KenRexford
Active Member
Been reefkeeping for 15 years now. I thought I would share a couple of tricks I have used that are not often discussed, or at least that I have not mtself seen before. Simple stuff.
1. I use an old penguin filter with impeller and plumbing removed for receiving my sump return water. No possible siphon. Nice surface agitation. This allows me tun run the return water through carbon filters, pads, or whatever.
2. Vinyl gutter. I have a sump, but I dedicate most of it to macroalgae and pods: one small reactor for phosguard/carbon, return pump, and filter sock only. My hob protein skimmer, return penguins, overflow etc., hangs on back. In case of leaks, oops moments, salt creep drops, etc., I needed something behind the tank about as wide as the normal space between a tank and the wall that was adustsble to make a 6 foot length, capped at each end waterproof, and designed to catch unwanted water. Duh! I looked at my roof, and voila!
3. Water change measurements. I use bottled water (5g) for ato and for mixing salt water. Much easlier than ro/di for practical me. One 5g bottle next to the tank makes for an easy ato "reservoir," except the pita when I decide to put pickling lime in that tiny hole (funnels help). The 5g bottles also help measure water changes easily. One large basin, add two bottles worth of water, mix salt. Then, fill each bottle to the same spot with tank water. The 5g size is easier to haul outside to dump, also, with the small opening reducing/eliminating spills. I hated dragging a huge second basin with 10g in it, sploshing crud water everywhere, wife shrieking.
1. I use an old penguin filter with impeller and plumbing removed for receiving my sump return water. No possible siphon. Nice surface agitation. This allows me tun run the return water through carbon filters, pads, or whatever.
2. Vinyl gutter. I have a sump, but I dedicate most of it to macroalgae and pods: one small reactor for phosguard/carbon, return pump, and filter sock only. My hob protein skimmer, return penguins, overflow etc., hangs on back. In case of leaks, oops moments, salt creep drops, etc., I needed something behind the tank about as wide as the normal space between a tank and the wall that was adustsble to make a 6 foot length, capped at each end waterproof, and designed to catch unwanted water. Duh! I looked at my roof, and voila!
3. Water change measurements. I use bottled water (5g) for ato and for mixing salt water. Much easlier than ro/di for practical me. One 5g bottle next to the tank makes for an easy ato "reservoir," except the pita when I decide to put pickling lime in that tiny hole (funnels help). The 5g bottles also help measure water changes easily. One large basin, add two bottles worth of water, mix salt. Then, fill each bottle to the same spot with tank water. The 5g size is easier to haul outside to dump, also, with the small opening reducing/eliminating spills. I hated dragging a huge second basin with 10g in it, sploshing crud water everywhere, wife shrieking.
