Custom 230 Peninsula Build

[TimSc2013]

Thanks Jackie and Rev! It is great to have a renewed interest in the hobby particularly when you have tanks currently running...

Now looking for that next upgrade which will likely be a calcium reactor. Any good threads on pros/cons or what the best reactors are within a reasonable price?

I have not really researched them but have heard they can keep alk/Ca in check and do not increase salinity.

I currently dose two-part but can't seem to keep things stable long term. Furthermore, I have never been able to dose similar amounts. Currently dose 450 ml of alk and 600 ml of CA solution (parameters currently: 7.8 dKH and Ca at 410). I should note that my doser is quite aways away from my tank and I have not calibrated or checked the output of each feed pump so they may not be dosing what they are set at.

 

[TimSc2013]

Current FTS

 

[prsnlty]

Your tank looks great Tim Wish I could be of help where a ca reactor is concerned. I have been told the same thing though. Currently I use a doser and need to recalibrate as well. Can't keep my alk or ca stable but I am having a ton of acro growth. The holidays and a new granddaughter has had me very busy. I need 2 whole days to dedicate to tank only lol!

 

[TimSc2013]

The first thing I will update you on is the ineffective closed loop. I disliked it from the day it was installed from the tank builders but at that point it was built and changes would have only costed more money. Hopefully they learned and will not build one for another client similar to mine!

I did eventually upgrade my closed loop system in early 2016. The thought process for the existing closed loop was to provide flow from the opposite side of the tank from above to avoid placing circulating pumps on the viewing panels. The tank was fabricated with an intake bulk head about midway down the return panel side, which was intentional hidden in the rock column. The suction piping fed the circ. pump (Mag Drive 18) down in the sump that discharges (as shown in post #141, and quoted below).

The closed loop is very basic and in fact I will be modifying it shortly by incorporating an Oceans Motions 4-way valve and adding two more returns in the center of the tank. I crudely marked up a couple pictures showing the intake hidden in the rocks and the two returns at the other end of the tank which now only provide constant flow.

I will also be using Oceans Motions Omni Flex Nozzles to get rid of the 45 degree PVC fittings and to provide more flexibility of directing flow. I will update the closed loop system once I modify it using the 4-way valve and nozzles.

The system worked okay but I wanted to upgrade to free up space in the sump, provide more returns, increase flow and add unions/valving for pump maintenance or replacement.

Back in July of 2014, I purchased the Oceans Motions 4-way valve and Omni flex nozzles for this future upgrade. It took me awhile but I finally did it.


Oceans Motions 4-way valve.



Pump and 4-way valve.


Actually got it in without relocating any existing equipment...


Four discharge piping runs within the canopy.


The four outlet valves that can be rotated in numerous ways.

 

[TimSc2013]

I took a couple weeks off of work over the holidays which gave me a lot of time to research calcium reactors. Since I didn't know much about CO2 delivery side of the process, I decided to look into that first as this equipment is needed for all reactors. I quickly learned that it is more than just a CO2 tank with a couple pressure gauges and costs vary significantly and can be as much, if not more, than the reactor itself! I quickly got sucked down the 'rabbit hole' when I came across several threads on how to DIY the gas regulator using equipment rated for "ultra high purity" industrial uses. At first I was shocked at prices of some of the dual-stage regulators, particularly stainless steel which listed near $1K but was intrigued when fellow reefers and planted tank enthusiast got huge deals on new regulators by searching eBay and surplus sites. With these deals they could DIY a regulator assembly for prices comparable to the CarbonDoser Electronic CO2 regulator sold as the regulator of choice for the reefer application for around $300 .

With plenty of time on my hands, I began my late night search/drinking escapades for finding these so called deals the expert DIY'ers said they could get. After about a week, I began to doubt that these deals ever existed on new units as I could only find used set-ups that I was uncomfortable paying without knowing how good it would work or if it leaked. The new units were endless as to the manufacturer, type and price which made it difficult to choose as I have no experience with a CO2 set-up. Therefore, I generally was looking for the two-stage brands listed in the forums such as Matheson, Victor and Parker and decided I was going to purchase a new brass set-up. I was settling on the fact that I would go for a Harris two-stage brass regulator for around $300 to $400 but wasn't ready to pull the trigger quite yet. During one of my final last ditch searches for these so called deals, I found my way onto Grainger and to my surprise I found a Parker two-stage brass regulator that was discounted from $475 to $123.60 ($144.79 after taxes and shipping) so I purchased!!

The remaining parts to complete the set-up have been purchased and are in the process of delivery:
Burkert brass Solenoid and LED plug: $68.44
GCA 320 brass nipple and nut: $20.98
Various Swagelok fittings: $55.75
Ideal brass needle valve with Vernier Micrometer: $100
Winters 2 1/2" HP & LP gauges: $40.79

The total of the set-up cost is $430.75 so about 45% more than the CarbonDoser. I am overall satisfied with the higher price as the components are a much higher quality and should last a lifetime.

I also recently pick up a new 20-lb CO2 cylinder for $110 so now in a total of $540 just for the CO2 system. Now I can move on and look for the reactor set-up to go with it. I am currently considering Life Reef, MTC or GEO. Any thoughts, comments or recommendations?

 

[prsnlty]

Wow Tim you've been busy! I love the new setup on the closed loop. Nice to not see powerheads on the glass.

I'm following along on your co2 build. Sure gets costly but you did good

 

[TimSc2013]

Thanks Jackie! I also just purchased the Precision Marine Kalkreactor to supplement the calcium reactor to keep pH levels higher. I will set he Kalk reactor up to my ATO.

 

[TimSc2013]

I received the Precision Marine Kalkreactor this past Friday and was anxious to set it up. My original thought was to put it in-line with my ATO which consists of a float valve off the RO/DI system which is pressurized. Nowhere in the instructions or searching on-line could I find if the reactor was capable for sustained pressures of around 50 psi. I set it up anyways with without adding kalk and observe it for leaks as it seemed to be built like a tank. Upon filling and ramping up on pressure a leak developed in one of the connections so I removed, added more thread tape and tightened. After several attempts I finally appeared to have it watertight put was very leery leaving it this way without additional observations. No more than a couple minutes after calling it watertight, I heard a ‘pop’ and saw that the MJ400 pump blew off the inlet/outlet housing and water was pouring out onto the cabinet floor! Thankfully I was right there to take care of it but I had not even considered that the pump would have been the week link…


Well now I know it is not pressure rated and so I had to go to Plan “B”. I thought the easiest solution without having to add another feed pump was to install an ATO container, which for now is a nice red/yellow kitty litter bucket, from the RO/DI and then gravity feed it to the reactor which would then be connected to the float in the sump. Luckily I had another float switch and bulk head which I installed in the ‘kitty’ bucket. I added a regular PVC plug to the bulk head which was drilled and tapped for a 3/8” npt threaded push connection. Now all I needed to do was find a way to elevate the ‘kitty’ bucket to provide the gravity feed. A couple brackets and 3/4” particle board from Menards did the trick and I got it to fit nicely above the sump.


On Saturday night I checked my alk (7dKh) I added 1/4 cup of Kalk to the reactor and arbitrarily reduced my 2-part dosing from around 480ml to about 312ml. Sunday morning I immediately checked my alk and it was at around 8 so I further reduced the 2-part dosing to 200ml. Monday morning the alk was at 8.4 so I went to work without changing anything. Monday night my alk tested at 7dkh which seemed odd so I ate dinner and tested again with a result of 8.4. Not sure what happened with my first test but the second on seemed more reliable and in-line with the morning test so I made no further changes. This morning the alk tested at 8.5 so it appears I have found the right combo for now to keep things stable. I will continue to test/observe for the remainder of the week before letting it run on auto-pilot.


Although I am not too proud of the ‘kitty’ bucket and will eventually change it out for something a little less colorful, here is a pic of the set-up:

 

[prsnlty]

That kitty litter bucket is a good idea Tim Glad it all worked out.

I used to have a tlf kalk stirrer but gave it away once I began using my doser. My alk always stayed around 9 without it but now that the corals are growing well I am constantly increasing it. I found it at 6 a few days ago! I might rethink the kalk reactor once again.

That bucket fits nicely on the shelf. What about spray painting it?

 

[TimSc2013]

Test run of my new Masterflex pump! Has some noise but nothing compared to my return and closed loop pumps and overflow. Now all I need is a calcium reactor...

 

[TimSc2013]

I ended up purchasing the Marine Technical Concepts PROCAL Calcium Reactor which was delivered this past weekend. After researching calcium reactors in the price range of around $700, it came down to the Life Reef (LCR 2), GEO CR818 and the MTC PROCAL. I went with the PROCAL due to the duel reactor, compact footprint (height restriction under tank) and the uniqueness not generally found in mass produced units.

I set it up on Saturday and put the CO2 in service, while removing my 2-part dosing and let it ride at 2BPS and 70 ml per min. The alk seem to maintain at around 8.5 dkh on Sunday but has slowing risen to about 9.8 dkh this morning while my outflow pH of around 6.7-6.8 was maintained. My only adjustment made since setting it up was this morning consisting of slightly decreasing the outflow to see if that would help reduce the rise in alk. I have been monitoring the outflow pH at work via Apex Fusion and it has slowing lowered a bit to around 6.72-6.73, which I expected with the reduced outflow. I will check my alk when I get home tonight and make further adjustments as necessary.

Here is my set-up, which neatly fits next to the sump and under my tank:

 

[TimSc2013]

Fine tuning of the calcium reactor is slowly on-going as I don't want to make too many adjustments in a short period. So after reducing the reactor output Tuesday morning (~50 ml/min), my dkh continued to rise to around 10.2 when tested that night. I then decided to reduce my CO2 injection a bit to around 1 bps while keeping the outflow at around 50 ml/min. Wednesday morning the output pH up from 6.73 to 6.88 and the output dkh of around 10. Since the slow increase in alk since setting the reactor up stopped, I have made no further adjustments but am now seeing a slow decrease with alk at 9.7 dkh last night and 9.5 dkh this morning. If it continues to drop when I test tonight, I will try to adjust my CO2 injection to get the outflow pH of around 6.8 to see if that will stabilize. One thing I forgot to mention is that I am running the reactor as designed by providing feed water off the recirc. pump and have not employed the Masterflex pump.

Anyway, here are some low quality FTS:

 

[prsnlty]

It all looks great Tim Nice ca reactor too. Sometime within the year I'm guessing, I will need to upgrade from doser to ca reactor myself. I like how yours fits nicely in the stand! That would be a big concern since I would then have it out in the open if it didn't fit in dining or living room and don't care for that at all.

Your tank looks fantastic! Lol that monticap is just about out of the water! Love it

 

[Chasta Rogers]

The moving process kept us busy for a while, unpacking, organizing, buying new furniture and whatever else goes along with trying to make new home feel like home. Colorado also brought new country for us to explore and we took advantage of that as much as we could while using up the rest of our spare time.

Eventually the newness of our surroundings wore off and my desire to re-set up my tank grew so in the summer of 2002 the 65-gallon was wet again. My progression towards a reef tank continued to take shape with the introduction of various species of invertebrates (shrimp and crabs) as I found them highly intriguing to watch, and was eager to visit all the new LFS in a 60-mile radius to see what new ones I could find.

I continued to learn more about how systems are typically set-up and became a new fan of on-line shopping with the “speedy†internet service we were provided. On-line vendors such as That Pet Place and Pet Solutions starting seeing regular orders from me for food, maintenance equipment and my first sump! I also wanted to try different lighting systems and decided to pull out my old 20-gallon and bought a new JBJ compact florescent lighting system for it. I was not ready yet to spend “big money†on upgrading my regular florescent light on my 65-gallon. Even those “regular†bulbs were expensive to replace based on my recollection, although I was getting them at the LFSs for concern over breakage during shipping from on-line orders.

Aquarium expansion that worked its way into my head with the purchase of the new lighting for the 20-gallon put the motion into finishing my basement, particular a workshop which was to be conveniently located immediately below my office which housed the 65-gallon. I even envisioned how I would drill a hole through the floor to run piping down to the sump that currently resided next to my tank. I was in the process of building a “fish room†and didn’t even know it other than what I thought would be just a workshop!

Things were slowing progressing and my previous battles with high nutrients were getting better as I now had an RO system that was installed in the kitchen for drinking water. I even bought a couple mangrove seeds with root nodes to put in my sump from another on-line vender, Fin-Tastic Fish & Pets for $32 bucks, including shipping! Highly unlikely that I got a good deal as most of this cost was for shipping alone as I had yet realized the benefit of combined shipping. I would say that my new found love of on-line shopping led to my already bad habit of impulse buying. This was also the period where I began tracking what I spent on my hobby, which was a big mistake (ignorance is bliss)…

In the fall of 2003, less than 18-months in Colorado, I was once again uprooted by work and was relocated back to my old stomping grounds in Minnesota. Yes it was the same company, same office, and what I had thought was a permanent move to Colorado was no longer. I would need to start a whole other thread to explain the history behind this situation. I will say that I am still with the same company so it seems to have worked out.

We immediately put our house up for sale as I was to report back at work in Minnesota in early 2004. Winter of 2003 came and went without any interest in the house. Plans were then made as to how the transition would be handled if the house would not sell prior to my start date of the first of February, 2004. The house of course did not sell so my wife stayed back to show the house and my daughter and I, along with the two dogs and cat traveled back to Minnesota and moved in with…my parents! Boy was I looking forward to this and hoped beyond belief that our house would sell fast.

My system was left running with explicit instructions left with my wife as to how to maintain it. Unlike me, she had NO interest in aquariums and had never paid attention to it other than a glance or two at the fish. Thankfully my plans for expanding were still in the early stages of construction such that we were dealing with only the one tank and sump. I remember putting sticky notes on the sump showing her where the water level should be maintained (high/low levels) and wished for the best…

Winter, spring and summer of 2004 came and went and we were well on our way into fall without selling! Our listing price continued to lower until we finally sold almost a year after the initial listing in late 2004, at a major loss I might add. In that time, I had only flown back once to then ride my motorcycle back to Minnesota. Four months is a long time to expect your tank to run without being involved, but it did survive…

Even though we went digital with our camera, I was amazed to only find one picture of my tank during this time and it was taken when I went back to tear the tank down just days before we moved out. I suspect I have lost photos over the years when several of my computers crapped-out with viruses, one of the problems I find with the “Digital-Ageâ€...

It is interesting to see that the coralline algae indicated a low water level had existed for some period of time as it extends only half way up the overflow box. I’m not sure what or how this could have happened with the sump in place but have no memories of why this may have occurred other than a short power outage while I was gone??

Although you can only see one shrimp, there were several fish remaining but out of view in the rock work, which interesting to note is still a “Wall-of-Rock†but had a cave like structure incorporated into it. Based on my previous failure/experience with trying to successfully move the tank inhabitants across country, they were generously donated back to a LFS.

Like a broken record, my fish (partly reef) keeping days were once again over…

I have a 55 gallon tank heaters pumps lights breeder equip cleaning equip chemicals and 3 books looking to sell all. Want someone who will take care and love it if interested call 5752230879

 

[TimSc2013]

Glad to see you updating your thread! I also refunded you your supporting membership. When you signed up you signed up for a reoccurring subscription. I refunded and cancelled the subscription.

Thanks.

REV I was billed another $40 this year. How do I get the reoccurring subscription charges to stop?