Bakbay's 450g - Final Upgrade?

[bakbay]

Quick & dirty YT video since I suck at taking pictures ..and videos! lol

 

[danreef55]

Freaking awesome man

 

[bakbay]

Carbon Reactor is online - water is crystal clear! I still have extra valves for future expansion in the future.

This area is already accumulating detritus so might put an old Nero/MP10 to keep the sump clean?

 

[danreef55]

You have done an excellent job on the plumbing.

 

[bakbay]

You have done an excellent job on the plumbing.

Thanks — my first time actually. I will clean up the residue when I’m done though. Looks like we are done with plumbing though.

 

[danreef55]

Extraordinary for a first attempt.

 

[bakbay]

Calcium Reactor is coming online soon. Amazon just delivered the drip tray — can’t beat the price though, $15!!!

https://a.co/d/d4FNw71

 

[bakbay]

CaRx is a Reef Octopus CR5000D, dual chamber. I’m not sure if the pH probe will reach all the way around the room to the Hydros. I can get an extension perhaps?

 

[bakbay]

DIY battery backup for the MP60 is also online. Need to test how long can that run though. I was able to run the MP40 for 40 hours at 20% before.

 

[bakbay]

Calcium Reactor is up and running. I’ve used one of the 1/2” manifolds and converted into a 1/4” JG connection - no feed pump needed. On the effluent side, I used a needle valve. I do have 2-3 peristaltic pumps laying around but honestly, they’re more headache than it’s worth: leaking, noisy, stuck, etc! I’ve found that old-school, no-tech stuff works extremely well.

 

[bakbay]

I was fragging some of the SPS colonies from the 150g to test but accidentally dislodged a rockwork full of other mini-colonies. Will see how these will respond. So far, got decent PE and no RTN yet.

SPS roster: Green Slimer, ORA Blue Iris, JF Fox Flame, JF Fuego Tierra, Pink Milli, Bali Hurlock, and Banana Lokani. Oh yeah, this massive colony of Secale!

 

[bakbay]

Had a few “casualties” already — there were some zoas and aiptasias — Blueface Angel devoured the zoas in 10min and the filefish decimated all aiptasias!!! Guess it’s good & bad thing! No softies in this tank, including small “invertebrates” like aiptasias! lol

 

[bakbay]

Really digging the BK 300 - in less than a week, it sucked out half a cup full of dark skimmate !!! I do need to figure out how to clean this later since this monster won’t fit my small bathroom sink… dooh!

 

[Jimbo327]

Does your filefish eat other corals? And is he for rent? LOL. I have aiptasia that is 1.5" across.

I have a huge skimmer too. What I do is just remove the skimmer cup and sit it directly on top of a empty 5 gallon bucket. I transfer that to the bathroom, and put the cup right on top of the toilet and use a silicone spatula to scrape the majority neck/crude off the cup directly into toilet. Then I put the skimmer cup into my shower, and rinse off the rest to make it completely clean.

I always do this when the wife is not around.

I don't clean my skimmer as often as others, I can let it run for 1+ months without doing anything. I have a 5 gallon DIY skimmate locker.

 

[danreef55]

Really digging the BK 300 - in less than a week, it sucked out half a cup full of dark skimmate !!! I do need to figure out how to clean this later since this monster won’t fit my small bathroom sink… dooh!

MORE excellent progress. To clean the skimmer use a big bottle brush to scrape down the sides. Then block the skimmer discharge and the water will lift everything you srubbed into the collection cup. Just control the flow by more or less pressure on the discharge line. It works we did it on 12 systems every single day! Obviously if you lose multiple cups worth of saltwater top it off to maintain salinity.

bakbay you are slacking NO update yesterday

 

[bakbay]

MORE excellent progress. To clean the skimmer use a big bottle brush to scrape down the sides. Then block the skimmer discharge and the water will lift everything you srubbed into the collection cup. Just control the flow by more or less pressure on the discharge line. It works we did it on 12 systems every single day! Obviously if you lose multiple cups worth of saltwater top it off to maintain salinity.

bakbay you are slacking NO update yesterday

Ohh very cool - I've never done this before, really appreciate the pro tip!!! My 150g sps cube has a Vertex Alpha 200 (similar to the BK but smaller). It's a PITA to unscrew the skimmer cup, rinse in the sink (along with dirty dishes) while my wife is not home, and put the sensor & CO2 scrubber back. Painful!!@#$ I will definitely try this out -- thank you!

Sorry to disappoint you -- I went to HD after work and plumbed the CaRx; guess was too tired to send an update last night? Anyway, had a heartburn so body was a little cranky.

 

[bakbay]

Does your filefish eat other corals? And is he for rent? LOL. I have aiptasia that is 1.5" across.

I have a huge skimmer too. What I do is just remove the skimmer cup and sit it directly on top of a empty 5 gallon bucket. I transfer that to the bathroom, and put the cup right on top of the toilet and use a silicone spatula to scrape the majority neck/crude off the cup directly into toilet. Then I put the skimmer cup into my shower, and rinse off the rest to make it completely clean.

I always do this when the wife is not around.

I don't clean my skimmer as often as others, I can let it run for 1+ months without doing anything. I have a 5 gallon DIY skimmate locker.

Nope - this dude doesn't eat other corals since I don't have anything (yet). It's all SPS so good luck munching on them! Absolutely, if you pay him handsomely, I'm sure he'll oblige! lol What I do on other tanks -- butterflies! My Kleine Butterfly ate all the aiptasias (and nip on some softies). However, he's been lazy lately. Well, it won't spread but not 100% eradicated.

I've done that as well - it's a pita to remove the cup and try to rinse/clean while the Home Boss is not around. I'm trying to clean w/o removing the darn thing so will try Dan's method soon and let you know!

 

[bakbay]

Skimmer cleaning — you know what? I can clean the neck and cup with a large brush but what about the cup with all the crud? Why not use a mini shop-vac to suck all that out? Also clean the whole sump while I’m at it?

My sump is next to the tank so very easy access!

 

[danreef55]

Skimmer cleaning — you know what? I can clean the neck and cup with a large brush but what about the cup with all the crud? Why not use a mini shop-vac to suck all that out? Also clean the whole sump while I’m at it?

My sump is next to the tank so very easy access!

I think it would stink up your room.
Another commercial hack.....
We used old salt buckets and drill in a bulkhead into the lid. Hopefully, there is a drain hole in the bottom of your collection cup where you attach the flex hose to a barbed fitting in the bulkhead.
Cut in a second bulkhead into the bucket lid and create a chamber to hold carbon (less smell).

Take the bucket 'somewhere' and dump it.

 

[bakbay]

Just did it with a shop vac - under 10min! Just need to clean the lid separately so no big deal. However, need to clean the shop vac! Mine is always clean, too! Ha

I might just do this in the shower next time — dump into toilet like Jimbo said and clean in the shower. Once every month ain’t bad

Before & after shots