I baby sat...I guess it's actually bird sat (sounds perverted) my sister in law's senagal parrot for a week. That sure cured me of wanting a bird! What a mess and the thing never shut up. It dogged me like a physco ex girl friend always trying to get up onto my shoulder. The thought of having to put up with that for 75 years sent shivers down my spine.
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Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank
- Thread starter jimroth
- Start date
Back from California and back to work. Re-did the return plumbing at the pump end for the third time (third time's a charm!). I used a piece of spa-flex to make up for minor dimensional issues, eliminate vibration, and good luck. I went from a heavy duty true union valve to one of the lighter grey swiss-made single unions. Since the pump is supporting it, I feel better with the lighter piece.
The tank is about 1/4" low on one end (how is that possible on a concrete slab?). My neigbor had some big steel spacers, like 2" square washers, so I'm gonna use those to level the tank. Probably rust to a rich brown and permanently mark the carpet, but whatcha gonna do?
The tank is about 1/4" low on one end (how is that possible on a concrete slab?). My neigbor had some big steel spacers, like 2" square washers, so I'm gonna use those to level the tank. Probably rust to a rich brown and permanently mark the carpet, but whatcha gonna do?
jimroth said:
That will definitely happen, I used those for my 120g...I got them from work, we used them to level one of the presses. They turned into a big rusty mess. Maybe you can try painting them first, that should help with the rust.
Speaking of being on a concrete slab...my basement floor is the most unlevel thing you would ever want to see...that's why we (John & Phyl) had to pour a pad for the new tank.
Well I must say I am feeling rather proud of myself. A few wins tonight.
1) The system ran with no leaks for the first time. Zero. No runs, no drips, no errors.
2) I mocked up my siphon break idea to keep the return from draining the tank into the sump. (Small locline teed off from return plumbing into overflow breaks siphon when pump stops.) Worked perfectly, no check valve will be needed.
3) I got the flow right. I had been concerned because my drains weren't keeping up with the return. Which didn't make sense since there are two drains and only one return of equal size. I had to throttle back the dart pump or the overflow got filled.
Once the system was running drip-free, I had a chance to play around with it. I had set the drains up like Durso standpipes, with capped tees leading into the drains to the garage. Each of the drains had a vent hole in it, like with the standpipes. I thought maybe the needed to be larger. In the interest of science, I covered the air hole. There was some slurping, and then the whole thing ran better. The airhole was the problem. It was preventing siphoning. I quickly replaced the caps with solid caps. I un-thottled the pump. No problem, the drains kept right up. In fact, almost ALL the water goes through the lower drain . When you start the pump up there is some thrashing, and a godawful gurgling as the siphon starts. Then nothing.
In fact, it's very quiet, just as I had hoped. There's little noise in the den, We could easily watch a movie or read without distraction. More quiet without the vent holes. It gave me a chance to listen to the Sequence pump for the first time (in the garage). It's not completely quiet, about as loud as a refrigerator when it's running, which made me glad it is in the garage.
1) The system ran with no leaks for the first time. Zero. No runs, no drips, no errors.
2) I mocked up my siphon break idea to keep the return from draining the tank into the sump. (Small locline teed off from return plumbing into overflow breaks siphon when pump stops.) Worked perfectly, no check valve will be needed.
3) I got the flow right. I had been concerned because my drains weren't keeping up with the return. Which didn't make sense since there are two drains and only one return of equal size. I had to throttle back the dart pump or the overflow got filled.
Once the system was running drip-free, I had a chance to play around with it. I had set the drains up like Durso standpipes, with capped tees leading into the drains to the garage. Each of the drains had a vent hole in it, like with the standpipes. I thought maybe the needed to be larger. In the interest of science, I covered the air hole. There was some slurping, and then the whole thing ran better. The airhole was the problem. It was preventing siphoning. I quickly replaced the caps with solid caps. I un-thottled the pump. No problem, the drains kept right up. In fact, almost ALL the water goes through the lower drain . When you start the pump up there is some thrashing, and a godawful gurgling as the siphon starts. Then nothing.
In fact, it's very quiet, just as I had hoped. There's little noise in the den, We could easily watch a movie or read without distraction. More quiet without the vent holes. It gave me a chance to listen to the Sequence pump for the first time (in the garage). It's not completely quiet, about as loud as a refrigerator when it's running, which made me glad it is in the garage.
Nice glad to hear are working out.
I set up and ran the giant ETSS1000 skimmer for the first time. To do it, I had to make a little sunken area in my bench for it to sit in,as it wouldn't clear the ceiling in the garage otherwise. (!) The sunken area (it reminds me of John Lennon's sunken bed in the Beatles' apartment in the movie HELP!,for some reason. Or a tiny conversation pit.) anyway, hrrmmm hrmm, it allows the skimmer outlet pipe to run under the bench and discharge into a user-definable section of the sump, which is needed since the skimmer inlet section at the right end where the drains discharge needs to be separated and maximize the nastier, skimmable water. I wonder if ANY water will bypass the skimmer on its way through the sump.
The Iwaziggysaki 100MLT pump works fine (it's rusty) but is pretty loud. It moves a ton of water, you could put out fires with it. How did Jeff stand having one of these in the living room? That's dedication.
The 1" pipe from the pump to the skimmer leaks a little at the joints (of course!), but that is old hat to me now that I realize one must apply the pipe joint compound ("StayTuff" from Hercules) with a heavy hand in these high pressure situations. I will diasssemble and re-compound tomorrow.
Importantly, I ran both the system pump and the skimmer together, and verified that the total capacity at shutdown does not overflow the sump. Whew. Still seems a bit close.
The beauty of my skimmer installation is that if I get tired of the ETSS/Iwasaki combo for whatever reason, I can easily swap in the MR2/PCX55 combination, I could even get a big honking extension and second injector for the MR2. We shall have some fun and play.
In the other, more irritating news,I had to repair a door my son had broken in, and in my haste, I made it worse, it fell off the hinges, and now I just want to have somebody do it for me. I hate fixing doors.
The Iwaziggysaki 100MLT pump works fine (it's rusty) but is pretty loud. It moves a ton of water, you could put out fires with it. How did Jeff stand having one of these in the living room? That's dedication.
The 1" pipe from the pump to the skimmer leaks a little at the joints (of course!), but that is old hat to me now that I realize one must apply the pipe joint compound ("StayTuff" from Hercules) with a heavy hand in these high pressure situations. I will diasssemble and re-compound tomorrow.
Importantly, I ran both the system pump and the skimmer together, and verified that the total capacity at shutdown does not overflow the sump. Whew. Still seems a bit close.
The beauty of my skimmer installation is that if I get tired of the ETSS/Iwasaki combo for whatever reason, I can easily swap in the MR2/PCX55 combination, I could even get a big honking extension and second injector for the MR2. We shall have some fun and play.
In the other, more irritating news,I had to repair a door my son had broken in, and in my haste, I made it worse, it fell off the hinges, and now I just want to have somebody do it for me. I hate fixing doors.
Ordered 80lbs CaribSea Special Reef grade sand. I talk a good game, but I can't actually go barebottom. Wouldn't look right. Plus, I can always vacuum it out if it causes trouble. Right? Going for a just 1-2" layer of gravel.
Fixed more leaky plumbing joints . Switched to teflon tape for the skimmer supply line leak. Still leaks, but just a teeny bit.
Did my first water change. The freshwater in the tank was getting cloudy, probably from all the thread sealant, and smelling swampy. How does water get funky when there's no nutrients? And yet it does.
Saw this years' first hummingbird at the feeder yesterday, plus a rose-brested grosbeak at the seed feeder.
Hey, this is my 200th post. Tah Dah.
Fixed more leaky plumbing joints . Switched to teflon tape for the skimmer supply line leak. Still leaks, but just a teeny bit.
Did my first water change. The freshwater in the tank was getting cloudy, probably from all the thread sealant, and smelling swampy. How does water get funky when there's no nutrients? And yet it does.
Saw this years' first hummingbird at the feeder yesterday, plus a rose-brested grosbeak at the seed feeder.
Hey, this is my 200th post. Tah Dah.
reefsandrotts
NJRC Member
Uh Jim
Wheres the pics.?
Wheres the pics.?
I'll take some new pics tonight with the updated plumbing and carpentry, if you're into that sort of thing .
One interesting (annoying) discovery: The drain outlets need to be above the water level in the sump (after the pump lowers the water level). If they are not, the air can't escape the pipe and the siphon doesn't start. I actually overflowed the tank a little finding this out, just a pint or so on the carpet.
.One interesting (annoying) discovery: The drain outlets need to be above the water level in the sump (after the pump lowers the water level). If they are not, the air can't escape the pipe and the siphon doesn't start. I actually overflowed the tank a little finding this out, just a pint or so on the carpet.
Re: Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank Photos
The return manifold. This is a mockup, hopefully the final version will be black, and will be zigged and zagged higher so it's not so obvious:
The locline siphon break. I'm going to try to use 1/4" locline in the final version.
The full-length ("Calfo") overflow in action. Water is going over every inch of the overflow.
Water really piles up at the drains, but there's no slurping.
The return manifold. This is a mockup, hopefully the final version will be black, and will be zigged and zagged higher so it's not so obvious:
The locline siphon break. I'm going to try to use 1/4" locline in the final version.
The full-length ("Calfo") overflow in action. Water is going over every inch of the overflow.
Water really piles up at the drains, but there's no slurping.
Re: Jimroth's Big Ol' Tank Photos II
Here's the mighty ETSS 1000 skimmer running in its little cockpit. This skimmer has been passed around the club a bit, I'm the fourth owner!
This shows the underpinnings and how the pump comes between the sump and skimmer. Behind the black flex hoses is the return from the skimmer to the sump. At the last minute I realized that if I didn't put a union on the skimmer return, I'd have a heck of a time removing the skimmer!
The skimmer valliantly tries to raise foam from fresh water.
All my life I have wanted to own something with lighted rocker switches. Guy thing I guess. I have a second one of these DJ boxes if I need more outlets.
The current drain end configuration. 1.5" pvc into 1.5" barb fittings (HD) into a tough kind of flex hose (Marine Depot) held into a specimen container with two holes drilled in the bottom by having two 1.25" female adaptors screwed into the ends.
Pretty turbulent if it discharges above the surface.
Outflow from the skimmer is pretty awsome too.
I ran the hose out the door yesterday to drain the sump and ended up spraying myself and my workbench!
Here's the mighty ETSS 1000 skimmer running in its little cockpit. This skimmer has been passed around the club a bit, I'm the fourth owner!
This shows the underpinnings and how the pump comes between the sump and skimmer. Behind the black flex hoses is the return from the skimmer to the sump. At the last minute I realized that if I didn't put a union on the skimmer return, I'd have a heck of a time removing the skimmer!
The skimmer valliantly tries to raise foam from fresh water.
All my life I have wanted to own something with lighted rocker switches. Guy thing I guess. I have a second one of these DJ boxes if I need more outlets.
The current drain end configuration. 1.5" pvc into 1.5" barb fittings (HD) into a tough kind of flex hose (Marine Depot) held into a specimen container with two holes drilled in the bottom by having two 1.25" female adaptors screwed into the ends.
Pretty turbulent if it discharges above the surface.
Outflow from the skimmer is pretty awsome too.
I ran the hose out the door yesterday to drain the sump and ended up spraying myself and my workbench!
Looking good, Jim!
Are you putting anything to cover that overflow? I can see some fish taking a ride over the wall and to the sump. It happens to me constantly because of the size of the teeth in my overflow. I figured I would give you one more thing to think about!
Are you putting anything to cover that overflow? I can see some fish taking a ride over the wall and to the sump. It happens to me constantly because of the size of the teeth in my overflow. I figured I would give you one more thing to think about!
What, and deny them their fun? It's like a 10' water slide to the garage.
Actually, I'm not sure there will be a problem, and here's why. Due to the huge length of the overflow, the layer of water is only 1/4" at its thickest. Secondly, if you look at the arrangement of street elbows which take up the water from the overflow, the gap between the floor of the overflow and the elbow is very slim, like 1/8 or 1/16". I don't think anything bigger than a dottyback or firefish can take that ride. I guess if its a problem I can cover it with bird netting or something. I really want to get another solarensis wrasse, so I was planning to "jumper-proof" the tank!
Actually, I'm not sure there will be a problem, and here's why. Due to the huge length of the overflow, the layer of water is only 1/4" at its thickest. Secondly, if you look at the arrangement of street elbows which take up the water from the overflow, the gap between the floor of the overflow and the elbow is very slim, like 1/8 or 1/16". I don't think anything bigger than a dottyback or firefish can take that ride. I guess if its a problem I can cover it with bird netting or something. I really want to get another solarensis wrasse, so I was planning to "jumper-proof" the tank!