New guy

gdwats2 · 03-22-2005, 05:01 PM

Well, when I registered with RS I recieved an email requesting I click the new thread button and introduce myself. So here I am. I am often seen as fishhead in the chat area and in mIRC.
I have a 90 gallon tank (with fish and corals and what was once nice looking live rock). A single 250 Watt halide, 2 48” VHO, hang on Prizm and sea clone skimmers, a fluval 404 and a hang on magnum 250and 3 stupid Penguin biowheel filters. A Rio 2100 and 2 smaller powerheads are used for current (quite laminar). I really need to add a sump and get rid of all the piecemeal little hang on stuff which seems so inefficient and too small to do much good and just needs cleaning too often etc..Need more and better water movement. Perhaps an external pump and hang over top plumbing would work and generate less heat to tank than submersibles. Anyway, after a car accident I wasn't able to do my regular maintinance and water changes for several months and I kind of lost interest in my tank. Now things are out of whack and I thought I'd join RS to get some inspiration to maintain persuit. It's either revamp or tear down...
Here are a couple of crappy pictures taken with my cell phone..(dropped my Nikon digital camera in tank a couple years ago).

Greg

Woodstock · 03-22-2005, 05:05 PM

Welcome to Reef Sanctuary Greg!!

... and..umm.. those are not crappy pictures

Very nice corals!! They look happy to me! What is out of whack?

Gina · 03-22-2005, 05:39 PM

Greg! I would agree a sump would be beneficial! I agree with Woodstock, your corals look great! What do you feel is out of sorts?
If you are, we will certainly do what it takes to get you back on track!
For a cell phone....those pics are nice!

gdwats2 · 03-22-2005, 05:48 PM

Phos was at 1.5 and nitrates were at about 35 before I did a water change! Bulbs need replacing. RO/DI unit is putting out 0.1ppm Phos in product water (need replacement cartridges). Gonna do another water change anyway...

gdwats2 · 03-22-2005, 06:09 PM

Thanks G. I am still trying to figure out how to add a sump to my old existing system and trying to convince myself that there will be no flood. It just seems that something would go wrong with that much water tranfer in and out of tank. Haven't really seen any plans on how the float valve in the sump triggers the :return" of water from sump to tank and how the "overflow" feeds the sump w/out overfilling etc..

Gina · 03-22-2005, 07:36 PM

How a Sump Works

We came across this awhile back when we were preparing to add our sump.
HTH

gdwats2 · 03-23-2005, 02:32 AM

Thanks so much for sharing the info G! Very informative

Gonna bone up...

Great Site Folks!

Craig Manoukian · 03-23-2005, 03:05 AM

Awesome pics Greg and welcome, welcome, welcome!

mkpaulson · 03-23-2005, 07:20 AM

to the reef sanctuary

jimeluiz · 03-23-2005, 11:11 AM

Those "crappy pics" are enough to inspire me to support your return to balance. You're in the right place.

We avoid the sump overflow problem by having a sump large enough to take all the water that would flow backward before losing the siphon. No brilliance on my part - completely coincidental. But when we did have a power outage and the water flowed from top to bottom we discovered the lucky design concept. Saved on the DIY mess installing a float valve. Also had an astrea snail take a trip through our Durso and plug the drain to the sump. In this case all the water in the sump was pumped back up into the tank. Somehow -- don't ask me for the majic formula -- the amount of water just filled the tank with a bit to spare... no flood. So we lucked out coming and going.

Somebody probably knows why...

Welcome!

gdwats2 · 03-23-2005, 05:37 PM

Thanks for the inspiration. I have read up on how the sumps work and no longer fear a sump overflow flood, and am gearing up to add one soon. However, you bring up a good point, that is "what if the overflow drain somehow gets plugged?". In this case, the tank would spill over from sump return water. So, I suppose a trigger of some kind is needed to shut off the return pump if tank level gets too high? heard of this one? A remote float? hmmmmmmmmm..

03-22-2005, 05:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 25,502 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Welcome to Reef Sanctuary Greg!! ... and..umm.. those are not crappy pictures Very nice corals!! They look happy to me! What is out of whack? __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistance conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

03-22-2005, 05:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,842 View Gallery Karma Komment	Greg! I would agree a sump would be beneficial! I agree with Woodstock, your corals look great! What do you feel is out of sorts? If you are, we will certainly do what it takes to get you back on track! For a cell phone....those pics are nice! __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

03-22-2005, 05:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
gdwats2 Fire Coral Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 73 View Gallery Karma Komment	parameters Phos was at 1.5 and nitrates were at about 35 before I did a water change! Bulbs need replacing. RO/DI unit is putting out 0.1ppm Phos in product water (need replacement cartridges). Gonna do another water change anyway...

03-22-2005, 07:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,842 View Gallery Karma Komment	How a Sump Works We came across this awhile back when we were preparing to add our sump. HTH __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

03-23-2005, 02:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
gdwats2 Fire Coral Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 73 View Gallery Karma Komment	Sump info. Thanks so much for sharing the info G! Very informative Gonna bone up... Great Site Folks!

03-22-2005, 06:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
gdwats2 Fire Coral Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 73 View Gallery Karma Komment	Thanks G. I am still trying to figure out how to add a sump to my old existing system and trying to convince myself that there will be no flood. It just seems that something would go wrong with that much water tranfer in and out of tank. Haven't really seen any plans on how the float valve in the sump triggers the :return" of water from sump to tank and how the "overflow" feeds the sump w/out overfilling etc..

03-23-2005, 03:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
Craig Manoukian Regular Guy Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Marina Del Ray, CA Posts: 19,012 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Awesome pics Greg and welcome, welcome, welcome! __________________ Currently tankless. 20 Gallon mini reef with mated pair of Maroon Clowns given to Rougiem! 80 gallon reef given to Rougiem/Wooster HS.

03-23-2005, 07:20 AM	#9 (permalink)
mkpaulson Plate Coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: port republic,va Posts: 750 View Gallery Karma Komment	to the reef sanctuary __________________ Mark

03-23-2005, 11:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
jimeluiz Achilles Tang Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Niteroi, Brasil Posts: 829 View Gallery Karma Komment	Those "crappy pics" are enough to inspire me to support your return to balance. You're in the right place. We avoid the sump overflow problem by having a sump large enough to take all the water that would flow backward before losing the siphon. No brilliance on my part - completely coincidental. But when we did have a power outage and the water flowed from top to bottom we discovered the lucky design concept. Saved on the DIY mess installing a float valve. Also had an astrea snail take a trip through our Durso and plug the drain to the sump. In this case all the water in the sump was pumped back up into the tank. Somehow -- don't ask me for the majic formula -- the amount of water just filled the tank with a bit to spare... no flood. So we lucked out coming and going. Somebody probably knows why... Welcome! __________________ Sold the tank prior to our move. Setting up our new life in Brazil.

03-23-2005, 05:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
gdwats2 Fire Coral Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 73 View Gallery Karma Komment	safe sump Thanks for the inspiration. I have read up on how the sumps work and no longer fear a sump overflow flood, and am gearing up to add one soon. However, you bring up a good point, that is "what if the overflow drain somehow gets plugged?". In this case, the tank would spill over from sump return water. So, I suppose a trigger of some kind is needed to shut off the return pump if tank level gets too high? heard of this one? A remote float? hmmmmmmmmm..

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