Tank Journal: Miracles 144

I had an old thread running for the reef tank at Grove & Platt Dental


Old Thread: Tank Journal - 125 Reef


I decided to cut it off and start a new one. In case you missed it, here's a quick recap:


Tank looked like this when I started maintaining it (December 2009)



It was a 125 Tenecor.
around March of this year, it looked like this



Near the beginning of May, I discovered this crack through the bottom panel, caused by poor cabinet/stand construction



I tore the tank down and moved everything to a 120 at my house and started planning the new system. In October, the new tank showed up. It was made by Miracles in Glass out of Canada. The outer dimensions of the tank are 66" Long x 21" wide x 24" tall (3" wider than the old tank), 5/8" glass all around, front is 3/4" Starphire, and left end is notched and tempered. So if you go by the industry standard of measuring the outer dimensions for tank volume, this is a 144.  But it actually will hold about 125 gallons in the display tank.  There is an external overflow box with 3 holes for 1.5" bulkheads, designed for a 3-pipe "BeanAnimal Silent and Fail-Safe" overflow system. The stand was made by AC&C, then I topped it with 2 layers of 3/4" ACS plywood, painted it, and threw on a layer of 1/2" foam.



I tore out almost all of the existing cabinetry and cut some of it up to make an access door, and built a wood frame system for the upper door hinges (which I think run a few hundred $$, so it was highly desired to re-use them) as well as a support beam for hanging the light fixture.





The pump is a Reefflo Dart/Snapper hybrid (with Dart impeller). For the plumbing, I think I could earn a merit badge for this job. It's 1.5" plumbing all around except for the small 2" section between the sump and return pump. The drain system is the 3-pipe system with the main siphon using hard pipe and spa flex, ending in a 1.5" Cepex valve for tuning, and the others just have unions below the bulkheads and 45s working through the tight space at the end of the stand to get to the sump.






The return is the gem of this tank. There's another Cepex valve right after the pump, then a couple 45s over and up into a coupler, then a section of spa flex, and into the plenum return. The plenum consists of a 12 jet system: 11 1.5" x 1.5" x 1" reducing tees, each with a reducing bushing to 3/4" thread, then a double-threaded coupler, a 3/4" ball valve, and 3/4" Loc-Line; the end of the plenum is a 90 with a reducing bushing and then the same coupler/valve thingy. 6 of the Loc-Line assemblies split into dual 1/2" lines. I re-used some existing Loc-Line that I also had so there are a total of 20 jets in the tank. I think there will be adequately random flow.


This is for hanging the plenum



Plenum



Valve/Loc-Line assembly



I put all the threaded fittings and Loc-Line together last night and this morning using PTFE paste (which I highly recommend instead of Teflon tape) but forgot to take a picture, so I will post one later today.  Just you wait, it's a friggin monster return system.


I built the sump custom for this system. The algae scrubber will sit on top of it, will have it's own dedicated pump, drain system, and bubble diffuser. There will be plastic mesh around the pump to protect the intake, and a section of mesh before the return pump as well. These are mainly to protect anything that makes the trip down the siphon line. Apparently clownfish like to ride the pipe.



More to come later today!

 

It is not a framed tank, that is just 1/16" or 1/32" plastic. I wanted it completely rimless I guess they missed that one. This tank required foam under it.  The bottom glass is in full contact with the foam.

 

What should I nickname this monstrosity?





How about the Icosa-pus? Icosa=20. Ok. I'm a nerd.

 

I'll take a pic of it tomorrow when I get the plenum up into the straps. The first knob of the loc-line will be just above the waterline, and the top doors when they are down actually cover up the top 2 inches of the tank so if you're standing in front of the tank, you won't see anything at all. If you're sitting down in the waiting area, you will see the loc-line and some of it (like the long one in the center) will extend down the back behind the rockwork for deep-water circulation.

 

I guess I should not have said it was 'required' to have it on foam, but Derek highly suggested it. He said most people just use the styro that they put around the tanks which is the cheap white stuff and something like 9/16" thick. I bought the foam board from Home Depot. Tanks that do not have a frame whose purpose is to support structure generally need to be on foam I believe. Tanks with frames on them like the Aqueon / Marineland stock tanks do not and definitely should not be on foam.

 

Plumbing is done!!!















Loading up the water!!!

 

75 gallons down, 65 or so left go go. I set a personal record of 15 5g buckets in my Nissan Altima.

 

Pump leaks. Can't quite figure it out. Here's a couple videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv9Cxy_qDo4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyhWI8z6cZA

 

It's no where near a seal. It's coming from the point where the return meets up with the housing. Like within the housing. Must be a crack, one drip every 10 seconds or so, emanating from within.

 

Update on the pump

Reeflo was quick to replace the housing. As it turns out, they contracted someone to grind out the inside of the housing to accomodate a larger impeller, and the ground it down too thin. He knew exactly what the problem was and sent the new cover right away. I took a side-by-side picture of the difference and I don't see why they ground the inside of the housing down, but whatever. (forgot to d/l the pic from camera).

So, now hopefully the pump is working, guess I'll find out soon enough.

I added a baffle to the sump:



This will serve a couple purposes. #1 is structural: the front panel bowed out about 1/4 with the water 2" from the rim. Too much for my tastes. #2 I'm going to drill a small hole or two in it and secure in a piece of egg crate wrapped with some nylon screen or plastic canvas to act as a pre-filter for the pump to protect it from any fish/etc that make it to the sump. #3 it will also allow for a use of media if I need it at any time. I might still run Purigen and could possibly need carbon or something else on occasion.

I bought an aqua lifter pump since I didn't win one at MACNA. I am going to buy a sensor unit from autotopoff.com and have a 5g bucket with Kalk mixed in. I'm going to put the ATO sensor next to the pump intake as that will likely be the least turbulent area of the sump.