In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

[karimwassef]

Sure. Clothcrete(TM) is very flexible. LOL

the problem with 2" is the volume it occupies. It's massive even inside a tank as big as mine. I would prefer a slim profile channeled wall.

I'm having some trouble with my DIY dosing pump and DIY UV LEDs, but hopefully I'll be able to get to the flow this weekend.

[karimwassef]

All my algae is mostly gone. My refusal to do water changes combined with my mosquito load was the culprit.

With an abundant macroalgae refugium, it's looking much better.

[Michael Hoaster]

Nice! Lookin' good.

I hope I get out of my algae phase as well.

[karimwassef]

It looks a little drab with pink coralline...

Soon as I see signs of any, I'll pull my urchins out.

Wouldn't hurt to put some more coral or LR in there too, but I want to get my flow right first.

[karimwassef]

See how big the 2" surge outlet is on the left hand side?

I wish I had integrated it into my wall with smaller PVC outlets coming through the wall... Maybe?

[Michael Hoaster]

I'm a big fan of invisible plumbing. The freshwater aquascaping contest guys wouldn't be caught dead with plumbing showing! I think that is a good example for us to follow.

Maybe you could redo some side wall pieces to accommodate your idea. Maybe a manifold type thing?

I was thinking the other day how difficult it is to account for everything, when building up a tank. The solution is to build it, see what needs to change, then rebuild it. But who has the gumption for that!

As for my tank, I'm already seeing that my 'coast2coast overflow-turned field of dreams (TM) refugium' is too high and too narrow, front to back. To fix it, I'd need to lower the water level around 8 inches. Remove the overflow portion of the fake wall. Modify the overflow, so that the front panel tilts out towards the top, and is about an inch and a half lower. Then I'd have to make a new top piece for the fake wall to accommodate it. Yay!

It doesn't sound that bad just writing about it, but mustering the gumption to actually redo it, well that's a whole other kettle of fish…

[discoreefer]

Great project, thanks for sharing all the details.

[guserto4]

coast2coast overflow-turned field of dreams (TM) refugium

Classic. I lol'd at that

I'm a big fan of invisible plumbing. The freshwater aquascaping contest guys wouldn't be caught dead with plumbing showing! I think that is a good example for us to follow

Totally agree- is your rock work pretty well set in place or is there 'opportunity' to adjust it to accommodate changing the surge input?

I wish I had integrated it into my wall with smaller PVC outlets coming through the wall... Maybe?

It'll be there for years and it'll irritate you everytime you walk by it if it isn't perfect so might as well get out that gumption and make it so. Demo a little more and then get that surge inlet perfect and

Clothcrete(TM)

!!!

[karimwassef]

Thanks. I have a whole Clothcrete(TM) post

First, I have to get it functionally right. The walls are all removable- down to the individual branches that interlock with PVC pipe fittings.

[karimwassef]

Attempt 1 in progress



I'll try it without concrete as a proof of concept first.

[karimwassef]

Here's the baseline (for reference)

[karimwassef]

Started with a straight bar that's lines up with the side wall.



Here it is from above. The rock pipe it's pushing against is a separate return (not connected).

[karimwassef]

So that didn't work so well. The water rushed towards the pipe end and gushed out of the slit as if it's leaking on the way to the cap.

The result was a triangular wave that's strongest towards the cap and weakest close to the water inlet.

It was also pointing way too high. Almost hit the halide bulb.

Almost all the water went straight into the overflow.

[karimwassef]

Made some adjustments. Angled down the flow and turned the whole pipe so the triangle wave's head is traveling down the tank length.

[karimwassef]

That works. I'm going to leave it bare for a couple of weeks to make sure there's no surprises.

[Lavoisier]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

All my algae is mostly gone. My refusal to do water changes combined with my mosquito load was the culprit.

With an abundant macroalgae refugium, it's looking much better.

Mosquito load?

[karimwassef]

Here's the original baseline again (pic got lost)

[karimwassef]

Mosquito load- yeah. I live by a lake in TX and since my tank main is in my garage, opening the garage doors in the evenings invites swarms of bugs.

The DT, sump, and aux tanks get smothered in bugs. I scoop them up with a net but it was a lot of P and N load. I have massive spiders and lizards coming in to feast on the bio load!

Anyway, I thought my skimmer could keep up but I needed regular water changes.

With the winter coming, I thought they'd slow down but no luck yet. It's warm in TX until Jan and then it'll only last till March or so.

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

Already seeing a problem with the new surge slit...

The flow is too directed downwards and while it's not causing a sand storm, the sand is slowly moving into dunes. In a day, I expect to see bare bottom in one area.

The opposite surge has a platform under it so it doesn't have the same issue.

[karimwassef]

Not sure if it's visible in these pics, but the dunes are starting to form

[guserto4]

It looks like you ought to have the slotted pipe flipped- smallest holes at the far end near the cap, largest right out of the 90. Maybe a smaller slot?
Hmmm.

Oh also, what if you didn't cut the slot all the way through so the end of the pipe still was complete and kept it's integrity to fit better with the cap?

[Michael Hoaster]

Looks like you 'bout got 'er done! Nice!

[karimwassef]

Decided to go a different direction with my kalkwasser stirrer. The magnetic stirrer gets stuck too often and is unreflective with a large amount of kalkwasser powder:





$13 motor, $10 control board (optional), $6 power supply

[karimwassef]

Still need to water test...