MitchReef's Reef...well the current one at least....

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Huge :)!

 

[MitchReef]

:D:bounce::^::Cheers::trampolin:beerchug::trampolin:Cheers::^::bounce::D

 

[Marinne13]

Yes!!

 

[MitchReef]

I got out my MagFloat and used the RO/DI water that is filling the tank and I cleaned all the glass.....I knew the guy I got the tank was careful but there is not so much as a rub mark anywhere on this tank!!!!

Anyway, I turned off the RO/DI last night at bedtime and didn't start it again until I got home from work.....so it's not real full yet, but I'm about 1/2 full....I will have to get those valves and finish the plumbing soon.....

 

[MitchReef]

Wow!!!! That SUX!!!!

I finally got new batteries for my hand-held TDS tester....I guess my DI Resin is officially shot....TDS out of the RO/DI Unit was 17ppm and the water in the tank is 13ppm....I guess I will just drain this water down and consider it a good wash out...

 

[Marinne13]

ugh man that sucks

 

[MitchReef]

No big deal...I'm glad I checked it...I would rather start out with as clean a system as I can.....

I have to stay patient on this build....and I gotta say I'm proud of myself not going into Finish Line Sprint mode yet....

 

[kbuser92]

13 isnt bad, though. By the cycles end it should be < 3...

 

[MitchReef]

Yeah....I guess I could use it...I just hate to start with "dirty" water....

 

[kbuser92]

It aint that bad, though.

 

[kbuser92]

If you want, test for what they are. Chances are mostly calcium anyways, maybe copper, in which casxe I would start over.

 

[MitchReef]

The tank has never had any copper in it....I'm sure it's just the shot resin leaching back out....I just need to get the new resin and continue on smartly!!!!

Anyway, this weekend was a wash for progress. We went up to Tallahassee to see our other daughter, who is a Senior there. She is a Dramatist and was in her last college production as she graduates in the Summer and this is the end of the season....anyway, long story short...it was a family weekend....next week though....just keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times!!!!

 

[kbuser92]

Well, I know how ya feel.

 

[MitchReef]

I mounted my Apex Lite in the tank room today and plan to pick up the DI resin and plumbing parts to complete the piping.....I have acrylic to make baffles but I'm still not positive what sump / fuge layout I want to go with so I guess I really need to pay attention to that....

 

[kbuser92]

Go simple.

 

[MitchReef]

I actually intend to just build a 3 sided box around the Protein Skimmer, siliconed into the sump just right of center against the bottom, with baffles opposite the backwall of the sump. The skimmer compartment will be the center section of the sump with nearly half the space (the left end) for refugium...I will make a perforated plate to extend the wall of the skimmer box...This along with the box will contain the refugium.....the outer baffle of the skimmer box along with the front wall of the sump will make a channel for the fuge water to the other end of the sump where a compartment will make room for the pump suction bulkhead and a screen for it and another bulkhead with a ball valve to a hose for water changes...The fuge will have one pipe of the overflow piping and the skimmer box will have the other pipe....there will be plenty of room in the pump chamber for heaters, probes, float switches for ATO (run by the Apex)...should be pretty sweet and easy to make at the same time!!!! The design will have part of the water being skimmed, part being fuged and all of it mixing at the pump area....

 

[kbuser92]

Dude...google sketch...lol

 

[MitchReef]

don't know how.....I will figure something out....maybe I will try to build it this weekend....I already have everything for that except for the silicone....

 

[kbuser92]

Haha. I just had a hard time putting that picture in my head. Its been a long day.

 

[MitchReef]

I mounted the Apex to the wall last night but need to have Brighthouse come hook up the cable to the Tank Room up as the Data Port for the house I will move my Modem and Router into there as well....I got my resin and need to go put it in the chambers and start the water filling again....I drained what I had in the tank and re-cleaned the inside of it because the RO/DI that I was dumping into the new tank got to 45ppm TDS and I thought that was just too high!!!!! I ought to be picking up the valves and small plumbing parts tomorrow and that means keep on filling it!!!! My wife got the paint to touch up and make the wall look good in the Living Room....That will be done too, it's already all sanded and ready...

BTW, it was really cool coming home to a blue-lighted tank today!!!! I love my Apex....