[charlie]

I was gonna say either 2 or 3, but there is more in focus on the the 1st one, so, I will take #1 too.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

Which of the three verticals do you guys like best, I like the first best....

Mike,

I like first one the best as well. Not that remaining images are bad but the last two have those out of focus branches in the front and that spoils it for me. Having said that, how else can you take an image lake that? Focusing on the first coral and shooting at f gazillion hoping that DOF with catch up?
I tried some shots like these and ended up deleting all of them, just too many distracting objects even at f22.

[zhenya]

My chiller taking a dump on me has really put a cramp in my style so to speak. I have purchased a different sump fan, and I found some cool little AC fans at Walmart for $5, that should work in the canopy. I need to get in touch with Pacific Coast, and see what my options are.

Mike,

What exactly is wrong with your chiller and what model was it? Definately call Pacific Coast, their service is pretty good and all you may have to do is send it back for some repair. If it is a fuse continues to blow than it may be not having enough flow and chiller is working too hard( too often on and off)? I had that problem with mine and simply upgraded the pump and it;s doing OK for now.

[Poseidon]

Gene, I think the fan is shot. When I moved it by hand it felt like it had some resistance to it. It is not blowing fuses, and in truth the thing only kicked on a few times a day, but it made a WORLD of difference to have it.

The model is a CL650 the 1/4 hp unit. I also need to get the screw on caps that the hoses attach to, they both cracked on me when I tried to tighten them back up. I would really have been in trouble if I didn't have a full set of T5s waiting to be installed! I really like halides, I just don't like the heat!

[zhenya]

Mike,

I don't think it is a big deal to either replace that fan or see if it could be fixed.
The screw on caps I can help you with 'cause I have another set of them.
You may check if you have another set because mine came with two sets of those things.
I thought it was something serious like compressor, the fan you can probably replace by yourself if warranty had expired.

[Poseidon]

I hope so. I found a fan at wally world the appears to have the same or similar motor. Maybe I can just swap it out, if I can get it to fit, that is. I have some time this afternoon, so I will give Pac. Coast a call.

[Poseidon]

Well the chiller is still Dead, but all is well! Here is a FTS from today!



I will be working on the sump today or tomorrow, depending on when the wife gets back from her Black Friday shopping spree!

[charlie]

Geez Miike, that is looking really good.

On a side note, my wife went ot work @ 4:30 this morning because of Black Friday. You wanna talk about a happy camper??????????

[Poseidon]

Thanks Charlie!

I think that is when Stacey left teh house, around 4 AM!!!! I could never get up that early to go SHOPPING!! GEESH!

[charlie]

Good Lord, I got up when Lorie did, had a couple of cups of coffee, then promptly fell asleep in my chair.

[Samper]

Mike your system is looking great!

[Poseidon]

Thanks Chuck! I hope to have the sump redo done today to, I am adding a HUGE Ca Reactor, and I think I am going to replumb my drain into the skimmer as well.... Should be a fun day.

[charlie]

Make sure to take a few pics there bud, enquiring minds................

[Poseidon]

Okay, I have worked my BUTT OFF on this little project, and I am still not done! I have been thru THREE yes THREE of those PVC Cutters that you get from Lowes, or Home Depot. They really don't like to cut 1.5" PVC much, they are much happier with 1". Anyway.... Here is an old sump shot for reference:


Actually that is REALLY Old, it was before I added my Kalk Reactor.

Okay, first the skimmer mod. I wanted to turn my MR-2 into a recirculation model. My skimmer already had 2 bulkheads in the top for dual Becketts, so the first step was removing one of the old bulkheads to see if my 1.5" would fit, it did! Here is a picture of my skimmer with the Beckett, and what would become the water in:



Here is the hole I added, for a 1" Bulkhead. This is going to be the pumps input, then thru the pump and into the Beckett:



Here is where I learned that 1" Unions from Home Depot, are different then the 1" Unions from Lowes:



After the first of FOUR trips to Lowes for supplies, the work on the skimmer itself is done! I had to rig that 90 hose barb with a 3/4" Nipple from the schedule 80 department. I know that 90's are usually a bad idea, but this time it makes for a cleaner install, and the vertical head pressure on this pump is about 10".



Here is a cool advantage to having the pump and skimmer so close to each other, CLEANING the pump AND Beckett with a 50/50 mix:




You can see the calcium flaking off here!

Okay, back to the old sump and shelf that held the Skimmer and the Kalk reactor:



You can also see my ATO, and T5 Sump lights here. Those are 4 foot bulbs, that will not work anymore... More on that coming up!

Old Shelf 28"x12" GONE:



New Shelf, 28"x20" just before installation:



Why do I need to put on a bigger shelf you ask, well here it is:



Yes, that is a Calcium Reactor, and YES those are 5 gallon buckets next to it!

Trial fit of Skimmer and Kalk Reactor:



Remember me complaining about those PVC Cutters, well I fixed that... I went and got the 12" Laser Compound Mitre Saw!



Okay, here is where I ran into trouble, and need HELP!



I screwed up my FINAL CUT and had to raise the skimmer about an inch to get the PVC to reach, so you can see my foam pad and egg crate riser pad below. The "T" with 90 on it was supposed to be in case of a backup in the skimmer, as an overflow preventer..... Well, the T was taller then the skimmers Beckett Air intake, so it wasn't going to work as intended, and it was LOUD! Gurgle Gurgle Slosh slosh.... BUT the skimmer was working! 100% of the water coming down from the tank was entering the skimmer! YAY!!!! But I was NOT happy with the foam riser, nor was I happy with where the skimmer was placed on the shelf, it forced me into placing the Kalk reactor on the front edge of the shelf, wiith a little bit NOT on the shelf! I couldn't have THIS:



This isn't up to my standards, and if something is going to be hanging off the edge of the shelf, then I could have left the old shelf there and secured the Kalk reactor with DUCT TAPE or something....

So anyway, Sunday morning I am back at it, and I get rid of the T and 90 coming off the skimmer, and plumb the drain DIRECTLY into the skimmer.


(The duct tape is temporary. )

Now I start everything up, and the skimmer level promptly OVERFLOWS! DRAT!!! I open the gate valve all the way, and the level falls... YAY! I think.... Then the level rises, and falls, and rises, and falls.... The drain is SURGING! So, at this point I speak to a friend that has run his drain directly into the skimmer, and he explains that I need a T and gate valve before the skimmer so that only a little water goes into the skimmer, but more importantly it is a constant feed, and all the surge is supposed to be diverted into the sump.

Well, here is my T and valve (Ball, not gate like was recommended though.)



I had to keep that valve all the way open, or else ALL the water went to the sump. My solution, I thought was pretty clever... I reduced the output at the bottom down to a 1/2" ELBOW! That forced the water into the skimmer, and seemed to help a LOT! I stayed in the basement for over an hour, and let the skimmer settle in, with a constant bubble level, all seemed well. However I went back to check the skimmer later, and it was OVERFLOWING again.... so I opened the gate valve on the skimmer a little, and the water level drops way to far!!!! I try and close the ball valve a little, and close the gate... Starts out fine, but after a "time" the skimmer overflows AGAIN! I have pulled out my hair trying to get this skimmer thing licked, open this, close that, open this, close that, more air, less air, open this, close the air, open the air, close the gate.... etc etc etc.!

Anyway, my next option is to reduce the skimmer feed line to 1/2", maybe that will be more consistant? I am afraid of restricting my drain line to much though, I don't want to stop the overflow!!!!

I have a high water sensor in the tank, so if the overflow quits, the sensor will cut off the return pump, preventing a flood, but then I lose heat to the tank, not to mention the skimmer.... ARGH!!! I am frustrated, I have something that I think SHOULD work, but I can't make it work! I suppose I could just feed the skimmer with a MAG5 and be done with it, but I want to REDUCE power consumption not increase it!

So..... If anyone can help with drain surge and recirculating skimmers, I would sure appreciate it!

Oh.... One more image, this one of the Ca Reactor that I am going to plumb in today! This one, with all 3, Skimmer, Kalk Reactor, and Calcium Reactor, the Sprite Bottle is a 2 liter for scale!



oh what the heck.... How much media is in that reactor you ask????



Yup, that is FIVE containers of the Gen-X large!!!! Bigger is Better RIGHT?! LOL!!

[charlie]

Mike, I don't know what to tell ya about the skimmer, but you sure did take alot of pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you have talked to your buddy since this morning, I'll bet it is an easy fix, something that you maybe missed. Good luck friend!! At least your wife left enuf money hanging around for the saw.

[zhenya]

Mike, hang in there. I'm sure it is something you overlooked, something easily corrected when you find it.

I'm curious why you chose such large reactor for you tank? It looks impressive but I just want to know the reason for the size. I know that I can only push my reactor so far so maybe going larger is the answer for me too?

[Poseidon]

Thanks Charlie.... Actually I had to go get the saw from MY GARAGE so it wasn't a new purchase.

Gene, Jarrod found a thread on RC in the Deltec forum, they recommend putting the valve as close to the skimmer as possible, mine is only a couple inches off of the T, and 4 or 5 feet from the skimmer. (Hopefully that will be the fix, moving or adding another valve close.)

As for the size of the reactor, it is a DIY that I joined in on. Steve and Ken thought that adding 2" to the all the dimensions would make the reactor more effective without adding much cost in Acrylic. They were right about that part, but I don't think they thought of the media! MAN, I spent $100+ in MEDIA for the darn thing!

I am having some issues with a leak at the eheim pump, that has kept me from firing it up and getting it running. That leak, and I need an adapter for my regulator to fit on my CO2 tank.

[Poseidon]

It's ALIVE!!!! Adding a ball valve close to the skimmer did the TRICK!!! I snapped a few pictures, and I made one additional mod to the skimmer too. First things first though a WORKING skimmer!:



What a NICE FOAM!!!!

Here is a close up of my Mod:



and one while it is filling, if you look to the back of the reaction chamber, you can see the output blowing against the reaction chambers wall:



This makes a nice WHIRLPOOL in the reaction chamber, the micro bubbles are swirling round and round and round.... I was also able to open the air intake quite a bit.... about 3 times the size it was before. You should hear this thing SUCK AIR!!!!! It is like a constant Woooosh..... Rather then a whistle. I made a "muffler" out of an old FILM can and some filter floss, that works GREAT!

I have to say a Thank You to Jarrod, (Black71gp on Michigan Reefers) for helping me out, I was ready to get out the HAMMER and he posted that link for me to the Deltec forum... He may have saved my Skimmer from an UGLY death!

[Poseidon]

I am waiting on some epoxy to dry on the Ca Reactor, hopefully this will cure the leak!

Anyone know where I can get an adapter for my regulator to CO2 tank, they are different sizes, the regulator is bigger then the nipple on the tank!

[charlie]

Take the regulator and the tank down to someone who deals with CO2 Mike, they should be able to help you out!!!

Congrats on the skimmer, told you it was something easy!!!!

Thanx for all the pics, should be a great help for someone wanting to do the same thing.