Hello From Southern England

[ben1987]

oOoOo nice tank

you use a red torch at night, and you can see all sorts of weird things in your rock.

 

[james morrisontoxic2]

wow that looks awsome bud good luck with it

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Most marine critters cant see red light (something to do with the red part of the light spectrum not penetrating very deep in water so most marine life doesn't see it).

Yeah, most marine tanks do just have 1 massive wall of rock and that is what is perpetuated as being necessary. With decent water movement and good quality liverock (i.e. good porous stuff with lots of surface area inside and outside the rock) you really don't need so much and it starts to have a negative effect on the tank. You end up with areas of the rock that get no flow at all (therefore adding nothing to the tanks filtration) and have massive amounts of debris build up under the rocks which just rots away.

Your return pump will add to the flow but in general they are pretty poor for getting good water flow into the display (they have a linear "jet" like flow rather then a wide flow like most power heads). You can change this by having your return split and set up a bit like a closed loop system but I would still recommend a couple of powerheads.

If you want to go for a cheaper option look on ebay for sunsun power heads. They are cheap koralia knock offs but apparently they are pretty good and are a fraction of the price.

Regarding LR in your sump. It doesn't really matter where you place it as long as its getting a good amount of flow over it. I would put it in the first chamber.

Regarding humming pumps in the sump. I feel your pain, our tank is in the living room and the overflow is loud as hell. Unfortunately its too late for me to do anything about that now. One tip for the pumps though. Get some coarse and fine filter foam and put a few layers under and around the pump. Put the fine filter foam closest to the pump and the coarse stuff on the outside. Also make sure the cables arent touching the edge of the tank (this often causes a lot of noise).

This has the benefit of giving you some mechanical filtration (often lacking completely in berin style setups and for some reason frowned on by reef keepers) and it deadens the noise from the pump. Just make sure you clean the foam out regularly (like every couple of weeks).

IMO the berlin method works better with less rock. Just seems somewhere along the lines us marine keepers got it into our head that we need to fill 60% of the tank with it

 

[drsquirrel]

Hi. Thanks for your input, great to hear all these inputs. Not 100% on anything yet, really. I'd already gone out at the start with the intention of keeping it simple for the first year or two, so got a T8 setup, twin 48W bulbs. The rock was something else I'm not too sure about, how much that is. It's something that could take over the tank quite quick from the looks of a different LFS, a closer one to me (but has more of a shop feel about it than the other one mentioned). Their main display is very nice, but has a massive wall of LR across the entire back length. I need to balance looks against the Berlin beneficial settings, somehow, and your suggestion of breaking up some of the rock into the sump. Into the first stage, or with the plants and mud?

There was a 2nd Hydor Koralia Evolution 4000 not in the tank at the time, it went back in today as I had to swap it with LFS as it was making a loud hummmmmm, compared to the one on the left. With the massive return pump flow, and two of these, should that be okay? The flow rates are quoted as 4000lph each. The tank is 425, so that without the sump x15 would be 6,375lph. split between 2 of these, should that be okay?

I've also waited for the skimmer, I'm not sure what one to get. I know by the time I get the CUC in I'll have to get one. Only problem is that I have issues putting anything else in the sump itself that can generate noise. Only because the amount of noise through vibration I got off my Ehiem 1262 return pump while it was submerged in there. I'd want to get something external. Even if it does make the cupboard underneath look a right mess with tubes and cables everywhere. Rather go silent and the cost of it looking terrible in there.

That silence issue leads me onto today’s purchase from the local plumbers. I'm going to attempt to make my own Dursto drain. Wish me luck! Photos later on of what I've got. LOTS of towels on standby. Best get this right before I stock the tank up any more...

Cheers again!

Al.

You *could* plumb the skimmer without the pump...

As for skimmers to get, the cheapest around are the TMC V2s, though general opinion on these aren't great, and the Deltec ones are a bit pricey, so I went for a Turboflotor 3000, £165 delivered. I looked at the 1000 model but as I wanted for 500l "needed" to get the 3000 which does 500-150l (and it's only a bit more cost wise, why not oversize if you can). A 2000 model would have been better for me if they exist

Not that impressed with the OceanRunner pump for it, around the same lph as my return pump... but twice the size it almost doesn't fit in my sump!

Your sump area will probably end up looking a mess no matter what you try

Obviously I'm just starting up too so I'm not an expert in this area... when you get a skimmer though you might be disappointed at how "simple" they look


And thanks for reading my journal, thought I would read yours too you're a bit further along than I am though...

 

[APG78]

Evening all.

Well, got what I thought I needed for my custom Durso drain, no good - the bulkhead connector I have from bottom of the tank through is an odd size.

NOTE TO SELF: Max width of the bulkhead is 42.5mm

Have to leave the pump off tonight and go to plumbers FIRST thing tomorrow morning - only a 1 min drive round the corner from me, opens at 7.30am too! Will get photos up when I have some recharged batteries around, got about 12 all totally flat, oops...

Will leave the light on for the weed in the sump, and the heaters on, and the Koralias - that be okay you think for another 8 hours? Not really started to cycle with that little LR

I think...

 

[APG78]

Cheers - red led torch on order.

Plumbing merchant pleased to see me at 7.30 this am. And I'd missed the obvious - I didn't need a reducer, so it connected straight up. Doh... only problem is the flex hose is a VERY tight fit and only goes in a little way - but as there isn't too much pressure or movement, I've added lots of that extra smelly solvent to seal it.

Sounds ok to me, but the wife thinks it sounds the same?! What the hell? No win then for me there. It IS slightly quieter, as it's not gargling now. Oh well, test will be when we try and watch telly. If we have to have the volume up as loud as before, back to the drawing board.

AND - - - WOO HOO! Got a call from LFS and they're delivering my new cured live rock to my home for free tomorrow. Hope the boss doesn't watch the clock on my break tomorrow. Could take a moment or two, don't want to leave it out for too long.

 

[APG78]

[/quote]


You *could* plumb the skimmer without the pump...

As for skimmers to get, the cheapest around are the TMC V2s, though general opinion on these aren't great, and the Deltec ones are a bit pricey, so I went for a Turboflotor 3000, £165 delivered. I looked at the 1000 model but as I wanted for 500l "needed" to get the 3000 which does 500-150l (and it's only a bit more cost wise, why not oversize if you can). A 2000 model would have been better for me if they exist

Not that impressed with the OceanRunner pump for it, around the same lph as my return pump... but twice the size it almost doesn't fit in my sump!

Your sump area will probably end up looking a mess no matter what you try

Obviously I'm just starting up too so I'm not an expert in this area... when you get a skimmer though you might be disappointed at how "simple" they look


And thanks for reading my journal, thought I would read yours too you're a bit further along than I am though...
[/quote]


Hi - Got the rock on order for tomorrow, another 22>23Kg to add to the 5>7 in already. Should nearly do it. Best start looking into skimmers then? Been looking around on eBay, found something nice for about a hundred quid, might go for that. LFS say always double up on a skimmer capacity, might as well. Better than under do it I guess.

Might have to wait until pay day for that though, after the rock!

 

[Morri]

If your Durso is still gargling you need to drill the top part add an air line through the top pass it quiet deep a good 6" - 9" into the pipe (that goes to your sump not the tank) add tap to tap exposed end of the air line tweak this adjustment until the durso is silent.

Meh forget to say i use the Turboflotor 3000 Blue on mine very pleased with it but switching to a deltec as I am tryying to recover some cabinet space

Mine in Use

 

[APG78]

If your Durso is still gargling you need to drill the top part add an air line through the top pass it quiet deep a good 6" - 9" into the pipe (that goes to your sump not the tank) add tap to tap exposed end of the air line tweak this adjustment until the durso is silent.

Meh forget to say i use the Turboflotor 3000 Blue on mine very pleased with it but switching to a deltec as I am tryying to recover some cabinet space

Mine in Use

That's an effective looking bubble machine!
I'm trying to picture the air-line. I've got about 5 small holes in the top of the cap. Am I correct in thinking that just keeps the water line at the right height to keep the horizontal section of pipe at the top half full? I'll have a search on here to see if I can spot this modification method. I'll have to tank another look when I get home to see if the sump hose is submerged. I guess this makes a difference too?

Thanks, Al.

Oh, I also spotted something new on the rock at lunch today. (I never thought I'd be getting that excisted about a tiny clam?)

Any ideas?

As well as what looks like a mini anenome? There is also something that moved behind it, but I need to get a proper lens to see it...

Al.

 

[Morri]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/287266-tinas-twin-bommies/page__st__40

I rembered where i seen all the info try

 

[APG78]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/287266-tinas-twin-bommies/page__st__40

I rembered where i seen all the info try

Hi - I'm guessing it's as quiet as it's going to get then, as it's a single pipe setup? Cap holes seem to be just about right, will know for sure if I find a flooded floor or not? Might try blocking a hole at a time. Do have a spare valve hanging around too - might be easier than filling and drilling.

 

[Harry1996]

you could put some pipe cover on the pipes? im likeing your tank. also those mini anenomes are aptasia they are bad for corals so i would burn them with a soldering iron or when the tank is cycled buy some peppermint shrimp.

 

[Morri]

Is your cap removable ? the idea behind the air pipe is that it will make noise but it is baffled by all the water 6" down I would try it I had one of these slightly modified but it was silent

I use dual standpipes now a little trickier to fine tune but have an extra pipe in case of a blockage and is also silent

Doh just spotted have you glued your durso up or is it just pushed on as I think you may have it on the wrong way after the last 45 just need switching round I think so the T piece with the cap on is over the drain pipe

 

[APG78]

Is your cap removable ? the idea behind the air pipe is that it will make noise but it is baffled by all the water 6" down I would try it I had one of these slightly modified but it was silent

I use dual standpipes now a little trickier to fine tune but have an extra pipe in case of a blockage and is also silent

Doh just spotted have you glued your durso up or is it just pushed on as I think you may have it on the wrong way after the last 45 just need switching round I think so the T piece with the cap on is over the drain pipe

Oh, I think I see what you mean,,, the cap should be above the down section, not having to go against the flow? Nothing on the pipe in the overflow has yet been glued in case I make one of these mistakes. I'll try swapping that round to look more like:

Is that what you meant?

 

[Morri]

Yip spot on