24 Gallon Fluval M60 Build

[Devaji108]

great score on the tank sir! looking good. Man if I every went to a reefaploza I think i would be broke...just like a kid in a candy shop.

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by Devaji108

great score on the tank sir! looking good. Man if I every went to a reefaploza I think i would be broke...just like a kid in a candy shop.

Truer words have never been spoken lol. I'm going to make sure I save up for next year so I can come home with even more awesome stuff.

[ReefWreak]

Pretty decent looking skimmate there. If you find it filling up too quickly, and you're not having algae issues in your tank, you can always adjust the cup/skimmer higher, so that it skims drier, which will skim less, but you'll get the thick gross gunk instead of the tea colored.

I'm trying to get used to the tunze 9001 which is getting slightly darker than you're seeing, but I'm used to getting thicker gunkier gunk from my Aquaticlife 115. I'm just trying something new out since I have the opportunity.

[Jesfromdax]

Received some more equipment last night: BRS 4-Stage Value Plus RODI, GFO, and a new Vac.





Unfortunately the Faucet Adapter that comes with the filter has a major leak. Water shooting everywhere.



I tried to put some Teflon tape where it's leaking with little success. So since it was 2 in the morning I emailed BRS and I'm still waiting for a response.

This morning I woke up and decided that while I wait for their response, I'll at least make 5 gallons of fresh water for my top off. I have to cover the adapter with a rag so water won't spray all over my kitchen.



Since its leaking I don't have an accurate reading of my water pressure, right now it's sitting at 30-32 psi. Hoping that once I get this leaky adapter fixed/replaced my psi will go up over 40 preferably over 50. If so it will spare me the sleepless nights dreading over having to buy a booster pump.



Meanwhile before water enters DI it's reading between 3-4 TDS and after DI It's 0 TDS.





I've confirm this with my separate TDS meter.

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Pretty decent looking skimmate there. If you find it filling up too quickly, and you're not having algae issues in your tank, you can always adjust the cup/skimmer higher, so that it skims drier, which will skim less, but you'll get the thick gross gunk instead of the tea colored.

I'm trying to get used to the tunze 9001 which is getting slightly darker than you're seeing, but I'm used to getting thicker gunkier gunk from my Aquaticlife 115. I'm just trying something new out since I have the opportunity.

I'm going to live vicariously through you to see how that 9001 does in your tank. I was going to switch skimmers by the end of the year after my stocking list has been met. The 9001 was on top of my list with the Innovative Marine AUQA Gadget Ghost.

[ReefWreak]

If you have room for a HOB, there are some better options, but honestly the 9001 isn't bad (though I still prefer the AL115; I still need to do a skim-off between the two to see which one pulls more skimmate since I have both in my posession).

I'll let you know how it goes longer term.

If you're using faucet adapters, like I am, I can't recommend enough just getting an adapter that threads to your faucet, and has a garden hose connection on the other side, which you can stick a JG/RO tubing fitting on and call it a day. I can take a pic if you want. I can't drill my sink lines, and don't want to mess with anything permanent, so what I'm using is: Ez-Flo 30164 Garden Hose Adapter 15/16 Male --> Garden Laundry 3/4" female hose adapter valve 1/4" quick connect , and I put thread locker on the garden hose connection, so that I can use the garden hose adapter's nice grip nubs to screw the whole thing into my faucet easily.

These two pieces together:

and

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

If you have room for a HOB, there are some better options, but honestly the 9001 isn't bad (though I still prefer the AL115; I still need to do a skim-off between the two to see which one pulls more skimmate since I have both in my posession).

I'll let you know how it goes longer term.

If you're using faucet adapters, like I am, I can't recommend enough just getting an adapter that threads to your faucet, and has a garden hose connection on the other side, which you can stick a JG/RO tubing fitting on and call it a day. I can take a pic if you want. I can't drill my sink lines, and don't want to mess with anything permanent, so what I'm using is: Ez-Flo 30164 Garden Hose Adapter 15/16 Male --> Garden Laundry 3/4" female hose adapter valve 1/4" quick connect , and I put thread locker on the garden hose connection, so that I can use the garden hose adapter's nice grip nubs to screw the whole thing into my faucet easily.

These two pieces together:

and

If you can take a pic of your set up it would be highly appreciated, I was looking into that earlier do you mean something like this:






I have the Garden hose adapter, as soon as I can I'm going to go to Home Depot.

[ReefWreak]

Yes, it's something like that. I'll take a pic tonight. That one looks really ghetto though. Mine is quite a bit cleaner, though roughly the same design premise.

[ReefWreak]

Here's my adapter:

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Here's my adapter:

Thanks bro I went ahead and ordered the EZ-FLO Garden hose adapter online. With my schedule I don't think I was going to have the time to go to Home Depot. BRS ended up sending me a new faucet adapter free of charge but I'm going to go ahead and use the Garden Hose adapter once it arrives. Thanks Again.

[timfederwitz]

Any new updates?

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by timfederwitz

Any new updates?

I am waiting excitedly on some new equipment, specifically a new Skimmer from Marine Depot: Aquac Remora S HOB with the drain fitting. Can't wait for it to arrive. My water has been on the cloudy side lately and my current skimmer wasn't helping. Besides being a micro bubble factory my water seems to be thick with pods and a protein film that's not being skimmed out efficiently. The new skimmer comes with a MJ 1200 pump that I'm hoping will do a better job.

Also waiting on a three way valve for my RODI so I can by pass water going into my DI Resin that contains TDS creep. As well as the Garden Hose fitting adapter that ReefWreak suggested I buy. As soon as everything arrives I'll post more pics.

[Jesfromdax]

Quick Update: received the EZ Flo Garden Hose Adapter for my RODI, it fits like a glove, I immediately started to make some water.





Unfortunately the adapter didn't solve my water pressure dilemma. No leaks in sight but water pressure still at 32-34...



Palms got sweaty, hyperventilation began and thoughts of an Ocean Eleven style robbery of BRS may or may of not crossed my mind. I wanted to avoid buying a booster pump at all costs. My rent is already too high and it's a slap in the face from the buildings management for not providing me adequate water pressure. Don't they know I need at a least 50 PSI!!!! $@&?!!!!

As luck would have it my wife brought me back from the point of no return and told me she would buy me the pump for my Birthday next week... Thank you Babe!!!

[timfederwitz]

LOL. Good stuff! Wives can be amazing.

BTW, I think I settled on the Red Sea REEFERS 170. It's pretty amazing. Saw it at my LFS and it kind of clinched it for me. My wife talked me into saving for it over time. It's not that I don't have the money, it's more about the restraint and anticipation. Ever since I decided on the tank I am sleeping better at night. ;-)

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by timfederwitz

LOL. Good stuff! Wives can be amazing.

BTW, I think I settled on the Red Sea REEFERS 170. It's pretty amazing. Saw it at my LFS and it kind of clinched it for me. My wife talked me into saving for it over time. It's not that I don't have the money, it's more about the restraint and anticipation. Ever since I decided on the tank I am sleeping better at night. ;-)

Lol yea I was a wreck, pacing up and down my hallway mumbling obscenities about water pressure. I know from the outside looking in (at least in my case) our wives must think we are crazy, the way we obsess about our systems.

Great choice and congrats on picking your tank, I will be waiting patiently for your build thread. Don't sleep to soundly yet my friend... Did you check your water pressure today? (Cue the thunder and lightning) Lol

[timfederwitz]

Originally Posted by jesfromdax

don't sleep to soundly yet my friend... Did you check your water pressure today? (cue the thunder and lightning) lol

rotfl

[Jesfromdax]

Update: couple of small items came in earlier today. New salt, extra sponges for my reactor, New faucet adapter from BRS (free replacement) and a 3 way valve for the RODI.



Red Sea must be under the assumption we are all ex drug dealers and have Pyrex scales to weigh out our salt mix. So yea 38.2 grams per liter ok... Not to worry they converted it for us it's only 1.6 pounds per every 5 gallons... Quick search on here and everybody saying 1/2 cup per gallon. Let see how true this is...





Anyways... Got the three way valve on the RODI. One turn of the valve and all the TDS creep will flow into my sink and not my DI Resin (*Booster pump should be arriving tomorrow)

[Jesfromdax]

If anybody is wondering where the fish are, I was going to purchase the first addition (Clown Fish from the LFS) 2 days ago until my son threw a wrench, better yet a turtle in my plans (let me explain).

I had a spare 29 gallon tank I was going to set up for my quarantine. You can find pics of this tank in the first page. Since I had some days off from work, I was going to spend one of my days setting everything up. That was until my Sons birthday and his cousin deciding to give him a baby turtle. If it was any other animal, I would of just found it another home, but I still have my pet turtle that my father gave me when I was 8 ( I turned 33 yesterday). So I would of been the biggest hypocrite giving my sons turtle away. This means my quarantine tank is now a Red Ear Slider sanctuary.... Smh

How could I say no to this face.


I literally have no room for another tank.

Plan B: buy fish and quarantine at a friends house.

Plan C: don't quarantine at all and wait till all fish appear disease free before adding Corals. So basically run a FOWLR until the coast is clear.

I'll take any suggestions ya can give me.

[timfederwitz]

I've seen some people just using a UV sterilizer for the first 3 days when they add something new to their tank as a means to not have to have a quarantine tank. I have no clue if this is a valid solution or not.

[ReefWreak]

Plan C won't make a difference. You're not going to get coral parasites on your fishes. If anything you'll get coral or fishes with fish parasites that will infect/kill your other fishes.

Adding a UV filter to your tank for the first 3 days is about as effective as feeding foods with more garlic in them, i.e. not effective.

I can't set up another tank, so I've been contemplating using the TTM (Tank Transfer Method) of QT with 2 5g buckets, since I have water change buckets floating around the house anyway. You basically just switch buckets every 3 days and monitor your fishes, as this will break the lifecycle of ich (the most common fish disease in the hobby), and you observe for any other fish diseases during this time period where they're still isolated from your main tank.

Maybe that helps. Most of us just kinda toss in new fishes from the LFS and hope they survive, let alone are free from disease and don't infect other fishes. At this point I think I'll do TTM for the first time (ever) just because I've had my fishes for almost a year now, and have been very happy with them and their health, and would hate to ruin it on one more impulsive purchase.

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Plan C won't make a difference. You're not going to get coral parasites on your fishes. If anything you'll get coral or fishes with fish parasites that will infect/kill your other fishes.

Adding a UV filter to your tank for the first 3 days is about as effective as feeding foods with more garlic in them, i.e. not effective.

I can't set up another tank, so I've been contemplating using the TTM (Tank Transfer Method) of QT with 2 5g buckets, since I have water change buckets floating around the house anyway. You basically just switch buckets every 3 days and monitor your fishes, as this will break the lifecycle of ich (the most common fish disease in the hobby), and you observe for any other fish diseases during this time period where they're still isolated from your main tank.

Maybe that helps. Most of us just kinda toss in new fishes from the LFS and hope they survive, let alone are free from disease and don't infect other fishes. At this point I think I'll do TTM for the first time (ever) just because I've had my fishes for almost a year now, and have been very happy with them and their health, and would hate to ruin it on one more impulsive purchase.

Good point you make there. I've been trying really hard not to let impulse take over and just buy a fish from the LFS and throw it in the tank. Spent too much time setting things up, so TTM sounds like a viable option. I have to do more reading on it. I'm going to have to keep the buckets up high somewhere because I have a very curious 2 year old.

I've been told the same thing, to just feed them with Selcon and keep them stress free and the pathogens won't appear. The belief to not quarantine comes from the idea that all fish have pathogens and a healthy stress free fish will fight it off. They feel that a quarantine tank will stress the fish out too much and cause an outbreak. I don't follow this belief and I'm sure this is just an old school way of thinking.

[Jesfromdax]

Originally Posted by timfederwitz

I've seen some people just using a UV sterilizer for the first 3 days when they add something new to their tank as a means to not have to have a quarantine tank. I have no clue if this is a valid solution or not.

I briefly looked into UV but I'm quickly running out of room in the back of my tank, so I put that idea on the shelf for now. My canister filter on my freshwater tank has a built in UV and the water always looks crystal clear. Speaking of running out of room, just received my new protein skimmer, check it out on the next post.

[Jesfromdax]

New Skimmer!!!



Almost as big as my Son



Warm water and Vinegar bath to help the break in.





With MJ 1200 attached



On the Tank



Made some noise when I first fired her up but now it's barely audible. The tank is in my bedroom so any noise would of been a problem.

[timfederwitz]

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Adding a UV filter to your tank for the first 3 days is about as effective as feeding foods with more garlic in them, i.e. not effective.

Good to know a UV Filter is not needed before I bought one. They aren't cheap. ;-)

[rkh666]

I have the same tank, I absolutely love it. I have been running it for about 18 months now. Love the setup you have, hows the skimmer working out for you? I want to replace mine as well, looking at options for a future purchase.

Rob