35gal process and changes

[Jschoon]

Ok, today we (my son's and I) have been working on removing half the crushed coral and replacing with some sand. Here are some pics. Video would have been funny as we tried to stop the flow of the siphon and change collection buckets. What an adventure.

So here are some pics. These were taken in about 30 min intervals.

 

[Smitty]

Your're gonna thank yourself later on for taking it out.

 

[dcantucson]

Yes you will be better off. Looks like a lot of fun was had by all. Not! :lol:

 

[Jschoon]

Well, I think I got all the water cleaned up before my better half got home. She hasn't stepped in any that she has brought to my attention.:pissed:

So now I am organizing under the tank and get all the power cords under control. What a mess I have. I will try for the after pic in a bit.

 

[Jschoon]

Here is a quick pic of the wires after I untangled everything. Still not too great but with all the moving I will still be doing with adding the sump it will work for now.

 

[yote]

Brother,Your just getting started with the wires:D
Wait till you have 4 or 5 powerheads,controller,skimmer,heater,lights,return pump,mixing pump,and other wires you hadnt figured out yet :mrgreen:

But yeah,You'll like that sand a whole lot better.It'll be much easier to keep clean.

 

[Jschoon]

OK, what a day... no major water on the floor, my wife didn't get to see all the "excitement" we had and now I am starting on the plumbing. Going to have to wait for the overflow to arrive before I can do any more. Maybe tomorrow I will get started on the sump dividers. Here are a couple pics.

The only time I got a little worried is when my SG dropped, but it is up and stable now. I will re-measure again tomorrow but all items (SG, PH, nitrates, nitrites, phos, ammonia) were normal before I did anything today.

 

[Jschoon]

testing photobucket images

 

[Jschoon]

it worked! Wow learned a new trick...

 

[yote]

That tank just needs some corals in it:D

 

[Jschoon]

Still trying to decide what to put in it. BUT first I have to finish the sump. I would like to add 3 or 4 small fish. Clowns are high on the list and then something that gets along with them and then some coral frags to start filling in. Oh and some more LR too.

 

[Jschoon]

:bounce:Ok, so I am pretty excited today... My overflow arrived last night and I am almost finished cleaning the glass I will be using in the new sump. There is a chance that by the end of the night tonight I may have the new sump running... :x:

So unless I am missing parts my next posts here should contain pics on the progress of the sump build.

Yipee!!!:^:

 

[Bifferwine]

Well, 23 hours later and no update -- I'm guessing you were missing parts!! ;)

 

[Jschoon]

Sorry... the honey do list got in the way of fun. I have most of the plumbing assembled but when trying to install O found it was to tight behind the tank and stand. So, this resulted in a trip to Lowe's tonight. Just got home a few minutes ago. So, I am getting back to work tomorrow. If there is time that is. Between Church and soccer I will not be around much. I did get some pics today of the plumbing I am working on but have not posted yet. Oh and I got all the sand in and crushed coral out. Now I get to arrange the rock again. More later...

 

[Jschoon]

not too much happening. Lots going on today but here is the new sand with all the crushed coral is out and the new Fiji Special is in.

 

[Bifferwine]

"Fiji Special" -- ooh la la! Sounds exotic! It looks like really nice rock, very colorful.

 

[Jschoon]

Well I finally got all my glass for the sump tonight and now it is drying. I will leak check everything tomorrow. How long should I let the silicone cure before placing the sump in service? I want to make sure I don't spoil my water. All the plumbing is ready for final connections and leak checks also. So, it is certainly possible that I could have everything running by EOD tomorrow. Firngers are crossed...

Will post pics tomorrow.

 

[Jschoon]

Alright the sump is built. I am getting ready to leak test it now. I noticed a small gap in one of the seals so I had to add some silicone. Should be ready to go soon.

I have also been tracking the evaporation rate. Thanks to Project for reminding me to do this. I am currently loosing about a 1/2 gal every 48 hours. Seems slow but we have had a ton of rain over the last 30 days. Over 9 inches of rain. That may be causing the slow evap rate. I will continue to monitor and I bet it gets faster when the furnace turns on and the fireplace gets stoked up.

Oh, and the last pic is Pixi, my wife's goldfish, she has been watching me work and very helpful. I thought I should give her some spotlight... :mrgreen:

 

[dcantucson]

Joe it looks like you've done a fine job. Great shot of Pixi too.

 

[project5k]

i dont know what silicone your using, but if thes the same stuff that i used(the realy overpriced blue toothpast tube) then the instructions say like 24-48 hours i think for a full cure...

i waited like 23 hours on mine, filled it up for a leak test, rinsed it out a few times with the garden hose, and put it in service.. i didnt notice any problems... YMMV