Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

It poured. I had a power failure last night. It didn't last long but when the power came back on my downdraft skimmer backed up and overflowed. This kind of skimmer is very sensitive to back pressure and usually overflows a little every time it starts up until it gets going. Something must have changed to cause more back pressure or faster flow and it overflowed the waste container. About two gallons went into the basement. It goes right through the cracks in the hardwood floor. Luckily it is self limiting, as the sump level goes down so does the back pressure. A bigger waste container will prevent this in the future but it will have to be at least five gallons.
Not what you want to be dealing with when you first wake up.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I guess you can literally say you woke up to a sh!t storm :ss Hope all the livestock is well.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Everyone is fine. I had to add five gallons of fresh water but that is not much dilution to 120 gal. I will check the salt level when I get home. I have a plan to fix this problem, so it won't happen again. It will be something different next time. :D

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

What kind of downdraft to you have?
I have an ETSS and they make a great container that has a ping pong ball and when it fills, it automatically shuts the skimmer down as it takes the air away from it.
Needless to say, it has saved me on many occasions.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

It's an ETSS and I have the air tube routed to the waste container so that if it fills then the tube goes under water level and shuts off. Unfortunately, some air can still leak in around the top of the downdraft, as it is not airtight. It had all night to slowly overflow. Drip by drip. I'm lucky it has the other way of being self limiting. There would be one more failsafe as the sump got too low to pump back to the tank.
The trouble is that the pump is directional CW vs CCW. It works better one direction. If the power goes off and back on quickly enough the backflow will reverse the pump. This must have happened before the last time I adjusted it. When the power went off again the flow returned to normal. I am going to put a delay relay on it so if it turns off it delays going back on for like 5 minutes. This will allow the sump to return to normal levels too. Less back pressure to begin with. I could also figure a way to seal the top of the downdraft. Maybe just some electrical tape.
Always something.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Do you use the waste container from ETSS?

I love BlueLine or Iwaki Japanese pumps.
BlueLine is made by the guy that made them for Iwaki Japan that went on his own.
The American Iwakis are good too but not as good as the Japanese.
Can never go wrong with those guys.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

No, it's a plastic two gallon goldfish tank. The air intake line hangs half way to the bottom, so it should never fill up more than that, in theory.

It needs to be submersible for my setup. Running a Quietone 3000HH (high head). I have both of those other pumps. No difference between them as far as I can tell.
The Quietone is from before the company got bought out. It is high head because of the directional impeller. There is a trick they do to the motor to make it always start the same direction but it can be forced to run backward if the backflow was pushing it that way to begin with. I guess I could build a new sump/refugium with external pumps but this has served me well for years. A time delay relay is very easy for me and ensures that the pump will always start statically in the right direction.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I would really look into the ETSS container. It works real well. None of the ETSS skimmers are air tight in the columns so that is normal. The container goes for about $100 but ever since I did that, never had any overflows again.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

This is only my second overflow. The first was for a different reason. That's why I said that if I fix this it will be something else next time. Murphy, you know.
On a different track, I was watching my tank when the light went off and noticed my tang swimming strangely. Then I saw the cleaner shrimp come out and service her. She opened up her gills and let the shrimp go inside. As soon as the tang was done the hawkfish came over for his turn. Happy fish!

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I love that "car wash" effect and how they all line up for the cleaner shrimp.
Cool stuff.
Too bad I can't have them anymore. With the size of my Emperor Angel and how long it has been since he has seen one, I don't think they would stand a chance.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

i don't think cleaner shrimp should be so expensive. They are almost the same as peppermint shrimp but twice the price. I put peppermint shrimp in my tank but even if they are in there I can never see them.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Cleaners here run around close to $20 each.
That is one massively expensive meal to give my Emperor.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Well that was sweet!

Just wrote a few policies for a guy and I had a bottle of calcium that I had bought sitting on my desk and we got talking about fish and tanks, turns out the guy breeds Percula Clowns. He signed the papers and left like normal, about 20 minutes later he shows up with 2 percula clowns that are 6 months old about 1 inch long or so. hand them to me for free. That was pretty cool!

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

That is cool. :)

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They are so much better in pairs. I hope they are true percs. False percs are buttheads.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

yup they are true percs. Georgous coloring, already pairing up nicely. Ill try to get some pictures of them tonight if i get home before lights out.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I rerouted my water circulation lines. It used to go: high head sump pump-->chiller-->skimmer-->sump and high flow sump pump-->wave maker-->tank-->overflow to sump. Now it goes: HH pump-->skimmer--->sump and HF pump-->chiller-->wave maker-->tank-->overflow.
This increased the skimmer so much that I have to throttle the pump flow now. Before I had to throttle the return from the skimmer to increase the back pressure. I may be in danger of overskimming the tank, if that's possible.
The wavemaker is a T-shaped device in the pump line that has a turbine that alternates the outgoing flow about once every 15 seconds to opposite sides of the tank.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Not in my book.
The bigger, the more, the better.
If there is nothing to skim, great, it won't.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I got home on Saturday and have good news to report. All my water tests were good, I think my son misread a test or two. The salinity was really high, 1.028, I added 3 gals of freshwater and now it's back down to 1.021. I found a few fish to use as feeders that will live in the salt water. I am hoping that Fred, my chainlink moray eel, will learn how to hunt again. He is trying but is still a little slow. Thanks for all the advice that I recieved when I had questions.

Sarge

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I need suggestions for aquarium supplies. I will be getting a 75 gal tank soon for Fred, my eel. It will be for him and possibly about 6 other fish, in time. I think that i will not be doing the reef thing for quite a while. I want to learn about maintaneing a salt water tank first before I get more advanced. Is there a better filter I should get. And what other accessories should I be looking for.

Sarge

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

No wonder the eel was not happy.
That is way too high of salinity.
Even the saltiest of reefs average no more than 23-25.
Even 21 is a bit high if you don't have a reef.
Fish only systems will run like a charm between 17 and 19, limiting significantly any outbreaks of parasites.
Less salt is actually easier on the fish as their bodies are designed to filter the water and remove the salt. They do it first via the slime coat and second via their organs.

Don't forget to get him on a shrimp or clam diet.
Buy them as you would for yourself and share with him.:D
Really cool to see them go nuts on a clam shell.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Six fish and an eel should ideally have more than 75 gallons. Look into a 90 its just a few inches wider.

Look into wet dry sump systems. They will save you a lot of headaches if properly set up.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I have seen the 90 gal tanks. They are the same length and with, only it's 4" taller. So the base and cover I am building will still work.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Just remember, height means nothing to the inhabitants. It only means something to you if that is the look you want.
Fish are happy based on the footprint as that is how they establish territory and as you said and are correct, a 75 and a 90 have the same footprint.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Look into wet dry sump systems. They will save you a lot of headaches if properly set up.[/quote]

Any recomendations?

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

The wet dry filters that are common all around are all pretty much the same, just offer different looks/features in some cases.
Go to your local shop and look around. See one you like and fits your need/cabinet, in a manner you can easily remove it without worrying about removing the tank to get it out.
Then, go online to Dr. Foster and Smith/Pet Warehouse and price it. You will save lots of money, even with the shipping.

The next question will be do you drill it for an external pump or do a drop in?
If you have room, I prefer external. If limited in room, go drop in. Drop in tend to lock up more often than an external will ever.
If you need to drill it, let me know and will walk you through it. Easy thing to do to drill and place a bulkhead.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I am leaning more towards a external filter. I will have room in the base that I am building for it. I have been reading that they are easier to maintain.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

The wet dry is external.
I was referring to the pump.
If you use a wet dry, you can use a drop in pump or an external one, depending on the room you have.

Every set up I have ever sold/installed, I have always used a wet dry. Extremely reliable.
However, if you are going to go via the way of a reef, I would recommend you look into a refugium. It is a wet dry on steroids for reefs. It is a much more modern method and very efficient for reefs.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I was going to ask if there is a reason not to use a refugium for a F.O. tank but then I suppose the lower salinity might affect it. A refugium is just a sump with live rock and sand with a light on it.
Mine is a 20 gal glass aquarium with dividers and one 2ft. fluorescent lamp.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

No doubt a refugium will work well with a fish only system also.
In fact, if I was still installing tanks, would sell everyone a refugium.

I just figured if fish only system, to keep it simple, a wet dry is a great way to go.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

is this a good filter?


ADHI Refugium Model 30
Refugiums are one of the most efficient ways of filtration in saltwater aquaria today. Not only is it a natural way to filter your display tank but it is a sanctuary for micro-organisms to flourish and reproduce. The Macro-algae used in the refugium will utilize nitrates and phosphates from your water column. These algae?s use these nutrients to grow and thrive. ADHI Refugiums offer you the advantage of using a protein skimmer of your choice. These versitile filters allow you to use most drop in style skimmers, hang on units or simply stand the skimmer of your choice next to the filter.

Refugium Model 30
Rated to 135 Gallons
Dims: 30"L x 14"W x 18"T
Skimmer Compartment 13.5" x 10"
Refugium Compartment 13.5" x 10"
1 - 1" Drain Intake
3/4" Return for submersible pump
1" Bulk Head for external pump option
Maximum flow 1000 gph Recommended flow - 5-6 times aquarium volume Includes 1 x 32w PC Light kit
3 Year Warranty
Fits ASM-G1 & G1X Skimmer


Also with this filter do I need to get a seperate protein skimmer?

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Will see if I can track that down later tonight to view it.
Get the largest the cabinet will allow as important to handle overflow of water if power failure or when you shut the tank down for any service.
With any under tank filtration, a certain volume of water that varies based on tank size will always kick back and down to the filter until the syphon is broken.
Some use check valves but I have found they always go bad and don't work when you really end up needing them.
Will see if I can find my old handy chart on wet dry size to tank size.

And yes, a skimmer is extra and recommended. That too, the bigger, the better.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Check valves = bad idea. Unless you want to clean and replace them a lot.
I use black plastic or reinforced rubber hoses for everything as light will make too many things grow in the hoses. Even still, things grow everywhere.

If you start out with your tank full up to the point where the siphon breaks, the power off, and your sump filled to the maximum safe level, you can then turn on the pumps and the water in the sump will stabilize to the maximum level it should be filled with the pumps on. I put a piece of tape that says "NEVER FILL OVER THIS LINE!" at that point. (Unless the power is out, of course).

The specs on that refugium Sarge listed look great if it will fit in the cabinet.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

All great stuff but he needs to make sure he has the right size sump to set that up as otherwise, the tape mark will go on the floor with the water.:r:r:r

I use hardline PVC for all uses.
Have gone away from flex hose but I am good at that stuff and most folks will find the flex hose much easier.
If you take the return piece that sits inside the tank and drill a hole letting water flow out of it, when the power goes off, syphon breaks immediately, limiting the water flowing back to the sump.

Here is some of my radical plumbing.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/100_0063.jpg

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Wet dry/sump side. (before adding bio balls)
That is what you are referring to as to the water line. Here is where I tested the max back up point for the tape/mark.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/100_0064.jpg

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I just realized, a 75/90 is 48 long.
If this wet dry is 30 long, need to know how your cabinet is set up as you may not be able to manage getting this in there without dropping it down before placing the tank on the cabinet and that can be a problem down the line.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I did the hole in the water line trick but it caused a lot of salt creep, so I was glad when it clogged.
Not if you start with the sump full when the power is off. The level will go down from there (into the main tank) when you turn the power on, and will return to that level in the sump when the power goes off. It is so hard to explain things when you know what you mean and others have no clue. With a couple of little pictures I could make it perfectly clear.
I have a spare wet/dry filter a little larger than the one in the picture. Too big for my cabinet. It was just being used as a refugium, so I have no media for it.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I am surprised at the salt creep. If you drill a very tiny hole and keep it parallel to the water level, going into the water level, there will never be any creep as it is not exposed to the air. You just don't want it exposed. Will try to take a shot of mine for illustration. I have had it like that for 12 yrs and never a speck of salt. Neither on any of my customers' tanks.

As it relates to the backflow, believe me, I know exactly what you are talking about as I always did that and showed customers how to do it.
I was just making light of it that honestly it won't work if your sump is too small. If the wet dry is too small, the tank will most definitely overflow the wet dry regardless of how you try to mark it as it is going to back up a certain amount of water that cannot be controlled as it determined by the tank size on tanks with built in overflow boxes. If you use a hang on overflow box, different story as it can be adjusted to whatever water level you want in the tank.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

My little air hole is just above the water level instead of just below it. Salt has a way of creeping pretty far. I see what you mean about the sump backflow. If you had a 5 gal sump and 4 -5 gal could backflow you could never have enough water in the sump without it overflowing when the power went off.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Is there anyone on the Toledo area that can pick up a fish for me and meet me in lansing or somewhere in between? Ill buy the beer and make it worth thier while. send me a pm if you can.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

I didn't realize that either. I could make modifications to my cabinet. But, I would have to take into consideration the structure of it for safety. I downloaded plans online. It has 3 sections that are 15 3/8" wide each. My son and I are going to build it ourselves, to save lotsa money. I guess I will have to wait till it's built to look for a filter system.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

P.S. I got a better water tester kit and found my ammonia and nitrates / nitrites were high. I did a 1/3 water change and added stress enzyme. Fred looks better and is more active now, and is eating better. I also got the salinity to 1.018, as per recomendations. I think that is better so that I can place feeder fish in the tank and they will live until he gets hungry.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Go to Dr. Foster and Smith and see some of the cabinets they have.
You would be surprised how cheap they are.

If your plans call for three sections/openings on a 75/90 that is 48" wide, that will definitely be a problem with ANY wet dry.
Can't imagine any that will swing that opening.
I would recommend you find plans for a more traditional two door piece that has large doors and as such, limits the dead space in the center between the doors. This will give you more room to work with and specially down the line to service the tank. The worst thing you can have is a system that you can't access.

Believe it or not, that center brace on that tank is not really main support. The support is built around the four sides of the tank which will hold and distribute the wait. That center brace is more for support of the doors. Many ways around this.

Note the photos I just posted of that tank I built. Note how I practice what I am preaching and how it can be done to make for simple access in the future. That is a 300+ gallon tank and the support is strong enough yet allows awesome access to all components, even after the doors were eventually hung.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

In the case of my tank, the center brace is a somewhat of a support but I stil managed to build it with ballroom dancing space. Both sets of doors on both sides swing completely open with nothing to obstruct.

My filtration is more like what your wet dry will look than the one I did for my customer. Mine is 12 yrs old and I did it much simpler than, before I got into the complicated plumbing. I have been updating it here and there through the years but never splurged on a new custom built wet dry as I did for customers.

To give you an idea, that is a 72" long furniture and that wet dry is 36" long.

Note the tape and arrow BC-Axeman was referring to.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/DSC_0003.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...o/DSC_0001.jpg

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Great, glad to hear he is better.

Don't feed him feeder fish, specially if fresh water as some folks do.
That is not part of their diet.
Eels by large part eat shrimp, clams, etc in that family.
While he may be eating other stuff (heck, mine eats the regular food I feed the fish - granules that you see in the photo I just posted of my tank), it is not necessarily good for them or the tank.
Feeder fish and things like silver fish are bad for the water chemistry, specially in a 75 gallon system or smaller that has less tolerance for variance.
Some eels like a zebra moray will starve before they even dare try to eat a live fish.
They are not designed for that.
Get in the habit of feeding him once to three times a week, depending on how he looks as far as seeking out food.
The more you feed an eel, the more he will grow. The less you feed, the longer he takes to grow.
Place a shrimp piece on a feeding stick for eels and control what goes in the tank so to limit waste.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Yeah I'm gonna stop by the asian store on the way home and pick up a few fresh, live clams for him to try.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Freeze them when you get home.
It kills any parasites they may bring that may affect the tank.
I then thaw them in a cup with water, split it and drop the half shell with the claim in the tank.
Once he is done, scoop out the shell.
If he doesn't like it, get it out of there.

He will go nuts for it as he also will for shrimp.
I take a medium to large shrimp and cut it into about three pieces (for the size of my eel).
I then feed him the pieces on a feeding stick.
Mine goes through about 5 shrimp on average, about two times a week.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Hey Carlos,

Just last night When I put some of the shrimpy water in my tank, to let my eel know it was dinner time, My eel went bonkers and swam out in the open all over the tank. Thats my first time seeing her whole body since I bought her 6 weeks ago. I guess she is getting comfortable now. Also when I did my late night flashlight check she was perched on a rock curled up similar to a snake. Man do I love my eel :-).

On another note, lets see some more pictures of CORAL people!!!! This IS the reef tank thread :ss

Ill have pictures of mine tonight after I get my camera from my GF's Im starting to have a nice little collection of Zoos. Today I jsut added some what I believe to be purple people eaters, tubbs blues, and latina lips. I swear I am not making up these names. Check out the gallerys on zoaid.com.

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

Try this next time.
Dip the shrimp in the water and quickly pull it out.
Watch that eel go nuts just off that.
They have generally poor vision but unbelievable sense of smell.

On the corals request, I asked my wife if I can set up a reef tank with the spare 55 that is in the garage.
Her response was "sure".
That was followed by a pause.
Followed by, "just go ahead and physically switch places with the tank in the garage".:r:r:r

Re: The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread
 

lol. Ill have to try that. I still have to cut the shrimp up pretty small. My eel cant eat a whole one yet.