SC Aquariums Owners Thread

[homer1475]

The bulkheads that come with the PNP system are fine, just a little thin and flimsy.

I got the 1" slip x thread ABS bulkheads from BRS.

I prefer slip on the flange/head side as you can just friction fit your drain lines in the tank and be able to easily pull them if you need to access something in the overflow. Where as threads on the underside assure no leaks and can still be unscrewed if need be.

[homer1475]

I cannot stress this enough!!!

MAKE SURE YOU TREAT THAT PUKANI FOR PHOSPHATES WHILE CURING!!!!

I did not treat my dry pukani long enough and have been battling horrible GHA for over a year now. It's so bad, I've lost several LPS from the algae strangling it out.

I'm rebooting my tank with new LR and new sand.

[D805]

Originally Posted by homer1475

I cannot stress this enough!!!

MAKE SURE YOU TREAT THAT PUKANI FOR PHOSPHATES WHILE CURING!!!!

I did not treat my dry pukani long enough and have been battling horrible GHA for over a year now. It's so bad, I've lost several LPS from the algae strangling it out.

I'm rebooting my tank with new LR and new sand.

How would you go about treating for phosphate?

[homer1475]

Lanthanum chloride, or phosphate remover for pools. Seaclear is a specific product that can be bought online or at a pool dealership.

There is a thread I believe it's in the DIY section on how to treat dry pukani for PO4.

[D805]

Originally Posted by homer1475

Lanthanum chloride, or phosphate remover for pools. Seaclear is a specific product that can be bought online or at a pool dealership.

There is a thread I believe it's in the DIY section on how to treat dry pukani for PO4.

Thanks. Currently have about 50lbs of dry pukani curing in a trash can. I'll have to read up this.

[homer1475]

Definitely read up on it, pukani is notorious for leaching PO4 for a very long time if not treated properly.

[ksmmike]

Hey thanks Homer,

I was under the impression if I cured it in a bucket for 10-12 weeks, changing the water every week or so and adding a small piece of live rock to seed the bacteria, I would be good to go. I'll check into the phosphate remover. Thanks for the tips.

Did you put a valve on every line, or just the main drain? I'm thinking of putting a union and a valve on all 3 lines, or all 4 if I make it a bean animal system.

thanks again
Mike

[homer1475]

Gate on the siphon line for fine tuning the return to the siphon. Just a simple ball valve on the return line only to be bale to stop the overflow from daining completely if I ever need to pull the pump.

No valve on your emergency! That is just asking for a flood. It's called an emergency for a reason, and if anything crawls down it and blocks it up, you no longer have an emergency drain.

[ksmmike]

Hey D805,

How big is your tank? I'm trying to figure out how much Pukani I'll need for 90 gallons. I know most say .5-.75 a pound since its so lightweight, but was curious of your thoughts.

I've been collecting some really nice coral fossils off our local beach after the hurricanes and plan to put some of that in there too. That's already been bleached and sun dried for weeks, but I'm going to cure that for 10 weeks too. Its pretty dense stuff, but the patterns are great and I don't see many builds with coral fossils. I'm looking for something a bit different.

Thanks
Mike

[ksmmike]

thanks again Homer,
Ill take your advice.
Mike

[homer1475]

I did 50 pounds in my 80g. It was plenty of rock as it's so light compared to it's size.

I have a pretty heavy bioload and the 50 pounds is plenty for my 80. It looks way more then 50 in my tank.

[D805]

I have a 60 gallon and I'll probably have some unused when all said and done.

[ksmmike]

thanks D805

[homer1475]

Found the thread! It wasn't in the DIY section, but rather the reef discussion section.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hloride+pukani

[ksmmike]

Thanks Homer
I bought some Pukani rock and some Lanthanum chloride from BRS this morning. I'll put it
in a plastic tub with a heater and powerhead for 8-12 weeks or until I'm satisfied
that its cured and cycled properly. Then I'll set up the new tank.
thanks for all your help.

I had diatoms in my biocube for about a week. I don't want to see them ever again Oh, I added more chemi-clear extra and did a water change (tho I do them every 10 days anyway) the diatoms went away over night.
Mike

[soulpatch]

Originally Posted by homer1475

Gate on the siphon line for fine tuning the return to the siphon. Just a simple ball valve on the return line only to be bale to stop the overflow from daining completely if I ever need to pull the pump.

I disagree with the ball valve on the return. In MOST cases our returns are capable of pushing more then 950 GPH that 1" drains can handle. You will need to dial in the return in most cases and a gate gives the detail you need to perfectly tune the system. If you add manifolds and such it is even MORE important to go gate valves.

Obviously a ball valve is better then no valve but gate is the way to go. Add a union for easy removal and you are good to go.

[D805]

Thanks for the link Homer.

[texdoc77]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

I disagree with the ball valve on the return. In MOST cases our returns are capable of pushing more then 950 GPH that 1" drains can handle. You will need to dial in the return in most cases and a gate gives the detail you need to perfectly tune the system. If you add manifolds and such it is even MORE important to go gate valves.

Obviously a ball valve is better then no valve but gate is the way to go. Add a union for easy removal and you are good to go.

Soulpatch is right on. If you want to dial it in right, get the gate valve. The difference that very minute changes to flow makes is essential to getting it tuned in the right way.

[texdoc77]

Quick question for other 150g owners. What do you think the dry weight of the tank and wood stand is? I was estimating about 400 lbs, but anyone have a better estimate? I am moving from slab foundation to pier and beam and the general contractor renovating the floor is asking for total weight. The water won't be too hard just trying to figure the glass and stand. Thanks in advance!!

[soulpatch]

You can ping Steve as he would know shipping weights. I think you are likely looking at closer to 500 pounds. the main panels of glass for the tank alone is roughly 38 sq. ft. At 7 pounds a sq./ft. and you are at 266 pounds. Add on another 50 pounds easy for the eurobrace, overflow, and silicone and you are looking at 350 pounds. Add at least another hundred pounds for the stand, 50 for canopy and you are at 500 pounds give or take.

[pfan151]

Originally Posted by ksmmike

The best laid plans, eh. After I had decided on getting a shadow overflow and a custom tank from SCA, they put the 90 gallon PNP on sale. Since I can get the stand, skimmer, tank, sump and return pump for less than the cost of the custom tank and overflow, it's hard to pass on the sale.

So, it looks like I'll be ordering the 90 gallon PNP system soon. That being said, I know some of you have told me to upgrade the return pump, which I will do and eventually replace the skimmer in the future. I'll upgrade the pump right away.

My question is for homer1475 and anyone else who upgraded the bulkheads. I think homer told me he did. What did you use? Arent the holes 1" in the PNP? Did you upgrade to the schedule 80 double threaded 1" bulkheads. Since I have to order rock and other things, I wanted to get the bulkheads and some plumbing now to save on shipping later.

I'm going to get Pukani dry rock and cure it in a bucket for 10 weeks, then set up the tank with live sand and the cured rock. I'll run it with the new setup for a week or so and put in some snails, then add a few corals after a couple of weeks. I figure since the rock should already be cured and cycled, I should be ahead of the curve in adding livestock to the tank. After about 3-4 months of only coral and snails, I'll add the 2 clowns from my current tank and start to populate with other fish, one each week until I get to about 6 fish and then let it settle for a couple months. Then I'll add a few more. That's the plan, I hope it works. It's a 12 month plan.

Thanks
Mike

I think you’ll be happy with the skimmer. I have the same setup and the skimmer has worked fine for the last year with no maintenance. There are of course fancier skimmers out there but in the end they are all pretty much a cone that makes bubbles. I don’t really notice the noise people complain of from the pump. With the cabinet closed I can barely hear the skimmer.

[homer1475]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

I disagree with the ball valve on the return. In MOST cases our returns are capable of pushing more then 950 GPH that 1" drains can handle. You will need to dial in the return in most cases and a gate gives the detail you need to perfectly tune the system. If you add manifolds and such it is even MORE important to go gate valves.

Obviously a ball valve is better then no valve but gate is the way to go. Add a union for easy removal and you are good to go.

Yeah I never think of throttling down the return as I bought a pump that does not need to be throttled, and only have the ball valve to shut off the return from the overflow.

But yes, Soul is spot on with the gate if your pump is oversized.

[FLSharkvictim]

Maybe someone can help me! I just bought a SC150 gallon Rimless tank, stand and canopy and I am wondering what size Bulk-Heads did your tank come with on the returns?? The reason why I ask is the ones they sent me for my returns will not fit a 3/4'' Locline or PVC pipe and they are not 1/2'' in size.
Here is a picture of diameter of my returns on my 150 which is 1 3/8'' See attachment!

[soulpatch]

1 3/8" would likely be a 1" bulkhead. There is some wiggle room which is why the flange and gasket are so large...

[KJoFan]

Ok, I realize this is an SC owners thread so..likely biased input to come but...I'm considering an upgrade from my SCA 66 PNP to the 150g. But...I'm not 100% sure. Price of course is always a factor, my pockets are not bottomless as much as I'd like to think so.

But...$800 for a 150g from SCA or I can source a 120 (48x24x24) rimless locally for $500.

Steve quoted a stand at the same price as the tank which is terribly steep IMO. $800 for a stand...

I can also purchase locally a steel 6' stand that would fit either tank for $300 or less.

My issue is that I would have to find someone to get the stand for me and would need help moving it, which is hard to come by where I live. Not really any other hobbyists around my rural area.

Or..I build one myself which I've done before but I'm not good at the finish work so would have to keep it relatively basic in that regard.

Equipment wise I am not sure there's really an advantage of a 4' tank vs a 5' tank. My current light fixture is the 15" 150 SE MH pendant from Reefbrite, which I'd probably opt for the 36" version which should accommodate either tank.

Sump size, pumps etc would all be relatively the same I believe.

Now, if you've hung in there this far, my main driver for considering an upgrade is to better accommodate some of my fish. Or..I will have to sell off fish most likely in order to stick with the 66g.

This has turned into a bit of a ramble but...anyone with insight, ideas, opinions?

I guess ideally I'd upgrade to the 150 just so that I was accommodating everything without needing to upgrade again (I don't want any fish that end up needing something bigger than a 150), but the 120 is cheaper....