New Seahorse tank Diary

[flower]

Thanks Al,
Yes I put the middle one in first and sealed both sides real good. I put silicone real thick on the other pieces and slide them into place making a thick mess on the inside hoping to seal it, then I put more on my finger real thick on the outside edges. I just put the last one on. They are not going anywhere that’s for sure. I used three tubes of silicone for 5 baffles. I made a mess on the inside tank walls but it won’t hurt anything. It just looks bad. I could always take a razor and clean it up…but no, too much trouble.

 

[al&burke]

Looks great Flower - Good for you - Let it dry for at least 24 hours

 

[flower]

I know it looks like crap...but you’re sweet to say it doesn't..LOL
The tube said wait 48 hours, I don't have all the plumbing parts yet so no problem waiting for it to fully cure. The CPR overflow is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I ordered the pump but I haven't received a tracking number yet. It is going to be a few weeks before I get the skimmer. So I am making progress but it isn't soup yet.

 

[al&burke]

It is only a sump - it will be fully functional, that is all that matters

 

[2quills]

Indeed, I think it looks pretty good for your first one. The silicone is messy stuff to work with thats for sure. But it looks like it will hold and the baffles look nice and strait. Nice job!

 

[meowzer]

Looks great FLower...BUT I HAVE TO KNOW....what is the little yellow and red thing next to the sump??? HAHA

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349009
Looks great FLower...BUT I HAVE TO KNOW....what is the little yellow and red thing next to the sump??? HAHA

The little fishy is a bath toy. My dogs love them because of the grandkids and won't tear them up. When the grandkids come to visit they play with them in the bath. I get them in a little sac at the dollar store. Now if I can just teach the dogs to clean up their toys when they are done playing with them..

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349006
Indeed, I think it looks pretty good for your first one. The silicone is messy stuff to work with thats for sure. But it looks like it will hold and the baffles look nice and strait. Nice job!

Messy does not begin to describe it. Did you see those little marker lines..that's how I got them strait...now look at the refugium side, if you look a the bottom of the tank you an see how not strait that chamber really is...LOL..it was the first ones I put in. The sump side was last, and as you can see not as messy, I learn fast. Look at the glass on the refugium section, that is silicone all over it..

 

[novahobbies]

So far, so good!

 

[flower]

Thanks Nova...yes coming along very slow, but steady.
Update:
Corey (2Quills) is making me a custom return Gizmo or my tank!

The overflow will go in the center of the tank and the return will come up on both sides and make a spray bar on each end pushing water to the center. He is testing a T or a Y connection for best water flow today.

 

[teresaq]

That looks really good. that should give you plenty of flow, though, If you have extra pvc and that isnt glued, I would try a differant sized wholes. Those look a little small-

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaQ http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349839
That looks really good. that should give you plenty of flow, though, If you have extra pvc and that isnt glued, I would try a differant sized wholes. Those look a little small-

That's a prototype, nothing is glued yet and plenty of time to adjust everything. Corey always makes sure everything runs perfect and makes a mock up and runs it. When he is done, it will work perfect and do just what it should.
I told him I wanted the top to boil, do you think it needs a softer flow? This is only moving surface water, I didn't think it would push the horses around.

Your my seahorse expert, .

 

[teresaq]

you don't want a boil, a nice gentle to medium water flow. you can also drill a few holes pointing to the middle. Just play with it.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaQ http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349845
you don't want a boil, a nice gentle to medium water flow. you can also drill a few holes pointing to the middle. Just play with it.

Thanks, I will tell Corey there is a change in water flow specs. I know you already told me to have a bubble tube..not a airstone or wand..how many big bubbles? Could I make something that gives big bubbles across the entire back? Like what a wand would do but larger bubbles, maybe 5 holes in a tube kind of thing across the back.

 

[teresaq]

I just have a single ridgid piece of air tub attacthed to an air line. I just stuck it in the back behind some rocks to keep it in place. nothing fancy. you dont need a lot of bubbles, just a single stream of lrg bubbles.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaQ http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349855
I just have a single ridgid piece of air tub attacthed to an air line. I just stuck it in the back behind some rocks to keep it in place. nothing fancy. you dont need a lot of bubbles, just a single stream of lrg bubbles.

Let me explain, I know what I NEED..LOL..I'm thinking pretty without hurting the seahorses. When I had freshwater tanks I made a wall of bubbles, it was the only thing I missed on saltwater tanks. Now I see I can have bubbles...can I make a wand with 5 large holes across the back to make big bubbles or will that too much on the horses?
While I have you near by...I would like to do way with a power head if I can, this tank is very small. I want good gas exchange but I worry about the horses wrapping their tails around the koralia, and the jet stream a maxi puts out is almost usless. I thought of a spray bar attached to the maxi like you did, and I can still maybe do that mid tank...????

 

[teresaq]

ok, I was thinking 20 or so holes, lol 5 holes with lrg bubbles should be fine. You will prob find your young horses playing in them.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaQ http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349869
ok, I was thinking 20 or so holes, lol 5 holes with lrg bubbles should be fine. You will prob find your young horses playing in them.

Thanks, you made me very happy to hear they will play in the bubbles...now to rig me up a 5 hole bubble maker.

 

[al&burke]

Hi Flower, If you are going to make the spray bar with the power head let me know the flow rate of the PH, I made a spray bar for my planted tank - I did a few calculations and I am real happy with the gentle flow I am getting from it, live plants don't like a real powerful flow much like horses I guess. If you need some help with that let me know, I will even show you how to calculate it so maybe it will help you and others as well.
edit: size of pipe you will be using for spray bar.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///forum/thread/382639/new-seahorse-tank-diary/120#post_3349922
Hi Flower, If you are going to make the spray bar with the power head let me know the flow rate of the PH, I made a spray bar for my planted tank - I did a few calculations and I am real happy with the gentle flow I am getting from it, live plants don't like a real powerful flow much like horses I guess. If you need some help with that let me know, I will even show you how to calculate it so maybe it will help you and others as well.
edit: size of pipe you will be using for spray bar.
Al, she's gonna run a 3/4" hose from the pump and the spray rig is going to split into two 1/2" pipes on either side of the tank. Her pump has a max output of 528gph, but her overflow is only a 300gph. The pump has an output adjustment built in so she's going to try to get it as close to 300gph as she can get. The second picture up top was just a quick mock up, I picked up the rest of the pieces today. Each side of the return will have a valve for fine tuning the output on each side incase one side has more than the other.
The holes that I made on the bar in the first pick were small. I want to space them out just a bit more and have 6 holes on each bar on either side of the tank. What size would you recoommend drilling them? I was thinking 6 holes at 3/16"??? Remember, we're not going for maximum output from her pump because it has more power than it needs for her overflow. So a little extra head loss is not a huge concern in her case.