efficient cleaning tactics

by **Peterkarig3210** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:04 am

Yee haww!

by **Snowboss4492** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:15 pm

i wish i could find some sort of salt water fish that is native to ...Arkansas or Alabama so i couls have a redneck fish.....maybe a clown crossed with a wrasse,,,,,,,,,they could eat "My lil Sis" um crawdads?????

by **Snowboss4492** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:18 pm

In Jeff Foxworthy's voice:

"if you have to get a lawnmower blenny to find your live rock" - - - you might be a redneeck

by **somalia123** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:29 am

i get sterilized ocean water and swap four gallons its fast and easy.

by **schigara** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:22 am

I have a 75g display, 55g sump/refugium and a secondary 29g display refugium so total water volume is about 120gallons.

I normally change 10gallons a week with Oceanic at 1.025sg.

I change water on Saturday.

Thursday, I start the 5 stage ro/di and fill a Brut 32g tash can up to a marked level of 10 gallons. Once I have 10g's, I place a Mag7 pump in the can for circulation and a 100 watt heater set at 78 degrees and slowly add salt until my refractometer reads 1.025sg.

I then let it mix during Friday. Saturday morning, the water is thoroughly mixed and heated to 78 degrees. Saturday morning, I check the PH, calcium and alkalinity of the change water and the main system and make any adjustments needed to the change water.

When the change water matches the main water, I turn off the sump return pump and use a maxi jet 600 pump to drain 10 gallons from the return section of the sump twice into a 5g bucket. I then place the maxi jet pump in the brut trash can and pump in the 10gallons of new water.

Then I just turn back on the return pump and water change is done.

For auto top-off, I set up a very simple gravity feed system. It consists of 2 - 10g tanks that are plumbed together and are higher than the sump that feed to the sump with 1/4in tubing and a Kent float valve. My system evaporates about 2 gallons a day so I have to refill the reservoir every 8-10 days.

by **snowboss** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:22 pm

schigara, does the auto fill you described basically work like a toilet float valve? it sounds like a simple set up....and I love simple, lol

by **schigara** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:14 pm

Yeah, I love simple too.

I have been using this ATO setup for about 3 months and it is so nice not to have to manually topoff everyday and the best thing is the stability of the SG.

http://www.geocities.com/drcunlimited/R ... ATO_02.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/drcunlimited/R ... ATO_03.jpg

by **Snowboss4492** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:43 pm

nice - - so you said your loseing approx 2 gallons a day ....do you attribute this to the sump and all the movement involved in it? and I'm assumeing you top of with your RO water right? not salt mix.......................duh i guess evaporation is evaporation reguardless of whether its 2 gallons a week or 2 gallons a day right? ----i hate it when i anwer my own questions....lol

by **schigara** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:12 am

Thanks

Yeah 2 gallons a day. I attribute 95% of it to the heat from the 2 - 250w Halides and to keep things cool, the top is open and a fan blows under both Halides and over the tank surface. I'm able to maintain a steady 77.8 degrees all day long. It may fluctuate .6 degrees througout the day

I fill the 20g top off reservoir with the RO/DI.

by **Snowboss4492** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:52 am

yeah i bet 500w of MH would do it too.................beautiful tank man

efficient cleaning tactics

29 posts • Page 2 of 3

efficient cleaning tactics

29 posts • Page 2 of 3