WVNeds's Tanks

WVNed · Mar 14, 2022

Well, I'm working on it.
1/2 the plumbing

1/2 the new sump

Removed the drains for the 75 and my ATO runs out of a 5 gallon bucket refilled by Hydros control instead of the 25 gallon trashcan so I have room to work in the corner.

WVNed · Mar 16, 2022

The back of the tank is painted I used a deep blue backed with black.
The crabs and fish are in Brut cans we pumped the water into. Jill caught a shrimp about 2 inches long, I didn't have time to see what it was.
All of the equipment is out of the sump except 2 return pumps. I had one casualty when I dropped the TS-2 nitrate reactor on the concrete floor. I will think about that and cry later.
I am breaking the bulkheads in the old sump that were in the bottom of the 40g stock tank. They are not coming out easily. These are spray tank bulkheads from tractor supply and are tough things. Not brittle at all. I am cutting them 5 times radially and then horizontally and eventually you can break sections out with large pliers.

My greatest fear is breaking one of the drains to the 240 that go through the wall. That would be very bad.

Not much dirt for running a few years. I have never cleaned it.

I thought there was more rock down there in the dark. I am going to need a lot more. I will think about that later too.

Now I have to do is build a whole new one. I hope it works as well as the old one.

The old me would have had water in the new tank at about 1am flowing into the sump but he left and I haven't seen him in a long while.
Time to eat some dinner and get some dopamine in me sso my hands quit shaking.

WVNed · Mar 18, 2022

Today I decided to internet less and build more. No PT today to wear me out first.
Almost ready for water, 60 feet of pipe later. 3 10 foot 1.5 inch, 2 1.25 inch, 1 2inch and 1 1 inch.
Oops, that's 70 feet but I haven't used it all. But I need to make some more sections still.
The 5 standpipes in the back are the drains The 90s at the top are above the water level in the tanks. I don't see how water could ever come out there but if it does it will go in the tubs. I still need to cut the pipe that dump the water into the top tub. The 2 pipes going left pass through the wall to the 180. The lowest point in the drain is behind the tank and air should naturally rise to the standpipe for the drain. Well, that's the plan anyway.
Nothing passes though the top tub or the platform it sits on. They can be removed. The 3 return pumps are clean and in the back tub on the left and connected to the plumbing. The vacuum breaks are gone. The tubs will hold the drain back from the 240 now.
There are 2 concrete blocks under the tub in front. I need 12 more.
I need to drill and join the 2 tubs. I just hit the 100 gallon with some acid to get the inside crud off. I need to hose it out now.

Still lots to do but it's getting there.
It took me a while to figure out connecting the tubs. The sides aren't parallel at all. Any angle can be made by 2 90s in a straightened Z shape as long as the holes are spaced a few diameters sideways from each other.
From the side it looks like a flattened V. I have to make 2 of those from 2 inch stuff. I need to measure the spacing and make it greater than 2 connected 90s. I could use a street 90 and regular one but then I would have to be exactly right the first time. I avoid things like that these days.
Total sump size 290 gallons. As planned the 75 is going to sit in the open space in front of the tub.
I am most worried about the plumbing under then new tank. I could not tell if some of the pipes seated or not.
It's also entirely possible I forgot to glue a joint or 2.

Time to feed the dogs and have dinner. Then back to Home Depot again.

WVNed · Mar 19, 2022

I just glued the last of it. I hope the water doesn't run right out on the floor.

I will put water in it and then add standpipes to control the levels.

I told Jill if I ever say I want to do this again to hit me with a baseball bat.

WVNed · Mar 21, 2022

Filling, heating and mixing. Lot's of water moving around here. I need to get the 240 back on line.

WVNed · Mar 21, 2022

I have clutzed the stuff I think needs to run right away back into working order. The 180 is full and circulating. Temp is at 74.5. This was really hard to get done this time but the rest I can do over a longer time.
Next I need to make tops to keep the eels in the new tank and move the livestock.
I plan to redo the wall and make it more orderly and neat. I want to lower the doser shelf to make it easier to fill the bottles. All the pump controllers grouped. Stuff like that. No more cutting mounts to run stuff on a portable generator.
We have the house one now.
I need to order a Ranco for the heaters. The inkbird isn't big enough. I just plugged extra ones in for now.
I put the flow control in and set the levels. It's quieter than the pump noises and skimmers now. Good enough.
The only thing I don't like is how I did the incoming drains. A lot of air is coming through. More than I thought would. I have a way to deal with that though I think. More parts and some 3 inch pipe.

After all the posts about these corner overflows I was a bit worried. They work absolutely perfect. I joined them into one 1.5 inch pipe and ran them sideways 15 feet with only about 15 inches of head. No problem. Just a slight water flowing sound from the weirs. I had to fix one thing. The holes for the siphon break are predrilled on the bottom of the returns. It shoots water straight down into the surface of the water. This makes a loud noise. I made some C shaped pieces out of larger pipe and snapped it onto the return. It breaks up the stream and kills the sound. They will still let air in though.

WVNed · Mar 22, 2022

80 pounds of rinsed crushed coral went in. I had 35 pounds of rock in the sump and we pitched that in too. I am going to have to get some. Hoping for some larger pieces. The lights had gone down by the time we were done. I will move the fish tomorrow by acclimating them in buckets and dripping since I have no idea what the water is like in the disconnected tank now. Then I will harvest what I can out of the tank and start hanging the lights. The Noopsyches should be here tomorrow and I have to assemble the Coral Covers. The lift table will return and take the 75 to the fish room to be cleaned and set up later.

WVNed · Mar 22, 2022

In other news Bear has hip dysplasia. We are considering a hip replacement. It really hasn't affected his behavior in any way and he was a big hit with the vet people during his stay to be anesthetized and x-rayed today. The vet says he may be fine on pain meds for the rest of his life. They let him walk better and he has tolerated them well.

WVNed · Mar 23, 2022

We moved the fish late last night and pulled what we could from the 75. I need to drain it and get it out of here today.
Everything seems fine this morning.

WVNed · Mar 23, 2022

Ordered a Ranco heat controller yesterday
Fedex says lights coming tomorrow. Anchors in the ceiling.
I need to get the ATO and RODI filter back together. I think my ASOV went bad. It makes a very loud hammering sound
that startles you. I have a new one here. I got the Hydros solenoid valves to automate RODI on/off and flushing.
Poured 2 gallons in for make up

Stream of consciousness reefing
so much to do

WVNed · Mar 24, 2022

Hanging the lights from the ceiling isn't going to work. There is an air return duct completely blocking it. Plan B is to do a wall mount which I have made but not put up yet.
The Ranco Is here. The 75 is on the back porch to be dealt with later. I am buying 150 pounds of so of Live rock. I am hoping to have that here next week.
We are attending a ceremony for Jeanna Tomorrow and Saturday that was supposed to happen her 1st year at vet school but covid. Sunday I will get back at it.

Everybody but me is holding up okay.

WVNed · Mar 27, 2022

I got the lights put up today. I managed to adjust them to close to the color I want and put a schedule in them.

I need to get the reactors going again. There is a bunch of cyano in the 240. Let's see if I can make it go away.

Next I will start in the fish room to get basic functions like the ATO back on.

WVNed · Mar 28, 2022

Hydros is back online so I have ATO again and I gave it control of the RODI filter including the flush function. pH and ORP are fine. I will see how the 5 gallon ATO reservoir does. I have left the AWC off for now. Tomorrow I hope to get the biopellet reactor and LaCl going again.

WVNed · Mar 29, 2022

The LaCl and Ozone are back on. The SRO-5000 skimmer bucket is monitored by Hydros again. I need to put a bulkhead in the 100 gallon tub to pass the skimmer drain through. I need to make a new manifold for the reactors in a different shape.

WVNed · Apr 1, 2022

Looks like my fuge turned into green soup. This took way longer than I planned and it isnt completely done yet.
There is 100 pounds of rocks in the tubs so the reactors wont fit yet. I am off to look for the other 50 pounds this morning that seems to have disappeared at our local post office.
After that I need to run a wire across the ceiling and wire up the Ranco controller.
I see Bear left his ball in there. He will be looking for it.

From your head to paper to reality.

WVNed · Apr 2, 2022

The build is done. Now to hook up the new manifold I glued yesterday and start getting the water back in line.

It looks like this. These tanks got scraped this morning. They are growing green stuff at a tremendous rate. Both of them. I have an order in with Reef Cleaners for a CUC.

This tank will be butterflies, dwarf angels, the eels and lionfish.
Large yawn. Jill and I are both wet and whipped.

WVNed · Apr 7, 2022

Almost done in the fishroom. The last project will make all RODI be used straight from the big tub and get rid of other buckets. Then Hydros will keep the big tub full.
The kalk stirrer is running.