i was hoping to add pictures, but the TRT Gallery is still having a few issues, so i will go ahead and get this started.
i know i have had a lot of false starts in the past, and you all thought i would never get another tank started, but i am significantly on my way now.
this is going to be a simple BB, SPS, growout system to test a few ideas before i go ahead on a much larger system.
i acquired about 15 sheets of acrylic in various sizes and thicknesses. i had a few pieces of 3/8" that were asking to be made into a growout tank, so i sent them off to my dad to square them up. gotta give projects to the parents to keep them out of each others hair now that they are retired. the tank is about 30g and is 23"X36"X10". it has a full width weir on one end.
two weekends ago, we glued it up. this weekend the kids and i leak tested it and built a stand for it. we also ran a quick and dirty skimmer flow test. it turns out my old DIY skimmer powered by a Mag18 moved about 420gph with the old eductor on it. this was in FW, so i am not sure how accurate it is, but it at least gives me a ballpark value, and is about what i was expecting. this gives me a drain size though, which is what i was looking for. i have not designed/added the overflow yet, i wanted to know which size bulkhead would use. i am not hurting for plumbing parts. i may play with a Beane style, just cause, but i do not think that it would work for the larger system with the size overflow i am planning for that system.
the system is going in the laundry room, this will also be the room where all of the support equipment will go for the larger system when it gets going. i plan on using the old light fixture for now. i can play around with various MH's for now.
so far i have dragged out all of my pumps, sorted out all of my extra PVC, got my RO/DI replacement filters, and gone over most of my equipment. i need to start soaking most of the equipment in vinegar. hoping i can get vinegar in 5g barrels.
the big goal of this system is to see how a 10x+ skimmer processing rate behaves.
the current plumbing plan is to have the overflow go directly into the UV, the UV is going into the 30g conical settling tank which will house the skimmer and equipment (if it all fits). i know i need to cut the corners off of the skimmer to get it into the opening at the top. i also need to figure out how to support all of that weight in the settling tank. find ways to get the water in and out of the settling tank without to much, if any bypassing the skimmer itself. all while getting an ATO going.
i hope to also get my old water change system going agin, but i am not sure i will have the room, plus it was designed for a larger system, and has the holes drilled on the wrong side for where things are going here, but will see what i can come up with.
i have a ton of those small magnetic aquarium scrapers that i will probably place in the conical settling tank for biofilm removal.
sorry, for the long post. i was hoping to do this as i went, with pictures along the way, but i needed to put of this down before i forgot. i have the pictures and will put them up when the TRT Gallery is up and running again.
i do not expect to get water in the system, for quite a few weeks now. working in limited spaces slows things down.
i am pretty excited to finally get my hands wet again.
G~
i know i have had a lot of false starts in the past, and you all thought i would never get another tank started, but i am significantly on my way now.
this is going to be a simple BB, SPS, growout system to test a few ideas before i go ahead on a much larger system.
i acquired about 15 sheets of acrylic in various sizes and thicknesses. i had a few pieces of 3/8" that were asking to be made into a growout tank, so i sent them off to my dad to square them up. gotta give projects to the parents to keep them out of each others hair now that they are retired. the tank is about 30g and is 23"X36"X10". it has a full width weir on one end.
two weekends ago, we glued it up. this weekend the kids and i leak tested it and built a stand for it. we also ran a quick and dirty skimmer flow test. it turns out my old DIY skimmer powered by a Mag18 moved about 420gph with the old eductor on it. this was in FW, so i am not sure how accurate it is, but it at least gives me a ballpark value, and is about what i was expecting. this gives me a drain size though, which is what i was looking for. i have not designed/added the overflow yet, i wanted to know which size bulkhead would use. i am not hurting for plumbing parts. i may play with a Beane style, just cause, but i do not think that it would work for the larger system with the size overflow i am planning for that system.
the system is going in the laundry room, this will also be the room where all of the support equipment will go for the larger system when it gets going. i plan on using the old light fixture for now. i can play around with various MH's for now.
so far i have dragged out all of my pumps, sorted out all of my extra PVC, got my RO/DI replacement filters, and gone over most of my equipment. i need to start soaking most of the equipment in vinegar. hoping i can get vinegar in 5g barrels.
the big goal of this system is to see how a 10x+ skimmer processing rate behaves.
the current plumbing plan is to have the overflow go directly into the UV, the UV is going into the 30g conical settling tank which will house the skimmer and equipment (if it all fits). i know i need to cut the corners off of the skimmer to get it into the opening at the top. i also need to figure out how to support all of that weight in the settling tank. find ways to get the water in and out of the settling tank without to much, if any bypassing the skimmer itself. all while getting an ATO going.
i hope to also get my old water change system going agin, but i am not sure i will have the room, plus it was designed for a larger system, and has the holes drilled on the wrong side for where things are going here, but will see what i can come up with.
i have a ton of those small magnetic aquarium scrapers that i will probably place in the conical settling tank for biofilm removal.
sorry, for the long post. i was hoping to do this as i went, with pictures along the way, but i needed to put of this down before i forgot. i have the pictures and will put them up when the TRT Gallery is up and running again.
i do not expect to get water in the system, for quite a few weeks now. working in limited spaces slows things down.
i am pretty excited to finally get my hands wet again.
G~