My 400g room divider system (photo essay) - Page 15

gregt · #**351** 04/25/2004, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sardaukar
Is that grating enough to keep out the tiny fishes? Looks like a goby might slip through. Hard to tell the hole size from the picture. As far as the thermometer, its your call. The tank volume should keep anything from happenening I guess.

The gutter should work on most of them. Most small fish aren't going to go up there anyway. Of course, it's still likely to happen some day. Not much you can do about it.

gregt · #**352** 04/25/2004, 02:57 PM

sard,

It's just to hold the pipe in place when I turn off the power and turn it back on it'll shift otherwise. I'll come up with a better solution eventually.

Sardaukar · #**353** 04/25/2004, 03:33 PM

Duct tape is the best! Remeber, there are only 2 things you need in life. Duct Tape and WD40. If it moves and shouldn't, use Duct Tape. If it should move but doesn't, use WD40.

Urlacher · #**354** 04/25/2004, 04:30 PM

Greg, you mentioned that you are going to have Carribean fish in the tank. Why add the clowns then? Tank looks great.

gregt · #**355** 04/25/2004, 04:43 PM

I've had the clowns for 6 or 7 years. I didn't want to get rid of them and I've got nowhere else to put them.

Sardaukar · #**356** 04/25/2004, 05:22 PM

What was the reason for wanting mainly caribbean fish in the tank? Just felt like it or are you trying to get fish that are locally collected?

gregt · #**357** 04/25/2004, 05:33 PM

I dive a lot in the caribbean so I'd like to have fish I know well.

gregt · #**358** 04/25/2004, 06:43 PM

Here's a nice Sunday evening apetizer. This is what 5 gallons of wet skimmate looks like.

BAJA272 · #**359** 04/25/2004, 08:05 PM

Greg:

I have been waiting patiently for the "great flood story", when do we get to hear it.

In the mean time here is mine.... we went to bed after initially installing the ETSS 1400 skimmer and all was well. I tried to adhere to the instructions about waiting for the skimmer to kick.... Next evening same thing, Becoming impatient.... adjusted the skimmer a little, next day seemed ok so I adjusted it a little more, two hours later adjusted it a lot more (bubbles at a reasonable level) went to bed.... Woke up for work and HOLY $#*@. when the instructions said be patient they even mentioned it could pump put massive volumes of water, but I'm always in a rush. Called the manufacture and had a automatic shut off five gallon collection bucket sent next day air.

Lesson learned!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the picture of the antichrist

Jeff

gregt · #**360** 04/25/2004, 08:18 PM

I was going to wait until I was running out of pictures to tell the story. LOL

While I had my temporary plumbing in place I used hose clamps instead of unions for all the ball valves on the return plumbing. One day while working on the tank, I decided to turn off one side of the return and when I was turning the valve I pulled the hose right off the pipe.

I had an iwaki 100 running full tilt pointing straight at the ceiling!

As quick as I could I put my hand over the pipe as hard as I could and grabbed the power cord and yanked as hard as I could.

I lost at least 40 gallons out of the sump in the few seconds it took me to react. I was completely drenched and it was raining in my wet room. I threw down a dozen towels and drove to home depot, to get real unions. Had it back up and running in an hour, but it took a day or two to get everything dry again.

Sardaukar · #**361** 04/26/2004, 12:11 AM

I bet thats a tough one to explain to the wife!

gumbybc · #**362** 04/26/2004, 02:03 AM

I bet she laughed hysterically....I would have, so would both my mom and my girlfriend.....

gregt · #**363** 04/26/2004, 04:55 AM

It was probably a good thing she was out when it happened.

Big E · #**364** 04/26/2004, 05:00 AM

Greg,
If I'm looking at the pic right , you have 2000g from your return pushing to the overflow & two eductors in a closed looop blasting at that return flow head on?

It looks like only one eductor is running.......the other ball valve is closed.

gregt · #**365** 04/26/2004, 05:06 AM

I turn off a valve on occasion to change the currents in the tank. Sometimes they're all on, sometimes I run a circular current, sometimes I reverse the circular current....

Every couple days I change the valves to keep it random.

Big E · #**366** 04/26/2004, 05:13 AM

I see, thats seems simple enough.

gregt · #**367** 04/26/2004, 07:20 AM

Here's some shots of the eductors from the opposite end of the tank. I'm still thinking of ways to make these less visible, although you don't really notice them when you're focused on the tank.

And here's one from the back.

G. Price · #**368** 04/26/2004, 10:32 AM

Greg,
Could you post a couple more pictures of the over the top of the sump plumbing to your pumps. I need to do the same thing but I worry about losing prime when the electricity goes out.
Thanks, George

BAJA272 · #**369** 04/26/2004, 11:16 AM

Greg:

You may have already thought of it but just in case you did not...Black Plexiglass would only leave the discharge visible.

Jeff

gregt · #**370** 04/26/2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by G. Price
Greg,
Could you post a couple more pictures of the over the top of the sump plumbing to your pumps. I need to do the same thing but I worry about losing prime when the electricity goes out.
Thanks, George

Sure. There's really not much too them. As long as the water level in the sump doesn't go below the top of the intake, you won't loose prime.

gregt · #**371** 04/26/2004, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BAJA272
Greg:

You may have already thought of it but just in case you did not...Black Plexiglass would only leave the discharge visible.

Jeff

My concern about doing that is that I'll have the dead space in the back corners of the tank. Maybe not really a concern... I'm just not bothered by them enough to worry about it yet. Maybe when I get bored...

VegasMike · #**372** 04/26/2004, 12:10 PM

Since we are taking our microscopes out to find duct tape, I thought I's point out that the fittings in the overflows appear to be 90 degree sweeps, not street els.

I love the tank and it may inspire me to gradually remove the little sand I have in the front of my tank.

gregt · #**373** 04/26/2004, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VegasMike
Since we are taking our microscopes out to find duct tape, I thought I's point out that the fittings in the overflows appear to be 90 degree sweeps, not street els.

I love the tank and it may inspire me to gradually remove the little sand I have in the front of my tank.

LOL What's the difference between a street el and a sweep?

MarkS · #**374** 04/26/2004, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VegasMike
Since we are taking our microscopes out to find duct tape...

I also noticed that he is no longer showing pics of his kitchen countertop.

Quote:

Originally posted by gregt
sard,

It's just to hold the pipe in place when I turn off the power and turn it back on it'll shift otherwise. I'll come up with a better solution eventually.

Are you refering to my question about the duct tape?

Rick Davis · #**375** 04/26/2004, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gregt
No way. I think tangs are the most overrated, pains in the you know what you could put in a reef tank. They're heavy load on the biofilter and most of them have horrible temperments. I'll never put another one in my tank

Amen brother! I lost a purple mask angel to a gold rim tang that sliced it open with it's caudal spine (they don't call them surgeon fish for nothing). And then there was the time a desjardini tang murdered my multicolor angel... I could go on & on.

Anyway, I just found this thread - congrats on such a well designed system & fabulous pics.

I honestly can't think of anything that could be improved on.

Except...

Maybe you could do the same thing in a different corner of the room and go with an all Fiji look? Then you would need to make many trips to Fiji to collect the livestock in person and we can keep bugging you for more progress pics.