Plenum or Insanity?

D

dennis210

Guest
Joe - after puzzling over idea's to spread out the influent side of the refugium without going totally front to back (trying to keep with the influent to outflow direction) picture this. Influent into tank - attach a TEE. Whatever width goes across and cap off. Then on the other leg of the TEE use the same length and cap. Drill holes and whalla! It will reduce the pressure of water coming in signifigantly and still allow you to keep current pushing towards the outflow! Hope this helps.
One thing about message boards - you must learn to use the english language better to get your thought accross and damnit you can't talk with your hands as I often do!
Dennis
 
emm0909

emm0909

Member
Honestly, you can keep your nitrates at zero with a simple waterchange once a month. I like the idea of a plennum and was goign to go for it but I'd do a once a month water change anyway. So what s the point? It'll just build up over the next couple years and there's a good chance it can crash the tank.
 
natclanwy

natclanwy

Active Member
I have a couple of things to add, your influent tube may not work the way you would like. I recently rebuilt my sump and I experimented with running my sump intake through a vertical tube to reduce noise and splashing and the problem I had was it would airlock causing it to be very noisy and would splash lots of water out of my sump due to the pressure building and then forcing all of the air out all at once. I tried different lengths and tried capped and uncapped with holes drilled in the vertical pipe and just couldn't find the right combination. It may work if there is a significant portion of it above the water line since it will be less likely to air lock.
The other thing is keep in mind Bumble bee snails are Whelks, I have no direct experience with them so I don't know how aggressive they are but they can and probably will consume any other snails in the refuge. I don't know if they will eat there own species or not but if you aren't planning on keeping any other snails with them they will probably work great. I had a crown conch and it was an amazing dietrivore but $40 worth of snails later and he found a new home in the sump until he met his ultimate demise in the intake of my return pump.
 
T

trandall55

Guest
Scopus Tang;2585343 said:
Well Joe, I can tell you that her mud did indeed not "swell" in the slightest, and I agree that it is insufficient. Also would not have been my choice as a substrate (as you well know) but it was what she purchased. Do you think that the 1200 maxijet is too much flow for the system we created?
Well......that's what I get for buying on impluse and not checking with you guys < Randy & Denis> first.
You should know, after you guys left Sat. I ordered another 10 pounds of the (((Miracle
< yeah right>
mud since that's what was already down, I assumed I should stick with it??
So, do you think the adition of another 10 pounds will give me the desired depth? Am also eager to hear what the best critters for the fuge will be and how/where I can obtain them.
So.... I guess with this chosen substrate, I can't simply just add a couple pieces of live rock, some macro and any 'ol snails?
Also....please alleviate my fears as to the plenum you two < with my blessing of course> put in the bottom of my sump. I saw someone here post that a plenum can go bad and crash your whole tank?!?! Please! Say it isn't so!!
You two know I need all the help I can get, but thanks to you, a myriad of books and forums such as this I am learning. And you also know, I do follow directions. When Denis or you say I need this or need that, I get it. So I do want to do what's best for my tank and it's inhabitants. Please tell me that the addition of the plenum was indeed a good thing??
Like the pictures by the way. And the new chiller is AWESOME! It's wonderful to be able to use my full compliment of lights and not worry about the tank temp rising to a deterimental level. As for the holes through my living room wall, into the kitchen??? What's a couple holes when we're talking about what' best for our tanks!

Thanks to both of you for all your help, hard work, and guidance with my tank and all the ensuing add-ons. Much, much appreicated. And you KNOW once you get that business up and running, I will be one of your best customers.
Looking forward to responses on the advisability of the plenum and specific inhabitants for the fuge.
Thank you~
Click to expand...
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Well boys and girls this is the first Jo-Rangeum water diffuser and filter all in one. As my influent will come straight from my over flow box it does not go through any flirtation hence the filter material. I would think I can get movement with out to much current this way as the natural flow will be toward the effluent. This design is wide open to modification as well as complete rejection
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by emm0909
http:///forum/post/2585524
Honestly, you can keep your nitrates at zero with a simple waterchange once a month. I like the idea of a plennum and was goign to go for it but I'd do a once a month water change anyway. So what s the point? It'll just build up over the next couple years and there's a good chance it can crash the tank.
Damn I wish you had posted before I started this project
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2585865
Well boys and girls this is the first Jo-Rangeum water diffuser and filter all in one. As my influent will come straight from my over flow box it does not go through any flirtation hence the filter material. I would think I can get movement with out to much current this way as the natural flow will be toward the effluent. This design is wide open to modification as well as complete rejection

Dang, sorry Joe, I'm at home today with a sick child, and your image won't open on dial-up. Have to go in tonight for a meeting, I'll try and check it out then.
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by trandall55
http:///forum/post/2585842
Well......that's what I get for buying on impluse and not checking with you guys < Randy & Denis> first.
You should know, after you guys left Sat. I ordered another 10 pounds of the (((Miracle
< yeah right>
mud since that's what was already down, I assumed I should stick with it?? Yes, too late to change now ~ we'll get this figured out, don't worry.
So, do you think the adition of another 10 pounds will give me the desired depth? Am also eager to hear what the best critters for the fuge will be and how/where I can obtain them. I'm hoping so, we'll have to see what Joe says.
So.... I guess with this chosen substrate, I can't simply just add a couple pieces of live rock, some macro and any 'ol snails? Nope, doesn't sound like it does it.
Also....please alleviate my fears as to the plenum you two < with my blessing of course> put in the bottom of my sump. I saw someone here post that a plenum can go bad and crash your whole tank?!?! Please! Say it isn't so!! Terry don't worry. I've run a modified plenum system (as you read I'm sure) on all my tanks for the last 5/6 years; including my personal one at home. Never had any issues. Dennis also has a plenum in his 210. The key to a plenum in my opinion is to build it, buy the creatures to maintain it, and leave it alone. As it is constructed now, you have nothing to worry about, as layer depth is insufficient to create an aneorobic zone.
You two know I need all the help I can get, but thanks to you, a myriad of books and forums such as this I am learning. And you also know, I do follow directions. When Denis or you say I need this or need that, I get it. So I do want to do what's best for my tank and it's inhabitants. Please tell me that the addition of the plenum was indeed a good thing?? Indeed, I know you do ~ and yes, I personally thing the plenum addition was indeed the best thing to do. I'm simply concerned with making sure we get the right mud depth to get the desired aneorobic layers, and with getting the proper creatures to maintain the mud.
Like the pictures by the way. And the new chiller is AWESOME! It's wonderful to be able to use my full compliment of lights and not worry about the tank temp rising to a deterimental level. As for the holes through my living room wall, into the kitchen??? What's a couple holes when we're talking about what' best for our tanks!
As Dennis said, "you know you are addicted when you start drilling holes in the house for the tank"

Thanks to both of you for all your help, hard work, and guidance with my tank and all the ensuing add-ons. Much, much appreicated. And you KNOW once you get that business up and running, I will be one of your best customers. You are more than welcome
Looking forward to responses on the advisability of the plenum and specific inhabitants for the fuge.
Thank you~
Answers in red above.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Dennis210
http:///forum/post/2585514
Joe - after puzzling over idea's to spread out the influent side of the refugium without going totally front to back (trying to keep with the influent to outflow direction) picture this. Influent into tank - attach a TEE. Whatever width goes across and cap off. Then on the other leg of the TEE use the same length and cap. Drill holes and whalla! It will reduce the pressure of water coming in signifigantly and still allow you to keep current pushing towards the outflow! Hope this helps.
One thing about message boards - you must learn to use the english language better to get your thought accross and damnit you can't talk with your hands as I often do!
Dennis
Dennis Sometimes a pic is worth a thousand words I could not visualize your idea until I looked at my pic, yes that is a very viable option
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by natclanwy
http:///forum/post/2585556
I have a couple of things to add, your influent tube may not work the way you would like. I recently rebuilt my sump and I experimented with running my sump intake through a vertical tube to reduce noise and splashing and the problem I had was it would airlock causing it to be very noisy and would splash lots of water out of my sump due to the pressure building and then forcing all of the air out all at once. I tried different lengths and tried capped and uncapped with holes drilled in the vertical pipe and just couldn't find the right combination. It may work if there is a significant portion of it above the water line since it will be less likely to air lock.
The other thing is keep in mind Bumble bee snails are Whelks, I have no direct experience with them so I don't know how aggressive they are but they can and probably will consume any other snails in the refuge. I don't know if they will eat there own species or not but if you aren't planning on keeping any other snails with them they will probably work great. I had a crown conch and it was an amazing dietrivore but $40 worth of snails later and he found a new home in the sump until he met his ultimate demise in the intake of my return pump.
Natchlanwy thanks for the reply. Much better to address problems now then when there is substraight in the tank. I never thought of air lock. It could be a real problem. I have a few altrenives, which I will list. The first thing I did was turn off the valve on the one inch line thus diverting all the gravity feed from the 110g. To the reduced ½ inch line. I think the flow out of the hose barb is going to be more then enough to purge the line of air. Then adjust both valves to get the effluent out of my refug at a rate I can live with
OR.
I think the only place I can get an air lock is in the tubing from hose barb to hose barb I may try drilling a hole in the PVC connecting the initial hose barb to the hose and hope to vent the air that way.
OR
See if I can get a siphon bulb that I can install in the tubing to prime it.
OR
Worst-case scenario is I go with a small dedicated low GPH pump in my DT and hard pipe it to the refug.
Any input more then welcome
AIR LOCK THE HORROR THE HORROR
 
D

dennis210

Guest
Joe - if right as water going in clears the black bulkhead, you run a 90 with an up line too (3 holes in one fitting), cut three 6 or 7 inch pvc sections, run one across, and one back either side, cap the 2 ends, drill holes, whalla. Free fall of about an inch from the looks of it, no air lock as influent is above overflow or outhole. Again this configuration will disperse water and not "gush" into refugium area. The ability to purge air is also present. As is and increased oxygenation of water. Again without my hands or being able do draw you a map I hope you get the idea.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Dennis210
http:///forum/post/2586107
Joe - if right as water going in clears the black bulkhead, you run a 90 with an up line too (3 holes in one fitting), cut three 6 or 7 inch pvc sections, run one across, and one back either side, cap the 2 ends, drill holes, whalla. Free fall of about an inch from the looks of it, no air lock as influent is above overflow or outhole. Again this configuration will disperse water and not "gush" into refugium area. The ability to purge air is also present. As is and increased oxygenation of water. Again without my hands or being able do draw you a map I hope you get the idea.
Dennis sorry friend i dont see it can you or Randy send me a drawing i sent you my E-mail address
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2586138
Dennis sorry friend i dont see it can you or Randy send me a drawing i sent you my E-mail address
Joe, I can't visualize what Dennis is saying either
, but called him and we will get together tonight after dinner and build a diagram for you that I will post.
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Joe, my friend, this thread has been good for us both; check my posts number
. Almost blew it by posting in another thread, then noticed ~ had to save it just for you. No. 1000, Cheers
! Not that I think that it matters much, ~ but its cool anyway.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/2586311
Joe, my friend, this thread has been good for us both; check my posts number
. Almost blew it by posting in another thread, then noticed ~ had to save it just for you. No. 1000, Cheers
! Not that I think that it matters much, ~ but its cool anyway.
Look at it this way the more posts the greater chance you are helping some one, and my friend that’s a good thing congratulations
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Thanks. Dennis isn't going to make it this evening, so I'll stop and pick up a diagram on the way ~ won't be able to post till tomorrow. Sorry
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/2586661
Thanks. Dennis isn't going to make it this evening, so I'll stop and pick up a diagram on the way ~ won't be able to post till tomorrow. Sorry
Thats fine
If he keeps helping we may have to change the name to The Reef-Den- Jo-Rangeum
 
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