afgun

Updates!

BRS is sending a new pump. Should be here in the next couple of days.

Frustrated with my high TDS after adding the piggyback RO cartridge and watching rejection rate basically go to 0, I determined that both membranes are somehow shot now Testing one cartridge at a time confirms the results. However, the good folks at BFS are now taking care of me, and are MUCH more helpful than my old RODI supplier, including talking to me after-hours and shipping my system that same day! New system will hopefully be here by the end of the week.

Dosed household ammonia up to 2ppm and daily dosing of bacteria. Still waiting for it to drop... I'm just anxious I guess.

Next projects:

Connect pump to drain for semi-automated water changes

Acquire/build tank for ATO to be mounted in stand above sump

The booster pump arrived yesterday; unfortunately the mounting bracket was damaged in shipping

So... have to wait and see how BRS wants to address this before installing it and making more RODI. I got an ammonia test kit yesterday and it shows between .1 and .25... nothing on nitrites yet. Going pretty slowly, so I think I'm going to dose household ammonia to kickstart the tank. It's off to the grocery store today!

I picked up the Bubble Blaster 3000 yesterday. Plumbed it in today and squeeeeeeeeeezed the skimmer into the sump. When I fired it up... WOW that thing puts out the air! Now I need to get a valve and make a silencer for it. I don't know if it will be worth the effort to convert to recirc... it looks to me like it will do a fabulous job without.

The test kit that I bought doesn't have ammonia... doh, what an oversight. So I'll head out to the store this evening to pick one up. A nitrite test today showed 0, but I'm not really surprised as the 2 shrimp we dropped in the sump only disintegrated today. I also forgot that I had bought some stability, so I started dosing it today.

I am going to order up a couple of bulbs for the Pacific Sun fixture. My RODI booster pump should arrive by the weekend, so I'll have a little fun setting that up. Otherwise, things are basically in a wait mode now until the tank cycles...

Can you take some additional pictures of the benthic zone? I may run a dsb in a bucket in my sump but I'm debating on how to run it. May try and do a cryptic zone in a bucket instead.

Here's my zone. Approx 6" of RDSB, 6" of benthic zone (with eggcrate for tunicates et al to attach to), 6" of LRR (when I'm done) for a 'pod home and then 4-6" of space for macro algae to grow. Crazy? Yes I am!

There are a couple pieces of live rock to-be on top of the LRR, which might be confusing. They'll move to the main tank after we get a sand bed in it.

Looks great Andrew. Andy came by and took some measurements for my stand, still debating on what to do with it. Can you take some additional pictures of the benthic zone? I may run a dsb in a bucket in my sump but I'm debating on how to run it. May try and do a cryptic zone in a bucket instead.

Still not much to see... when the dust clears I will definitely do so for you though.

Solid work!

If you have one laying around, run a HOB filter full of fine filter material to help clear the sand storm...

Unfortuntely, I don't. So I'm thinking about picking up some filter socks today and attaching them to the drains in my sump. Think that'll help?

Can't see anything in the tank right now... added 100 lbs of sugar fine sand to the DSB in the refugium, and about 50 pounds of LRR above it. Tossed in a couple of frozen shrimp to start the cycling of the rock wall, LRR and sand! Lights are now out while we cycle...

Scooped out a bunch of "sand foam". Tomorrow the new bubble blaster pump for our skimmer should arrive, so I hope to have it running in the evening. Nothing worth seeing so no pics today!

OK, I'm not placing an order. I'm piggybacking on ChrisP's order instead.

You win! If you don't mind adding my stuff to your order, I'd be happy to pick my order up from you then...

Someone decides to coordinate. Others tell her/him what they want, and provide the funds. The coordinator then places the order, receives it, and the others arrange pickup with the coordinator.

You want much ?

It appears like I need a booster pump for my RODI system. I will be placing the order on Monday... if you need something from BRS please let me know and you can tag along... I only need $35 more for free shipping.

And some photos, as I know _I_ Jones for them when I'm reading someone's thread

I believe that my high TDS is due to low pressure in my RODI system, so if I can't find a booster pump locally, I'll get one on order Monday... we're off to RCA shortly to pick up salt and other supplies.

THERE IS WATER IN THE TANK! I'm going to pick up some salt today and a bigger heater (I don't think that with a pair of 200W I can keep temps at 75 with nighttime temps down to 60 in the house), and start cycling the rock on the wall... oh yes, get some sand for the fuge and put my LRR in it too. I've got to touch base with RCA about my pump anyways.

Prof, are you available for some sand today?

Put the new seal in the Dart today and it doesn't leak. Found another leak from an improperly assembled SUBV and it's been rectified. All of our RODI is in the tank now, so we're just waiting for another 75 or so gallons to complete the fill.

The piggyback RO system has dropped water pressure to the point where the ASO no longer works properly... so I have to turn the system on and off manually. Trying to decide if I should invest in a booster pump or some solenoid valves...

Where did you get those power strips? I like the switch per plug feature. I have one with a digital timer and such, but I would like one with the switches for my sump light, powerheads, and return pump.

Tiger Direct ULTRA 7 OUTLET SURGE PROTECTOR (WHITE) (ULT31570 )

Another place or two sell them as well. If you're going to order, let me know because I want a third...

Piggyback RO cartridge installed and the water barrel is almost full. Jonesing for the new pump seal... I better pick up the phone and call Reeflo. Email hasn't been answered yet.

Progress!

I plumbed my saltwater to the sump:

Then I finished redoing the siphon from refugium to sump, and put some water into the tank to leak test!

But... I have a leak. ARGH!

It seems that the seal on my Dart must have dried up when it sat after the previous water testing. So I want to get a new seal kit for my Dart (I'll do the Hammerhead while I'm tearing things apart) asap. Do any local stores stock them or am I stuck ordering?

I ran out of steam with all of the drilling and plumbing, so I didn't get the RODI piggyback system plumbed up yet. I'll tackle that tomorrow, probably while I'm on a concall

I have a bunch of pieces and 1 full sheet available, too.

Got my piggyback RO kit yesterday. Of course they fubared the order tho. Today I mounted the VFD and got half of the plumbing for the FSW fill/water change system done. Hope to finish it up tonight or tomorrow along with the RO piggyback. Got the bubble blaster pump ordered and it should be in by the end of the week. I'll provide pics tomorrow.

I'm interested, and will offer to host, too.

I got a couple of things done today. I cut the eggcrate for the multi-zone refugium and installed it, started replumbing the refugium-to-sump siphon, located the heaters (I need some new suction clips), plumbed the durso-overflow siphon line and started on the closed loop intake pipes.

Tomorrow I need to plumb the water fill from my FSW barrel (thoughts? I'm thinking about putting a pump in the barrel with some tubing (with a siphon break at the top) and plumbing through the wall to dump water into the sump. The barrel bottom and sump bottom are at about the same level, so I think if I don't use a siphon break, I'll almost empty the barrel every time I fill... would that be consensus? I also need to get some proper screws to mount the VFD, and get a drill press so I can put some holes into the closed loop intakes.

We tried peppermints but they ignored the aiptasia. Joe's juice worked very well for us though!

Website? Location?

Got a linky to the recommend dipping procedure?

Any experience with bubble blaster pumps? They're looking pretty sweet...