My 90 gal build + stand build

[jaxfishgirl]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3188357
Ok so here is how to screw up things when they are going great. Tonight I said hmmmmmmmmm....actually said hmmmmmmmmmmm, Ill put some snails in my sump to help keep it clean. So picked me out 4 nice turbos and in they went. So then the wife and I are just looking at the fish and what not when we here a gurggle. I open the bottom cabinet and see that the sump is just about to overflow!:eek1: Well guess what happened. Yup you guess it, one of the turbos got on my float switch and emptied out my top off tank. Caught it just in time. So now I have to spend some more money on a second switch to prevent overflow. To tell the truth I was gonna do this anyway but hey, thanks MR SNAIL!! Oh yeah did I mention it dropped my salinity in my tank as well. Thats nice. Now Im making some more water so I can do a water change. So my advice to all is watch any thing you do cause you may just flood your house!!:bigeyes:
oh geez, that sucks

 

[gill again68]

Well it happened. Not sure when Im guessing yesterday or last night. I lost my jawfish "Mr. Peepers". I found him tonight under a rock at the claws of an emerald crab. All has been well in the tank. I dont think it was murder or what do you think given my stock list. I think the recent snail incident with the ph and salinity changes may have been the beginning to the end for him. Not sure but the loss is certain. I will check all parameters tonight.

 

[gill again68]

Well, all has been pretty stable since last post. I have had a, you guessed it, algae break out. Its a very fine green algae that finds its way on the glass every day. PITA to keep clean. I think I know what one of my issues has been. My skimmer has not been working at full capacity. I thought it was due to the model being it is a cheaper skimmer. I think now its more stupidity on my part than the skimmer itself. I had the output hose stuck down in the sump and it was causing back pressure. Now that I have fixed that it seems to be skimming much better. I will see how that effects the algae issue. A water change also seems to be making things better. I think with a few more water changes and the skimmer and the GFO and possibly going out and wishing on a start I may get it under control.
Lets see an update. Haven't bought anything as of late but I do have my eye on a few things.
1. Blue Throat Trigger (probably female) like the color
2. Tang -here is the list, will choose one
a. Sailfin Tang - Show (black and white stripes)
b. Sailfin Tang - Desjardinii (blue spots with yellow and blue stripes) very nice
3.Brain Coral - list
a. Green Closed
b. Green Goblet
4. Pagoda Rock
5. Plate Coral - Long Tentacle- Pink or Purple
6. Orange Ricordea
7. Chili Coral
8. Colt Coral
Of course I wont be purchasing all this at one time. But its a stocking list I want to work from.

 

[gill again68]

Well I got my other float switch in and I was so happy. I hooked it up and tested to make sure that when the other switch was in the down position (being cleaned again by a snail)and it was in the up position (high level exceeded) that the pump would shut off. Now I can relax and let my ATO do what its suppose to do. WELL HELL NO!
Now I am thinking that I am either stupid or the snails are evil or both. So Im sitting here and searching the forums to learn a little more when I hear a gurgling sound. I spring up from my chair and go look and there is my sump just about to overflow. Well the good news is when my ATO tank is empty my sump will hold it. FREAKING KIDDING ME! AGAIN! I just got everything back to normal and I swear I just put the thing back together today. What is that float switch made of CRACK COCAIN or something?
Well now I get to use the last of my salt tonight to make some more mix so that I can be ready tomorrow as my salinity is going down as the water mixes. I did pump out the sump for whats that is worth. May have saved a little but hey with that 9.5 mag running I am more than certain that it has made a cycle before I got to it. Makes me happy!
So what do they say about sticks and snakes? I guess I would jump off a bridge if you wanted to and maybe I will buy that bridge you got for sale. Im not saying Im stupid, you say it! Im too dumb to know!!

 

[gill again68]

If you think that sucks!!!!!!!!!!!
So this morning I awake and start to get my coffee. When I approach my tank I see water on the floor. Im like oh crap! It did over flow last night. Well after my wife explained to me that this whole tank idea was my idea I went to finding out what happened. I mean there was no water on the floor when I went to bed. So I was so confused as to where the water was coming from. I looked at the sump and the level was down from where I left it last night. So now I am really confused. I keep looking and finally I discover the issue. The back glass has cracked along the bottom 1/3 of the sump. SHEEESH!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did that happen. I have only theory to the cause but I blame the snail once more.
Theory:
Snail gets on the float switch AGAIN! Water flows into sump at a rapid rate! Second fail safe switch does not work! <----I dont blame the snail for this, this is clearly my fault. At no point did the snail configure the switch. Now you with me? The water causes the temp in the sump to change so quickly that the back glass fails. OR the sump being full and the tank being old and the pressure causes the failure. Either way I end up with water on the floor and under the display and on my PERGO flooring where I am almost certain it will buckle in the near future again encouraging my wife to remind me that this whole tank thingy was my idea.
Now I have to make a "make do sump" and go buy a new aquarium so that I can do another DYI sump. Only thing that keeps my head up about this is just this weekend I was looking at how I could reconfigure my sump. Just didnt plan on it being this way and this quickly.
Man this is fun!

 

[posiden]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3197708
If you think that sucks!!!!!!!!!!!
So this morning I awake and start to get my coffee. When I approach my tank I see water on the floor. Im like oh crap! It did over flow last night. Well after my wife explained to me that this whole tank idea was my idea I went to finding out what happened. I mean there was no water on the floor when I went to bed. So I was so confused as to where the water was coming from. I looked at the sump and the level was down from where I left it last night. So now I am really confused. I keep looking and finally I discover the issue. The back glass has cracked along the bottom 1/3 of the sump. SHEEESH!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did that happen. I have only theory to the cause but I blame the snail once more.
Theory:
Snail gets on the float switch AGAIN! Water flows into sump at a rapid rate! Second fail safe switch does not work! <----I dont blame the snail for this, this is clearly my fault. At no point did the snail configure the switch. Now you with me? The water causes the temp in the sump to change so quickly that the back glass fails. OR the sump being full and the tank being old and the pressure causes the failure. Either way I end up with water on the floor and under the display and on my PERGO flooring where I am almost certain it will buckle in the near future again encouraging my wife to remind me that this whole tank thingy was my idea.
Now I have to make a "make do sump" and go buy a new aquarium so that I can do another DYI sump. Only thing that keeps my head up about this is just this weekend I was looking at how I could reconfigure my sump. Just didnt plan on it being this way and this quickly.
Man this is fun!

Couldn't resist. Sorry.
Did your sump have acrylic baffles?
If so. Your snail is not to blame. Your acrylic grew with the absorbtion of water causing the demise of your sump. This is why I always say to use glass.

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Im sorry to hear all of this.
I have two options for you
1. Give up completely and give me all your stuff for free, including delivery.
2. Dont give up, keep going at it, and as everyone on here says dont skimp on anything. Maybe buy a prefab sump?
Since im sure number 1 is out of the question, i would think about number 2

 

[gill again68]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3198299
Couldn't resist. Sorry.
Did your sump have acrylic baffles?
If so. Your snail is not to blame. Your acrylic grew with the absorbtion of water causing the demise of your sump. This is why I always say to use glass.
Yeah, I think this may be it. I have decided to get glass cut for the next sump.
Good to see your still peaking in on the forum!
chevyrulzs2010
Thanks for the "suggestions"!
I have decided to give up and pay the shipping on all my stuff and send it to you. All I need is your social security number and address and I will be able to complete this transaction. Please include your checking account number and routing number in case we run into difficulties in processing anything.

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3198830
Yeah, I think this may be it. I have decided to get glass cut for the next sump.
Good to see your still peaking in on the forum!
chevyrulzs2010
Thanks for the "suggestions"!
I have decided to give up and pay the shipping on all my stuff and send it to you. All I need is your social security number and address and I will be able to complete this transaction. Please include your checking account number and routing number in case we run into difficulties in processing anything.

Ok, well my SS Number is 123-45-6789
my address is 123 fake sreet
my checking account number is 1234567890123456 <- feel free to add anything you want to the account. Just make sure your addition is in the black.
Look forward to my overnight shipping

 

[gill again68]

Ok its on the way. By the way you need to put some money in that account. When I checked it your funds were low.

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3199165
Ok its on the way. By the way you need to put some money in that account. When I checked it your funds were low.

Yea thats what i get for loving my family around christmas. But, if you can throw some funds in there, so when i end up killing everything in your tank (by noobie error) i can start over again. LOL
Happy New Years to you and all of SWF.com

 

[gill again68]

Ok so I am a craftsman and as a craftsman we must know how to cover our mistakes so that we look as if we didnt make any. I guess I could just go on without admitting that I made a mistake but then no one would benefit from that so here it goes.
I knew to measure the end glass on the aquarium to get my measurements for the partitions for my new sump. I also knew that a mm off that measurement would all enough tolerance for me to move them around while I prepared them to be silicone applied to them. What I didn't do is give the glass guy instructions to cut them 1 mm short of the measurement of the end glass. So I get the glass home and yup I was right. Should have shaved a mm off of that measurement. Now what? Just as luck would have it I have done some tile work in my house and that tile saw just happens to have a diamond crusted blade on it. So out to the shop I go. Now I didn't get the smooth edge that the glass guy got but hey it worked and the silicone will fill in any small chips. Now thats done its on to re-plumbing the sump. Im gonna fix that mess with the return pump being to big and put a return above the return pump that will return water back to the return section of the sump. Ill return to that in a minute I am also going to add a t section to the down pipe from the DT so that it can feed my new refugium section of this sump. If all this works like its suppose to 2 things will have happened. I will be shocked for 1 and 2 the planning and reading I have done will all not be for loss.
Sure Im gonna put ups some pics of it. Just as soon as I know it aint gonna leak!
Oh I have a bristle worm in the DT. I read all kind of things about them. So are they good, are they bad, or is it just another interesting creature? I will leave him for now unless someone can help me understand that he must be banished from the DT to the refugium.

 

[gill again68]

Ok so here is a sketch of the plumbing. If you look at the "down pipe" it goes straight down to the first section of the sump where I also have my skimmer. The "down pipe" also has a T-fitting that supplies the refugium. Both of these pipes have ball valves to control the amount of flow that goes to each section. I have shooting for a 25% to refugium and 75% to skimmer section.
The return section is done this way. I have a T-fitting just above the pump. This simply return excess flow from the pump back to the return section. My pump was to large for the job I needed it to do and I, before the new plumbing, had to have a ball valve to restrict the outflow. I have now solved the problem by splitting the return volume to the display tank and the return section. You can see the ball valves here to control the % of volume going to each.
My problem is that the plumbing is now giving me a flushing effect. I know I have seen some post of how to fix this. Would like some suggestions as to how I can apply this to my plumbing. Thanks for all the help!!

 

[posiden]

The flushing is caused by to much flow and not enough air. It is temporaly going in and out of a siphon. The quick check of this is to cut some of the flow to the display and see if it levels out. You may also have to much back pressure on the drain pipe by having it go to or near the bottom. Ideally you should have about 1/2-1" under water.
The only thing I would have done different, is to run the diverted flow into the refugium for movement in there. Making it a bit more benificial. But then you may have needed to add a bubble trap to that side as well.
Looks good.

 

[gill again68]

Thanks Posiden, glad to see you hanging around. I really didnt consider taking the diverted flow to refugium. I was concentrating on my return section because the surface water in there was getting a film to the top of it and I wanted to break that up. I do need to take some of the pipe off the down pipe as it is sticking really far below the surface. I will fool with this some this weekend.
Thanks again.

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3208351
Thanks Posiden, glad to see you hanging around. I really didnt consider taking the diverted flow to refugium. I was concentrating on my return section because the surface water in there was getting a film to the top of it and I wanted to break that up. I do need to take some of the pipe off the down pipe as it is sticking really far below the surface. I will fool with this some this weekend.
Thanks again.
Fine dont thank me for sticking around. I see how you are, if someone actually knows something you like them, but if someone doesnt know something then you just fufu them off. So this is what i get for suscribing to daily updates to you thread. /unsuscribe.

Lol jk, but im still around learning from all your mistakes, just dont have much more of a knowledge base then anyone else here. I can tell you about anything about fire, and lots about EMS.

Hell i can even tell you about petsmart, but we dont have saltwater so i will leave that to the experts. If your house is on fire or your about to die, then i might pipe up and say something otherwise im pretty quiet.

So YES i am still here

 

[gill again68]

LMAO Chevy! You busted me, sorry if I have left anyone out of the hey glad your around so I will put it out there now with an umbrella of "glad all yall are around" but I especially am glad Chevy is here

Just so we are clear, I dont need to have a gas burning heater in my house??

Feel better??

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3209383
LMAO Chevy! You busted me, sorry if I have left anyone out of the hey glad your around so I will put it out there now with an umbrella of "glad all yall are around" but I especially am glad Chevy is here

Just so we are clear, I dont need to have a gas burning heater in my house??

Feel better??

Well that makes me feel a little better? Are you by chance overloading the outlet that your aquarium is plugged into? Let me guess its a 2 plug outlet that is not a GFI, and your running 2 8 slot power strips off of it? LMAO thats a fire hazzard, but dont worry when your stand and wall catches fire, the glass will shatter because of the thermal shock and douse the flames, then you will be having fish sticks for dinner. Ummm clown fish.
LMAO, ok im done harassing you, just remember im here, i guess im the humor of this thread.

 

[gill again68]

Ill try to hold back my since of humor but some times it gets a mind of its own.
How did you know about my aquarium set up?? You been in my house?? No wonder my wife has seemed happy the last few days!

 

[chevyrulzs2010]

Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3210347
Ill try to hold back my since of humor but some times it gets a mind of its own.
How did you know about my aquarium set up?? You been in my house?? No wonder my wife has seemed happy the last few days!

Yea tell your wife thanks

and i may have taken a peak ... at the aquarium.
Lol no but really who doesnt have their aquarium set up that way? its almost impossible not to, unless you rewire.