Marty's 180g [My Elusive Shrimp]

I'm sure glad I don't rely on one of these 'check valves' to keep my basement sump from overflowing in a power off/ power out. I don't, and won't have one.

NOt that you are relying on one to prevent floods in our system Marty, your system looks as though it's going to be awesome.

 

My sump should be able to contain 20-25 gallons of back-flow if need be, but with check valves and high return line exit points there should not be too much siphoning off anyway. I'm putting on 3" blade on the ends of my loc-lines. Turned sideways a siphon should break after no more than 10-15 gallons. At this point that is guestimation on my part, though.

 

It's here, my SRO-3000I has arrived...

...but it has been a bad start to the week. The subpanel got bought off by the inspector, but the subsequent findings on existing panel mean big safety issues for my house.

No grounding rods installed
No grounding on my water supply hot or cold
No grounding on my gas lines
100 amp meter socket not big enough to feed 125 amp panel
No main bonding jumper on existing panel
No connector on metal conduit in existing panel
Weather head covered by siding

Have another contractor coming out Wednesday to do all this work. Power to my house will be completely cut by power company for 4-6 hours.

$1100 later we will be up to code and ready to begin demo on my reef room.

Not a good start to the week. I was hoping to have been building my tank stand wall insert this week.



At least the trickling in of goodies can give me a temporary smile. lol

 

With the delay in the build a fit of rage caused me to drive to Lowe's at lunch and buy some egg-crate (3/4") for the bottom of my tank. lol

Though I did not realize it would cost $15 per 2x4 sheet, I found it in the "ceiling enhancement" section if anyone is looking for some.

 

Just a small shipment received today, not too exciting. My fishy net and my jumbo mag-float. There were a couple 7" filter shocks in the box too.

 

Demo Has Begun

Well, the day has finally come to start demo. ;D

We will be removing the wall between the old office and the laundry room to make an expanded laundry/reef room. We can actually get down to business now that no more inspections will be done.


This first picture is taken from the old office. Behind the wall being demo'd is the laundry room. This will be one room now. The wall on the right with the doorway will be closed off and the tank will be set into the wall there.



This next photo looks down from the laundry room towards where the fish tank stand will be built.



This will be the viewing side of the tank, this room will be the home theater/reef viewing room.



Now we are getting somewhere. This will be where the tank will go. Imagine this hole filled with glass, water, fishes and corals. ;D;D;D



More demo tomorrow...

 

You can drill a small hole or two near the top on the first segment of loc line which will break the siphon once the water back siphons to it.
That way, you can keep the blade nozzle pointed horizontal and low in the tank if you desire.

Great progress!

 

Great idea! Maybe just an 1/8th inch hole in the tops of all my loc-line y splitters will do the trick. Thanks.

Thanks, just so happy to finally be moving forward instead of stocking my basement, which looks like a LFS right now. lol

 

Refined sketch and plumbing plan:


Closed loops #1 and #2 will consist of 2" bulkheads/strainers for outflow, 2" gate valve, 2" union, Reeflo Dart Hybrid pump, 1.5" from pump to 1" gate valve (flow) w/unions, to 1" reducer, to union, to SCWD, from SCWD to 1" unions, to 3/4" reducers, to 3/4" gate valves, to twin 3/4" bulkheads and split 3/4" loc-lines. (elbows and slip fit runs implied) The dart hybrid will be flow controlled to keep squid on a 30 second switch schedule (approx 3500 gph is the max they recommend).

Over-flow system will be 1" drains, to 1" bulkhead/strainer, to 1" union, to 1" gate valves, 1" union, then running to bubble tower in sump

Return will be from Sicce 3.5 3/4" tube T'd off with in-line true union slip fit flapper valves and 3/4" and in-line gate-valves. A Sicce .5 will feed the fuge into a spray bar.

WC and ATO will be fed from 1/2" plumbing to the return pump area. There will also be a manifold to pump water of of system directly into the wash basin. And a correction: the fresh water 20 gallon holding tank will be pump fed to the return area of the sump instead of directly plumbed with shut-off valve. The freshwater reservoir will have a DIY float device indicator so I know when it is running low (pump insurance)

The system will be on the other side of this wall.

 

More demo today. The old wall to the laundry room came down (it was not even lagged into the concrete) and the ceiling panels came down so we can start working on rewiring the outlets and lights to the new sub-panel in the garage.

The electrician will be coming back tomorrow to separate the ground wires from some of the neutrals as some of them were wired together in the main 125 amp panel. Could cause issues so it's a cheap fix.

Also received a couple boxes of goodies. My humidity sensing fan came in, so we can keep the reef room at lower than 50% humidity. Also, received my Cicce 3.5 return pump for my sump, some tubing and pvc fittings for my ATO reservoir and water change container.

I should be getting my 150 pounds of rock and 240 pounds of sand early next week. Also the Sicce .5 pump to feed my refugium should arrive. Maybe tomorrow.

With the wiring work, framing, sheet rocking and the roof work tomorrow, I am guestimating we are about 3-4 weeks from filling the tank with RO/DI.

There is allot to be done between now and then.