Tank Vent thread!

[Treezer8]

Does your stand have some wooden dividers or something blocking you from sliding it in? Those can usually be removed temporarily. Just put them back real quick when you're done moving the sump in!

nope =\

The support for the tank is in the corners, and the whole stand is structured around that. It then has 2 wooden panels that go across from the front to the back to help the weight from shitfing. I thought about cutting into the side and sliding it in, but there's just no way.

The 30gal is perfect too..Already has all the panels put in and everything :(

 

[FishyReef]

Can you unscrew the front panel of the tank and put it in? Even if you take everything apart to put it in your stand you are still going to need some way to access the inside of the stand to do maintenance in the refugium once you have it set up

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah I'm not understanding. You are saying that the stand is completely enclosed with no way to access the inside of it? It doesn't have doors on it?

 

[FishyReef]

Looks like I'm dealing w/ my first ich outbreak. Haven't added new fish in a good 5-6 weeks, so this must be stress related from water qual issues (low alk, questionable levels of phophates, trace nitrates). Shut my sump down last week and think my PO4 and trates increased during that time. Low alk continues to be a struggle. Also dealing with tons of microbubbles after rearranging my sump. Everyone is still eating but I know that can change at any moment. Wish me and my tank luck, hoping I don't lose anyone but expecting the worst :(

 

[Kelz88]

:( Hopefully they all stay their piggy selves. Best of luck fishy!

 

[poksal]

IMO, doing that could cause the tank to shatter. It will still weigh at least 250 pounds, then add in all the LR and sand you have, it could get close to or even exceed 500 pounds. Glass is also a funny material. It is strong under static weight, but if that weigh starts shifting, such as if the water sloshes or a rock falls, it can easily break. IMO, you should empty the tank completely before trying to move it.

Absolutly..at least take out almost all the rock and only leave enough water to float fish etc.. like two inches... On my frame..that won't work... it has a solid top of 1" plywood.

 

[FishyReef]

Lost a 20 polyp frag of Fizzy Lizzys to the sandbed behind my large stack of rocks. A friend and I have tried everything we can to retrieve them with no luck. I hate losing anything, but especially expensive stuff! All rocks are glued in place and I can't dismantle the stack to retrieve it. Such a bummer.

 

[Treezer8]

Can you unscrew the front panel of the tank and put it in? Even if you take everything apart to put it in your stand you are still going to need some way to access the inside of the stand to do maintenance in the refugium once you have it set up

Yeah I'm not understanding. You are saying that the stand is completely enclosed with no way to access the inside of it? It doesn't have doors on it?

Absolutly..at least take out almost all the rock and only leave enough water to float fish etc.. like two inches... On my frame..that won't work... it has a solid top of 1" plywood.

I've decided to just use a 20-25gal tank. It will be too much of a risk trying to get the other tank in there.
And it does have 1 door in the front, and the same size hole in the back, but even if the door is taken off there's still not enough room.

 

[FishyReef]

I've decided to just use a 20-25gal tank. It will be too much of a risk trying to get the other tank in there.
And it does have 1 door in the front, and the same size hole in the back, but even if the door is taken off there's still not enough room.

I get it - I finally hired a company to drain and remove the back brace to my stand just to fit a 20g high tank to use as a sump. PITA - seriously the biggest ongoing headache with my tank has been my sump. I will never set up a tank again without setting up the sump first and taking all sump, skimmer, etc. measurements into consideration!

 

[Treezer8]

I get it - I finally hired a company to drain and remove the back brace to my stand just to fit a 20g high tank to use as a sump. PITA - seriously the biggest ongoing headache with my tank has been my sump. I will never set up a tank again without setting up the sump first and taking all sump, skimmer, etc. measurements into consideration!

haha I feel ya.
I still have to make a DIY overflow, get all the piping done, set up my skimmer, the refugium part of the sump, and all that crap. Can't wait till its done though :D

 

[FishyReef]

Get yourself an HOB overflow - far easier than going the DIY route. I made a "refugium" in my sump by cutting egg crate and creating a small barrier between the sump wall and the skimmer and put my chaeto and rubble in there. Made a separate egg crate barrier to cut that section in half and put a powerhead in the second compartment to give the chaeto strong flow - keeps the chaeto out of the powerhead and skimmer pumps. Use mesh sock filters to cut down on micro bubbles, and voila! I didn't have to deal with baffles or any of that stuff - the sump is just too small to take up any extra room with baffles, and this new solution works just great!

 

[KevinMs]

It was around this time of year, 4 years ago I am reminded of catastrophic events that happened at my house involving my 150g.
My wife and I had returned home from the hospital where she had surgery a day before. She had been on bed rest since returning and would remain that way for a few more days. It was almost midnight, she was in bed at the other end of the house and I in the den having a little gaming fun before going to bed. I finished up and started shutting down for the night..lights, doors ect. Out of habit I made my usual round through the kitchen, around the dining room and into the main living area in pitch blackness, except for the moonlights on my 150 gallon display. As I passed by the tank which sat squarely against a wall facing the entire room, my next step was met with a soaking wet sock. I know I'm not the only one who ever had THAT feeling..you know the one. The "please tell me this is'nt happening" feeling. I flipped on the lights and noticed a flooded floor and a quarter empty tank.
Opening the stand doors, the best description I could give is, its raining. The root of the problem was quickly found. The silicone along the bottom the tank had released and now was raining down a salty mess. I scrambled for towels " Oh dear lord please dont wake the wife", but it was too late. I could hear her ask from the bed room "Everything ok?'. "Uh, yes, just cleaning a little mess, I'll be in bed soon", I tried to sound reassuring but I know my voice was quaky and full of panic. So I spent the next 5 hours trying to control flood damage, salvage livestock ( thanks mother in law for the 20g hospital tank) and drying towels.
Not sure that this is so much of a vent as it is a walk down memory lane. At the time I was venting, trust me. Funny thing about this time of year and the memories it brings out, some good, some bad.

 

[Treezer8]

Get yourself an HOB overflow - far easier than going the DIY route. I made a "refugium" in my sump by cutting egg crate and creating a small barrier between the sump wall and the skimmer and put my chaeto and rubble in there. Made a separate egg crate barrier to cut that section in half and put a powerhead in the second compartment to give the chaeto strong flow - keeps the chaeto out of the powerhead and skimmer pumps. Use mesh sock filters to cut down on micro bubbles, and voila! I didn't have to deal with baffles or any of that stuff - the sump is just too small to take up any extra room with baffles, and this new solution works just great!

what do the socks go on?

 

[FishyReef]

what do the socks go on?

I have the hose from the HOB overflow ending in one sock and I have the other sock on the pvc pipe outlet from my skimmer where water dumps out. Without the socks I get a lot of bubbles as the water dumps into the sump, but with the socks its clear as can be! I'll get some pics for you later

 

[poksal]

It was around this time of year, 4 years ago I am reminded of catastrophic events that happened at my house involving my 150g. .......... clip for space....
Not sure that this is so much of a vent as it is a walk down memory lane. At the time I was venting, trust me. Funny thing about this time of year and the memories it brings out, some good, some bad.

In 1993 we lost a 55 tall of fresh water the afternoon before we were going on vacation, flight tickets, rent car, cabin already paid for and waiting The tank split down one corner in a huge sloush. At least it did so BEFORE we left. We saved the fish by scooping water from other tanks into a bucket and hand to handing them from the drained tank to the bucket in a mad dash. A neighbor down the block with fresh water tanks got gifted some mighty nice fish that day, we transferred some to other tanks but some were not compatible. . .. We made it on the flight and actually both slept on the plane.. both totally exhausted from cleaning carpet and the whole nine yards most of that night, that plus the release of getting it accomplished and on the flight. A flight attendant actually had to wake me up to prepare to land. that was the ONLY time I have ever slept on a plane except for the trip to Australia when we flew business and had sleeper chairs in the bubble of a 747... that's different.