In-wall 380gal tank - cut out options

[karimwassef]

Here's the skimmer running in salt water- the bubbles have gotten very fine

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

Here's the boundary layer as expected by design

[karimwassef]

Just fresh saltwater so no skimmate except for the dust from the new sand

[karimwassef]

All variables in check... Only pH is low (8.0), especially when running the skimmer.

Going to look into running an outside air inlet to minimize the CO2 injection from my garage air.

[karimwassef]

Sand came out great - I used a sieve to get the large shells out but overall very short settling time (minutes) since it came prewashed with nearly no dust. Got it from reefrocks - great guy.

[karimwassef]

The blue hue is from the shadow box. iPhone camera turns it very blue but it's softer in real life.

[karimwassef]

Just shadow box at night

[Lavoisier]

Gorgeous. Outstanding work. It has been worth the wait (I hope I will not be too far behind you!) I absolutely love that skimmer. I know you mentioned it earlier but what are the dimensions--12' by 6"? I'm planning on eventually running two skimmers (wet and dry) and will try and emulate your wonderful diy beckett.

[karimwassef]

Yes 12 foot x 6" diameter. It does require a dedicated circulating pump but the result is intense.

I am planning on turning both the surge and skimmer off during the night cycle to improve the plankton fauna viability. (Just an idea).

[Lavoisier]

That makes sense. Will you have a refugium? Or cryptic set up?

[karimwassef]

The center of my sump is a DSB refugium with macroalgae and pods. It's about 80 gallons.

[Chasmodes]

You have done some amazing stuff so far! I'm hooked on your build threads and DYI rock walls.

[karimwassef]

Thanks. There's a lot more to do... Still need live rock to see the concrete and sand and create a pod ecosystem.

[karimwassef]

Creating my mid-sump refugium with controlled buckets of miracle mud and coarse aragonite. The buckets are covered in a mesh and separated by eggcrate. The top buckets will also contain Chaeto.

I guess I'm envisioning a pod metropolis with an above ground and below ground. It's on an opposite light cycle to the DT - might keep the pH up...

The buckets allow me to change the ratio of substrate types and macroalgae without having to break it all apart. Quantum refugia?

Also, in case I decide to go in a different direction, I can hotswap buckets without creating chaos.

[karimwassef]

Going with a more complete eggcrate - this was just to try it out.

Also, no giant black cloud like I experienced with my first tank with MiracleMud. Clean addition so should make for clean removal (in theory).

[karimwassef]

[e55driver]

Could you go into a little more detail about wave maker in post 171? is built the same way as the surge valves? Thank you for any help. Love the tank.

[karimwassef]

e55 - post 171 shows the flow diverter that alternates flow from one side of the tank to the other. It's a low RPM AC motor connected to a PVC fixture. The PVC is a DIY that uses the same 1" PVC extension as I use in the surge actuators. But instead of sliding the piston in and out (in the surge), I rotate it with the motor and use a shaped PVC and epoxy face inside.

I'll post some pics of it.

[karimwassef]

Not sure I understand the light comment? Do you mean lower the lights? Move them closer to the tank front?

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

This was cut to shape with a dremmel tool. As it rotates, it diverts the water into one outlet or the other. Because of the circle cut, it will go through a gradual transition...

0:100%
10:90
20:80
....
50:50
60:40
...
100:0

[karimwassef]