Tank Journal Archive

[jart]

Progress!

Added two pieces of timber to the stand to add lateral stability, not that it really needed it, and to create the upper mounting points for my cladding. Stand is now done with the exception of the doors/cladding.

Next, lay down my substrate and placed my first base rock structure. Calgrit this time based on grain size, cost and reviews.

Saturday afternoon, a huge thank you to Reef Geeks for my NSW water delivery. Fantastic service and great quality water.

Jebao wavemaker and heaters added, plus one piece of LR from my existing sump and a small piece of raw salmon (forgot to buy a prawn :)....and the wait begins.

Sorted out the bulk of my plumbing. Just need to:

* source a suitable hose to run from my return pump to the return plumbing
* cut my main siphon pipe and emergency drain pipe to the right length
* source a strainer for the siphon pipe

 

[Lesley]

looking good. so exciting.

 

[Sam Parker]

great location for the tank and really nice dimensions!

 

[slin1977]

Can't wait to see some lights over this.

 

[GhostRPH]

Coming together nicely

 

[jart]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

** sorry for the poor pics, but taking with my phone and not really worrying about them being well lit or reflection free. just for historical reference. i promise better pics after all this setup phase is finished. **

A bit more progress....

* Plumbing is pretty much sorted:
- cut pipes for my siphon and emergency - installed and tested, but not glued in yet. Happy with the Herbie system - works as "advertised", effectively silent once the siphon is created.
- Setup - top of emergency drain is 3cm below the top of the weir, with the siphon pipe a further 15cm lower (may shorten this distance slightly after everything is stable for a few weeks). In the sump both siphon and emergency sit 3cm below the water line in the first chamber - straight run down under tank with no bends (ball valve on siphon for adjustment).
- Full siphon achieved approx 30 seconds after the return pump starts up, a further 3 min or so for the water to climb up to the height of the emergency drain and start the slightest trickle down it. Dual benefit of a slightly wet emergency is surface skimming and the normal height of the water is near the top of the weir, so minimal fall for the water coming over the weir = virtual silence too. A very nice and welcome change from the previous system, which was a Durso with emergency, so lots of gurgling and splashing noise.
- flexible tube used from return pump to return tube. Installed a ball valve, but it is fully open at the moment.
- flexible tubing attached to other ball valve under 15mm bulkhead - going to use it for flushing detritus out of weir and minor water changes - just a bulkhead with no plumbing installed above it in the weir
- in pic below, left to right:
1) weir detritus flush
2) emergency drain
3) siphon
4) return line

* Sump starting to fill up with equip:
- skimmer installed in chamber # 1, sitting on top of a 20 x 20 x 10cm block of Marine Pure
- 2 x heaters in chamber # 1 also
- chamber # 2 empty for now
- Eden 2000L/h return pump in final chamber, # 3

Enjoying this adventure.