Kfennell Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Also Im not sure about the price they were paying for topoff there, I think i calculated somewhere around $1 a day for the topoff once it is full buying the materials from BRS. I hope I am not 3x+ off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Eh for some things I read on other products of theirs they dont always have the top line items. But who knows you might get lucky and save $20 bucks. or you might end up with a leak or replacing a pump and spend $20 bucks in time/effort replacing it with another similar quality pump. Out of all the systems I've built with hydroponics I just dont bother with cheap pumps the small cash difference is worth my peace of mind. You've already sent so much just kick that little bit more and feel good at night. But we are each different and choose our on battles P.S You build is looking beast, can't wait to see it in person one day if you host a meeting or sell a frag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Bio, can't you already see all the fans gathering at the front gate just waiting to get a glimpse of this gorgeous piece of work??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Lots done on the plumbing this weekend, but silly me didn't take pics. I got the closed loop plumbed all together and ran the pump for a while, nice and quiet so the wife is happy! It turns out that I was not careful enough lining up the T's so I could run plumbing between them so I had to get some spa flex... That stuff is not that flexible though so the plumbing for the closed loop is not really pretty Another thing that I decided is that I will not use threaded bulkheads again, I have had all of them leak repeatedly now. I wish I had got slip x thread! So hopefully someone will learn from this mistake and use slip. The big problem is that even when the bulkhead is tight it isn't THAT tight so there isn't much to turn against when you are tightening the pipe into the bottom of it, so someone has to be in the tank to hold against it Has anyone ever used irrigation valves for controlling flow on and off? Is there one that is 100% pvc or other reef safe material inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ct67stang Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 (edited) home depo have some for around 25$ that are all black pvc. heres their full line. most are all pvc with a rubber doaphram and a magnetic plunger system. hope this helps http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&keyword=irrigation+valve&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=Search+All Edited February 25, 2013 by ct67stang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 For on/off, ball valves are fine. If you want to control flow with accuracy, gate valves are the way to go. Cepex makes some very high quality ball valves, though they are pricey (available from BRS), but the ball valves you get at HD or Lowes will work (make sure you get a valve with true unions so you can replace if they crap out!). As for gate valves, I prefer spears brand, which you can get at grainger, or potentially other places locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 I am not looking for controlling the rate of flow, but torning on and off with a controller, I read that those home depot irrigation valves are not that reliable, does anyone have first hand experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 ohhhh, I see what you're saying. To answer your question, yes they do exist, yes I have used them (not for aquariums, for groundwater treatment) and holy moly the good ones are expensive. What flow are you wanting to turn on/off?The irrigation valves are very restrictive to flow (they have something like 1/8" opening in a diaphragm), so unless you were using it to do auto shutoff, or something where backpressure or flow restriction wasn't a big issue, it might work. Depends on application though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Solenoid valves? I've always heard like victoly said the reliable PVC/plastic ones are expensive. The cheaper ones just knock out, as fast as 1 hour Stephens 440 or years down the road as the other put in at the same time was still working last I saw. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Yeah I saw the actual PVC ball valves from hayword or spears, and $400 a pop will get expensive fast! There are some on ebay but air actuated, I got all excited for a second!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 yeah, the electric ones run about 300 bucks a pop for a used valve, though I wouldn't recommend that route. The quest to automate everything is a very expensive task Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 this one isn't out of the realm of possibility:http://www.dultmeier.com/products/0.689.1019.2208.3862/2365 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Plus something to convert to 12v plus an extra breakout box... plus since its not a union I would have to redo some plumbing and that might lead to a suicide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 12v is solved by 12v wall wart for a buck and plugged into apex outlet to eliminate break out. Rubber knife to stop the suicide and were good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 I looked a little more and "Wetted parts are nylon, Teflon®, polypropylene, stainless steel, and Viton®." The manufacturer's site has that while the site linked doesn't list the exposed stainless. I am skeptical of the life of this in stainless, maybe i will call the sales guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 It also offers a fair bit of restriction for what I need, I think I am going to just leave it for now I guess and see if my flow is random enough already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 For that kind of money, you'd be better off with an oceans motion if you're looking for random flow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Plumbing is hard, and they don't have good durability reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 SPA/Jacuzzi valves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jakedoza Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 plumbing isn't hard.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 And here are some pics from the front with the granite in and the frame in and mostly done, just have to stain the bottom. I think I will need a little more light then this still. I also finished all the important plumbing, and the RODI which now has a line running to the QT tank. The tank drains to the septic now if needed, and the closed loop is plumbed up. I am just missing one bulkhead to start it actually running. I did suffere a pretty annoying setback here, in that I seem to have lost/had stolen? my skimmer. It seems to be about the only thing missing after moving two times. I don't know what gives, so I had to get a new one this weekend. This brought me to measuring the space to get a skimmer in and I see now that there is only 11.5" to get a skimmer in because they used a 2x8 on the back of the stand. I was therefore limited to 10 and 11" skimmer bodies, so I went with the Super Reef Octupus 5000 in sump. Hopefully it does a good job, I know one of the major retailers personal 500g tank is running on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Amazing looking...I like the idea of the little shelf. People will be more inclined to rest their hands on it rather than on the glass. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Yeah and it makes a nice beer shelf/makes the tank a gathering point. Plus it does a great job of hiding the bottom of the tank, so now it will be a very clean looking transition, water water water water sand granite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfennell Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 I also don't even think i had to pay for it, so that is a plus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Is the flow on the back (where the locline comes outs) a closed loop or from bulkheads through the tank bottom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.