Some Plumbing for Nikki

[Scooterman]

Ok, next question, how is your rock work placed? It is off the back, so it must just be stacked somehow right? Did you glue or epoxy any rocks together? Before you install more stuff, can you take a picture from the top? LOL ok asking a lot I know sorry but we want to learn.

 

[NaH2O]

Here are some pics from above - showing the room behind the rock work. I was fortunate enough to have 2 really huge pieces of rock. One for each island....we built off of these for the rest of the aquascaping.

 

[NaH2O]

and the other side: (oh, and we used zip ties and epoxy to hold the pieces together)

 

[Scooterman]

Holly Smokes, Awesome Nikki, just Awesome, I love it!

 

[mojoreef]

perfect


Mike

 

[cheeks69]

Awesome job Nikki !! That tank is gonna be killer

 

[CurvBall]

Very cool!

 

[NeilsReef]

This is an amazing process you have gone through on this tank, I admire your patience! Nice documentary. Very nice end result, can't wait until to see how it looks 6 months from now?

 

[NaH2O]

Just to update - I've had the tank cycling for almost 2 weeks now, and I wanted to say again how well the flow works in this tank. The bottom outputs do a great job clearing junk off the bottom...you can see it sweep into the water column and eventually go into the overflow. On a side note, my MBV was giving me a fit - Hayward was very helpful in determining where the problem is, and they are sending us what we need to fix it. (We could have sent the mbv to them, but Jeff has had this thing apart enough to know exactly what they were talking about). Oh, and my skimmer cup union was leaking - Euro-reef is sending me a new skimmer cup. Great customer service for both companies.

I love my tank!

 

[NaH2O]

After blasting the rocks off with a powerhead this morning, I decided to post a couple of pictures of how the bottom outputs on the closed loop work. The first picture is of the detritus sitting on the side where the actuator is "off"

 

[NaH2O]

This picture shows what happens when the actuator switched to this side. The detritus is almost gone off the bottom....

 

[NaH2O]

and finally, here is a shot of the water column....you can see the junk floating around...it makes its way down into the sump. (sorry for the flash!)

 

[Hooked]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Curtswearing]

Great illustration of the bare-bottom method. Now your skimmer can grab the detritus out of the water column.

 

[Barnacle Dave]

Very interesting.
Nice tank also.

 

[Schottman]

Very informative post. I am sure I will have to re-read it a few times as I'd like to try a MBV on my tank that IAP is building.

 

[zeltar]

Hey Nikki, any updates on your tank????

 

[NaH2O]

Nothing new except following the cycle process. I did have an issue with my MBV...not sure if I had mentioned it in this thread. Hayward was very helpful in figuring out that the MBV left their facility without lube in the part that goes from the actuator to the ball valve. They are sending us the lube they use, so I'm waiting on that. Hopefully, it will arrive soon, and the MBV can get back into full operation. LOL - that and a leak issue I'm having with my skimmer. At least both companies have proven they have great customer service.

 

[NaH2O]

Update

Time for a sad update. One of the fish on my livestock list is a Kole Tang. About 5 weeks ago I was at a Fish store ~1 hour away from here, and saw a great specimen. She was healthy, non aggressive, not afraid of people, and overall a nice looking fish (she was smaller in size). Well, she was still at the store as of yesterday, and Curt on his way out was kind enough to pick her up for me....she still looked great. We acclimated her and she wasn't afraid, very relaxed, acting like she should, checking all the rock, getting her barings. She looked fantastic this morning, and didn't mind my little one's face pressed against the tank (of course mine too). We went out for the day, and when we returned home, she was no where to be found. Curt was doing some checking, then I heard a "GASP", and knew something happened to her. I figured she went into the overflow, but nope.....she was sucked onto one of the screen intakes to the closed loop. I knew the closed loop had a lot of draw, but I didn't imagine a fish getting sucked onto it. Needless to say, I didn't have sponge covers on my intake screens, so she obviously didn't survive.

What is so frustrating for me is this was something that could have been prevented. I am really kicking myself & I am feeling horrible - I don't like to make mistakes like this.

 

[Fly n Reef]

Nikki,
I am so sorry. I don't know what else to say.
I remember your kind words when I nearly lost "Gil the Wonderfish". If you remember him, he is my Yellow Tang that got stuck on my overflow in my old 100. Fortunately he survived and now lives in his new IAP 180.
It makes me sad to lose a fish I am so sorry, I feel your sadness.
Karen