Sweet man that looks like fun !!!

Awesome looking skimmer! Are those black bioballs?

what type of pump are you using on that skimmer?

Cheers,
Vic

They are bio pellets of some kind in the reactor.... look like very tiny bio balls but way more in them lol
the skimmer has an air inductor aswell as a 3800 ghp hammerhead inline pump....
Pretty excited to start cutting and fitting here.... My 3" bit came in today too so ill be busy all week.

So i think i have the jist of it with the manifold idea....
put a T after my ball valve and union off of my return pump before i hit the split to my dual 1 1/2" returns then ball valve each T i add for each reactor and dial in accordingly....? if thats correct then thats what I shall do :)
thanks guys
http://melevsreef.com/pics/09/01/ass...g_manifold.jpg

Holy crap!! That's a load of new and shinny toys you got there, I am some what jealous.

Sorry to put a damper on things, but those are not the bio pellets you hear people talking about on these forums. The ones you have appear to be a biological filter which is something that you don't want on a reef. They are ok on a FOWLR tank, but you would need a way to export nitrate. In a reef tank you want to remove organics before they have a chance to break down into nitrate as nitrate is not good for a reef tank. Biological filters (like bioballs, ceramic rings, etc) are very efficient at breaking down organics very quickly so can become "nitrate factories". Fish aren't as sensitive to nitrate as corals are, so that's ok in a FOWLR tank. In saltwater, the live rock is your biological filter and has the unique ability to DEnitrate via anaerobic bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria are aerobic and denitrifying bacteria are anaerobic. Maybe you could return this item?

The bio pellets that you hear people talking about on the forums are tiny cream colored smooth disks that slowly break down in the water. They reduce nitrate and phosphate. I'm not a fan of these, but that's just my opinion, lots of people are using them with success.

Yes, nice looking toys. Good luck with the build. And yes do get rid of that media.

And lots without! To expensive of a bandaid fix. IMO.

Agreed. I have no use for biopellets...or bioballs (on the reef).

Well I got the plumbing mostly done.... went to leak test the return pump side and lo and behold a pinhole leak on 2 fittings...... So Im tearing it all out tomorrow and buing all new stuff as Im stressed to poop epoxies or 2 part puttys will leak down the road for a fix.... it was either to rough a sandpaper or the glue set to soon as the 2" to 1 1/2" reducers have to go in at the same time and hope for the best situation.... Just mad now :twised::twised::twised:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/009-6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/007-8.jpg

Hope tomorrow is a better day

it amazes me that anything well primed and glued can leak I've never experienced this before. good luck I imagine removing glued sections will suck a little.

I have to ask because it jumped out at me, what did you use the sand paper for?

Every once in awhile I tend to go on a little rant. :mrgreen:

I'm not sure how it's "to expensive of a Band-Aid fix" and I wouldn't necessarily call them a Band-Aid appication for all users. For my tank, 300+ total water volume it costs me $80.00 - 120.00 a year to run BP's. How much would it cost me in salt per year to do a 30% weekly or bi-weekly water change to export nitrates? If you're going to do the math I use H2Ocean and a 30% change is going to be roughly 105 gallons.

BP's can be an alternative method of controlling nitrate and not just a Band-Aid solution. There are far too many people out there who feel things should only be done one way and one way only without taking the time to examine how alternative solutions are being applied. I'd ask those same people to throw out their GFO, Carbon as well as their Skimmer because you should be doing water changes and improving your husbandry.

To the people that complain Bio-Pellets crashed thier tank:

Too much Carbon = Crashed Tank
Too Much GFO = Crashed Tank
Over Skimming = Crashed Tank
The list can go on and on


Edit: I should probably edit this post as it's a little more aggressive then it should be, it was early and my head is aching from an ear infection, maybe it was the Advil...

Thanks Parker, you said what I was thinking.

I agree bio-pellets are simply another media we use to facilitate the removal of something we don't want. Same as carbon, gfo etc. I don't use them but I wouldn't call them a band-aid fix.

My issue with biopellets are the many people I know personally that have had major issues with their tank when starting up the biopellets. I just think they are too fussy. This is the same reason I don't recommend Zeovit to novice reef keepers. Ya, biopellets can work, Zeovit can work. I simply stated I have no use for biopellets as I feel nitrate can be controlled with proper maintenance.

Very true Myka, there are some tricks to starting pellets that most people over look like starting them to soon, using to much at initial start up & not having them tumbling as much as they should. ATM the way my set-up is built I don't have the ability to do large water changes being on a septic system and they really help keep my nitrate & phosphate down to zero.

all my years i have never had any leaks and i pile it on that is the key and i dont use primer or rough it up and put it on ad turn it 3 times complete and tah daaaaaa its GTG

It looks like you have some PVC to ABS fittings together, did you use a transition glue? Wrong glues could cause a leak or weak joint. I've never had to sand any plastic pipe fittings before, usually the fit is almost water tight as is and the wet glue helps slide the pieces all the way together.

Hey....sorry for the late replies.... the stainless welds have been calling 14 hrs a day.....
and ontop of that..... lol in my tired rum n coke state i tried to attach my skimmer to a direct overflor pipe..... 24hrs and nothing..... cant be working right so i will have to add power pumps submersed and start from scratch there.....
No abs to PVC in this run i did it all first pics abs and top notch as best i could....problem was I was roughing with sandpaper and it worked against me..... straight cuts and double glue from here on out.......ive done a thousand joints and never had a problem.....seems its just when it counts it gives the headaches....
Any advice or imput is more than appreciated :)
Got the return side all up and running but the skimmer side.....tooo much pump to keep the water in the 100 gph sump.... tried running full on one solid overflow with air injector....no go..... so back to the drawing bored....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1ca/003-14.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1ca/001-15.jpg

+1 on give it a turn that is the key right there. When you turn the fitting together it distributes the glue evenly and pushes out air bubbles. I do use primer as it does give a better bond, but it is not needed as our systems are generaly have low presure levels. Under 75psi it is not needed I believe; I should look it up again but a good idear to use it for the $4.95 it costs.... I get mine for about $2.

Bill

same with me too i always just primed and twisted and once i twisted i just held it for about 10 sec untill the bond happens...no leaks;) after i twist i take a coth and wipe the excess cement around the fitting for some extra insurance and to make it look pretty:):)

Well..... after a ton of PVC changes.... like 10...... an acrylic repair and a ton of beer...... Im up and running :) Skimmer is rocking it, bio reactor, carbon and gfo (still empty) all run off the return pump and still crazy flow in the sump....
Im very happy it isnt retarded loud but still Im fine tuning for the next month... dont judge just yet im still going to clean it all up :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1ca/012-11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/013-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/014-6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/026-2.jpg
Whew im tired.... cant wait to have more than happy bugger clowns in ther lol

That looks great, very nice build.

The sump is operating now? I can't tell if that water is moving or not...looks like it's just sitting there. Have you checked how much it fills up if you flick all the switches off (simulated power outage)?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was moving, I run a dart full out through my 75 gallon sump and the water looks like it's standing still. I run a herbie drain and my skimmer doesn't produce micro bubble so there is very little air being introduced to the water stream to highlight movement.

I had to raise the water an inch over the baffles or I get a typhoon of bubbles running over the last baffle and my pump eats them right up and spits out micros like crazy.
I hope to come up with a way to muffle or cut down the flow to bubble ratio over the baffles and when i get the rock and sand in there im sure it will help alot too.

Quick update,
Still getting the skimmer going propper with the plumbing but the powerheads are beasts.... bio reactor seems to be holding its own and the corals are still growing like crazy :)
got some fish now too.... yay
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1ca/005-13.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/008-8.jpg

Im liking the scape and the plumbing looks impressive too (no smart arse remarks from the peanut gallery:nono:)......thats a lot of bio-load in ten days:eek:.....hence the "Hustle-r" user name huh?:wink:

So glad to see you using the Bashsea stuff. I met the guys from there down at MACNA and their stuff really had me thinking on going that route. I know people have given you a hard time about the bio-reactor but from talking to Bashsea and looking at some of the data they had, it appears that the design of their reactor and media keeps the long term nitrate factory issues that bioballs have had in the past from occurring.

So where did you order it from? They don't have any Canadian distributors to my knowledge.

WOW!! Someone went fish crazy :lol: nice Triggers though.

I love that u have a bunch of yellow tangs I have one lots of personality with those guys. And is that a naso wish I had a big tank to get one

I love the aquascape, your tank is looking good. I saw your post about looking for large angels and I thought of my king angel

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...k/DSC_1918.jpg

then I saw this part

and thought never mind :lol: *sigh*

LMAO Laurie!!!!!! Too funny!

Ya he's such a beautiful fish it's to bad he hates any other type of fish that even remotely looks like him.

Sounds like he has a bit of a complex.

That is truly too bad :( that one is on my list for sure..... And amazing... Wow what a beaut.

Just so you know, from what I'm aware of, all king/passer angels become jerks as they get bigger. The one in the 2000g shark tank at Big Als was removed because he started picking on and hurting the sharks :eek:

Heres a quick update on some growth of the weeds and whatnot :) Very Very happy i made the switch the salt :)
As stressful as it is... 10 min infront of the tank it all just sheds away.....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/037-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/025-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/016-5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1ca/004-11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...h1ca/014-7.jpg

Hey, I saw my niger in that tank:lol: