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Chimeras Tank Build (Sump room, new tank etc)


chimera

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I couldn't wait to swap the 3/4" Sea Swirl with the 1" Sea Swirl so stayed up late tonight and plumbed it all up. Three words, Holy f@#$!@# CRAP! I have a new found respect for water dynamics and loss of flow due to reduction in pipe sizes. OMG. The flow that the 1" sea swirl puts out compared to the 3/4" is phenomenal to say the least. I have noted the following:

- The water level in the main tank has gone up by 5mm (only about 5mm from the top of the glass!)

- The overflow is much louder and the water level is nearly at the top of the overflow comb :-?

- The water level in the refugium has about 1mm clearance to the top of the glass and is so close to spilling over it isn't funny (tomorrows job cut the overflow lower)

- The water level in the refugium overflow has risen by 2 inches (no durso, no need)

- The water level in the 3rd section of my sump has dropped 3 inches!!!

- There are more micro-bubbles in the main tank because of the rate of water entering the sump

The biggest benefit is that the Iwaki return pump is running (sounds) SO much smoother... and of course the extra flow!

Hmmmm,...... what to do now.... I could restrict flow.... yeah right.

I tested blocking off half the overflow comb. The water level rises to within a couple mm's from the top. Far too risky to leave it in this state. I think the only feasible option is to cut the overflow lower in the main tank (as I'm going to have to do with the refugium anyway) Not happy about doing this. Damn it!

Help?!

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here's the return to the 1" sea-swirl all plumbed up

return-into-seaswirl.jpg

and a top down view of the back right showing how close the water level is now to the top of the tank. also shows a shot of the loc-line plumbing from the closed loop at the bottom.

top-down-right.jpg

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i had forgot to add a syphon break to my new 1" sea swirl... until last night. lucky i did coz i tested as it was and the return pump would have run dry once the power went back on!

the syphon break hole is lower on the 1" sea swirl than the 3/4" which meant more water back flowed. that meant more water overflowed out of the sump so when the pump turned back on, the water in the 'return' section would have completely emptied.

problem is i've only got about 20 litres left in the sump for the return if the power goes off/on. this isnt enough based on the size of the entire system. need to increase height of middle baffle in sump to hold more water - or completely redesign sump. my ups died a few weeks back too :cry: think it got too much moisture in it. need to mount outside the room.

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understand

my tank has a center brace of acrylic, due to bigger sump pump the water is now above this, meaning the surface in one half is not skimming... i am going to cut back the overflow slightly to solve this and keep the whole tank flowing nicely......

def go the biggest pipes you can

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i ordered some rowaphos from eaquanature which arrived yesterday. rowaphos removes phosphates and silicates. it looks quite similar to DI resin. i put it in a stocking then into the skimmer outlet between a folded piece of filter wool (as required if not fluidised). i wont be able to perform a "phosphate test kit" before and after test as there are no measureable phosphates from the salifert kit (yeah i know, get a merck test kit :D ) however i have a bit of diatom growth and not much colouring in my acro's. so, it will have to be measured 'visibly' based on reduction of algae and acro growth/colouring. will take photo's tonight and post again in a weeks time!

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I have that 'gorgonian' too. Although I am not sure it is a gorgonian, I think it may actually be a leather coral of some sort.

i had forgot to add a syphon break to my new 1" sea swirl... until last night. lucky i did coz i tested as it was and the return pump would have run dry once the power went back on!

2 reasons why this probably isn't a big deal. 1, because of the head height you are pumping water, you will find that when the pump has no water source, air will be drawn in, this means it cannot pump water back upstairs and the pipe is full of water, water will be pushed up the pipe a little, the fall back into the pump, so it goes up and down in the pipe keeping the pump wet. 2 the Iwaki pumps have a thermal cutoff anyway, so even if it does run dry the pump will turn it self off before any damage can be done.

My new sump system easily handels my water volume without the need for syphon holes in the sea swirls :)

ALSO. Won't increasing the size of the center baffle make the problem worse? What you need to do it decrease the size of the baffles to allow for less water in the sump to begin with, remember the only reason it can run dry is if you a loosing water (sump not big enough). Run less water in the sump, this more water capacity in the power outage.

Pie

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I got a gorgonian from a tank i recently striiped down the guy thought it was a softie. I put it on trade me. as you do :D

Reef then puts on the thread they arent allowed in so I withdrew the thread(ad)

SO where did you all get yours from then?

Need I ask really. Whats good for the goose isnt good enough for the gander!!!

Whats a gander anyway? :D

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It's what a group of geese are called. Like a group of crows is called a murder, a group of owls is called a parliament, a group of sparrows is called a host, etc. There are different names for groups of each kind of bird.

Isn't it a "gaggle" of geese? I thought a gander was a male goose?

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