Flower's Sump/Fuge Build

[kender]

Technically, once the macro has consumed the nitrates they are no longer free floating in the system and are essentially bound by the macro. I mean it is in your tank since the macro is in your tank but not considered in your test readings anymore.

 

[flower]

Well I suppose I will be getting some macro on my next order from SWF for both the 30g and 90g systems, since my fish lights will work for a light down there, I won’t have to worry about heat.
Time for an update:
I turned off the system so I could see where the water filled to when all the pumps are off…I added more water to up the water line. The skimmer is now skimming more very dark smelly junk, which is good for everything but my nose. When I had evaporation (still no ATO) the water got too close to uncovering the sump pump, I only had an inch of water above it from when I first set it up, which didn’t give me much wiggle room. Now the line is just a 1/8 inch below that top baffle. No microbubbles so life is very good for the fish tank. With the system off I have about 6 inches from the top instead of half a tank.
My refugium is so nice and big…I know I have tiny critters in there but it looks so clean and empty with just a little island in the center of rock. I found a piece of dead Pipe organ coral, it has all kinds of tiny little holes for tiny critters to hide…but it’s so pretty (without any algae on it) that I put in the DT for the time being. After it turns ugly I will put it in the refugium…the extra algae should make the critters happy too.

 

[jstdv8]

flower, did you order that macro in the picture? or what is that of? It's awesome!

 

[al&burke]

Justin, That is the dead pipe organ coral, I agree it looks really nice.
Flower how are you water parameters?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1880#post_3351543
Justin, That is the dead pipe organ coral, I agree it looks really nice.
Flower how are you water parameters?

I posted the wrong update:
Everything is good..Nitrates bounce between 10 and 5..I am going to get macro algae for te refugium when I do an order for the seahorse tanks CUC.
That dead coral looks really pretty for now, when algae gets all over it I am moving it to the refugium. All those tiny holes will make a happy hotel for copepods and such. For now it is too pretty to put down there. I am going to pick up some more for the other refugium. Isn't it amazing how beautiful even dead, a chunk of coral is.

 

[jstdv8]

Ive never seen a coral that didnt turn white when it died, thats awesome.
Was it red when it was alive too?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1880#post_3351567
Ive never seen a coral that didnt turn white when it died, thats awesome.
Was it red when it was alive too?
Kind of, the tubes are bright red but the flowers on top of each tube looks a little green. LOL..I think it is prettier in color dead
I Googled some pictures for ya

 

[jstdv8]

ohh wierd, thanks for the pics

 

[flower]

I need HELP ASAP Problem with the sump!
My tank is overflowing…I don’t know what to do. The overflow is no longer keeping up with the pump. It shows a nice waterflow in the back..I cleaned the little sponge every week and it is open full for the refugium and the sump. I turned down the pump to the lowest setting.
What can I do?

 

[meowzer]

Make sure your tubing is clear of debris, and there is nothing stuck in the pump itself....
if you have to turn the overflow and pump off

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/1880#post_3353643
Make sure your tubing is clear of debris, and there is nothing stuck in the pump itself....
if you have to turn the overflow and pump off
I have akill switch that shut everything down. I even blew in the tubes...all is clear. It has a nice flow..the return pump is suddenly too strong, I have it all te way down..

 

[al&burke]

Try running it without the sponge on your CPR

 

[al&burke]

Also check to make sure nothing is caught up in your ball valves open and close them, then put them back to where they were.

 

[al&burke]

How are you doing there Flower - any luck - I have to leave in 5 minutes

 

[flower]

I did take out the sponge, I did everything everyone said to do. I then redid eveything back so I wouldn't forget how it should go.
So I called Shawn..He told me to re-set the siphone like the first time, after replacing the air hose tubing, which re-did the siphon like he said...it is up and running as good as new. Shawn says they do that about once a month...I have two of them, one on each tank...OH Joy! At least now I know what to look for.
Well I really should be very happy, if I were not relocating some coral it would have gone unchecked. I smell like fish now and my fingers are prunes but the tank is clean, the water change is done and the corals I wanted in the seahorse tank are now there.. The pump is running full force and all is fine.
Whew..what a day.

 

[al&burke]

Good to hear Flower, just got home - first thing I checked was your post. Learn something new everyday. I wonder why you have to reprime them - so all you have to do is shut off your return pump and leave the aqualifter on?

 

[meowzer]

YAYYYY....I have never had to do that....BUT at least you know you do now

 

[jstdv8]

you have to reprime the overflow once a month or it overflows?
does it get bubbles in it and restricts the flow or something?

 

[acrylic51]

I'm not a firm believer in the Aqualifter pump.....I've seen these things go crazy all of a sudden for no apparent reason.....Flower just keep you eye on it from time to time.....The conversation we had in regards to the skimmer. Try pulling the plug. I know what others recommend, but from dealing with touching and trying to fine tune a skimmer to quickly will possibly lead to overflowing, but if you just pull the plug to the pump, you never move your setting on your skimmer. Bottom line, you will know where you base line is for the skimmer and all your doing is cleaning the cup, so once you fire the pump on the skimmer it should return to normal.
Glad everything worked out.....I was getting ready to pour epoxy the 2nd time you called.....

I was actually mixing the first time you called me, and I didn't answer!!!!!

 

[flower]

All I know is that I so glad to hear your voice...I figured you were busy and I hated so much to bother you,but I near tears trying to fix it on my own. I did everything everyone said to try. The little hose was giving me trouble before. I wrapped it around a power head stem, I tucked it behind the box...it's possible that it sucked air and I didn't realize it. I attached the hose to a rock in both tanks now with a zip tie. I will most certainly keep an eye on it.
The problem with the skimmer is that I never found that "sweet" spot. I do get some foam and very little brown skim, then the bubbles drop down and a brown yuck developes deep inside. It's like thick poop you can scrape out.

I get that same poop on the top and side of the cup too, but I'm thinking it should all be in the cup, and not in the body of the skimmer. So I try and get the bubbles up into the cup and when I'm not looking it overflows.
The "sweet" thing is that it doesn't leak out and around my tank or send microbubbles ...so I'm not at all unhappy with it. I just wish I could get it to that sweet spot.