Project 58!! (Image intense)

[Maxx]

Got a bunch done.....
First step was to get the cuttingboard inside the tank. This required some measuring, planning and my favorite.....cutting!
The cutting board was ordered as a sheet of white 1/2" thick measuring 34 3/4" x 16 3/4" with rounded over edges. This was just a 1/8 of an inch smaller than the inside of the tank.

Here it is being measured for cutting. I needed to cut it in order for it to fit around my overflow box which is 10"Lx6"W.



Here it is with the footprint of the overflow all traced out. You can also see the clamps I used while building this entire stand. These things are worth their weight in gold IMO...thankfully, they arent that expensive. Also comes in different sizes...this is one of the smaller ones I have.



I cut it with a jig saw and a regular blade. No hassle at all. Worked so easy it was frightening.

Nick

[Maxx]

Herre is a top down shot of it. The cut wasnt as precise as I would have liked, (thats what happens when I free hand cut.....man I need a table saw!), but it is more than perfect for what I need.



Here's a front shot of it in the tank. This stuff is lighter than water and will float. However, my Loc-line returns are keeping held down until I get the rockwork in place.



And a side shot:



The tank just has RO/DI water in it right now....no salt mix....so the water is cloudy because the skimmer isnt working properly, (Skimmers dont work in fresh water because it doesnt have the right surface tension to create fine bubbles needed to skim. Just the big old goofy bubbles that wont make skimmate...just an FYI kinda thingy.)

Nick

[Maxx]

I also added braces for the lightbox support arms. The weight of the original lightbox pulled the arms down and out of level. I made a lighter box, (no pics yet), and braced up the supports with these 2x6 pieces I had lying around that were already stained and sealed. The support arms are not stained and sealed as of yet. I'm waiting to hang the lightbox so I can determine exactly where the best point to hang the box from. I'm still trying to decide if I want to drill two holes through the support arms and run the dowel rod, (that will suspend the lights and allow me to raise and lower the lights), through them, or mount another pice of wood above the arms and drill two holes through them. The only reason for doing it that way would be to gain 4 inches or so that I could raise the lights. Any suggestions?

Left arm looking towards living room.



Same arm inside, looking towards kitchen.



Nick

[Maxx]

Finally, I made the standpipe mod...

Originally I made a Stockman standpipe, I chose it because I couldnt think of a way to put a strainer over the Durso and keep larger snails from getting stuck in the bulkhead.
I used plans from Durso's Standpipe Page. I'm assuming that it is necessary to use larger plumbing with those as it is with the Durso's...cause this thing was LOUD!!!!!! Rocio couldnt sleep and neither could I. It literally sounded louder than a toilet flushing constantly. Had to make a change.
Luckily, I saw another reefer's mod to the Durso, which created a strainer which would keep snails out. He basically took another piece of plumbing, and sawed a row of shallow cuts into the side, along the entire length of his "strainer". So I copied that too....

Here is a pick of the new Durso standpipe.



Thankfully it worked! Now the loudest thing from the tank is my closed loop pump grinding out air bubbles left inside from when it was filled with water initially. That will dissipate in time.

Nick

[Maxx]

Unfortunately...I seem to have a heat issue already. W/O lights, the tank is running at 81 degrees. Looks like I may need a chiller. I really didnt want to have to use one....but I dont think I have much of a choice. Any suggestions on whihc brand you like and why? I'm thinking I should get a 1/6 or 1/5 hp chiller for my tank.
Nick

[Craig Manoukian]

Wowsy wow wooowooo! Very nice stuff Nick!

[Hooked]

Nick, I have that little Pacific Coast 1/10 HP on my tank and it does great. Very quite and it looks nice too if it has to set out where it's visible.

Standpipe looks great!

[Maxx]

Thanks Kat....Thats actually one of the ones I've been looking at...
What pump are you running to feed it?


Things I've noticed that may or may not be relevent....

My Fiance and I live in a 2 family flat, (one house, we live downstairs, friend lives upstairs). The upstairs apartment relies on radiant heat, (steam radiators) and the steam pipes run through the wall the tank backs up against. Had I known this beforehand I may not have put the tank there, although this wall is also supported by 2 monster iron I-beams making it the best structural location for the tank. You can feel the how much warmer this wall is compared to others in the house whenever you get close to the wall. I honestly had never felt this before, (I just dont hang out near the walls of my house....call me crazy. Besides, When I was planning out locations for this tank, it was summertime and the heat wasnt on.) I dont think this actually contributing to the heat issue, but I dont think it helps alot either.

I noticed the OM unit motor was pretty hot to the touch....by using my non calibrated hands...I'm guessing about 160 degrees or so. Its uncomfortable to touch for very long, but not painful and doesnt leave redness or anything. I was pretty concerned about this thinking I might have overtightened the motor after re-assembling it...(hey I had to look inside okay?).
So I went to the website www.oceansmotions.com and visited their 4 way forums.
I found a thread titled Heat issue with HD 4 way? where Paul (manufacturer) states that the motors are rated for 110 degrees C (which comes out to 230 F) and he reiterates that the motors are made by Hurst for dialysis machines.....so reliability is NOT an issue...and I would not think heat transfer would be one either since it sits on a heat sink and the drive shaft is made of high grade plastic....It's not a great heat transfer medium.

I just unplugged the OM unit unit and the Iwaki 55 RLT. I will wait until tonight and check the temp again. I want to give the water several hours, (like 12-14) to shed some of the heat.

I had the Mag 7 and the Skimmer offline until I could quiet down the overflow...and the in tank temp was 80.6 as opposed to 82.4. I will check temp and then turn on the Iwaki, but not the OM unit. The design of the OM unit is such that water will still flow from a closed loop, even if it's not operating..there by saving your pump if by some whackadoo reason the OM unit craps out on you. There is no reason to run the OM unit w/o the pump running as well, (no way to transfer heat to tank if pumps not running), and I really dont like the idea of doing that. The OM unit is built hell-for-strong, so I honestly doubt it would do any harm for the OM unit, but I still have a worst case mindset....

I really do not want to have to buy a chiller, (cause frankly, I cant afford the extra $400-$700 one would cost right now). But I've been doing some looking online and these are the two major contenders:

Pacific Coast CL-280 1/10 HP Inline Chiller
I have been hearing great things about these both as reviews on the retailer's site, and more importantly from online boards like here and RC. The only thing about this one that I dont like is having to use yet another pump and run plumbing to it.

The other is the TradeWind Drop-in Chiller - 1/5 HP This one is more expensive, but its plug and play...also larger in size.
I honestly dont think that upgrading is going to be an issue with this tank. I plan on upgrading to a 120 or larger when Rocio and I buy a house, but the way this tank is configured, it would be PITA to tie it in to a larger system....so I wont. When I go larger, I will go to a totally seperate system.
Thanks for the input ...hopefully, I can figure this out.

Nick

[Hooked]

I'm using a PanWorld 40PX. Very quiet pump. But now that I know about your steam-heat plumbing--I'm wondering if the CL-280 will be enough chiller???

Although one of the reviewers on PA claims a 12 degree swing on a 58 gal.

[Maxx]

The steam pipes dont heat the wall that much, its just noticeably warmer than other walls. you cant feel the temp increase a inch away from the wall, just when you touch it. So I really doubt that its contributing anything to the tank temp.
Is the PanWorld 40 PX a pressure pump? I'll have to do some looking around on Champion's site to see if they explain what it equates to. I have an Iwaki MD-40RLT that is unused, (bought for the Etss skimmer I am not using.) and sitting in the box. I also have an older Iwaki MD 20 RXT I could use....
I'm definately not wanting to add another pump to this mix.....If I go with a chiller, the return pump is going to feed this....I'm not gonna start collecting pumps to sit under my tank.....
Nick

[Hooked]

That pump is equivalent to the Iwaki MD20 and is a pressure rated pump.

I have a pump collection under my tank, next to my tank..... I can understand why you'd want to avoid that.

[Maxx]

As of 7:30 pm about 11 hours after shutting off the closed loop, the tank is at 77 F. The mag 7 return pump and skimmer pump are still running. I will wait until tomorrow evening to measure the temp again and see if it has gone down any more.
Nick

[mps9506]

I like this idea:



I may steal this idea, and the light box if you ever post a picture. My tank is setup a similar way, but my stand is ugly, and my lights hang from the ceiling. If I ever get around to making a new stand, I'm doing what you did, little bit bigger stand though, I like the extra room under the stand.

[Maxx]

Mike,
feel free to steal whatever isnt nailed to the floor...
Thats how I got alot of this together. I stole/borrowed/aquired ideas from everyone I saw and liked.
I havent taken any new pics of the new lightbox yet, cause it isnt quite finished. I screwed up the original front plate of the box....I dont know what the deal was, but the stain was blotchy and nasty...I used the same wood conditioner and stain I used for the rest of the stand and canopy, and this one came out looking like I finger painted it.
So I made up a new one and have that almost ready to mount. I'm using the crappy one while I mount up the lightbox and get everything balanced properly. I actually had it all hung up for a bit today, (tentative, nothing anchored in place yet, but I've been finalizing ways to get that done. I'm planning on getting the lights mounted inside the box and the whole thing mounted here shortly.
Pics will definately follow.
Nick

[Scooterman]

Seems you get a good drop in temp. with the OM not running. 3 to 5 degrees is a lot to deal with. I'm with you on the chiller expense, they cost, & some make quite a bit of noise, I hope if I ever do get one, It is quiet.