EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Just keep in mind I've been up since 4am and may not be thinking straight, lol!
Perseverance Reef
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
My very yellow water. I want to make/use coral snow and pull as many of the yellowing compounds as I possibly can. I know the skimmer will help with that too.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
You can certainly try a hob with carbon... it's not going to hurt anything, I just don't know how much water it will actually touch.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I know how that is. That happens to me quite a bit. I always worry about the way I write in my posts because sometimes I’m not able to convey my thoughts coherently.
OP
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Good point. I think I’ll just wait on the carbon and let the skimmer handle the flocculent.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Aren't you going to have mechanical filtration (floss, socks, etc)?
OP
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Absolutely. I’m going to have socks for all four drain lines. Instead of carbon I’ll get some 1 or 5 micron socks for when I’m trying to remove tint from the water. Thank you for reminding me of that.
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EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
I was thinking more about removing any flocked material. There's no reason NOT to use carbon especially if it's just for making the water clear. Flocculent will help get rid of particles and carbon will help with dissolved organics. Another way to quickly clear the water is to use a micron filter with DE, but that's a very temporary setup. In my build thread, that's what I used instead of flocculent to clear the water after adding the sand. (Well, I added sand, then water, but you get the idea).
IMO, the best use of carbon is to remove any contaminants, including chemical warfare among corals. Although admittedly I have not tried using it for water clarity, and it might make a noticeable difference and be worth using for that as well.
Either way, can't wait to read more updates!
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
3 tsp Calcium Carbonate should work good for your tank.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I’ve gotten my sump filled almost to the level I intend to run it at. One of the returns had a shorter length of pipe going into the sump. I switched it out for the right length last so both returns are completely submerged at their ends.
With that done no more water will enter the sump until the water level hits the top ends of the three drain standpipes that will control the water level. There’s also an emergency standpipe.
I likely have 12 to 16 gallons to go before the DT is completely filled and another 12 to fill the sump to the level it’ll run at for now.
The sump, a 75 gallon tank, was my DT before Dory came into the picture. It was pre drilled but I’m going to plug the holes with J. B. Waterweld since it’s reef safe. I’m also going to use it to install my internal overflow (which I hope really ships this week).
Unlike silicone which won’t truly bond to plastic the way it does to glass, J. B. Waterweld will bond to glass AND plastic. It’s a 2 part epoxy putty that is arguably stronger than silicone. That said silicone, old or new, is one of the few things J. B. Waterweld won’t bond to.
Once the holes are plugged I’ll add more rock to it which will raise the water level some. The skimmer will also raise the water slightly. After the rest of the equipment and rock is added to the sump I’ll raise the water level the rest of the way.
So far no sign of the bulkheads or pipes/fittings leaking. The elbows that direct water into the DT for the returns as well as the bulkhead fittings they’re attached to are completely submerged. The bulkheads the four drain lines are attached to are almost completely submerged as well.
I’m finally going to install the light that’ll go over the sump as well, hopefully today.
This is the highest I’ve had the water level in the 210 since I got it. It’s about 2 inches from the top of the drain line.
Today it’ll all be up and running except for the skimmer. I’ll transfer the heaters from the DT to the sump today. Once the heaters are back online I’ll add the chaeto and the xenia/mushroom rock to the sump with some more rock. I’ll be getting the skimmer in 2 to at most 3 weeks from now and that’ll complete the sump/fuge.
I’m going to add valves with true unions and install them down the road, although not too far down the road. I want to make a manifold as well. I’ll do it when I install the valves so it will all be done. I won’t need it immediately but while I’m doing the plumbing upgrade I may as well. For now though I’ll leave things as they are.
With that done no more water will enter the sump until the water level hits the top ends of the three drain standpipes that will control the water level. There’s also an emergency standpipe.
I likely have 12 to 16 gallons to go before the DT is completely filled and another 12 to fill the sump to the level it’ll run at for now.
The sump, a 75 gallon tank, was my DT before Dory came into the picture. It was pre drilled but I’m going to plug the holes with J. B. Waterweld since it’s reef safe. I’m also going to use it to install my internal overflow (which I hope really ships this week).
Unlike silicone which won’t truly bond to plastic the way it does to glass, J. B. Waterweld will bond to glass AND plastic. It’s a 2 part epoxy putty that is arguably stronger than silicone. That said silicone, old or new, is one of the few things J. B. Waterweld won’t bond to.
Once the holes are plugged I’ll add more rock to it which will raise the water level some. The skimmer will also raise the water slightly. After the rest of the equipment and rock is added to the sump I’ll raise the water level the rest of the way.
So far no sign of the bulkheads or pipes/fittings leaking. The elbows that direct water into the DT for the returns as well as the bulkhead fittings they’re attached to are completely submerged. The bulkheads the four drain lines are attached to are almost completely submerged as well.
I’m finally going to install the light that’ll go over the sump as well, hopefully today.
This is the highest I’ve had the water level in the 210 since I got it. It’s about 2 inches from the top of the drain line.
Today it’ll all be up and running except for the skimmer. I’ll transfer the heaters from the DT to the sump today. Once the heaters are back online I’ll add the chaeto and the xenia/mushroom rock to the sump with some more rock. I’ll be getting the skimmer in 2 to at most 3 weeks from now and that’ll complete the sump/fuge.
I’m going to add valves with true unions and install them down the road, although not too far down the road. I want to make a manifold as well. I’ll do it when I install the valves so it will all be done. I won’t need it immediately but while I’m doing the plumbing upgrade I may as well. For now though I’ll leave things as they are.
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
My corals are slowly coming back around. The digitatas in particular are looking better and despite my high phosphate levels I see some signs of growth tips starting to form on them.
My new hermits (and old ones too) are doing well.
My asterinas are starting to come out more and they’re doing so even while the lights are still on.
The mini brittle stars are also doing good. One tried stealing some frozen food from one of the nems which was already eating the food. I made it let go of the nem’s food and the nem promptly swallowed the rest of its food. I gave the starfish some food of its own and it got right to work on it.
All the fish are doing great. Dory’s growing fairly quickly. I’m willing to bet she’ll be 8 inches long by spring.
She’s one of many tangs rescued by a reefer friend who didn’t really have a place for her long term because the other tangs she rescued were too big. Dory would likely have been bullied by them so my friend decided to sell him to me.
In my reefing friend’s care she grew about an inch. She had her for a month before I got her. Dory was only 2 inches long when she was rescued. Believe it or not she’s 3 years old. She has HLLE. It’s getting better though. Surprisingly she doesn’t have ich for which I’m grateful.
The fact that she’s making such a comeback is inspiring. Because all she ever ate was flake food, which I think was actually goldfish flakes (but I’d have to double check that), I tend to be very protective of her. I love all my fish equally but Dory will always have a special place in my heart.
Now she gets my DIY frozen food mix, NLS pellets, and loads of pods which she picks at all day long. Since hippo tangs are mainly planktivores I’m going to add more pods, maybe krill, some veggie flakes, mysis (freshwater and saltwater), and hopefully oyster roe to her diet.
My new hermits (and old ones too) are doing well.
My asterinas are starting to come out more and they’re doing so even while the lights are still on.
The mini brittle stars are also doing good. One tried stealing some frozen food from one of the nems which was already eating the food. I made it let go of the nem’s food and the nem promptly swallowed the rest of its food. I gave the starfish some food of its own and it got right to work on it.
All the fish are doing great. Dory’s growing fairly quickly. I’m willing to bet she’ll be 8 inches long by spring.
She’s one of many tangs rescued by a reefer friend who didn’t really have a place for her long term because the other tangs she rescued were too big. Dory would likely have been bullied by them so my friend decided to sell him to me.
In my reefing friend’s care she grew about an inch. She had her for a month before I got her. Dory was only 2 inches long when she was rescued. Believe it or not she’s 3 years old. She has HLLE. It’s getting better though. Surprisingly she doesn’t have ich for which I’m grateful.
The fact that she’s making such a comeback is inspiring. Because all she ever ate was flake food, which I think was actually goldfish flakes (but I’d have to double check that), I tend to be very protective of her. I love all my fish equally but Dory will always have a special place in my heart.
Now she gets my DIY frozen food mix, NLS pellets, and loads of pods which she picks at all day long. Since hippo tangs are mainly planktivores I’m going to add more pods, maybe krill, some veggie flakes, mysis (freshwater and saltwater), and hopefully oyster roe to her diet.
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EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
So excited for you! You've waited quite a while to finish this build 
More pics!!!
More pics!!!
OP
OP
Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Will do. It won’t be long and I’ll be able to sit back and watch everything thrive. As long as there are no more leaks, cracks, etc (and the seams are in amazingly good shape), which I doubt there will be, I’m going to finally have my dream tank running like it should.So excited for you! You've waited quite a while to finish this build
More pics!!!
Awesome outlook...
Part of me wishes I would have taken that approach when I started having random small fish deaths I couldn't figure out. Just had way too many "special" fish in my tank and decided to take it down and spread the fish out among the local reef club before I lost something "special".
OP
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I’m only now getting to that point though. I tend to have my moments of impatience but they just cause more issues.
I’m getting close to the end of the ugly stages I think. I’m finally getting coralline growth, although not tons yet, on the back glass as well as on the rocks. I have a cyano storm going on right now due to zero nitrates. I’m feeding more heavily now with the hippo tang and my hermit crab army among other critters. That should get my nitrates higher.
Knowing things are getting healthier and more stable is a big incentive to keep my hands out of the tank.
OP
OP
Fishy888
2500 Club Member
The sump is humming right along now.
I’m going to start moving the heaters to the sump after I post this.
The mollies are about to get released into their new home as well.
I’m going to start moving the heaters to the sump after I post this.
The mollies are about to get released into their new home as well.
OP
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Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Last night I turned off the halides and left my one actinic T5 lamp on. It’s been a while since the last time I did that. It seems that my purple digi is starting to purple up once again although it has a ways to go before it grows back over its skeleton and looks like it was when I got it but it’s making good progress.
Here’s the green digi. It’s looking much, much better now. It looks almost as good if not as good as when it left the store.
My encrusting montis are hanging in there but have a long way to go before they look like they did again.
Here are all of my LPS except for my duncans. I forgot to take an image of them but hopefully later today I will.
This is the leptoseris. Behind it is what was a mint green and red encrusting monti. It looks like some of the green is coming back on the monti.
My leptastrea is looking great. It hasn’t grown tons exactly but with nitrates near zero I’m not totally surprised.
I’m planning on manually removing as much cyano as I can today. I’m also going to scrape the glass, blow the detritus and cyano that I can’t manually remove off of the rocks, top off the tank, and clean the salt splatter off of the outside front glass.
Today or tomorrow I’m going to mount the MH ballasts and both banks of outlets. I’m going to put the MH lamps on one timer and the T5s on another. They’re sharing the same timer right now.
Also the sump’s light still needs to be mounted under the stand as well. After the light is mounted I need to get the xenia/mushroom rock transferred and trimmed back so I can get some nitrates in the system. The chaeto will also get transferred at that time.
My overflow box arrives today. Pretty soon that’ll be installed and looking great.
Once all that’s done it’ll be time to get the doors finished and mounted to the stand. I found the hinges I was looking for so that remains is to rip and cut the pieces for the frames that will go around the doors. That’ll get done hopefully this week.
Around the beginning of the new year I’m going to finish the plumbing for the closed loop. In February I’m going to get the closed loop inline pump. It’ll be flow city at that point.
Speaking of flow I didn’t see any of my mollies yesterday. They were looking good Thursday night when I transferred them to the new tank but the damsel was bullying two of the mollies and the other two made a bee line for the rocks the second they hit the water. Hopefully they’ll be out again soon.
All in all things are getting better and it’s showing. It’s going to take time but the cyano will thin out quite a bit and all but disappear, the tank will stabilize, and eventually I’ll be able to add more corals. I’m not in a rush though. I’m just enjoying the transformation the system is undergoing right now.
Here’s the green digi. It’s looking much, much better now. It looks almost as good if not as good as when it left the store.
My encrusting montis are hanging in there but have a long way to go before they look like they did again.
Here are all of my LPS except for my duncans. I forgot to take an image of them but hopefully later today I will.
This is the leptoseris. Behind it is what was a mint green and red encrusting monti. It looks like some of the green is coming back on the monti.
My leptastrea is looking great. It hasn’t grown tons exactly but with nitrates near zero I’m not totally surprised.
I’m planning on manually removing as much cyano as I can today. I’m also going to scrape the glass, blow the detritus and cyano that I can’t manually remove off of the rocks, top off the tank, and clean the salt splatter off of the outside front glass.
Today or tomorrow I’m going to mount the MH ballasts and both banks of outlets. I’m going to put the MH lamps on one timer and the T5s on another. They’re sharing the same timer right now.
Also the sump’s light still needs to be mounted under the stand as well. After the light is mounted I need to get the xenia/mushroom rock transferred and trimmed back so I can get some nitrates in the system. The chaeto will also get transferred at that time.
My overflow box arrives today. Pretty soon that’ll be installed and looking great.
Once all that’s done it’ll be time to get the doors finished and mounted to the stand. I found the hinges I was looking for so that remains is to rip and cut the pieces for the frames that will go around the doors. That’ll get done hopefully this week.
Around the beginning of the new year I’m going to finish the plumbing for the closed loop. In February I’m going to get the closed loop inline pump. It’ll be flow city at that point.
Speaking of flow I didn’t see any of my mollies yesterday. They were looking good Thursday night when I transferred them to the new tank but the damsel was bullying two of the mollies and the other two made a bee line for the rocks the second they hit the water. Hopefully they’ll be out again soon.
All in all things are getting better and it’s showing. It’s going to take time but the cyano will thin out quite a bit and all but disappear, the tank will stabilize, and eventually I’ll be able to add more corals. I’m not in a rush though. I’m just enjoying the transformation the system is undergoing right now.
OP
OP
Fishy888
2500 Club Member
Things are still looking good. My digis still have awesome polyp extension and fluorescence compared to where they were last month at this time.
I patched up the holes in the sump today. I want to add more water to the sump tomorrow.
Around 3:00 this morning I heard a sound that sounded like someone running a vacuum cleaner. I listened closer and I realized what it was. The wave maker was cavitating. I got down there just in time to see the sump emptying out through the holes. It wasn’t super bad thankfully.
What happened was that the water level got critically low in the sump due to evaporation so the pump ran dry. Then a reverse siphon occurred. The sump would have handled it without overflowing at all had the holes been patched previously.
In any event I tested my hypothesis regarding the sump overflowing. I pulled the standpipe out of the single mismatched bulkhead. Since that bulkhead is a slip bulkhead I decided to use that to my advantage. I filled the sump up a bit higher then replaced the standpipe. I watched the sump’s water level drop to within an inch of the end of the barb on the oreturn pump as water filled the DT. When I saw that I promptly removed the standpipe again so the pump wouldn’t run dry.
The patches should be cured enough by tomorrow for me to add another 20 gallons to the system, replace the standpipe, and mark the new water level.
Should something like this ever happen again the worst possible outcome would be that the water in the DT would drop to the siphon break and the sump would be a little more full than usual.
Sometimes it’s not just a pump running dry. Sometimes they outright fail. Power outages can occur too. No matter which happens I’m prepared now. I plan on getting a second pump anyway but not until after Christmas.
I patched up the holes in the sump today. I want to add more water to the sump tomorrow.
Around 3:00 this morning I heard a sound that sounded like someone running a vacuum cleaner. I listened closer and I realized what it was. The wave maker was cavitating. I got down there just in time to see the sump emptying out through the holes. It wasn’t super bad thankfully.
What happened was that the water level got critically low in the sump due to evaporation so the pump ran dry. Then a reverse siphon occurred. The sump would have handled it without overflowing at all had the holes been patched previously.
In any event I tested my hypothesis regarding the sump overflowing. I pulled the standpipe out of the single mismatched bulkhead. Since that bulkhead is a slip bulkhead I decided to use that to my advantage. I filled the sump up a bit higher then replaced the standpipe. I watched the sump’s water level drop to within an inch of the end of the barb on the oreturn pump as water filled the DT. When I saw that I promptly removed the standpipe again so the pump wouldn’t run dry.
The patches should be cured enough by tomorrow for me to add another 20 gallons to the system, replace the standpipe, and mark the new water level.
Should something like this ever happen again the worst possible outcome would be that the water in the DT would drop to the siphon break and the sump would be a little more full than usual.
Sometimes it’s not just a pump running dry. Sometimes they outright fail. Power outages can occur too. No matter which happens I’m prepared now. I plan on getting a second pump anyway but not until after Christmas.
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I manually put a pump-stop in each day just so I know the system is ready for it and I address any issues as they arrise.
OP
OP
Fishy888
2500 Club Member
I made a small bank of outlets with a kill switch just for the pumps which were for the 90 gallon cube originally. It was/is meant to allow me to kill the pumps for the purposes of feeding, maintenance, or in case of an emergency. Because I just added the sump’s pump recently I haven’t mounted that bank of outlets yet. That’s coming shortly though.
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