Cliff’s 180 gallon reef

**Cliff** · 06-24-2012, 06:12 PM

LOL, I think I saw the same Mr Saltwater article as well Chris. If he was using the same treatment made by Salifert, he certainly didn't read the instructions that came with the treatment

I am actually looking for a LED fixture for the srubber. As I'm putting the sump in a closet, I don't have any hight restrictions so I'm thinking a waterfall scubber would be the best as I won't loose a lot of space in the sump. I'll still have a lot of space for live rock and some macro algae.

The sump LEDs might come a little latter as the buget permits, but I will be getting some.

**chrisfraser05** · 06-24-2012, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Cliff

LOL, I think I saw the same Mr Saltwater article as well Chris. If he was wasing the same treatment made by Salifert, he certainly didn't read the instructions that came with the treatment

I get the impression he doesn't read alot or know nearly as much as he makes out. The main reason he has so many followers is simply the lack of good reefing vids!
Lafishguy is good but thats about it.
I've only ever watched mrsalt as its better to watch something than nothing!

Don't ever get me started on his TDS episode......

Originally Posted by Cliff

I am actually looking for a LED fixture for the srubber. As I'm putting the sump in a closet, I don't have any hight restrictions so I'm thinking a waterfall scubber would be the best as I won't loose a lot of space in the sump. I'll still have a lot of space for live rock and some macro algae.

The sump LEDs might come a little latter as the buget permits, but I will be getting some.

Sounds like an idea place for a waterfall one Cliff. The shorter in width and taller you make it, the more flow going over it per inch of length increasing the contact time for the algae.

**Cliff** · 06-24-2012, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by chrisfraser05

Sounds like an idea place for a waterfall one Cliff. The shorter in width and taller you make it, the more flow going over it per inch of length increasing the contact time for the algae.

I have not even got to the flow rates yet. I have not found a good reference for that which also looks crediable to me (LOL more of Mr Saltwater quality).

Any advice that you could offer for that would be geat

**chrisfraser05** · 06-24-2012, 06:31 PM

its mentioned in here,

http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...cs-The-Summary

its as close to 35G per hour per inch of mesh as you can.

Thats actual measured not estimated based on pump rated.

To be honest I'm running more flow than that, the higher the better.

**chrisfraser05** · 06-24-2012, 06:36 PM

think mine see's about 60G per hour per inch lol

**hockeyhead019** · 06-25-2012, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by chrisfraser05

I get the impression he doesn't read alot or know nearly as much as he makes out. The main reason he has so many followers is simply the lack of good reefing vids!
Lafishguy is good but thats about it.
I've only ever watched mrsalt as its better to watch something than nothing!

Don't ever get me started on his TDS episode......

chris I definitely agree with you here... he's got some decent points and his tank is gorgeous haha those are the main reasons I watch... but that TDS episode good grief I cringed hahaha

Cliff are you done building the dang tank yet or what dude? I mean come on how much time to need for an elegant 180? It's already been a week?!??!?!?!?

**Cliff** · 06-25-2012, 01:20 PM

LOL hockeyhead, don't get me started. As I ordered a few non-stocked options, the tank willl take 4 to 6 weeks before it's shipped.

**Cliff** · 06-26-2012, 05:12 AM

I think I got the sump figured out, but it will be close. I can reuse the current sump from my 90 for the 180. The tricky part will be to make I make the duriso standpipes tall enough and use a one-way valve on the return line so that I will get no more than 14.25 gallons of drain back (which is the max extra volume the sump can hold), just to make sure nothing bad will happen in the event of a power failure (and we get our fair share of those here)

I will have to use a pump for the algae scrubber . The return line form the tank will be starting from a height of 3.5 feet as this tank will sit on a very low stand. If I were to cut back the height of the algae scrubber I do not believe it would effectively help to keep the water quality in line. As it is right now, I would have about ½ the size of a scrubber that I would need so cutting it back is not an option. The scrubber combined with my skimmer should work nicely tho (along with ~250lbs of live rock).

I am planning to use a 700 gph pump for the scrubber so that should work OK
I’m still undecided if I should run the return pump in the sump, or drill the tank and run it externally.

As always, any other suggestion would be great.

**hockeyhead019** · 06-26-2012, 01:37 PM

Are you going to be running any reactors? I.E. phosphate reactor? Or are you trying to replace that with the scrubber. Other than that I think it looks like a great design! Looks like it'll be packed pretty tight, the only other piece of advice I'd say is make sure you have enough depth to have a good mounting spot for the scrubber lights

**Cliff** · 06-26-2012, 01:54 PM

Thanks Hockeyhead

I will be building a stand that will fit overtop of the sump to mount the lights to so they can hang down on either side of the srubber grate. But you got me thinking that I should also mount the lights so they can be easily removed when I need to clean the scrubber. This stand will also be used for the 10 gallon top-up tank to sit on, and my dosing pump/system as well.

I'm going to try to replace almost all of my chemical filteration with the scrubber. Based on what I have read, this should work. I will still be keeping my reactor line plumbed in, just in case I need to add it back I can do so very quickley, but with all the live rock and scrubber I'm guessing I will not need it. My reactor is a external reactor so it can sit on the floor. I will be running chemi-pure passivly in the sump