Trinituner Reefers, Saltwater Aquarium Fish Keepers

[HondaB20B]

Starting to run out of space in all my tanks
Lots of growth

Time to go bigger on the fishbowl

[thatlife]

i bite the bullet yesterday
300 gallon saffire

:/

i dunno how I getting time to work on this though, might take me a few months to get it up and running.
going to do it real proper. everything automated.
Will design a system to make water changes very easy, like a separate sump to just empty when doing water changes that wouldn't need turning off the pumps, just valves.

[kyhamil]

Would like to see uodate on that project...sounds interesting...

[thatlife]

yup, RODI system will go direct into a container for mixing with salt.
then this will go to the sump that will be drained for water change.
So just switching valves to do water changes.

Tank is in my garage, will post pics later
Its against my window in my living room. So one side will be my garage, next face inside the house.

when I look through the tank I will see my car

[HondaB20B]

hahahahaha

I wish i could just buy a nice boat to live on with a glass bottom.
No water changes required........

[HondaB20B]

yup, RODI system will go direct into a container for mixing with salt.
then this will go to the sump that will be drained for water change.
So just switching valves to do water changes.

Tank is in my garage, will post pics later
Its against my window in my living room. So one side will be my garage, next face inside the house.

when I look through the tank I will see my car

Actually thats what i hope to set up early for my tank come Jan.
Hope to increase the sump by about 200gal. That way i can increase the livestock.

[thatlife]

^ actually to save some space
i will use the RODI/Mixing tank as the extra tank
so this would be the extra 100gal tank that would be connected to the sump

when I have to change water, simply lock off the valve and bypass this tank
drain this tank
turn on the RODI pour salt and let it mix. After a couple hrs, turn back on the valve and let it circulate.

Main tank - 300 Gallon
Sump- 100 Galloon
RODI/SALT MIX Tank- close too 100gallon

thats a whole lot of water..

[kyhamil]

How often would that change be?

[HondaB20B]

How often would that change be?

So how much you change and how often

[thatlife]

^ i dunno. This is my first big tank lol

for 500gallons how much and how often should I change.

Tank won't be overstocked

I do weekly 10gallon water change with my current 75gallon set up
and since doing that, coral growth is very good


currently i do weekly bacteria dose and 15% water change, anytime i skip a week i notice algae growth. As long as I do those water changes, tank is spotless.

btw i don't use any filters. my tanks are highly over stocked too

[HondaB20B]

You doing a 500 gal?
Ok cool.
Until you do the setup and see the stocking list, then and only then you will be able to know the water change quantity. I do 50gal mthly in my 250gal.
But for a 500 gal, how big a main tank we talking about.

[thatlife]

main tank is 300gal

sump 100 gal (this i'm still discussing with raj)
and water exchange tank about 100gal

so it adds up to 500g


http://www.marineland.com/Products/glas ... riums.aspx
deep dimension 300

[HondaB20B]

looking for the dimensions and not seeing it

[thatlife]

http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Starph ... +dimension

72INX36INX27IN

[kyhamil]

I change 10 gallons every 2 weeks in my 25 gallon... and 30 in my 75gallon... due for a water change i wont be here for a month...

[HondaB20B]

http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Starphire-Double-Corner-Flo-72INX36INX27IN/dp/B001CS4W6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449082047&sr=8-1&keywords=marineland+deep+dimension

72INX36INX27IN

very nice man........... You need allot of powerheads to push flow in that tank.
Also a what........1HP chiller?

[thatlife]

^ well the return going to be a big pump, and will have 4 nozzles back into the tank

and i will use a couple vortech.

but thats the least of my worries.

Right now I have to get the surface levelled, because my garage is on a grade.
and I have to raise the tank by 1 foot. So it would have to be concrete

then I have to sort out the sump and plumbing.

I'm considering doing one of those rotoplastics containers as a sump but inside a cabinet


^ a smaller one though

[HondaB20B]

make sure you sandblast and paint the rebars prior to placing the concrete.
Was planning a big tank but other dreams to take of first.........

[mojosodope]

http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Starphire-Double-Corner-Flo-72INX36INX27IN/dp/B001CS4W6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449082047&sr=8-1&keywords=marineland+deep+dimension

72INX36INX27IN

Like you buy the big saffire that was sitting by Raj for a while owa lol. Congrats man

[thatlife]

ok so I've been mocking up some sump designs.

let me know your thoughts on this




Sump 1 will have live rock, chaeto etc.

Sump 2 will be bare and just hold water to do the water changes easier.
The main pump will be in sump 2 which is the bigger pump.

both tanks will be connected with a large pipe with ball valve.


When I am ready to do a water change. I will power off the main pump and lock off the valve connecting both tanks and the valve connected to the main pump.
Turn on the small pump and open the valve for the small pump and flow will continue between the Display tank and Sump 1

Sump 2 will be isolated so I can empty the water and let the RODI fill it while the pump mixes it, ( I have to include in the drawing a connection from the pump back into the tank to mix the salt.

When sump 2 is filled and mixed then I will turn off the small pump and open back the other valves and let the water flow as shown in the pic.

[HondaB20B]

Thatlife,, Its similar to that I have plans of doing without the second pump (in sump 2) and using rotoplastic containers.
Having that second pump just sitting there for a mth not being used is an issue for me. With it just sitting there encourages marine growth on the impeller and other parts and when its time to really work that's when it malfunctions.
My main pump will have to also change from the MAG18 pump to one of those heavy duty pumps because where my main reef tank is upstairs, and the sump will be downstairs and about 25-30ft away. So that's also some head loss for me pumping 15ft up and then across. I Have lots of calculations to do.

[thatlife]

^ for that distance definitely some calculations

as for the 2nd pump that would be down for the month, what I can do is add a T to the piping and include a return back into the same tank. So when not in use I can have it on a timer and probably set it to come on for a minute every couple days.

but so far with the design? it looks like it will work?
i've decided to keep everything below the tank in the stand and from my calculations it would be about 60 gallons each when filled. In total tank and sumps will be 420gal, with a water change of 60 gal which is avg 15%

[HondaB20B]

Yeah that can work with the timer.
What size pump you running now.

[thatlife]

i'm using one of those mags from raj, really not sure whats the size. Will have to check the box.

i think its a mag 12

[kyhamil]

Hey guys i was wondering if there was anything incld buy for my rodi unit so it comes on and cuts off just like a auto top off? Trying to design an tank with full automation... and have any of you had success with no sand bed?

[HondaB20B]

Hey guys i was wondering if there was anything incld buy for my rodi unit so it comes on and cuts off just like a auto top off? Trying to design an tank with full automation... and have any of you had success with no sand bed?

Buy the float switch.

http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Valves-Aq ... oat+switch

[HondaB20B]

Anyone running their system or any household item with solar or wind generated power?

[thatlife]

just thought I'd share these, check how clean my sand bed and rocks are
hardly any algae growth. (btw I no longer have sand sifters, anenomes ate them i assume, well they disappeared)

my tanks are over stocked.

i don't use any filters
I do weekly 15% water change
chaeto in my sump with long light cycle
over size skimmer

now I always had algae growth despite all of the above but since i've started using this product I had really great results.
I saw someone using it on instagram and thought i'd try it because of their results.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006L4 ... detailpage


its basically carbon dosing like vodka dosing but much easier to work with.
it comprises mostly of methanol so its highly flammable.
My first bottle I skyboxed in and it came in fine. But 2nd bottle they stopped it. So I need to bring it in via suitcase or seafreight.

[HondaB20B]

I have to do some research on it.
I supposed to put my bio-pellet reactor back online because i was having great results with it over the years.

[thatlife]

I tried bio pellets and phosban both didn't give me good results.

this is working the best so far. didnt want to talk too soon but its been about 5 months and i'm seeing good results. especially when i don't use any filters.


so came across this.
considering using this for automatic water changes

http://genesisreefsystems.com/product/renew-basic/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTC2NIfflPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMdhsBkPQPk