Pooky's 300 - Page 3

erics3000 · #51 08/02/2007, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pookstreet
Eric - what are you waiting for man. Get going already. I just checked out your thread and looks like you got a bit of action going on over there

Bart - which return pump are you using? I am running the Dart and it's quiet as heck. No, that ain't daddy's little girl, that's my son when he was about a year old He's 3 now and definitely look and act like a boy. My little girl is 15 months. And yes, she does look like a girl

Thanks Kenny.. I started on a weekend and then I had to leave for a month for business. I will be back next week and start working again.

I have a question about your dart. I ordered a tank with your same dimensions. I have a dart and an OM4. Does the dart have enough power to blow form one end across the tank to the other end. I am going to add some power heads for extra flow, but was wondering how strong the dart is.

thor32766 · #52 08/02/2007, 08:32 AM

sweeet looking tank!

pookstreet · #53 08/02/2007, 11:14 AM

Bart - man, you've been busy. We stopped at 2 and they are more than enough

Eric - you must be antsy to get back into the thick of it. I don't even need business travel to take a month to get a few things done with 2 little ones running around. I was hoping the tank would be half way done with cycling by now.

As to the Dart, it's pretty strong but the main issue is the volume of flow going through the sump. If mine was on full blast, it looks like a Category 5 rapids in my sump. Too many bubbles. I had to dial it back to reduce the turbulance. So with that said, it's probably not strong enough to go from one end to the other. However, I am planning on outfitting both the SS and the WavySea with eductors that will increase the strength of the output, but not the volume. I chose these 2 devices b/c the move individually. Besides adding a Tunze Wavebox for some wave action, I am hoping that I won't need any other powerheads inside the tank. I am shooting for an overall system that's as simple as possible to be both cost and enerygy efficient.

Thanks thor32766!

erics3000 · #54 08/02/2007, 11:43 AM

I am as Antsy as I can be. Thanks for the info Kenny. I was planning on using a 75 I have for the sump. I was planning on making a tray so the return lines dump on filter floss. That should help with the bubbles. You might even be able to put some rock under the returns with a baffle on that side. Have you looked at http://www.melevsreef.com/ he has a lot of good info. For extra flow, I was thinking of getting a few penductors.I like your sea swirls They are designed for higher pressure pumps but should help a little..

jeffreylam1132 · #55 08/03/2007, 04:52 AM

Great looking setup, Kenny. You know what, I am exactly in your situation. I have a beautiful 240 gallon thinking I can put it in the dining room. Bought it home and the wife said, "Oh my God, the tank is so BIG! Sorry honey, tank is not going in the dining room." You know how it is, wife is boss. So my second option, hey it looks perfect in the garage. Nope, tank are not meant to be in the garage. I was like, WHAT the heck do you want me to do then. She said sell it and get a smaller tank and it'll be perfect in the dining room. Couldn't argued with her, so now my beautiful 240 gallon is for sale.

Anyway, can't wait till the tank is all setup. How are you going to be dealing with the unstable temperature in the garage?

pookstreet · #56 08/03/2007, 11:46 AM

No worries Eric. I have a 120 that was chopped down to about 100 for my sump and it's about half filled. Yeah, I have looked at Melev's site many times. Some great ideas. I still have to add a bracket to hold a couple of filter socks, very similar to your idea of filter floss. I like using filter socks b/c they'll trap anything 100 microns or bigger and you can wash/reuse them. I may put some live rocks in there anyways, not for the bubbles but perhaps as extra biological filtration. I am still debating that though.

LOL Jeffrey. My wife first rejected the idea without looking at the tank. She actually told me I could upgrade to a bigger tank, but when I showed her how BIG, she said "Are you crazy?" So I told her if I was to upgrade, there is no sense in getting something smaller b/c it's just not what I wanted. Then she came up with the brilliant idea of putting it in the garage. Well, here we are

As for temp control, I still have to insulate the garage door and that should help keep it a tiny bit in terms of more stable temps inside. The garage is finished so that should help. I am also picking up a used Deltec Eco Cooler from a local reefer soon. It uses very little energy but is very efficient, which fits nicely in my scheme of running this system as energy efficient as possible.

erics3000 · #57 08/03/2007, 01:25 PM

Not sure if I mentioned this before. I had a friend who put insulation on her ceiling in her garage and it made a big difference. I am not sure how the house are in CA, I know my house in FL doesn't have insulation above the garage part of the ceiling. Maybe it is just because it is a new house. Just wanted to bring it to your attention if you already haven't checked it out..

jeffreylam1132 · #58 08/03/2007, 01:45 PM

Lucky you, at least your wife like the idea of going bigger and putting the tank in the garage. Mine, no comment.

pookstreet · #59 08/14/2007, 12:04 PM

Eric - my garage is finished with drywall all the way around when we bought it. So I have no idea if there is insulation in the ceiling but there is a room above. I am sure the drywall helps a great deal. The only thing I'll need to insulate is the garage door, which is just sheet metal right now. I am planning on buying some 1" or 1.25" styro sheets and cut to fit each panel.

Jeffrey - LOL. My wife became more understanding after over 10 years of marriage

pookstreet · #60 08/14/2007, 12:13 PM

Couple of updated shots.

Filter sock holder. I had the piece made by a local acrylic tank manufacturer SoCalCreations and added the side pieces to hold it up myself.

240 pounds of live/dead sand for ~1.5" sandbed all the way around. Some rocks will go in tonight. I'll add more sand around the rockwork to make it about 2" total once all the rocks are in.

erics3000 · #61 08/14/2007, 12:47 PM

Looks like things are coming along. keep the pics coming

cbui2 · #62 08/14/2007, 12:54 PM

great updates Kenny, do you have to move the skimmer aside to remove the socks?

pookstreet · #63 08/15/2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbui2
great updates Kenny, do you have to move the skimmer aside to remove the socks?

Nope, there is just enough room to squeeze the socks through. I am planning as many things ahead as possible and try to think of possible pitfalls down the road. Hopefully this system will be simple, easy to take care of, and energy efficient when it's all done. At least that's the plan anyways

pookstreet · #64 08/15/2007, 12:17 PM

Did a little bit of aquascaping last night and here is what I got. LMK what you guys think.

Took a pic of the tank before the rocks went in. It really cleared up since the last shot.

This is all the rocks I have so far. Some of the pieces must have weighed 60-70 pounds each. I figured I'll still need about 100-150 pounds more to finish. The basic idea is to have a main rock outcropping against the side with the overflow. A smaller and lower island will be formed to the right. I think that will give all the fish lots of room to swim in, offering them a channel to swim between the two rock mounds.

Here is a closer shot of the main rockwork. I still need to add a couple of larger pieces to build it up just slightly and maybe flatten the right side a bit so it'll have a gentler slope.

kamico · #65 08/15/2007, 02:15 PM

Wow! great Job Kenny!

cbui2 · #66 08/15/2007, 11:43 PM

those are some large pieces. how much more live rocks will you be getting?

pookstreet · #67 08/16/2007, 01:47 PM

Thanks Kevin.

Bart - It's hard to say how much more. I am looking for one nice big piece to finish off the main rock mound and some medium/large pieces for the rock island. Could be anywhere from 100-150 pounds.

pookstreet · #68 08/21/2007, 12:47 PM

Picked up some additional rocks this past weekend and I am almost done. Just need a couple more pieces for the island to finish it off.

The left side against the overflow

The right side island. Should I make the opening between the 2 rock piles wider or does that look ok? Like I said, I just need a couple of flat pieces to cap the island.

tanya72806 · #69 08/21/2007, 03:46 PM

Hey Kenny tank looks awesome so far. My only concern about the tank though would be the exhaust from the min van.

Kigs · #70 08/21/2007, 04:25 PM

nice progress Kenny

I like the aquascape... can't wait to see that thing packed with livestock

pookstreet · #71 08/21/2007, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tanya72806
Hey Kenny tank looks awesome so far. My only concern about the tank though would be the exhaust from the min van.

Thanks. For a second there I was wondering how you knew we had a mini van. Then I realized it's reflected in the tank

Yeah, I guess it's another thing to worry about but shouldn't be a problem if we kept the garage door opened a few minutes extra to vent out any exhaust.

Thanks kigs. I kinda like the open look more to give the fish more room to swim. There are also lots of space behind and within the main rock pile to hide and such. Once it's ready for livestock, I am almost sure it'll be packed pretty quick

cbui2 · #72 08/22/2007, 12:00 AM

i have one of those honda van too

crrichey · #73 08/22/2007, 01:45 AM

Couldn't you just cut the van like u did the sump?

Awesome tank I hope to have something similar after graduating, moving to iowa, joining the police force, finding a home with a finished basement, and finding a local company to come build the tank in said basement. Thats like what 5-6 years? lol

pookstreet · #74 08/22/2007, 11:12 AM

Bart - we love that van, especially with kids. At first, we were like "mini van?" NO WAY!!! But with the automatic doors and all the gadgets, it sure helps when your hands are full of kids and groceries

Thanks Cody. If I touched the van, the tank goes.......LOL.........The time frame is all up to you. Whenever you are ready. Mine took a while b/c I wanted to have kids first before starting a big project like this. A basement project would be awesome.

pookstreet · #75 09/04/2007, 03:57 PM

Finally some updates. Temps around here have been 105-110+ for over a week now. Amazingly, the tank never ran above 82 even with the garage in the high 90's. Of course, I have 2 fans on 24/7. One blowing across the sump and the other across the tank surface. Also, I don't have my lighting yet, just running 8 4' T5HO's temporarily for the time being. The MH and 5' T5HO's will be coming shortly. In an attempt to lower the tank temp and keep the garage a bit cooler, I bought about $150 worth of insulation materials and insulated the garage door over the holiday weekend. It was sweaty work but well worth it. The tank is running around 78-79 now and the garage is much cooler. Here are a few pix of the insulation going in.

Reflectix insulation to reduce radiant heat (the silver stuff)

1" styrofoam boards cut to fit each panel

And some additional foil tape for the seams to ensure a sealed air gap