280 gallon tank project has begun!!!!!!

[SawCJack00]

Hi Travis, just a quick point regarding exhaust fans. On my 450 setup, I used fans to exhaust heat directly out my basement windows. one day my carbon monoxide detector went off. We called minnegasco, and it turned out that the fans were creating negative pressure in the house causing the exhaust from the water heater to be sucked back into the house. If you're going to exhaust air, you'll need to make sure it's being replaced at the same rate in order to avoid creating negative pressure. The only solution for me was an upgrade to our central AC. You may be able do an air exchanger whihc would be less expensive and just as effective. I would at least have an expert check out your plan for the fan before going forward with it.

Cool clam tank BTW!

[Travis]

A Reef Scene, Lunchbucket, SOMEthinsFISHY, SawCJack00, Thanks. I'm really excited about the clam tank myself. I can't wait to get my clams in it and see what they really look like without having to open my canopy, turn off my pumps, stand on a stool, and look down from the top of my tank.

[Travis]

Originally posted by SawCJack00
Hi Travis, just a quick point regarding exhaust fans. On my 450 setup, I used fans to exhaust heat directly out my basement windows. one day my carbon monoxide detector went off. We called minnegasco, and it turned out that the fans were creating negative pressure in the house causing the exhaust from the water heater to be sucked back into the house. If you're going to exhaust air, you'll need to make sure it's being replaced at the same rate in order to avoid creating negative pressure. The only solution for me was an upgrade to our central AC. You may be able do an air exchanger whihc would be less expensive and just as effective. I would at least have an expert check out your plan for the fan before going forward with it.

Cool clam tank BTW!

Very good point. This has actually been the hardest part of the system to plan for me and I still don't know if I have it figured out yet. I did as much research as I could but still came up with a limited amount of information. HRV's sounded really nice but I don't think they would cut it in the hot humid summers around here. Air exchangers are an option, but I will only be installing one as a last resort since they are a bit pricey. Upgrading the AC would also be nice as would getting a dedicated AC for the tank room.

For now I'm going to try something that is affordarble at the moment and see how it works. If this doesn't do the job, then I will have to consider one of the above mentioned methods. Here is my plan: I purchased a Fantech 150 cfm exhaust fan. I chose this size as it is pretty close to the more powerful bathroom vent fans (I don't think anyone would worry about leaving their bathroom vent fan on all day). I will wire the exhaust fan to a dimmer switch. This will allow me to tweak how much air it moves so I can move just enough air to remove the humidity without overdoing it. For now, I plan to just run the exhaust fan mounted in the tank room like a vent fan. It will exhaust air outside. I'm not sure yet what I will do about replacement air. Right now, I'm hoping that I can get by with running the fan slow enough to replace the air with air from the house. Otherwise, I feel that with an intake vent in the tank room from outside will just replace the air with more warm humid air in the summer. Before I even plug in the fan, I will have several carbon monoxide detectors installed in the house. I also read a post where rbaker had the same problem you mentioned.

If the way I plan to set this up works (I'm keeping my fingers crossed), then I plan to make some pvc ducting in the tank room. There will be a duct that will be connected to the output of the chiller to immediately exhaust the hot air from the chiller. I will eventually build a canopy to enclose the lighting above the tank. I will connect another duct to one end of the canopy and have fans blowing in at the other end. This will exhaust the humid air from evaporation and the hot air from the halides.

Bill, what exhaust fan were you running?

[Travis]

Here is a shot of the fan:





The fan is rated for wet environments. The housing is able to come into direct contact with water. The fan is made to connect to 4" duct but I will use 4" pvc to avoid rusting of the ductwork from the corrosive humid air in the tank room.

[RGibson]

For replacement air get a 4 in dia dryer vent mont through the out side wall add a filter to the inside 4 in pipe and tie it in to return air of the furance. allso remove the vent door from the dryer vent. RGibson

[edfish]

Very interesting idea to use bathroom type fans. On the normal fan front, anybody seen a link for really silent fans?

[SOMEthinsFISHY]

real nice fan !!

[Travis]

Originally posted by RGibson
For replacement air get a 4 in dia dryer vent mont through the out side wall add a filter to the inside 4 in pipe and tie it in to return air of the furance. allso remove the vent door from the dryer vent. RGibson

Could you clarify a little more on how it would tie into the return air of the furnace? Also, what advantages would this provide over the furnace intake that is already there?

[Travis]

Originally posted by edfish
Very interesting idea to use bathroom type fans. On the normal fan front, anybody seen a link for really silent fans?

Just go to your local home depot, etc. They should have some fans on display. Listen to each one and find out what is quiet enough for you. IMO, anything under 1 sone is pretty much silent. Then you can do a search for a cheaper one on the internet. When I was shopping around for a fan I saw a lot of new ones on Ebay that were usually going for around 1/3 the retail price.

[RGibson]

Travis it will replace the air the fan takes out tieing it to the return air is the best way to do this,then no part of the house will have negative air pressure. RGibson

[Travis]

Originally posted by RGibson
Travis it will replace the air the fan takes out tieing it to the return air is the best way to do this,then no part of the house will have negative air pressure. RGibson

OK, that sounds like a good idea. Where do I tie it into the line? I'm not sure which part is the "return" air.

[Travis]

Because the tank will be skimmed heavily by an oversized skimmer, I needed to make a waste collection container that was larger than the average ones on the market so I wouldn't have to empty it every day. I got the idea for my collection bucket from GregT so I will call it my GregT collection bucket. I used an old IO salt bucket which holds around 6-7 gallons of liquid. On the lid I drilled a hole and added a toilet flush valve upside down. I also added a 1/2" hose barb fitting for the collection cup drain. When the bucket fills up the flush valve closes cutting off the air to the becket skimmer. This makes the skimmer stop skimming until the bucket is emptied. Just to be sure everything was air tight I put a bead of silicone around the holes drilled in the lid. I positioned the flush valve so that when it closes, the water level will be about 3" below the top for ease of emptying.

[Travis]

Next I needed to add something that would hold some carbon media because I will be running ozone through the skimmer. When ozone is ran through a skimmer it is recommended that carbon be placed at the air and water outlets to prevent ozone from getting into the air and display tank. I took a bulkhead fitting and melted the plastic in a bit to create a lip at the bottom. This will allow me to set a small bag of carbon in it and the lip will keep the carbon from falling down and preventing the flush valve from closing. Another benefit of running carbon at the air output is that it will help keep the smell of the skimmate out of the air.

[steve68]

cool....

[Lunchbucket]

ok that is just FREAKING WRONG!!! that much skimmate YUCK!!!

can't wait man i am getting excited to help out!

when the tank comming???

Lunchbucket

[Travis]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
ok that is just FREAKING WRONG!!! that much skimmate YUCK!!!

can't wait man i am getting excited to help out!

when the tank comming???

Lunchbucket

I'm estimating I will be collecting aroung 2 gallons of skimmate per day. It will be very wet skimmate.

Before I have the tank shipped I still have to:

-Close on the house (May 28)
-Reconstruct the wall where the tank will be (remove existing door, add cut-out for tank, add reinforcements).
-Add a new entrance to the tank room.
-Add 4 20 Amp breakers to the electrical panel for the tank room.
-Install the 30 dedicated GFCI's in the tank room.
-Install the ductwork for the fan.
-Put up the greenboard.
-Paint the fish room.

Then I can get the tank shipped.

I'm taking two weeks off from work to do all this stuff so I'm hoping I can get it all done and have the tank here by mid to late June.

[Tazzmacd]

4 20 amp breakers!!! Oh MY GOD!!! How much equipment are you going to be running. That is a **** load of power for one room. And I thought I was having over kill with 2 drdicated and a third that has the security panel and light for the laundry room running off of it available to me.

Dam !!!

Should be interesting to watch the build progress on this one.

Cheers!!

Pat

PS I should be starting mine in a couple of months once I get the basement finished

[SOMEthinsFISHY]

sounds like a plan !!

[Lunchbucket]

Travis you need help?? just call

Lunchbucket

[Travis]

Originally posted by Tazzmacd
4 20 amp breakers!!! Oh MY GOD!!! How much equipment are you going to be running. That is a **** load of power for one room. And I thought I was having over kill with 2 drdicated and a third that has the security panel and light for the laundry room running off of it available to me.

Dam !!!

Should be interesting to watch the build progress on this one.

Cheers!!

Pat

PS I should be starting mine in a couple of months once I get the basement finished

You asked for it you got it.

Keep in mind, the following list is only the equipment that will suck up more than 1 Amp.

PFO 400w HQI Ballast (5) = 22.75
PFO 250w HQI Ballast (1) = 5.5
Sequence Sting Ray (4) = 9.42
Sequence 3200 (1) = 1.94
Iwaki MD 70 RLT (1) = 2.9
Blueline HD 55 = 1.64
Aqua Logic Delta Star 3/4hp Chiller (1) = 13
Hayward Full Flo Actuating Ball Valve (3) = 5.4
Dehumidifier (1) = 5.5

Total Max Amp Draw (from all equipment that draws more than 1 Amp = 68.05 Amps

Note: This is the "Max Amp Draw". The only time that this many watts would be drawn all at once would be if the power went off and when it came on every piece of equipment listed above came on at the same time. Under "normal" operating conditions the number of amps being drawn will be much less.

BTW, good luck with your setup.

[Travis]

Originally posted by SOMEthinsFISHY
sounds like a plan !!

Sound like a LOT of work. I'm not sure if I know what I'm getting myself into.

[Travis]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
Travis you need help?? just call

Lunchbucket

Be careful what you offer. Next thing you know, your phone will be ringing off the hook.

[Lunchbucket]

oh well...could be fun man!! you know i enjoy this stuff buddy and reefers (specially here in South Dakota) need to stick together. if you hit me up early enough i can work around my schedual and stuff an prolly come help.

talk to you soon
Lunchbucket

ps - that foxface is a PIG...has a gut now thanks again for looking at him for me.

[Travis]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
oh well...could be fun man!! you know i enjoy this stuff buddy and reefers (specially here in South Dakota) need to stick together. if you hit me up early enough i can work around my schedual and stuff an prolly come help.

talk to you soon
Lunchbucket

ps - that foxface is a PIG...has a gut now thanks again for looking at him for me.

I have June 6 - 19 off. So if at any time during those two weeks you get bored come on down. I'm sure I will be doing something with the tank room every day.

Uh, Oh. It looks like someone just hit the big 1000.

[SOMEthinsFISHY]

congrats on the big 1K !!