weights and replaced them with aquarium gravel and super glued it shut. The syphon hose has a $.70 hard U shaped hard airline so flow will not become restricted. I used one of my adjustable float valves exactly like what I use in my water storage vessels so I am confident it will work properly for a long time.
I have measured the 10g and calculated the amount of evaporation in tank/sump to be 1.25gpd .
So I add like 5g and 100ml of vinegar and the tank is good and dosed [evenly] for the next 4-5 days.
Using craft fabric and a simple LED spiral compact light I have a make shift ATS [Algae Turf Scrubber ] that is not only working ok as an ATS ,but also a bubble trap and home for many[I mean many] bugs ! So I may make a better ATS in the future more in line with others design run off a manifold ,but for now and just for the bugs I will keep this in place .I use ' vinyl coils stock' to make my reflector inside sump.
BUGS
Bubbles and algae
I have yet to organize the sheets properly yet but they still seem to be serving several purposes !
The GFO reactor
I am wrong and my API kit goes to 5 which I am not at yet !
Still think I would like a better test..
Anyone have experience with the Hanna Digital Photometer for nitrates ?
Kind of pricey but if it is like other Hanna tools probably worth it.?
Wrong about the brittle star also ..His legs are easily 10 " each ! He is often under a cave with his legs out in the flow searching for food. If he catches anything he passes the particle along his little bristles like a conveyor belt and never even moves his leg !
He doesn't move around constantly but in all honesty both Mrs .b and I think he is about as close to having an octopus as we will ever get. He is so cool ! A can't go wrong purchase at $15..
30g water change day today [every Sunday for now] .Hoping to parameters more in line .Tank pics later when lights come up .
I also just ordered Sea Kleer [Lanthanum Chloride] to start aiding in getting my PO4 down to reasonable levels.
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
Pics of tank ;
OP
OP
coralbandit
Aquarium Advice Addict
They're my speed !
Easy...Although the montipora looks to be happy also. I can see how much they have grown already . Maybe a 1/4 inch ...I'll be happy if they do well for me .
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