300 Gallon Miracles Aquarium

[kmu]

very nice DIY LED set up...

Gonna follow this thread to do something similar

[blfuller123]

Very nice, love the size!!!

[mseepman]

Originally Posted by maik1

Are you referring to the +1000 ma output to the LEDs? If so I have reduced output to 975 ma. I am also dimming them up and not just full on. Please post a link to the write-up about the problem.

Maik1

Here is an excellent explanation of the issue as described by KCRESS (a very knowledgeable member of the DIY LED threads):

"To answer your PFC question. The Meanwell 60-48D has just diodes on the front-end that charge a capacitor. Capacitors store energy with voltage. What happens is the capacitors charge up to some level and operation begins. Every power line cycle which varies from 170V to -170V can only add power back to the capacitor, (that is continuously drained by running the LEDs), when the absolute value of the voltage exceeds whatever the drained down voltage of the capacitor is at that moment.

This means the power can only be gotten from the outlet in tiny sporadic gulps. Those gulps are large sudden current spikes because all the energy needed by the system has to come in those tiny gulps.

Those gulps can be 10A even though the name plate states 1A or 0.5A. That's because the name plate shows the average current. When you stack up a pile of these things you may have 300A pulses being drawn from your outlet even though the average current is only 10A.

The heating in your breakers and wiring and outlets is only a function of I-squared R. Which means the heating is very sensitive to the current I. Your wiring is set up for "average" current not these repetitive pulses.

In most cases you won't have a problem - you'll get away with it. Your wiring will be running hotter than predicted by the average current values listed on the Meanwells. If you have no weaknesses (today) like a bad connection in your house wiring you probably won't have an issue.

As for the startup problem with the inrush the inrush listed only occurs when you power-on the MW and the power line voltage which cycles, as stated above, is at the maximum values. Any other time it's less. This means you are rolling the dice every time you energize the MWs. You may turn them ON and the first time the breaker trips. Or the 300th time the breaker blows as it all depends on where in the power line cycle the switch gets thrown.

If you always leave the MWs ON but just dim them then your breaker tripping opportunities are obviously reduced.

The aforementioned problems that diode-front-end power supplies cause is so onerous to the power companies and to places where a lot of switching supplies are used, like offices with a bunch of personal computers, that the laws are changing on the subject of switching supply front ends.

Enter the Power Factor Controlled (PFC) front ends. Instead of diodes hooked to capacitors the diodes are replaced with a controlled network of transistors and inductors. The control directs the current drawn from the power source to be drawn smoothly over the entire power line cycle not just in gulps - no gulping allowed. This avoids ALL the current pulsing and wire heating. This same network can provide the bonus of eliminating the inrush too. As the initial energy drawn on start-up can be actively limited.(Note that these PFC Meanwells don't limit inrush much.)

The HLG line is Meanwell's PFC or "active front end" current drivers. They would be the choice for those wanting a "bunch" of drivers."

[maik1]

Okay back at it.

Finished plumbing up the Ocean Motions
and overflow box and the returns.



Tested the tank with tap water, took the OM apart 5 times to stop the leaks! I still have one slow seep it's not a leak just a pain in the a&@.
I am going to leave it for now and see if it will stop on it's own after the
tank has been running for a month or two?



Now I am going to fill the tank with new fresh RO/Di water for the next 7-8 days. Next week I am getting my new sump from Miracles
and I will be adding my rocks and most of my livestock the following weekend. I will be using about 100 gallons of water from my old system not just new water. If you guys have any concerns about that idea please let me know.

Maik1

[salali]

I love the tank custom but why did you chose the coast to coast external overflow?

[maik1]

I have read that coast to coast overflow is the way to go so that you are skimming the complete top of the tank and not just a small part of it. you should try to get any of the dirt out of tank as soon as you can. Also I wanted an external overflow because I like the clean and unobstructed look of the tank that way.

Maik1

[salali]

I like the way you think. That is true that the coast to coast over flow is the best for cleaning and the look for the tank.

[RootsRockReefer]

Originally Posted by maik1

I have read that coast to coast overflow is the way to go so that you are skimming the complete top of the tank and not just a small part of it. you should try to get any of the dirt out of tank as soon as you can. Also I wanted an external overflow because I like the clean and unobstructed look of the tank that way.

Maik1

I like the coast to coast design, obviously extremely efficient.

It will be interesting to see the water in action to really see if it is a distraction.

[maik1]

You will not be able to see the water in the over flow box after I insert the black acrylic insert.

Maik1

[maik1]

Here is a picture of the insert for the one half of the overflow box.



Maik1

[salali]

Is your tank running right now? any updates ?

[maik1]

She is now full of 300 gallons of new saltwater made with Tropic Marin salt. It looks very murky, it's not normal for Tropic Marin saltwater to look murky. I will need to look into it.
The Ocean Motions and the Dart closed loop pumps are running and the Apex is plugged in. Next Friday I am picking up my new sump from Miracles and on the weekend I will be transferring all or most of the livestock and live rock.

Maik1

[salali]

sounds a good plan. Hope to see the tank running with corals and fish.

[maik1]

300 Gallons of RO/DI water with Tropic Marin ReefPro Salt Mix after 4-5 days of mixing, the TMP is NOT right.
The salinity is at 1.024 but the water looks Murky. Looks a lot like it's snowing in the tank.




This is what the bottom of the tank looks like.



Undissolved Tropic Marin Salt Mix residue after 4 days of mixing.

I am draining the tank and starting over!

What Salt mix should I try guys, please help me out and give me some advice.

Maik1

[dave.m]

ESB makes a 4-part salt that is supposed to dissolve in under an hour. I'll bet it's expensive and hard to find, though.

Dave.M

[palmer373]

i use reef crystals and used instant ocean in the past. i like both, them seem to desolve fast in my 5g jugs i do WCs from.

[Mr. Brooks]

Did you add salt to the water or water to the salt? What I mean is, did you put the salt in first then add water? If that's the case it would explain the snow affect. For salt to dissolve properly it needs to be added to the tank after it's been filled with fresh water.

[maik1]

Water was in the tank when I added it. Not the first time that I mixed saltwater, but it's the first time it looked like that after 4-5 days.

Maik1

[syedjilani]

Originally Posted by maik1

\ I will be using about 100 gallons of water from my old system not just new water. If you guys have any concerns about that idea please let me know.

Maik1

There is no benefit to take old water from old tank. It will much better if you do not take any water from old tank. Acclimate your livestock properly with new water.

I added 15 gallons from my old tank to my new 300Gallon tank. But it was totally useless.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...849903&page=10

[maik1]

That's good to know, thank you.

Maik1

[maik1]

The last piece of the puzzle just arrived! The tank should come alive now.




Any guesses?



















One Bubble King 250 Supermarines.

I had to wait to get the skimmer before I install the sump because the skimmer is too big to fit in after the sum is in. OOPS! Good planning eh?


Maik1

[corahhhhline]

Wow. That is one bad *** skimmer!
Sounds like it'll be a tight fit, but well worth it.

[laffy]

nice build! its also nice to see someone else from north bay with a reef tank, i thought i was the only one for a while....

[preef40]

Nice build so far cant wait too see the final product will be tagging along

[maik1]

I need to vent!

So one spends $1800 on a skimmer and after you plug it in NOTHING! ***!

Spend $ 450 on a return pump plug it in and it works, great.
Next morning pump is sitting in a puddle of fresh salt water! ***!

I was able to get the skimmer started after spinning the needle wheel around with my finger and plugging it in again. Its been starting fine since. What would you do? Complain to BK?

I called ReeFlow and they are sending me a new pump (actually 2 pumps) I am buying an extra one as a spare.

I am just not impressed at this time.

Sorry for venting.

Maik1