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Bobcat's 75gal First Reef Build


BobcatReefer

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So far, so good. Had a brain cramp while getting the sump/fuge levels right and dumped some over the top, but overall pretty much as expected. Definitely see some design flaws, but easy ones to fix: Main return pipe needs to be submerged in the sump. Fuge returns need to have more holes drilled, and maybe capped.

8e64097e553c9487706f154572ec6a0f.jpg

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...am I going to come home to a room full of water today?

heh... Power outage test showed that I'm screwed unless I add a check valve. Even w/ my siphon break on the return fitting, water will still trickle because the lower arm of the locline Y is still below the waterline.

Need to get working on those Stockman silencers, because this thing is loud as all get out!

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Thanks! It actually came together much easier than I had thought it would. Used extra thick superglue gel so that placement is where it is for life. I tried to make plenty of swim-thru holes, overhangs, and still have lots of flat space for corals. Also wanted a ton of open area so it wasn't just a mass of rocks piled on the back wall. Pretty happy w/ how it turned out!

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meh - just annoying mistakes. Go to youtube vid for Stockman build and the guy says 1.25" compression coupling, you buy the 1.25" compression coupling. But you really need the 1" compression coupling. And the hardware store isn't open after 7, so there's only time for 1 trip per night. The overflows are SO FREAKIN LOUD!!!

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It's a single drain overflow (well, two of them on opposite sides of the tank), and both those solutions are multiple drain solutions, no?

Only one is loud, because the one going to the fuge is backed down quite a bit. I'm going to try the Stockman and if it works, bueno. If not, I'll give the Hofer Gurgle Buster a shot.

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Is it the water falling that is loud or the actual syphon sucking? Mine was a single and was loud from water falling I just put a square filter songs in it and cut a whole in the back corner of sponge just invade it get clogged up so it can still drain and it brought the noise way down

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I'm not familiar with HOB's. Two questions...is the noise from water falling into the box? I can't tell from your pics, do you have any type of valve on the drain to slow down the amount of water that leaves the HOB which would raise the level of water in the box?

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ah...that's the issue then. the drain pipe can handle more than the return pump is pushing into the tank. two solutions: 1 - buy bigger pump, 2 - put a valve on it. I've always had valves on all of my drain lines.

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It's got a valve on it, I just don't want to use it for that purpose. grin.png

Maybe I am overthinking it, but I'd rather have it going full out than not, given that I have the other one restricted. Basically, I'm scared to death I'll screw it up and overflow my tank. bye.gif

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I'm not exactly sure how the HOB work but are you able to set one up as an emergency overflow and have water go down it only it the water level got too high then you could restrict your main overflow to match the pump output.

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Well, I gave it a go backing down the flow and my suspicion was confirmed - very tough to find the right point where it was quiet, but still w/ enough flow to keep up w/ the pump. Got the Stockman installed and we're down to a much more manageable low gurgle.

Next challenge: installing a check valve on already installed plumbing. That should be fun! doh.giflaugh.png

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I don't like check valves and I don't think restricting flow from the drain is good. It's better to throttle the pump. Put the valve on the pump and adjust flow. It won't hurt the pump. Drill a hole in whatever delivers water to the tank. A small hole. It's a siphon break. Put it just above the water line. Power goes out and drain finishes and siphon breaks stops tank from draining. Practice power outages and the adjust water level in sump. Unless I misunderstood this setup and in that case never mind

Edited by bige
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The return enters the tank too far below the water line for the siphon break to work - I should have put it higher, but I didn't. Live and learn.

The only reason I've seen to not have a check valve is that they fail, typically over time. My plan is to upgrade this setup within 3 years, so I'm not too worried about it.

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OK, next up: tank cycling. It's been 10+ years since I've done this, and the last time I did it, I just tossed a couple of damsels in for 2 weeks and considered it done.

All the LR in the tank today was sitting in a tub w/ sw, heater and pump for the duration of the tank swap. About a 10 days ago, I turned off the pump and heater to see if I could draw any more worms out (nope), and then they were left out on the deck for about 48 hours before I put the scape together. Sand is 40# Original Grade Ocean Direct Live Reef and 40# Fiji Pink Arag-Alive! and water has been in for about 4 days now. There is also a 4" DSB of live sand from the old tank in the fuge, but I'm not sure how "live" that is right now, after sitting in a bin (w/ sw) for ~6 weeks.

All I've done so far is throw a couple cubes of food in. Haven't put the lighting up on the DT, but the fuge light has been going 24/7.

Nitrates are <10ppm. Nitrites = 0. Ammonia = 0

Thoughts? Suggestions?

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The nitrates showed no sign of rising, just hovering around 5-10, but the last 24 hours had a bloom of algae, both on the sand and rock, so I put everyone in the display tank to do work. Took a toothbrush to the rocks, magnet to the glass, turkey baster to the sand before adding the fish, and I'm mixing batch of new water for a change now (20g/25ish%).

Salinity is a high 36 - need to drop that to 35

Temp is 76.8-78.2 - think I can get the high down by dropping the target setting

Lighting is pre-programmed setting now, thinking of reducing it until I get corals. Thoughts?

Zone 1 WHITE START 9:00 - END 17:00 [1100-1600]
Zone 2 BLUE START 8:00 - END 20:00 [1000-1900]
Zone 3 NIGHT START 20:00- END 6:00 [1900-0100]

Fuge lighting is 16on/8off (18/6? can't remember) - go 24h on?

Here's what's in the tank today:

Ocellaris Clown
Orange Diamond Goby
Brittle starfish
Coral banded shrimp (somehow lost an arm over the last week)
Cleaner shrimp
Urchin
4 Nassarius snails

This weekend I'll clean the temp tank and get it ready for new fish! Right now I'm thinking a Tiger Cowrie and a fighting Conch for algae help, maybe a couple of Nerite snails?

Fish:

Electric Indigo Dottyback and/or Indigo Dottyback

Rainsford Goby

Pistol Shrimp/Yellow Watchman Goby

Tailspot Blenny

Harptail Blenny

Thoughts on fish additions? Don't think Orange Diamond and Watchman should have conflict, right? Watchman isn't a sand feeder so that should be OK. Nothing else stands out as an issue to me. Is two too many Dottybacks for a 75g?

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