Seahorse Set-Up Mk. 2

[kelwoo]

So those of you who have read my other journal 130L seahorse setup will know that i had plans to strip the tank and start again adding a sump - well plans changed slightly when Chris (my other half) suggested looking in the LFS to see, if the worst should happened if i could get a replacement tank. I found a tank which was discounted and quite a bit bigger and long story short talked myself into buying it. 'Well if i'm gonna drill one tank and plumb it in properly i might as well do the upgrade at the same time right?!'

So i thought i would start a new thread documenting how the tank is coming a long.

THE PLAN

The same as the re-do on the 130l just up scaled. The new set up will be 260L inc. sump.

Add a sump, with skimmer,uv and phosphate reactor, drill the tank and plumb it in all pretty like.

SO FAR......

The rock work is already upstairs in a tank drilled, pinned with acrylic rod and cured awaiting a tank to put it in.
I have built the sump from scratch so it is made to measure:
I gave the measurement to the glass shop who cut it to size for me

Basic tank

Basic tank in cabinet with light, skimmer and a fat cat (J.D)

Half of the internal structures done

Complete sump

Also building my own phosphate reactor which i'm half done, will post piccys when they finished.

And the biggest job and scariest was done today - drilling the tank


Tank with template

Chris drilling tank

The hole!!

I have drilled the cabinet for the sump pipe - have just got to sort out the plumbing and holes for the rest of the tank then the hard bit is done. (I have a pump in the sump for the return back the tank, and another one which will go from the sump into the chiller - then the phosphate reactor, then the uv back into the sump - so i need to sort out that pipe work and drill the appropiate holes in the cabinet for them.)

Still got lots to do will try and update as a go another long night a head

Kelwoo

 

[Harry1996]

looking good so far

 

[ben1987]

hi kelwoo looking really good. love reading about your horsies. will look great when its up and running im sure

 

[seffieuk]

I'm following with great interest it is all looking very neat

Seffie x

 

[kelwoo]

Picked up lighting unit today, just basic t5 lighting which is fine for a seahorse tank and algae, the plan is to upgrade to LED's eventually, but i can't afford that ATM.

Will update you on progress later - cabinet drilling today, and sorting out pipe work yay!

Kelwoo

 

[Gvilleguy]

Kelwoo - I'm looking forward to seeing your results. I just spotted this thread on the "show new content" feed, and that led me to looking at your old 130L journal - what a journey you have been through! Good luck with the new build. Just to make sure I have it correct - do you currently have six seahorses?

 

[kelwoo]

Hi Gvilleguy

Yes have been through a bit of a journey and now i'm starting again I'm looking forward to the results too - and having a rest.
I did have 6 Seahorses, 2 pipefish and a mandarin, unfortunately i have lost 1 pipefish and 3 Seahorse, which is the reseaon for this revamp and upgrade. I have a killer worm in the current tank that has had 2 of my horses and 1 pipefish got caught in the nuisance algae (the other horse died because it's mate shone him and he got depressed and stopped eating) This is why i was gonna redo my tank.

Hope you enjoy following my adventure

Kelwoo

 

[kelwoo]

Sorry for lack of updates, even though i have spent months planning this i have found out, 14 days after starting
1) i'm was not prepared and
2) i shouldn't have started

Most of the kinks and problems have been sorted (most) but still got a few to work out. The biggest problem was when filling up the tank it started to leak!!

Anyway will do a proper and complete update when all the problems are sorted and i have a moment to spare when im not waist deep and drowning in tank stuff

Kelwoo
xx

Edit: spelling mistake

 

[seffieuk]

Oh goodness, I dread a tank leak - looking forward to the update

Seffie x

 

[kelwoo]

sorry for no updates, things are not going well!!

in fact i'm about ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. I've well and truly had enough. Had enough of my house looking like a mixture of a diy store and fish shop, not being able to get the tank up and working and not being able to fix the noise/ bubble problem from the durso/sump - i seriously need your help, i don't know what i'm doing wrong. I've finally managed to get the tank/sump levels stable and it works, the trouble is the bubbles coming from durso into the sump - the bubble are so big, so many and noisy it 1) drives me made and 2) empties my sump all over the place. I have tried every fix i can find and it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. i can't run the tank as it stands so unless you guys can help me fix this i have a very big, useless water holder.

I'm at the end - i have no more ideas nor can i find any more solutions i'm counting on the collective brains of you guys to help.

xx

 

[ben1987]

can i ahve a picture of the plumbing please?

usually you need an air line on the top of your drain to restirct what air goes down and what goes away from the pipe

they have just done it with an air valve

 

[kelwoo]

OK so if I'm gonna show you pictures of the pipe work I might as well do an update of all progress so far.

after drilling the tank we glued the bulk head in place. once it was cured placed the tank on the stand, put the downpipe in and filled it up with water. This was when we noticed it was leaking from round the bulkhead
so emptied the tank re-glued/sealed the bulkhead ready to try again. No leaks

After finishing the sump we started on the cupboard on the left hand side i have the chiller, uv and our phosphate reactor (which chris dubs 'the pod' pattern pending).

for the chiller we needed to make a vent in the cupboard.
drilling the hole

done

next we made 'the pod'

added some legs

just got the legs to glue in place inside now and the tables then done. It will hold phosphate remover and carbon.

I have a separate pump in the sump to pump water to the chiller, reactor and uv back into the sump to return the main tank, so next i plumbed in that side.

went to go and get some backing - could get none that was big enough so decided to paint the back of the tank. 3 days and 3 coats later - done.

The original idea was to have a spray bar outlet (diy of coarse)

It worked (on the second attempt) plumbed the return pump in and that was it done - ready to empty old tank put SH etc.. upstairs in holding tank, switch tanks fill up and run and get the SH back in the tank.

I originally had a straight top inlet - this just made way to much noise so mk.2 was the durso - whisper quite apparently. so I ordered new pipe and parts to make the durso, and a scwd. - wait......

It finally arrived made it - ready to drain the tank again and install it. Done. tested it worked ok but now not gonna skim the water surface, so time to buy some acrylic and make a weir, waiting again......

plumbing with scwd

I should say up to this point everyone was doing well upstairs considering at this point we are now verging on 4 weeks (a 2 week job)
that was until my sponge decided to go nuclear. In the space of about 45mins the whole sponge had died releasing is toxins and rubbish into the water - you could barely see what was in the tank it was that cloudy. Long story short even water changes and lots of carbon could save the tank, i lost everything apart from merlin (mandarin) and the cleaner shrimps

Looking on the bright side (if there is such a thing - i'm not so sure) thought i wouldn't have to rush to finish the job, get it done asap but take the time to do it properly.

A week later and the acrylic arrives, i make the weir and put it in the tank. ready to test again and here we are.

This problem is gonna be the final straw if i can't fix it then i give up. The whole build so far has cost approximately £1500 and i've lost £300 of live stock i can't run the tank as it stands.

As requested here's picture/ videos of the pipework.

a couple of video of the bubbles
from the down pipe

what come out


If i make the holes smaller (in the top of the durso) it syphons, i've tried the tubing down it, taps on top, making bigger holes, putting a tap on the down pipe and slowing the flow, reverse durso on the end, different ends to the down pipe, socks, adjusting the flow on the return pump (full to practically nothing) and nothing changes the bubble just keep coming as bad as ever - help.

 

[jaylam]

Amazing work, I wish I had the time and space to build my own custom sertup.

 

[seffieuk]

Wow wee...... that is looking good, so sorry about your loses, that must have been awful

Seffie x

 

[kelwoo]

Well i've decided to start sorting the tank out again.

With all my seahorses gone and the problems with the bubbly sump i had lost all interest.

But i have now fixed the bubble problem (put two ball values on the return pump and downpipe, so brought another pump for the scwd for tank flow) It all works well!

so now i have done all the rock work put in the sand and i am giving it a bit to settle down. I have planted some algae and just got some little bits and pieces to finish. Picture will follow.

Kelwoo