29 gallon sumped build

[Slim64684]

To revive a dead thread, and in full transparency, rl caught up this summer and both tanks took a hit. I lost some coral, lost both fish, and gained some new coral. I feel I've done a decent job turning everything back in the right direction though. I'm also seeing some decent growth out of some of the corals. Currently battling a hair algae outbreak, but that's life. I'll update more tomorrow including a fts tomorrow once the lights ramp back up.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Thanks for the update. Put up some pics when ready. If tanks always ran 100% perfect we wouldn’t need forums, except for knitting maybe?

 

[Slim64684]

So turns our I'm horrible at keeping a tank journal. My test result journal is up to date, so I guess that's a plus. Anyways here's a few pics I took just a few mins ago.

 

[Slim64684]

Test results from monday before water change

My youngest (only other one in house to show any interest in tanks) wanted another clown, so being the good dad I am (and needing a fish) got him one today. He stared at it for about 15 mins after I added it before 3yo attention span was shot.

And no trip to Lfs is complete without getting something random, a full pokerstar monti frag. About an hour after being added.

 

[Slim64684]

Well I've got the upgrade bug. Was really wanting to get a SCA 66 gallon tank to replace the 20, but the wife axed that idea so we are on to plan "b".

Tear down the 29 gallon terrarium that she wont keep the lights plugged in to.

It started life with a couple poison dart frogs, but has been plants only for the last 2 years. And being that the plants are dieing do to no light its going bye bye.

 

[Slim64684]

I started ripping it apart

And will continue to clean it up.

Plan is to drill this tank and convert a spare 20 long I have into sump.

I will also be upgrading my light to 2 ai prime 16 HDs, and getting new sand and more rock for the 29. I plan on using a current DC return pump to have the ability to use the feed mode of the loop system to turn off power heads and slow return all with one button.

I have a little bit of a different idea for the sump but should allow me to get floss, skimmer, heaters, return pump all in and still have a 12"×16"×7" deep chamber to use for reactors or a fuge in the future.

 

[Slim64684]

Slowly getting stuff done. Tank cleaned and a 24 hour leak test completed, now just draining it back out.

And got some goodies in to start getting everything plumbed.

First attempt at drilling a tank. Fingers crossed.

 

[Slim64684]

Here we go:

A little measuring, some double checking, and all set up for hole number 1

And the result

Easy peasy. So on to hole number 2, all set up

And success

2 holes, no cracks, but an empty beer. O well that can be fixed easy enough.

 

[Slim64684]

And a quick mock up of overflow and return installed

 

[Algaewarrior]

An app that I started using is aquarium note. You can log your parameters and take pictures of your tank, corals and fish to keep track of your growth rate. It's been super helpful for me. I got super lazy about logging so I went to that. You're going to love the AI primes. They are awesome!

 

[Slim64684]

I normally do a decent job of keeping track of parameters with just a notebook, but I appreciate the recommendation. Also since the weather is nice,

All cleaned up and just need to dry, paint and start assembling.

Did a little shopping this morning. Its getting closer. Unions and acrylic rods should be here today, and hopefully I can make it by the Lfs this week to pick up a pump and get my lights ordered.

 

[Slim64684]

Progress albeit slow is happening.

Sump layout:

And a leak test, but only with a small pump I use for water changes and temporary plumbing:

Hopefully I can get by the Lfs tomorrow and get my lights ordered and get my return pump. Acrylic glue should be here Friday and I can get the baffles in the sump going.

 

[btmedic04]

Looking awesome! Did you make the sump baffles? I really like your drain area as it looks super simple to replace filter floss as needed

 

[Slim64684]

Ya I cut the baffles out of 1/4" acrylic. $25 for a 30"×24" sheet was a lot cheaper than anything premade or what I guessed I could get someone to custom cut the pieces for.

 

[Slim64684]

More progress today. Ran by the Lfs to finish paying for my new lights (should be in beginning of the week) and started getting the baffles installed.

Once the silicone sets, I can pull the tape and get the opposite sides sealed.

Slowly but surely this swap will happen.

 

[Slim64684]

Updates, updates, updates

I'm by no means an acrylic expert, but spacers installed on acrylic side of "filter chamber"

And siliconed onto glass panel of "filter chamber"

Egg crate cut to hold whatever media I need

And my second heater finally came in. I'll have a 50 and 75 watt eheim jagers. Should be enough to heat the approximately 40 gallons or so of water I'll have in the system.

 

[Slim64684]

Decide to make an acrylic holder for my heaters. I will have a 75 watt eheim jager and a 50 watt heater. Neither should be large enough to cook my tank should one stick on, and 125 total watts should be enough for the roughly 35 total gallons of the system.

Welded to the baffle, just need to silicone to the bottom glass and then just waiting for everything to fully cure.

And just incase anyone wondered, this is how I cut all my acrylic pieces for my sump. A board screwed to another board acting as a straight edge to run the jig saw against. Used my 6" scale to set the distance every cut. Worked like a charm.

 

[Slim64684]

I cant win for losing. Did a big clean and water change today. Battling algae is no fun. Siphoned as much as I could out. Pulled a bunch of the rocks, but its stuck on good. Also had to move my torch, it was not happy where it was. Other thank that coral look pretty good.

Tested parameters before my water change, and it looks like im sucking alk up quick. 1.4 dkh drop over a 2 week span. Never had it happen before. Normally I'm around .2 dkh every 2 weeks. Calcium was normal at 425 though. I did clean my test vials in vinegar, but I thought I did a pretty good job of rinsing them. No vinegar smell then 2 more tap rinses followed by 2 distilled rinses. Preformed a second alk test and got the same results.

And the biggest lose part, I use my ato float to set my water level during a water change. Long story short tank overfilled (no spill) but started to siphon tank water back into my ato container. I replaced the float, problem fixed. Not just need to completely empty ato and refill.

Also started a reef flux treatment today to try to kill the algae, I'm thinking its byropsis but not possible.

I'll get a full tank shot up as soon as the water clears up.

 

[Slim64684]

As promised some pics. Still kinda cloudy, and a couple corals still mad I pulled them out to clean some algae but most are happy.

Also retested alk and after a 4 gallon water change one 14 gallon system I am at 7.6 dkh. Up from 7.0 before change but still down from the 8.4-8.6 I normally run at.

 

[Slim64684]

Progress being made.

Lights came in Thursday.

Water tested, rinsed and scraped the black paint off the sump. Repainted back, bottom, and both sides of the sump white/ ocean mist.

The pump I purchased was bad out of the box but Simplicity made it right. Sent me a call tag t send the pump back to them and went ahead and sent me a new pump to make sure I got one before everything shut down.

Built a stand for the sump and got it welded into the stand

It's a tight fit but it's in.

Also I needed some additional storage since I pretty much lost all of it under the stand, so I put a shelf up above the tank.

The shelf will double as a place to hang my lights from.

Now I just need to get some more water mixed up and move the 20 out of the way so I can get the 29 in ad plumbed in.