View RSS Feed

Sheldon

Help Me Turn My 220 into a TOTM Candidate

Rate this Entry
13 Comments
by
Sheldon
, 07-14-2010 at 06:42 PM (1917 Views)
Hi fellow addicts, My name is Sheldon Wiseman and I live in Moncton, New Brunswick Canada. I have been involved in the hobby for about 8 years now. I started out like most folks with a 20 gallon "Nemo" tank after watching the movie with my kids about 30 times. Well 8 years and an entire line of credit later, I am now up to my dream system. Unfortunately, this current system is not my wifes dream system. It is far too noisey, and I can not figure out why. The purpose of this thread is to fix this tank and get it up to the standard of my previous tanks that although smaller, were visually more impressive. I will be adding a ton of pictures (once I learn how to post them) so everyone can see what I am talking about as I tend to explain things poorly. I am really hoping that this blog format will help me do what I have been unable to accomplish on my own.

I thought that the best way to tackle this task is to separate the objectives into categories.

1: Complete System Overview.

2: Current Plumbing and Equipment Issues.

3: Livestock and Landscape


OK so here is the gear.

This is the Front side
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_5886.jpg Views: 376 Size: 81.5 KB ID: 2314

This is the side viewing window that is next to the chair in the picture above.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_5887.jpg Views: 371 Size: 80.1 KB ID: 2316

This is the view from our main family room on the opposite side from the front.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_5894.jpg Views: 375 Size: 84.9 KB ID: 2317

The messiest sump room in North America.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_0035.jpg Views: 391 Size: 138.1 KB ID: 2322

So here is a fairly complete list of what is inside.

220 Gal Display. Mixed but mostly SPS Reef,
3 x Vertex 400 watt MH with XM 20K moguls,
2 x PFO 110W VHO Actinics,
Internal circulation provided by 2 x Tunze 6100, 1 x Tunze 6105,
66 gal sump,
Gen X PCX-55 return pump from basement sump room
Vertex Alpha 250 Kone Skimmer
GEO 6-18 Ca Reactor,
Profilux III EX. Controlling everything that plugs in on my reef including ATO on two digital powerbars and one analog powerbar. Also monitors PH and ORP. Temp controlled by Profilux Breeze 5
Profilux Dosing Pump currently dosing 2ml per day of VSV.
Aquafine DW-300 UV Sterlizer.
Purely H2O Oprtima Automated RO/DI


Here is the drain side. The drain lines were completely replaces with 1.5" pvc after this picture, but, the bulkheads and the elbows coming off the back are the same.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_5617.jpg Views: 382 Size: 66.8 KB ID: 2318


This is a top down view. You can see the overflow box directly below the eurobrace. The Eurobracing on this tank is 4 and 5/8" so it hangs over the top by 4" all the way around the tank.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_5618.jpg Views: 370 Size: 86.8 KB ID: 2319


These two pictures were taken tonight with my camera phone.
Click image for larger version Name: IMG_0034.jpg Views: 356 Size: 113.2 KB ID: 2320Click image for larger version Name: IMG_0033.jpg Views: 371 Size: 157.9 KB ID: 2321

Submit "Help Me Turn My 220 into a TOTM Candidate" to Digg Submit "Help Me Turn My 220 into a TOTM Candidate" to del.icio.us Submit "Help Me Turn My 220 into a TOTM Candidate" to StumbleUpon Submit "Help Me Turn My 220 into a TOTM Candidate" to Google

Updated 07-15-2010 at 01:34 AM by melev

Categories
‎ Tank - Full Summary , ‎ Plumbing , ‎ Questions - Need some input

Comments

  1. Midnight's Avatar
    Well lets see what you got. I believe that you have a wealth of knowledge at your service.
  2. Sheldon's Avatar
    Pictures added above to the system overview. The pictures are from last year, but, it is just to give you a sense of what is there. The algae issue visible on the flat side has been eliminated with the VSV. The first thing I need to fix is the overflow situation. My next update will include some pictures from inside the canopy detailing the overflow and the plumbing. This is where the major problem is located.
  3. Midnight's Avatar
    Wow that is actually a HOT setup. I can see why you want to fix the little things. What size drains do you have is the first question I have and how much flow do you perceive the return pump is actually producing as it is coming from the basement?
  4. Midnight's Avatar
    Also, where do you think or know the noise is coming from?
  5. Hat39406's Avatar
    That is a beautiful setup!!! That dark wood is very nice too! I can't wait to see closer shots of ya inside of the tank. Did you do all the woodwork?
  6. Sheldon's Avatar
    OK the overflow is on the end of the tank. The overflow box measure 15" long x 2" wide and 6" tall. It houses two 1" bulkheads that go straight through and open up to two 1.5" flexible spa type PVC lines until they meet the floor. This drop is close to 6'. They enter a 90 degree turn made with two 45 degree rigid elbows. The rigid line are then gently sloped to the sump room some 35' away. At the end of the line they drop another 4' to the sump. The flow seems to be right as it does not get too crazy. The return pump is pressure rated and I think it is still doing over 700gph after head losses. I used the RC Head Loss calculator to make sure I was using an appropriate pump. The pump is returning to the tank via a 1" flexible hose line. I added some pictures of the plumbing and the drains. Again, some of these are from the initial install a year and a half ago.

    The noise is a really loud trickle. I may try to make an audio file of the noise. I have a feeling that since it is not a gurgle it is just the sound of the water going through the overflow and is being amplified by the glass on the eurobrace. There is about 1/4" gap between the top of the overflow and the eurobrace. The echo goes through the house and is like Chinese water torture to my wife when we are upstairs in our bedroom.
  7. Sheldon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Hat39406
    That is a beautiful setup!!! That dark wood is very nice too! I can't wait to see closer shots of ya inside of the tank. Did you do all the woodwork?
    I did the parts we are not happy with, such as the plumbing and the aquascaping, but the woodwork was done by a professional cabinet maker.
  8. Midnight's Avatar
    How far is the water dropping from the teeth of the overflow to the water surface inside of the overflow? The trickle that you describe is usually the water fall effect of water dropping into the overflow. couple of ways to remedy this are raise water level in the overflow with plumbing or create a slope for the water to glide down instead of the cascading waterfall. If this does not make since or you need more info let me know. The two 1" bulkheads make the 700 GPH to the tank at their capacity as if I remember 1" is only 350 GPH. Thankfully you are not using a full durso which creates a siphoning effect which would cause a gurgle. On a tank this size there really should be two 1.5" drains for safety. I originally had two 1" drains on my 135 that I changed to returns and drilled 2 new 1.5" drains in my overflow. Luckily my tank is acrylic so it wasn't a big deal.
  9. Midnight's Avatar
    I just saw the picture of the fish room. where do all those wires and hoses go?
  10. melev's Avatar
    That's a very nice setup. If you can keep the water stable for a couple of years, I don't see why this tank couldn't be TOTM-worthy. Right now it looks young.

    The drains are small and are part of the reason why are hearing the gurgling. That very long drain run to the sump is a factor as well.

    If you can work your way through the fishroom tidying it up with some cord management, I bet it would look nicer in no time.
  11. Sheldon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Midnight
    How far is the water dropping from the teeth of the overflow to the water surface inside of the overflow? The trickle that you describe is usually the water fall effect of water dropping into the overflow. couple of ways to remedy this are raise water level in the overflow with plumbing or create a slope for the water to glide down instead of the cascading waterfall. If this does not make since or you need more info let me know. The two 1" bulkheads make the 700 GPH to the tank at their capacity as if I remember 1" is only 350 GPH. Thankfully you are not using a full durso which creates a siphoning effect which would cause a gurgle. On a tank this size there really should be two 1.5" drains for safety. I originally had two 1" drains on my 135 that I changed to returns and drilled 2 new 1.5" drains in my overflow. Luckily my tank is acrylic so it wasn't a big deal.
    The water is falling 2.5" inside the overflow. There is no gurgle, just an overwhelming sound that is more like a trickle. The drain holes are doing the job as the pump is fully open with no restriction. I am not opposed to re drilling it with some 1.5" bulkheads. The problem is the cabinet will have to be dismantled including the canopy portion. Because the overflow is tucked up under the eurobrace, I will have to tear down the tank completely to get at it. That sounds bad, but, I am not opposed to it as I hate the current landscaping. I want to have a solid landscape plan before I start as I will take a weekend and completely overhaul the tank. If I can do it all in one weekend and then put it back together the issues should be minimal. In the past, I have had internal overflows like Melev's 280 with a proper durso standpipe, but, I was trying to conserve realestate this time so I went with the glass holes type box.
  12. Hat39406's Avatar
    That is a nice size fish room. I have a little closet next to my tank that I was thinking of taking over from the wife..lol..but I don't think that would happen. heh
  13. Sheldon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Midnight
    I just saw the picture of the fish room. where do all those wires and hoses go?
    LOL, most have a purpose. Some just need to be cleaned up from previous set ups. On the right hand side there is a bunch of network cables that connect to the Profilux equipment. There are cables for the Digital powerbars, the Tunze control cables. Those are all essential, however, since they are permanent, I could put some sort of cable tie on them. Coming away from the controller to the sump are the various probes, four in total. The dangling lights above the sump can go as it was just there for the refugium I had in the sump. I got rid of the refugium when I started doing the VSV as the chaeto was dying off and it was causing a horrible amount of coraline algae in the sump and the skimmer body. Some of the other stuff is just hangin on hooks and need to be cleaned up. No one goes in that room and I kind of have a handle on it all so it works for me, but, once the display is fixed