Custom Diamond Line Elos 160XL / Dreambox Build

Siasl · Nov 5, 2017

Here is where we stand:

Now - practicality rears it ugly head.

1st - I have any email out to the RE guys, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get the sump's capcitve level sensor (on the left, out of sight) to sense the difference between water and empty. This drives the motor on the fleece filter unit.

2nd - You can't see it in this picture, but I have a complicated overflow setup (not ideal, but I kind of like it) that actually goes behind the tank into the hall closet for this:

This allows all the wiring and the control boxes to be out of sight. Plus, it allows me room for two 80watte Pentair (Emperor Aquatics) "Nuke it all" UV devices that can hit massive overkill levels on all water leaving the tank (before the sump).

You can see the return passes through the wall and behind the sump into the entry point:

With the complicated overflow and return plumbing here:

Now - back to the reality.

Got everything plumbed and wired on Friday / Saturday of last two weekends. Turn it all on. Got salt levels perfect, moved in some live rock from another tank (for instant cycle) - and have 24 hours of bliss.

Next morning, I smell a nice electrical burning.

Really?

Siasl · Nov 5, 2017

...
Not a cliffhanger with an instant update, but one of the quartz sleeves was cracked in the UV sterilizer.

(Sorry for messy sink in background).

Since EVERYTHING flows through the two sterilizers I am now stuck with everything off and unplugged. I got some nice little shocks getting it all done, and thank fully all powerboxes were safe in sound in their dry box (drip loops work y'all). I have emailed @pentair but dead in the water until the response. My main problem is I bought all the main gear almost a year ago, and just turned it on this weekend. The warranty looks good, but how fast to get a replacement?

Also - the bottom of that dang quartz sleeve (and the bottom ended of the light that fused and fried) is stuck in the bottom of the UV black tube. Nothing, and I mean nothing can get it out. I got really creative, to no avail. (Think duck tape, superglue, etc...).

That story is in waiting at the moment. Good thing I could move my fishes back into the QT room with little impact:

tj w · Nov 5, 2017

[emoji15]electrical burning? Left me hanging, lol.

Siasl · Nov 5, 2017

I have 3 long 20s set up as tanks with a fourth as a sump. In that fourth is one of the Theiling Rollermats that was going to be used for the main filtration (before RE came out with the new sump that I got above).

So - some hooded wrasses, two ORA Picasso clowns, and a sohal tang (juvenile, my son wanted him at the fish store and who was I to say no? Yes, yes, they are aggressive, but it is still small and will probably hang out in QT for six months while I get many more fish in the tank)

The messy side. I absolutely love those guys that have a "perfect" fish room. #notme

Siasl · Nov 5, 2017

The final update of this one is the plans to finish the fish room.

Stability is our friend in this game, so I have two 100 tanks under the stairs in the fish room.

What I now have to do is plumb a 3/4" line from the sump to this room.

From there, there is actually a hammerhead out of sight that circulates the water from the tanks (which are joined via 2" pipe) through the four BRS media filters, a trade windschiller (1/5 HP now, old one, need a 1/2 HP), and a Pax Bellum CR36 Chaeto Reactor. Then back into the top of the tanks. I'll cut into the tank walls and put in a 1 1/4" bulkhead and run that back to the main sump.

That way I get 400 gallons (and all the "Crap" hidden) for the 200gallon fish tank.

So - sorry for the long delay on updates, but I just didn't want to be on here B&Ming until I could start things. Though now I am B&M about a stupid broken sterilzer!

Happy reefing