my new 150gallon re_setup after complete break out.

dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Will start this thread as a dairy about my war against Phosphates.
Little background.
Had this 160gL tank set up by a local store here in Pattaya Thailand. Little did I know and littler did the guy setting up the tank know in those days about a year ago. Maybe I should have started reading forums like this or books before I started with the hobby as it would have made sure this thread would not have existed. Anyway what is done is done and we are where we are now which is at ground zero. Had just lately found out about phosphates and thought it would be nice to buy myself a test kit and test for it. To my surprise, or maybe not (as now I had done some reading), I found out my test results were unreadable and showed 20.0+ phospahtes in the tank. There was the reasonwhy any sort of coral never took long to disapear in my tank. Anyway did again alot of research and decided to go the drastic route in breaking down the entire tank and do everything possible to get rid of this PO4 issue. So this is where we stand now.
Some picture on how the tank was before.
Allthose pictures were taken with all corals still looking a bit ok as they were justplaced in the tankallhave since dissapeared after time.

 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
anyway enough about the past and now the present.
So had everything taken out of the tank.
Sand was taken out and used as landfill and stones have been given a first drastic treatment in a Muriatic bath.That was fun to watch I must admit. I sadely dont have any pictures of the actual process but it was a wonderfull bubble and foam spectacle. Did 2 baths with a 10/1 HCL solution for about 30 min each.
This is how the stones did come out.


 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
now the tank was at hand.
First scrubed with regular water and after with vinegar.
Had even the wife help out.

 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Now back to the stones.
Had themrinsed in regular water for 4 days changing the water the water the first 2 days 3 times a day and the last 2 days twice a day to make sure all Muriatic acid would be out.
Placed the rocks then in a closed black garbage bin with several powerheads in it to maintain heavy water movement for almost a week and a half now.
Did 100% water changes the first 2 days.
Then let the water sit for 7 days with all powerheads on.
Now after 7 days I wanted to do another 100% water change but tested the water first. Just to find out that againthe levels of PO4 are up. Not as much as before but still againa test result of 2.5ppm?????
Now what to do?? Posted on several other threads asking for advise?
Added some PO4 removal media ( Aqua Medic Antiphos) now to the water in a filter pouch.
Also added a skimmer to the mix.
and added some sort of Bacteria to start chewing away maybe on the rest PO4 left in the rocks.
Though as several people had commented and what I am thinking too it seems like my rocks were just too much contaminated with PO4 I might justhave to chuck them??
Comments please?
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
In the mean time not giving up on my tank with new rocks or the same saved rocks eventually I bought some new gadgets for when the time is right.
Bought new sand. which is now sitting in water as I read up that it would be a good idea to have that rinsed for about 2 weeks (changing water daily) to make sure any kind of bad stuff is out and would reduce cloudiness later alot?



 
and a new skimmer REEF OCTOPUS ORCA 180 int
 


 
and a new return pump ATMAN 6500
 

 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
ok so this all a bit of what happened the last 2 weeks and now we are current.
So as mentioned today added the bacteria to the rocks and the skimmer to see what that would accomplish?
Any further ideas or advise on what could be done to save my rocks?
will be doing also another 50% water change later today.
Anyway hoping to get as many members tagged along this thread to get as much advise as possible as I go along as I dont want to make any more mistakes or at least not as big ones I made in the past bringing me here now.
Thanksn and will you guys updated almost on a daily base.
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Ok yesterday added some bacteria and a skimmer to the bin with the rocks. Also added a micro poach filled with aquamedic PO4 absorbant.
This morning tested before my 50% water change and PO4 levels were at 5.0ppm wich is a drop from last testing done.
Did the 50% water change which made the PO4 level drop to 0.5ppm so maybe something is happening now. Will let it do its stuff again for another 24 hours to do a re-test and another 50% water change? Or would be 48 hours a better time frame?
Please advise
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
will be adding some gadget to the sump/fuge set up.
A custom designed Turf Scrubber.
Will be adding a baffle set in the return chamber so return water from the ATS will be running into a first chamber in the return chamber
Does this setup make any sense??
Please advise???

 
J

jstdv8

Guest
Of all the setups for Turf scrubbers Ive seen the ones that seem to ahve the most success were the vertical ones. Allthough I have seen some diagonal ones that worked too. SantaMonica says the vertical ones are more powerful, I don't know how, as Ive only messed around with building the vertical one.
Nice designs there. Make sure if you do the scrubber you have to correct screen width for the flow you want and the correct amount of light for the gallons per hour you are trying to treat. Those are the most crucial things. I would think with all that phos in there the screen is going to be growing thick healthy algea in no time at all.
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Screen width would be set at 11" which should be capable a 385gL/Hr flow.
The scrubber would be fed with a 390gL/Hr pump straight out of the sump so with the plumbing connected it would be a good rate of flow over the scrubber.
About the lighting I am not too sure I read up it need a low color lighting with a low K (even red somewhere red level (3000K) light would act great?) but not too sure on how much was thinking of 1 T5 light bulb across the length of the scrubber surface?
Could use some help here?
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
yeah the T-5s will work better than what I'm using. I have the swirly compact flourecents, tehy do fine, but the T-5 woould be better.
I'd ask santamonica, but I'm guessing if you could at least get a t-5 in the 6500 range that it would grow algae just fine. I started off with two 3000 k's and didn't get much growth so I switched a few things nd wentot a full spectrum 5000k (which also had more wattage 23w-27 watts) so kind of an unfair comparison, but my growth was much better with the 5000k 27w's than it was with the 3000k 23 watts.
As long as you can get that t-5 nice and close you will grow some sweet algae, make sure your screen is real rough, that's the other key to making it work.
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/380012/my-fight-agains-phosphates-diary#post_3306641
yeah the T-5s will work better than what I'm using. I have the swirly compact flourecents, tehy do fine, but the T-5 woould be better.
I'd ask santamonica, but I'm guessing if you could at least get a t-5 in the 6500 range that it would grow algae just fine. I started off with two 3000 k's and didn't get much growth so I switched a few things nd wentot a full spectrum 5000k (which also had more wattage 23w-27 watts) so kind of an unfair comparison, but my growth was much better with the 5000k 27w's than it was with the 3000k 23 watts.
As long as you can get that t-5 nice and close you will grow some sweet algae, make sure your screen is real rough, that's the other key to making it work.
 
am thinking of using mesh they use to make musquito screens on windows?
its like a thick plastic thread used pretty rough?
Are the holes big enough though?



 
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Might have gotten a break. Got closer to chucking the rocks as I got offered some fresh live rock just taken from the Ocean hours ago.
My local store offered me them for some real good price as I kinda help him out allot with all kind of stuff. So had first pick and great discount.
He will be keeping to rocks for another 5 days in his storing tanks with loads of cheato in there and well aerated. he has no lights or total dark setup. they are just open storing tanks filled with fresh ocean water.
Now the question? Do I need to do anything with those rocks or can I just add them in a tank with saltwater and start a cycle as they are fresh and have not been exposed to air any long period of time? Or still cure them by cooking them? or Just in a seperate tank with loads of water flow?
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
The holes in mine are quite a bit smaller (but mine is verticle so that might make a difference I dunno) Also, make sure you use a hole saw and run it all over the plastic to get it really really rough.
This is the hardest part becuase it is some manual labor and usually takes about 20 minutes of pretty good grinding per side.
You may only have to do one side since all the light is going to be on the top.
The one real bummer I find witht he horizontal designs is that if the screen only grows algae on one side, when you clean the screen every week now you will have a few days where you won't have any algae (or not much) on the screen to do any filtration. with a vertical screen you grow out both sides and only clean one side of the screen every other week.
Maybe SM has some tips on that as well.
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Had to design new ATS as I found out that a horizontal ATS had top be much larger then a vertical model so designed a new vertical model
lights (2x T5 38W 3700K) will be placed on both sides of the device
water flow will be coming straight from overflow at a 500Lt/Hr rate. (130gL/Hr)
ATS screen size will be 15"x9"
also notice the adjustment on the return chamber of the sump/fuge adding another bubble trap before reaching the actual return pump chamber.

 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/380012/my-fight-agains-phosphates-diary#post_3306751
The holes in mine are quite a bit smaller (but mine is verticle so that might make a difference I dunno) Also, make sure you use a hole saw and run it all over the plastic to get it really really rough.
This is the hardest part becuase it is some manual labor and usually takes about 20 minutes of pretty good grinding per side.
You may only have to do one side since all the light is going to be on the top.
The one real bummer I find witht he horizontal designs is that if the screen only grows algae on one side, when you clean the screen every week now you will have a few days where you won't have any algae (or not much) on the screen to do any filtration. with a vertical screen you grow out both sides and only clean one side of the screen every other week.
Maybe SM has some tips on that as well.
The mesh holes might look bigger as they are in reality on those pics as it is thick musquito netting so real real small holes.
 
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
gotcha, looks good.
I know SM reccomends the screen from the fabric store, thats why i used that. Just so its not too thin to rouch up I guess and you need to be able to keep it completely straight. looks like you might allready have that covered witht eh things on the sides in your diagram.
Cool!
 
dirk_brijs

dirk_brijs

Member
again sump/fuge wasent ready.
Promised me it would be delivered though by tomorrow noon. Will see what happens.
In the mean time a little question about my sand?
Would the fine aragonite I posted earlier cause a problem as the grain is soo fine? or would it settle anyway?
 
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