Brooklyn Reef Dude's 110 build

[bklynreefdude]

Got my new Canopy delivered to work today, looks like it will be perfect. My wife asked why I needed a "can of peas" for the tank. I can't blame her, I've had all sorts of chemistry and testing apparatus on the dining room table for weeks, maybe I should add a can in to see if it helps. LaSeur or Jolly Green Giant, anyone?



Matt

[CarmieJo]

Matt, sorry to hear that you did not win Mega Millions. I was hoping you'd keep your reefing buddies in kind.

[bklynreefdude]

Ha, yes, I wouldn't forget my reefing buddies. Bubble Kings for all! I just ordered a BK mini 160 and it should arrive next week with the new sump and RO/DI unit. I will have my hands full making everything fit into place. I am going to mod the canopy this weekend to fit the Solaris and I may mod my tank returns for more flow. Currnetly the returns come out of the overflow box, 90 down along side it, 90 under gravel, 90 up at the front corners of the tank, and then 45 out to the tank. I understand the design, but have always been a little skeptical of it once I found out about head loss pressure, and it's a little hard to clean around the returns plus they are slightly unsightly. My new plan is to cut the return pipes about 3" down and install elbows with flow accelerators. This will cut out 6 bends and about 8 feet of tubing. I also am going to send in my Vortech driver for the update to gen 2 software and get the new wetside updates to boot. Phew, at some point I'll get everything sorted and get back to stocking and enjoying the tank, not the equipment!!!!! I'm working hard.

[CarmieJo]

Wow, that is a big to do list!

[bklynreefdude]

Hi Carmie:


Yeah, I'm trying to spread it out so it is many weekends work and no more new ideas. Got the canopy squared away, a lot more difficult than I thought and it is HEAVY with the I4 screwed to it. Got the new skimmer today! It's a beauty. Levels are improving. I'll post some pics and some numbers later this week, it's just too hot to think.


Matt

[bklynreefdude]

New Skimmer, new "modded" canopy ( I think the stand will look better black as well) and the new doser for when and only when my levels are straight and consistent.

[bklynreefdude]

New RO/DI unit arrived. I'll plug it in over the weekend. Can't wait to find out how dirty my water is.

[bklynreefdude]

Got the Bubble King Mini 160 installed last night. We'll see what it does over the weekend, looks like it needs a little breaking in period. Going out of town this weekend so I stopped dosing. I'll do a test on a sample I took this morning and on one when I get back to see what the uptake is.

Matt

[CarmieJo]

Wow Matt you are really moving ahead! You may already know that most skimmers take a week or so to break in.

[bklynreefdude]

Hi Carmie:

Yes, I'll just wait for the break in. Got my Vortech driver back with the updated Gen 2 software. Uploaded the other driver and the new options like "Night Mode" are really great. Finished painting the stand black and it looks really good, shows off the tank more. This week is sump and RO/DI install.

Matt

[Amphibious]

Hey Matt,

Things are progressing well. Can you post larger pictures?

Dick

[bklynreefdude]

Hi Dick:

Thanks, yeah I'm new to the image posting so I'll try again later. Got some good ones, just swamped at work now.


Matt

[bklynreefdude]

OK, so here are the results from thew sample I took Friday and the sample I took last night (Tuesday), 5 days no dosing.

Alk before 3meq/l , 2.5meq/l after
Calcium before 400ppm, 390 after
Magnesium before1260, 1350 after.

Is it odd that my magnesium crept up? Should I add more of the one part Alk mix to catch up? I forgot to do a ph, so I'll do that tonight. It's been holding steady around 8.2.


Matt

[bklynreefdude]

Thanks to a link rroselavy gave me a while back I kind of figured it out myself. This is really helpful if you don't know it already

Chemistry and the Aquarium

Looks like my levels are actually pretty good so I'm going to test for the "poisons" and then maybe treat myself to a frag or two.


Matt

[CarmieJo]

Those numbers look fine. Anything Randy writes is good chemistry! This article Reefreaders - Chemistry 101 also lays out the numbers for basic parameters.

[bbl_nk]

Keep in mind that Caulerpa is a nasty invasive species that can KILL reefs and natural habitats if released in the wild. I would suggest just keeping some other non-invasive types of macro instead. From an advert in Reef Hobbyist Magazine, caulerpa is blamed for invading ovrer 30,000 acres in the Mediterranean Sea and even caused $7 million in damage to control in a infestation in California. Reminds me of the seaweed that is invading the lakes in the midwest, being spread in waterways from recreational boaters.

Check out CCAT, IIc for more info on banned caulerpa species.

[bklynreefdude]

Thanks Carmie, right, the range should be the goal not exact numbers.

Thanks bbl_nk, I read that and being an avid Scuba Diver I would rather not mess with that stuff. I'm going to try some mangroves and cheato.

Sump should arrive Monday, so I'll have my hands full with that.

[bklynreefdude]

Dragged the RO/DI home and tried to set it up on Monday while I waited for the sump to be delivered by FedEx. Kind of figured it out (instructions not the greatest and I read them several times) but it leaked pretty good at the "IN' and "OUT" fittings so I tore it down and couldn't leave to get some silicon sealant because I knew FedEx would show up the second after I left. FedEx showed up at 2 and I hefted the box upstairs. The sump was packed in a BK200 box inside a BK 300 box with about a thousand styrofoam peanuts which ended up all over the living room because there was just no clean way to get the thing out of it's packaging. Well, much to my suprise my custom ordered, specially shipped, brand new acrylic sump that I have waited 2 months for after email after email and 3 faxes detailing all changes and modifications along the way HAD NO BULKHEAD FITTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really couldn't believe it. I tore through more of the peanuts but NO FITIING! I called Scott at AS and he said he was sorry, he just forgot. Oh please. So my whole day was pretty much shot. Finally went to the hardware store (after cleaning up all the peanuts) and got some silicon for the RO/DI. Applied that to all the fittings and screwed everything back together. Tried it this morning and still a small leak from the "IN". Oh well, sometimes things just don't work out the way you planned. I'm supposed to get the bulkhead today so maybe I'll try again tonight.

[CarmieJo]

That is a major frustration!

[bklynreefdude]

Hi Carmie:

Yes, and yesterday I saw that the same BubbleKing 160 I received two weeks ago is now on sale for $150 less from the same seller. I am trying not to lose my cool but I don't think I will ever be shopping with Aquarium Specialty again, make that I definitely won't be shopping with him again. My RO/DI is still leaking so I'll have to up the ante with some PVC glue I guess. The good news is that my tap water tests at only 43ppm and the Aquasafe got that down to 0. I'm not sure about silicates or chlorine but I assume the new unit is doing a good job with them too. I glued in and sealed the bulkhead last night, I'll try and water test it tonight. The beat goes on.

[CarmieJo]

I hate to waste money! I guess they don't have a price matching guarantee?

[bklynreefdude]

No, he claims he just got word from his distrbutor of the sale. If my sump doesn't leak I am going to move onto bigger and better things like stocking the darn tank and enjoying it! At least the skimmer seems to finally be broken in and is producing some thicker foam and light skimmate.

[CarmieJo]

Well, there is always that goal! Good to hear that the skimmer is breaking in nicely.

[bklynreefdude]

NO BULKHEAD! WHERE'S THE BULKHEAD? WHERE IS THE BULKEHAD, ARRRRRGH!!!! Oh well, I'll assemble the RO/DI. Ah, here's the bulkehead, now I'm a plumber too. How did I do Dick? Water tested and no leaks. FTS. I'm going to swap sumps tomorrow, wish me luck.

Matt

[bklynreefdude]

How can you tell if the reserve tank for RO/DI water is full? Hmmm, water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon. Got the sumps swapped and boy was I happy when the new one cleared the corner to fit inside the stand. Had to get the jigsaw out to clear some room for it to drop down but it all worked as planned. So I got the new sump for four reasons. Flood control, holds all the backflow and more. Consistent water height for the skimmer, baffles do that and take out microbubbles. Remove heat by moving the return pump outboard, seems to have lowered the temp (chiller comes on less) but no real way to test unless I turned the chiiler off and let the tank run for a couple of days (not willing to do that until the fall). And finally create a better circuit for the UV and chiller, now the water moves one way (hot water on pump side of a baffle, cool water returning on other side. So all in all a busy weekend (what a mess to clean) but 2 more boxes checked off.


Matt