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  #101  
Old 08/30/2004, 03:51 PM
rehren rehren is offline
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nice thread, good to see people building their own tank furniture.

do they have ikea's in canada? your kitchen/living room looks almost right out of a catalog... love the rug.
  #102  
Old 08/30/2004, 05:43 PM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by rehren
nice thread, good to see people building their own tank furniture.

do they have ikea's in canada? your kitchen/living room looks almost right out of a catalog... love the rug.
Yes, they do have IKEA in Canada, and the rug is from there. The kitchen is from Kitchencraft as are the doors on the new tank stand.

Thanks for the compliment.

If you have any suggestions or comments please feel free to chime in. I am really looking for any and all ideas, as I'm sure my ideas could be improved on some.
  #103  
Old 08/30/2004, 06:21 PM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Here are a couple more pics of the stand in progress.

This one shows me measuring for the cutting board (starboard) bottom.



This pic shows the blue cutting board installed.



And this one shows a close up of the board.

  #104  
Old 08/31/2004, 06:52 PM
steve68 steve68 is offline
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SWEET !!!!!
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  #105  
Old 08/31/2004, 07:38 PM
coondogg97 coondogg97 is offline
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Wow, nice to see all the progress on the tank. I cant wait to see it plumbed! Good job..

Brian
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  #106  
Old 08/31/2004, 07:59 PM
WaterDogs WaterDogs is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by littlesilvermax
Last pic for today is a pic of a massive sch 80 2 inch bulkhead. At least to me it seems huge. Any suggestions as to how to mount these things. With silicone or without. If the ones in the tank ever leak, it will drain the whole tank. Then the WAF would go down considerably.

Nice thread littlesilvermax ! On your bulkheads I would leave the rubber seals off and use aquarium safe silicone, it will last as long as the seams in your tank...

Also, I must compliment you for taking on such a large challenge into SPS care and an automated tank.
  #107  
Old 08/31/2004, 09:48 PM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by coondogg97
Wow, nice to see all the progress on the tank. I cant wait to see it plumbed! Good job..

Brian
You can't wait to see it plumbed! What about me!

Thanks for the compliments.
  #108  
Old 09/01/2004, 12:20 AM
Travis Travis is offline
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Just finished reading the thread. Looks like a well-planned setup. I had to chuckle to myself reading the comments about Mitch lying and all. Seems like everyone has the same story about him. However, if I got a glass tank I would get it from him too. Just too good of a deal to pass up.

How warm does your Hammerhead run?

How did you figure out the calculations to know the Hammerhead can effectively run that many eductors?

I know you are running 2 returns but have you considered running a second closed loop? The closed loop will be providing a large majority of the flow for your inhabitants. What happens if something goes wrong with the pump? I always like to have a back-up plan for redundancy. Of course you can always have an extra pump on hand to replace the CL if something happens. However, then you have to consider if you were on vacation when the CL pump goes down and you aren't home to swap out the pumps.

I noticed in one of your earlier posts that you broke the volute on your Hammerhead. The same thing happened to me with one of my Sting Rays. I hand tightened the fitting on the intake and then used a wrench to tighten it another 1/4-1/2 turn and "crack" it went. Unfortunately, MDM charged me $50 for a new one. I think the wet end housings on the reeflo line are pretty cheaply made. The housing on my 3200 seems to be about 10 times stronger.

Good luck with the new setup. I'm looking forward to watching it unfold.
  #109  
Old 09/01/2004, 02:20 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Travis Thanks for your comments!

My Hammerhead does not seem to run all that warm. It is warm to the touch, but definitely not hot. Does not seem to heat the water more than about 1 degree.

My calculations are kind of in my head. According to kthsales 3 or 4 eductors works well on an Iwaki 100. I can't remember all of my calculations at present but, I believe that means that 4 to 5 should work well for the hammerhead giving the amount of backpressure the eductors create. I figure the Hammerhead will deliver about 2400 - 2800 gph with the eductors, resulting in less then 10 PSI. I am not worried about this though because I have used the eductors at around 5 PSI and they worked well. At anywhere from 6 to 7 PSI upward they seem to still multiply flow by about 5. (I can back this up by personal experience) I wouldn't go less though. This should give me between 12000 and 14000 gph in tank flow from just the closed loop.

I do like redundancy. However, in this situation I feel that I can take the chance. The tank will still work fine without the CL pump working. Of course if I were on vacation for a long time I wouldn't want this to happen. I feel that I can take the chance, because I will probably eventually end up with 2 - Blueline 70 or 100 return pumps. Both of these will run eductors as well. . This should result in at least 10000 gph additional flow. So, if the return pump failed, I would still have 50 times flow in the tank. (Grunt, grunt)Not on an OM 4-way, but adequate non-the-less.

I can hardly wait to get my new volute for the Hammerhead. I will try to post some videos of the flow when I get it up and running.
  #110  
Old 09/01/2004, 02:28 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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WaterDogs Thanks for the compliments. I will consider using silicone on the bulkheads.

Does silicone actually stick to PVC or does it just act like a gasket?

I hope I am somewhat successful at keeping SPS. Living here in Canada, I have hardly even seen any SPS corals except in pics. I wouldn't even be trying if it wasn't for RC.
  #111  
Old 09/01/2004, 07:00 AM
mixer911 mixer911 is offline
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The silicone will stick to the bulkheads, but you have to clean them real good with acetone or denatured alcohol.
  #112  
Old 09/01/2004, 10:15 AM
Travis Travis is offline
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I just noticed you are in Winnipeg. Before I turned 21, my college buddies and I used to go up there for spring breaks and New Year's Eve's. I think I was up there about 5 different times. We always had a blast! Very cool city.

FWIW, I've never put silicone on my bulkheads and never will. It simply isn't needed. I've never had a problem with one leaking. IMO, you don't need to use silicone, especially since you are using sch 80 bulkheads which are a lot "meatier" than the sch 40's.
  #113  
Old 09/01/2004, 01:36 PM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Travis
I just noticed you are in Winnipeg. Before I turned 21, my college buddies and I used to go up there for spring breaks and New Year's Eve's. I think I was up there about 5 different times. We always had a blast! Very cool city.
Maybe I will have to trade some frags with you when I go on holidays down that way!
  #114  
Old 09/01/2004, 02:10 PM
melev melev is offline
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This thread is great. I can't believe all the holes you have in your new tank, but it's gonna be awesome. Are you putting a sheet of 1/2" rigid foam between the wooden platform and your new tank? Mitch told me to do so when we were debating that topic about my new 280g. So I did.

I too have never used silicone on any bulkheads. The rubber gasket goes on the inside of the tank, and you tighten from below. Tighten well, but don't overtighten.

Since you stated it is harder to get SPS in Canada, I'm wondering why you chose to build such a large SPS tank? Do you plan to drive into the U.S. to get your livestock?
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  #115  
Old 09/01/2004, 04:58 PM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by melev
This thread is great. I can't believe all the holes you have in your new tank, but it's gonna be awesome. Are you putting a sheet of 1/2" rigid foam between the wooden platform and your new tank? Mitch told me to do so when we were debating that topic about my new 280g. So I did.

I too have never used silicone on any bulkheads. The rubber gasket goes on the inside of the tank, and you tighten from below. Tighten well, but don't overtighten.

Since you stated it is harder to get SPS in Canada, I'm wondering why you chose to build such a large SPS tank? Do you plan to drive into the U.S. to get your livestock?
Melev, I was wondering if you were reading this thread. I hope to get some good suggestions from you. Yes, I am putting down a 1/2 inch sheet of styrofoam. I will be running the tank with fresh water in my garage to tweak everything. If the bulkheads don't leak, then I don't think I will put silicone on them when I move the tank into the house.

As far as SPS goes, I have one LFS that can get me frags. I have no idea how good they are. I do plan on driving to Florida for a vacation maybe this winter, and picking up some frags on my return. Maybe some generous souls reading this will offer to have me stop in to their place and relieve them of their crowded grow out tanks!

Thanks for the remarks.
  #116  
Old 09/01/2004, 05:18 PM
melev melev is offline
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I was thinking you'll have problems with customs if you import your corals, plus the additonal taxation. If you drive them in you might avoid some of those issues.

You might even find a reefer in the upper most part of the states to have your stuff shipped to, then you meet at that point to bring it to your home.

Admittedly, I miss many threads as I tend to focus on the ones I'm subscribed to, so if someone wishes for me to participate in another, a PM is all it takes. I was just out trolling for new threads last night and discovered yours amidst the "what is this?" and "are aptasias really that bad" and "why can't I use bioballs!?"



Just kidding guys, we all asked those questions at some point, including myself.
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  #117  
Old 09/01/2004, 09:19 PM
WaterDogs WaterDogs is offline
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The rubber seals work great at first, but as time goes by and SW deteriorates it, the seal hardens and takes a set then seepage starts and the bulkhead works loose; so given the rubber is only there to seal, by using silicone only the bulkhead can be both tight and will not work loose. Rubber and silicone is a bad combo pick one or the other. Get the details if possible when someone says they never have a problem doing it such and such a way; things like how much time has gone since a seal was put into service, etc...
  #118  
Old 09/01/2004, 10:04 PM
surfy surfy is offline
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Hey Little, looking great
I have a question. Sorry if you already stated in an earlier post, I am on a very slow dialup until the weekend.
Are you going to use check valves under the tank?

I'm now looking into the 4way OM unit and I will probably drill the bottom like yours but I'm not sure if I would need check valves just incase the pump/plumbing were to leak???
Kinda scary to drill the bottom like that.

I would just silicone those bulkheads in just to be safe. As water said don't use the rubber if you do silicone them in.
That tank looks huge with you in it,lol.

Looks like they gave you quality adjustment screws on the hinges too. Most of the cheaper ones I've used always break after a few turns. Then I have to tap them out or throw the hinge away.

Keep the pics comeing.
  #119  
Old 09/01/2004, 10:38 PM
melev melev is offline
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It looks like you used the white styrofoam, and I just wanted to tell you now that you need to replace that with the pink stuff from Home Depot. The white stuff is a kind Mitch told me to avoid using because it compresses too easily.
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  #120  
Old 09/02/2004, 12:50 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by melev
It looks like you used the white styrofoam, and I just wanted to tell you now that you need to replace that with the pink stuff from Home Depot. The white stuff is a kind Mitch told me to avoid using because it compresses too easily.
Good to know about the pink styro. I have used the white stuff in the past, and so does the LFS. It doesn't seem to compress much. I have it under my 100 gallon sump, and it works well.

Anybody else have good or bad experiences with the white styrofoam?
  #121  
Old 09/02/2004, 01:00 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by surfy
Are you going to use check valves under the tank?

I'm now looking into the 4way OM unit and I will probably drill the bottom like yours but I'm not sure if I would need check valves just incase the pump/plumbing were to leak???
Kinda scary to drill the bottom like that.

I would just silicone those bulkheads in just to be safe. As water said don't use the rubber if you do silicone them in.
That tank looks huge with you in it,lol.

Looks like they gave you quality adjustment screws on the hinges too. Most of the cheaper ones I've used always break after a few turns. Then I have to tap them out or throw the hinge away.

Keep the pics comeing.
No. I don't think I will use check valves on the bottom of the tank. I figure I just have to make sure it does not leak! Hence the testing in the garage. I have started the plumbing and hopefully will get some pics in the next couple of days.

I'm still a bit iify on the siliconed bulkheads issue. I am not sure that silicone actually sticks to PVC. Then when a bulkhead is turned it could break the silicone seal and cause a real mess. With the rubber gasket, even if the seal is turned slightly it won't start to leak.

Anybody with a 7 year old tank with original bulkheads?

Also, the hinges are kitchcraft. They are actually very easy to adjust. I took the lower doors off and put them in the basement for safe keeping. The gigantic hood was placed on the tank today, and I am quite proud of how it turned out. It is not done yet, but the doors work very well, look good, and are make accessing the tank a breeze. I will post pics shortly.
  #122  
Old 09/02/2004, 01:09 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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surfy Just another bit of info on the 4-way. I will have a ball-valve on each of the outputs of the 4-way. Also I will have a quick-disconnect on each output. That way I can remove the unit for cleaning, if the need arises.
  #123  
Old 09/02/2004, 01:50 AM
surfy surfy is offline
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by littlesilvermax
[B]

I'm still a bit iify on the siliconed bulkheads issue. I am not sure that silicone actually sticks to PVC. Then when a bulkhead is turned it could break the silicone seal and cause a real mess. With the rubber gasket, even if the seal is turned slightly it won't start to leak.

Very good point. I was actually thinking about that after I posted. I guess the safest way would be to just use the rubber gasket and silicone heavily around the bulkhead. Even this way can break the silicone if the BH is over tightened.
I wonder if superglue gel would work?

Thanks for the heads up on the 4 way. I still need to study it further.
My new tank will be here next week so I need to hurry and make up my mind.
  #124  
Old 09/02/2004, 02:31 AM
LittleBlueGT LittleBlueGT is offline
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by surfy
[B]
Quote:
Originally posted by littlesilvermax


I'm still a bit iify on the siliconed bulkheads issue. I am not sure that silicone actually sticks to PVC. Then when a bulkhead is turned it could break the silicone seal and cause a real mess. With the rubber gasket, even if the seal is turned slightly it won't start to leak.

Very good point. I was actually thinking about that after I posted. I guess the safest way would be to just use the rubber gasket and silicone heavily around the bulkhead. Even this way can break the silicone if the BH is over tightened.
I wonder if superglue gel would work?

Thanks for the heads up on the 4 way. I still need to study it further.
My new tank will be here next week so I need to hurry and make up my mind.
You probably said this already, but how big is your new tank? Do you have a thread started?
  #125  
Old 09/02/2004, 07:52 AM
mixer911 mixer911 is offline
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Silicone & Rubber gasket. Mine is dry as a bone. Just my experience. So far so good.

 

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