Going Bigger

[Chuck Spyropulos]

I wish I could say it was for my display......but I'm talking about my coral QT. This weekend I gotta reinforce my shelf for the bigger QT. It will consist of a 40 gallon low with a 45 gallon sump. I'll install an auto top off system and use the same equipment I did for the 10: Prizm hang on skimmer, 175 W DE MH fixture, Magnum 350 Canister Filter running GAC, Titanium heater and a few powerheads (gotta buy some larger ones). I probably won't need chilling until the spring...not sure weather to get a small chiller or a few of those Ice Probes or just fans (also the fish room is air conditioed which may be enough). I'm also thinking about a heat exchanger type system that uses a small pump to send QT water through a small diameter tube into the main display sump and back to the QT. I'll make sure that the tubing is long enough to form a long coil in my display system sump. This way I'll be indirectly chilling the QT with the "main system" chiller. Should be an interesting design....if I can find the time!

[ceige]

Geeee I saw the title and had a double take....you can always fill your garage with water! You already are dive certified

Good luck with the QT upgrade

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Ha ha...I fooled you!
I would go to a 450 gallon display, but The General says "NO!".

Originally Posted by ceige

Geeee I saw the title and had a double take....you can always fill your garage with water! You already are dive certified

Good luck with the QT upgrade

[xrobbx03]

good luck with upgrade...keep us updated on its progress

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Finished the stand today. Now I gotta plump the tank and the sump.
I'm going to plumb both the return and the drain through the back of the tank then through the stand and into the sump.

Then....time for another big batch of frags!

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Forgot to mention I think I am going to grab a few frag from LiveAquaria.com.
I am considering these acros: Lokani, Tenuis, Pink Millepora, Blue Millepora, ORA Purple Pillow....plus a few more.

Has anyone ordered from them? If so, how did it go?

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Tonight, I finished plumbing the 40 gallon QT return loop. Tank drilled, bulkhead fitted, bulhead in sump fitted, pump fitted with ball valves and unions, and pipe dry fitted. Now I gotta do the drain...I hope to have water in the QT system this weekend. And then time for another batch of acros!

[Loverotties]

Sounds Nice!

[xrobbx03]

lets see some pics chuck

[Chuck Spyropulos]

I worked all weekend on the QT and it still is not complete. After hooking everything up, I found that the pumpo was bad. I tried to clean and fix it but no deal. It is a Danner MagDrive 18A that I now realize broke a while back and was replaced with a new one. The pump was used for my water change system which is not a critical so I went cheap.

I would never use one of these pumps for a continuous,critical operation pump like a return pump which is what I need now. I broke down and finally ordered a new pump, Pan World type similar to Iwaki MD20 but for only $109.00 on Marine Depot.

I'll try to get some pix up this week some time. I also did some plumbing to allow water changes for the QT without buckets....a bunch of valves and pipes were added to my existing water change system for my main system. I'll be using the "drained" water from my display system for my QT system. I also plumbed the QT return pump with a tee and a few ball valves to allow QT drainage into my sink during water changes...lot's o work but it will hopefully be worth it, not having to haul buckets or finding tubing to run a siphon. The last thing I did was to add a hose bib to the main system drain pump to get SW on demand....without those leaky siphons and/or buckets....Whew....I'm wrecked!

Originally Posted by xrobbx03

lets see some pics chuck

[xrobbx03]

I was wondering where you were. You were MIA on the boards this weekend.

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Yeah, pretty much worked all weekend on the new QT system. My wife was NOT too happy with me for ignoring her all weekend.

I'll be getting the new return pump tomorrow from Marine Depot. In the meantime I gotta move my pendant light and design/build my auto-topoff system. A reefer's work is never done!

Oh yeah, and then there is that Xmas shopping list that I have not even started yet.

Originally Posted by xrobbx03

I was wondering where you were. You were MIA on the boards this weekend.

[Chuck Spyropulos]

Finished the auto topoff. Pretty simple... an aqualifter pump, miniature float switch, some lamp cord, silicone and some clear plastic tubing for a mount/holder for the float switch. I haven't bothered mounting it to the QT system yet, pending installation of the return pump tomorrow night.

I will be off on vacation all next week....I see a few coral orders in my future!
Probably one from LiveAquaria and another elsewhere.

[Chuck Spyropulos]

FINALLY! I finally placed all the frags in my display tank and they are all doing well! Still have to install the top off system on the frag tank and run some carbon to clean the water b4 getting more frags next week. Also have to move the lighting to center it on the new tank. Next week I'll be off from work so I'll have plenty of time to finish the QT system. I'll probably order some frags from LiveAquaria at the end of the week.

I also emptied, cleaned and removed my frag tank from service.....until I have some frags! Since my QT is bigger and is almost ready and since the frags I have now are doing well, the next batch will go into the QT for a month or so, and then directly into the display.

[mg]

Sounds like you are getting there! I am just not really in the reefing mood lately after my little incident and I am not happy with my aquascape or coral placement now. Everytime I look at the tank I think that looks aweful, why did you touch it? Oh well we will see if I can fix it.