Fishroom Reality Check

[Victoria M]

I will send you some. Mine is growing like crazy.

 

[User]

I will send you some. Mine is growing like crazy.

Seriously? That would be awesome. Thanks so much!

 

[User]

Some pics of the ATO.

Decided to go apex independent for the ATO, and I picked the IM Hydrofill controller and matching pump. I finally was able to set up the ATO container refill mechanism, so I’ll post some pics

ATO container is a 20g long that I had laying around due to a change in plan (boo, no mangrove tank... yet). I made a lid out of a piece of twin-wall insulated greenhouse roof panel and added a 1/4” uniseal with a length of 1/4” rigid tubing as a ‘dip tube’. This is connected to the pump via 1/4” ID vinyl hose.

The other end has a float valve connected to 1/4” rodi line to my RODI storage tank, with a ball valve. Refilling of the ato container is by turning this valve, manually, so I don’t run my whole barrel into the sump of the pump sticks.

The ATO controller itself is mounted next to the pump, just behind the return line

So far, it’s working perfectly, and it seems to be topping off at 2.8 gpd. That’ll give me, in theory, about 6 days between refills. However, the float valve sits a little low, so I’m not getting quite 19 gallons in the tank.

Once my apex comes in, I’m thinking I’ll add a solenoid to control remotely, and use a float sensor on the BOB to indicate full and empty. That way, I can refill while away by switching the solenoid, and having it turn off again once the high level is reached.

Cheers

 

[User]

A note about the pump. It’s specced at 10ft head. However, I forgot that air diaphragm pumps work differently, and this was actually 10 ft max tubing length. I had used a new 10ft coil of tubing, uncut, and the pump couldn’t move the water up past the lip of the sump... once I’d installed the dip tube etc, and trimmed the tubing, it was all good.

Must admit I was a bit frustrated at the thought of having to RMA a bad pump, until I remembered, and trimmed the tubing.

 

[Janci]

Great ATO set up.
Do you have an emergency overflow in your return section of the sump?
I noticed the two 90 degrees elbows in the last picture and I am wondering what they are.

 

[User]

They are there because a week before we relocated to Atlanta and decided on the 180, this 125 was drilled on the back for an overflow since it was going against our living room wall in the nashville house... I took 3 months getting everything set, I drill it and move it in and the next day we get put on short notice of a move.

I put bulkheads and elbows on just as insurance to increase the capacity in the sump for drain- back from the return etc. I was thinking I’ll plumb the right one to my basement ejector drain- but if I ever need that overflow, something has gone extremely wrong and my system would be + 35 gallons over running level. Short of my ato pump sticking on, and my ato refill being open at the same time, I’ll never get that high. So for now, that elbow is the attachment point for my float sensor array (to be finished— sump high alarm, sump low pump shut-off).

The left bulkhead will have a section of 1.5” pvc going left behind the tank until it is above the trim height. My frag tank overflow will be 5”” above the sump trim, and will be plumbed with vinyl tubing that will run behind the 29g water change tank, around the corner, and into the pvc, down the pvc and through the bulkhead hole. Basically the overflow path from the frag tank. 8” of drop over 6 feet linear distance is a decent pitch to keep the siphon going.

Thanks for asking. It looks weird, but I’m making use of a repurposed DT that I couldn’t/ didn’t want to sell

 

[mmw64]

Few pics for @Victoria M ...

Thanks for the comments, And appreciate you reading the thread. I’ve enjoyed reading yours too.

I had a very specific vision for the angled doors, and initially my contractor said it would be too difficult. So I spent 4 hours drawing the literal framing plan on the floor with chalk, with all the angles needed included. All it needed was the corner ripped off a 2x6 and it would have worked. He did it his own way once he saw the angles and did it a different way. But it looks great, glad I insisted.

The pillow... oh, yeah. She saw me unpacking the reactor and commented that “you can buy that floss stuff at Walmart for $6 a bag... cheaper than buying a new pillow... [emoji6]” so I think she caught me out but didn’t really mind. Close call


My wife has always wanted an urchin ever since she stabbed herself in the knee at 35feet deep while scuba diving Catalina islands almost 6 years ago. Cool little guys. There little beaks leave cool patterns on the diatoms on the glass

Dubs is a nice guy- we’ve been sharing ideas back and forth for a few months and it’s cool to see him implementing them. He gets to test the V1.0... ill copy once he debugs everything [emoji3]

Adorable kids and beautiful tank!

 

[Janci]

They are there because a week before we relocated to Atlanta and decided on the 180, this 125 was drilled on the back for an overflow since it was going against our living room wall in the nashville house... I took 3 months getting everything set, I drill it and move it in and the next day we get put on short notice of a move.

I put bulkheads and elbows on just as insurance to increase the capacity in the sump for drain- back from the return etc. I was thinking I’ll plumb the right one to my basement ejector drain- but if I ever need that overflow, something has gone extremely wrong and my system would be + 35 gallons over running level. Short of my ato pump sticking on, and my ato refill being open at the same time, I’ll never get that high. So for now, that elbow is the attachment point for my float sensor array (to be finished— sump high alarm, sump low pump shut-off).

The left bulkhead will have a section of 1.5” pvc going left behind the tank until it is above the trim height. My frag tank overflow will be 5”” above the sump trim, and will be plumbed with vinyl tubing that will run behind the 29g water change tank, around the corner, and into the pvc, down the pvc and through the bulkhead hole. Basically the overflow path from the frag tank. 8” of drop over 6 feet linear distance is a decent pitch to keep the siphon going.

Thanks for asking. It looks weird, but I’m making use of a repurposed DT that I couldn’t/ didn’t want to sell

Thanks for the insight.
I believed they were some kind of overflow system for when the level in the sump became too high.
This 125g is a perfect size for a sump for the 180g.

Does that last section overflow not create any bubbles from the falling water without bubble trap?
If I did not have any bubble trap, my return pump would suck air. But that can be due to the different design and overall turnover.

 

[Victoria M]

Seriously? That would be awesome. Thanks so much!

PM me your address. I am pretty sure it won't cost me an arm and a leg. An insulated envelope and a warmer right now before the weather gets too ugly.

 

[User]

Thanks for the insight.
I believed they were some kind of overflow system for when the level in the sump became too high.
This 125g is a perfect size for a sump for the 180g.

Does that last section overflow not create any bubbles from the falling water without bubble trap?
If I did not have any bubble trap, my return pump would suck air. But that can be due to the different design and overall turnover.

The flow over the fuge baffle is essentially a laminar sheet, so I don’t have any bubbles. Ok, maybe a handful. I’m only putting 300gph through the fuge so it isnt that high flow

However, the last baffle of the bubble trap has a 6” drop to the level in the return chamber. That makes a lot of bubbles due to the turnover. It’s about 900 gph over that baffle.

The bubble trap works in that I don’t have bubble transfer from the skimmer section though- it just creates its own. I’ve been able to adjust things so the bubbles don’t make it to the pump, but I do get a little burst of bubbles every now and again. Frustrating, and I’m still looking for a fix. I’ve thought about cutting up a tote and making a bubble shield yo sit the pump in, but I don’t know what shape it need to be...

Thanks!

Pics once I get my girl off to daycare

 

[User]

Adorable kids and beautiful tank!

Thanks man! That just one of them, here’s the other-

 

[Victoria M]

such a cutey

 

[User]

Thanks for the insight.
I believed they were some kind of overflow system for when the level in the sump became too high.
This 125g is a perfect size for a sump for the 180g.

Does that last section overflow not create any bubbles from the falling water without bubble trap?
If I did not have any bubble trap, my return pump would suck air. But that can be due to the different design and overall turnover.

Here’s some pics-

Laminar flow down the fuge baffle, no bubbles—

Bubble trap doing its job—

Except it makes a lot of bubbles into rtn chamber, due to 6” drop and flow—

But they pump isn’t picking up any bubbles

So I’m not too worried

 

[Victoria M]

Can you raise the water level without risk over overflow with a failure? and are your heaters in a weird that would never ever run dry? except for catastophic sump failure that is.

 

[Victoria M]

I need your address by Friday, That is when I am gonna trim it again.

 

[User]

Can you raise the water level without risk over overflow with a failure? and are your heaters in a weird that would never ever run dry? except for catastophic sump failure that is.

I can raise it another 4-5”, but that’s as far as I’d be willing to go currently . I need 25 or so for drain back on pump off if I go with the RFG. It needs to be pretty deep

The heaters are in the bottom of the return chamber, so no danger there.

But I don’t have bubble issues in DT right now so not too worried

 

[Victoria M]

ok. Gotcha. I will never again have my heaters in the return chamber due to a bad experience. It gave me two problems rather than one, so I just keep them in a "safer" spot. And I thought you had a concern, no worries.

 

[User]

Where’s your safer spot?

And it won’t let my PM you...

 

[Victoria M]

Where’s your safer spot?

And it won’t let my PM you...

I have a middle chamber that would never (uh oh, hope I don't regret that) loses water. Many eons ago I kept the heaters in the pump section, which is typically also the ATO monitoring section. Somehow water evaporated at a crazy fast rate, I Think it was fall, house heater just started up, got sick, did not check the ATO for period of time, bubbles in the tank, water level too low, heaters exposed and cracked. no redundancy built in. could have been worse. no fire.
Also learned to have the inlet and outlet of GFO reactors or other media reactors be in the same chamber to save a pump during a Murphy's Mishap.

 

[User]

So, got a text from my dealer this morning, letting me know he had this bad boy in the store...

A little bigger than I would normally go for at 4.5”, but he offered it at the cheaper price because I’d expressed interest in a small/ medium. So I went by there today during some errands and put her on hold until Friday. I have a busy couple days ahead and my copper QT needs cleaned out after my Onyx Picasso’s graduated out of it on Monday.

While looking around, my three month old seemed transfixed by one tank in particular... imagine my surprise when I saw 3 x 2” Randall’s gobies. They came in on Thursday of last week. I’d asked my guy about them about 2 months ago and it slipped his mind that I’d asked.

So here’s my current dilemma- can I QT a 4.5” mag foxface and a 2” goby in a 10g QT system, 17 days in copper, then 2 more weeks for observation/ meds as needed? I have 2x 10g available, as well as hob’s abs cycled filters etc. just worried about swimming space.