Starting Over the RSM 130 after 2 years...

Titans

Titans

New Member
Well it's that time. I finally gave up on trying to rid myself of the 4 different types of algae (Bubble, red slime, hair and Caulerpa) from my tank so I tore it down. I think I found one of the culprets. My serpent star that was probably 6 inches across was decomposing in a pocket of rocks. The past few weeks I have been scraping my walls constantly and it became the straw that broke the camels back.

So now my rocks are baking under the sun and the chiller is reverse cycling vinegar to get rid all the algae and calcium build up (Which by the way stinks to high heaven when water stops flowing through it for a day or two, rancid :dead: )

Now i'm trying to decide on my next inhabitants...I was thinking of a snow flake eel but it says it requires a minimum of 50 gallons. Can this be mitigated with weekly water changes or some other method? Or maybe a lion fish?
 
N

nz1989reefer

Member
At least you found out what was causing all that algae!
Anyway, I think according to liveaquaria.com you can fit some species of dwarf lionfish in the RSM 130. I was considering one myself, but then found out they were illegal in my country :(
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
Sorry to hear you couldn't defeat the algae, but good to hear you'll re-set the tank up. I don't know much about the snowflakes other than they've been known to climb out of tanks. Those and lionfish are very interesting fish though. Sounds like a predator tank is coming. :)
 
Titans

Titans

New Member
Haha definitley a predator tank this time around. I need to see some action! :lurk: If I do live feeds it'll have to be right before a water change though.

So has anyone written any articles or created RSM specific sump setups that will fit in the stand? I've never ran a sump before and i'm sure if I experimented i'll screw something up but I remember seeing a few members with them in there 130 stands. Hopefully another persons trial and error can give me a head start. Then I can keep an eel without too much worry.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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PREMIUM
Titans - I ran a DIY sump/refugium for a few months but it ran dirty in the end and I trashed it. I think it may have been a lousy baffle design (Ebay baffle kit - 10 G tank). Not too long ago I installed a sump only (no fuge) to move all of my equipment into. It sure makes things easier to maintain.

The info. on mine starts on post #199 of my thread:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums.../42209-reefmacks-rsm-130-a-14.html#post696412

I use a LifeReef siphon - made for the RSM and requires no cutting of the lip, but requires a small cutout in the skimmer flap for the U-Tube. Or LifeReef sells RSM skimmer flaps with the cutout in them. (I have a raised hood so made no difference to me). LifeReef is really the best and most trustworthy siphon out there IMO. The CPR types have occasionally failed to restart, and have caused tank overflows.
 
Titans

Titans

New Member
Reefmack - Do you know of any flood detectors that will shut off the pumps if an overflow occurs? This is probably one of my worst fears when it comes to adding a sump.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
Titans said:
Reefmack - Do you know of any flood detectors that will shut off the pumps if an overflow occurs? This is probably one of my worst fears when it comes to adding a sump.
Click to expand...

Titans - can't help you out on that one, but if you locate anything let us all know. I'm pretty sure such things are available. A float switch in the tank should serve the same purpose.

My Tunze Osmolator has an emergency float that shuts off the pump if the sump level gets too high, but that wouldn't prevent the tank from overflowing if the overflow lost the siphon. Supposedly the LifeReefs have never failed, so I'm counting on that, and I do check it frequently for algae buildup.

My biggest concern lately is hearing of at least three 130s that have cracked and leaked the contents. JBJ tanks had a streak of cracked tanks a while back, and it's always a possibility with any kind of tank. That's my worst fear.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

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PREMIUM
Looking at the links, the first looks like it's really designed to send an alarm, and/or to close a water valve - not turn off a sump return pump. The second might apply to warn of a cracked tank, but no use other than to send an alarm and let you deal with trying to drain the tank in a big hurry!

After some more seaching and thinking, I think the lowest cost & best option would be to hook up something like this:

Tunze Aquarium Water Level Alarm

Since what we want is a system that will detect too high of a water level in the sump as well as in the tank, and prevent the return pump from overfilling the tank in case the siphon fails or is plugged. A decent ATO with the ability to turn off the ATO reservoir pump if the water gets too high in the sump will take care of the sump not overflowing.

An additional high water level sensor placed in the tank or back compartment would also be needed - hooked up to shut off the return pump in the sump if the water level gets too high in the tank.

"Tunze Water Level Alarm has three sensors: one run-dry protection sensor and two overflow sensors."

Difficult to make sense of the poor German to English translations in most of their instructions. I think "filter plant" means sump, "water refill plant" is an ATO system. and "clogged drain" is a plugged up or failed siphon.

There may be other alternatives, and there are lower cost ATO systems that might be as good or better, maybe even 2 low cost ATO systems - one to shut off the ATO reservoir pump so it can't pump too much water into the sump, and a second to shut off the return pump to the tank if the tank level gets too high. There are also ATO kits available that would do it all at the lowest cost.

Most sumps can easily accommodate the amount of water that siphons into the tank when the return pump is shut off, so an overflow of the sump for that reason is typically not a worry. Alarms are nice, but if they don't shut off a pump when no one is home they're useless.

A post in the equipment forum would get you the best way to prevent overflows of both the sump and the tank, ensuring that the proper pump (ATO Pump or return pump) is shut off.
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
I know there a way to do this... solenoid valves work on this principle too...

I own a 4 bay self-service car wash ( I know hard to believe, being I am not a great DIYer)... and I have a weep system controller, that weeps water to keep everything from freezing... when temp below 32 degrees... but I also have a Solenoid Valves, so if it's winter & I loose building power, the solenoid valve reconizes the loss of power & closes, they make both open & close Solenoid Valves...

I know there an application here lol... just not sure what :) sure someone smarter than I can figure it out, when electricity off... valve auto closes, cutting off flow... :)

Dema Engineering 400 Series Solenoid Valves, 150 - 1500 Max PSI - Dultmeier Sales

$32

400 Series Solenoid Valves, 150 - 1500 Max PSI
12, 24 & 110-Volt AC • Normally Closed & Normally Open
 
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