Chuck's DIY journal

chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
well... the addition of a second 'u' tube helped quite a bit... i think i'm satisfied with that. Now i dont have to throttle down the pump, its open all the way going up to the DT and closed all the way returning water to the sump. so i'm getting full power from the MagDrive.
I added the sand to the fuge - 4" CaribSea Aragamax sand
and 1/2" to the DT - (enough to cover the eggcrate)
The DIY rocks are pushing 7 weeks and still have not budged from pH=8.8...
still waiting...
after i add the base rock i can add the other 1/2" of sand...
here's the progress shot

 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
looks good chuck, what are you going to use for lighting over the fuge section of your sump?
i was thinking about the light that was suggested by Quads4 lif - post#30...
i immagine its plenty (if not more than) for my intention of Macro &/or Mangroves...
thanks everyone - i appreciate the comments...
anyone have any reccomendations regarding Macro's? or Mangroves?... any experience or pointers?
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
google this
MANGROVES IN REEF AQUARIA by DANIEL KNOP
good article

sweet - thanks!
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
the update;
- dropped dead shrimp in the tank on friday night... saw a slight change in ammonia by sunday morning (nothing to brag about yet)
- the DIY rocks... week 7.. pH still ridiculous... 8.8 - so i set up my hose on a steady trickle and continue with 100% water changes daily... Jeez, these things are taking a while huh?

reffkeeperz - read that artilcle, thanks - i'm thinking Mangroves are not exactly what i was looking for afterall. two main reasons... i dont think i have enoughroom under there for them and i dont want the daily maint. of spraying the leaves with freshwater to clean off the exported salt... thanks buddy.
 
usc932000

usc932000

Member
Chuck, I love your photos.
I do have a question about your return line thats connected to your Mag. I just got my new tank and I've been holding out seting it up until figure a few things out. Seeing your setup has helped in planning my return from my sump. I would like to ask what PVC connections did you use at the top of the tank to return the water? I have been to Home Depot several times trying to figure out how am I going to build my return at that point....any suggestions or pics??
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
Originally Posted by USC932000
Chuck, I love your photos.
I do have a question about your return line thats connected to your Mag. I just got my new tank and I've been holding out seting it up until figure a few things out. Seeing your setup has helped in planning my return from my sump. I would like to ask what PVC connections did you use at the top of the tank to return the water? I have been to Home Depot several times trying to figure out how am I going to build my return at that point....any suggestions or pics??
sure...
starting at the magdrive.... there is a threaded coupling (female/female) to a threaded/barbed (male/male) to flexible clear tube to threaded/barbed (male/male) to a threaded/slip (female/female).... from there i have a ball valve, a check valve, then a union... then it enters the tank with two 90 elbows... then there is another threaded/slip (female/female) coupling....
after all that PVC... it changes to black loc-line fittings (a.k.a ball&socket)
there is a threaded/ball (male/female) to a loc-line 'T' (male/female/female) then there are two 6"long loc-line tubes (flexible) that terminate in nozzles....
sounds alot more complicated than it really is...
those loc-line (aka ball socket) fittings are available all over the place... unfortunatly SWF.com doesn't sell plumbing parts... check out the photo for what those fittings look like...
good luck - let me know if this helps...
also i have an older thread floating around somewhere ("i heard squidd is the man") there are drawings on how i planned everything... they might help too
 
usc932000

usc932000

Member
Chuck, Thank you for your reply and the drawings do help. I am waiting for my Mag-7 and Rio (for skimmer) to arrive tomorrow. I will be sure to post pics ASAP. My other question....since I'm running a straight W/D under my tank, would it be better if I just used tubing vice PVC as my return?
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
Originally Posted by USC932000
Chuck, Thank you for your reply and the drawings do help. I am waiting for my Mag-7 and Rio (for skimmer) to arrive tomorrow. I will be sure to post pics ASAP. My other question....since I'm running a straight W/D under my tank, would it be better if I just used tubing vice PVC as my return?
sure... i wouldn't see that as a problem.. i almost did the same thing.
i just happened to have alot of pvc parts laying around so it was cheaper for me to do it that way...
 
usc932000

usc932000

Member
ok cool!

Last question for anyone reading, how long do I have to let the primer on the PVC cure before I apply the cement or do I even need to use primer?
 
chuckcac

chuckcac

Member
ok - after a week with the dead shrimp(added friday 7th), the ammonia spiked to 1.5 by monday the 10th, saw the Nitirite begin to rise and ammonia began to fall on friday night the 14th...
the DT as of last night sunday 16th;
ammonia-.25
nitirite - 1.0
nitrate - 20
pH - 7.8 (low)
SG - 1.023
temp 80
i've got to do some reading on buffering alk. i've read (in fenner) that the safest way to buffer is with baking soda... but i think i'm looking for a more permanent solution then adding baking soda every week. I know the DIY rock should help as well, but i cant add that yet....
It seems that my substrate (40lbs caribsea aragamax reef sand) is not acting to buffer the alk as i expected. -
any thoughts?
 
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