1500g progress report....

[Mr James]

The tank is empty as of yesterday. Forgot to take my camera. We may be heading back on Monday to do some plumbing work. I'll try to remember to take the camera. We removed all of the live rock, sand and of course livestock. The Bamboo shark jumped out of it's transport container while we were transferring it to another tank within the complex. I picked it up and ran it over to the other tank. Weird, I've never touched a shark before. It felt like chicken!! ha ha ha

We are going to flush it out a few times and redo the plumbing. We found a small leak in one of the seams and that may require a professional to fix. I don't want that responsibility. We are going to have to do the two 1" bulkheads for closed loops for now because the back wall where they are located is not drillable, or at lease I don't think so. The plan is to run 2 Sequence Darts on closed loops. I would prefer the Hammerhead as it is bigger flow, but I don't think they will want to spring for them.

Hey, while I got you on the line, would a 100g fuge benefit this tank?? We plan to run a skimmer (hopefully they will flip the bill for a good skimmer) to aid in nutrient removal. Also, if they don't get one big, good skimmer, could we run two or three large beckett or NW type skimmers?? I know, and you know, that three or more skimmers will cost more than one good one, but they will understand when I present to two options to them.

I will post pictures when I can.

Any help is gladly welcomed from club members and non club members.

[TheGriffin]

James, is there anything planned for Saterday? I might be able to come down to help if your going down there.

[Mr James]

Chris needs to get the leak in the side wall fixed before any water can go in. Mike and I had a brainstorming session at his house on Sunday and came up with a list of items they need to get before we can do anything. As of right now, there isn't anything for us to do. We could plumb in the new sumps and fuge, but they don't have any plumbiung supplies, the sumps or even the pumps.

Chris, care to comment on the leak repair?? I hope you do a little more than slap some silicone in there or you could have a potentially dangerous (to us and to the customers) situation if the tank was filled.

[IslandCrow]

Yeah, Chris, let us know what the latest status is on the tank. I may be available this Saturday, but I'm also trying to get an extra hour of martial arts in on Saturdays so I can hopefully test for my 2nd degree sometime in the not too distant future.

Anyway, here's the list of big things we're going to need that James and I came up with:

2-3 100g Rubbermade sump/refugiums (probably won't be able to fit much more than this

lumber for building shelves for sumps/fuge

2 closed 3-6000 gph pumps for closed loops

1 big skimmer or a series of probably 3 skimmers
- I really think we should go with that big skimmer James found. It'll be well worth it in the not so long run

A bunch of spaflex tubing and unions/ball valves

Milk crates to use as base for rocks

Sand and live/homemade rock


Our basic plan was to use the top two outlets on the left and right side of the tank as inputs to our closed loop and then run the returns over the back of the tank (hopefully hide them amongst the rock). The two overflow outlets towards the center of the tank would of course flow into the sump. The return from the sump would go back up over the tank. As for the fuge, an idea James has was to get it up higher than the main tank, so it could gravity feed water (and pods. . .yummy!) into the tank without having to go through a meat grinder. . .I mean pump. As an aside, I thought we also might build a raised floor down the center of the equipment room that would allow us to run plumbing or anything else below it so it wouldn't get in the way.

Anyway, if anyone else has ideas of things we'll need or other things we can do, please speak up. Let's try not to make it too cosmic, but keep it efficient and practical.

[KADLETZ]

Ok guys i have been the busy litttle bee. this tank let me say has been nothing but work! The last few days i have been preping the glass cleaning it of old caulk and rust. Friday i plan on caulking it and saturday and sunday letting it dry. monday i will fill it up and test it when we are closed so if it blows up no one will die. wish me look men and ladies. Oh, so no need to come in unless you guys want to work on plumbing.

[Mr James]

Mike: Thanks for posting all of that. That's too much typing for my hen-peck style of typing. Your false floor idea has me really intrigued. I also like the fact that there will be (for once) a short distance between the wet floor and the electrical stuff.

Chris: Before you silicone, I would check with a local glass manufacturer and make sure the silicone you buy from Lowe's is the right stuff. It's not as easy as running a strip of silicone up the seam and hoping it will dry. You are talking about some serious pressure heading into that seal. I still think that to avoid problems down the road, you should hire a professional to seal it. But then again, this is your tank. I just don't want my name (or our clubs name) attached to the re-sealing of that tank in case it fails and possibly causes injury or destruction.

Also, please let us/me know when you get the tubs for the sumps, the Spa-Flex, salt, pumps and then I can help you shop for the right plumbing supplies. Mike and I broke in his new dry-erase board and drew up a bunch of ideas. Hard plumbing kills on head pressure. Flexible tubing and true union ball valves all the way - IMO!!

[TheGriffin]

Mike, James, Suzi, have ya'll thought any more on what we need to do about the DIY rocks? I have some scrap 8" schedule 40 pvc pieces ranging from 3 to 5' in length. I though that might make a good sub-structure if we wanted to do any pillars under the MH for SPS's or more light demanding corals. We could attach 1/2 or 3/4 pvc "branches" for shelf supports. We should come up with some designs and start playing.



My place is still available since I have a cement mixer, a lake to cure it in, and plenty of yard to play if ya'll want to come up here for the "big" batches.

[Mr James]

Let's talk about it at the next meeting, hopefully within the next couple of weeeks at Suzi's house. I think we should all plan it out together instead of having to type it out. NOW, if we are planning to make some for the Gulf, then we need to get together sooner. But that depends on when the Gulf plans to do.

[IslandCrow]

Good idea, James. There's a perfect discussion topic for our next meeting.

[Mr James]

I am sure the 1500g isn't going anywhere in the meantime.

[TheGriffin]

I'll bring some of the 8" pipe to the meeting if I can make it.

[KADLETZ]

Finished framing in the plumbing room, now i need to paint and wait for my "That "tube" would be better served as a phyoplanton reactor" Skimmer, LOL, to come in. 5 ft. of reachion time 6 1/2 ft tall , 800 gallons and hour reaction time. Im thinking beckett skimmer, Those venturi's they sell for spas work great for them, Destin Pool's has them! I'll have to post some pics, when im done ill host a meeting if you all would be up to it?