Display setup complete !

[Jarad]

Hi everyone,

After several days of work I have completed my shrimp display setup. As promised I will do my write up on how I built this, steps taken to during construction as well as recommendations for suppliers of those 'hard to get bits'. But as I am excited and proud of my handiwork I will drop a few pics here and do my write up later on in this thread :) 

[jayc]

Nice. Stereo tanks.

It looks like you have one pump controlling waterflow back to two separate tanks.

How are you doing that? With a "T" valve? - Is water flowing evenly to both tanks?

[Jarad]

Cheers !
Yeah one pump.No T valve as I have valves on the tanks themselves ( both in and out ) the reason I have chosen to go this way is not only to adjust water levels but it makes tank isolation incredibly easy :) 
I have ordered several 'flow meters' and solenoid valves so I can automate adjustments ( Wont be hard to rig a circuit and write the code ) 

[Grubs]

Regulating taps on the inlets I'm all for.  Taps on the drains however is asking for trouble.  If you one day have a brain fart and close the valve you'll flood the tank.  I'd put a wrap of duct tape over the taps on the drains so you can't close them unless you really want to.

 

Otherwise it looks great and I like the idea of having extra grow space in the sump.

[Jarad]

@Grubs cheers mate, I have put labels on the drains to remind me of just that and I have drilled my partner on it also :)

[jayc]

Makes sense now seeing the back.

 

1 hour ago, Grubs said:

extra grow space in the sump.

Yeah, that's a good idea that.

Are you running opposite day/night cycles between the tank and sump?

[Jarad]

10 minutes ago, jayc said:

Makes sense now seeing the back.

 

Yeah, that's a good idea that.

Are you running opposite day/night cycles between the tank and sump?

Yeah I should have included the picture of the back to begin with, No I am not running opposite cycles. Purely because I didn't think of it. @jayc that's genius ! I immediately realize its a good idea and why, I will implement it now !
Currently I have day/night cycles ( normal light during the day and deep blue at night ) but I will simply reverse the sump so that during the day it's Display tanks on day and sump on night and vice versa. Thanks for the idea :)

Edited September 7, 2016 by Jarad G Davey

[jayc]

22 minutes ago, Jarad G Davey said:

@jayc that's genius

?That's right, and don't forget it. ?

 

29 minutes ago, Jarad G Davey said:

its a good idea and why

Shall we elaborate on the reason or shall we keep everyone else guessing?

 

[Jarad]

12 minutes ago, jayc said:

That's right, and don't forget it. 

 

Shall we elaborate on the reason or shall we keep everyone else guessing?

 

Keep em guessing :p

[bluestarfish]

My assumption would be so that you always have some plants using CO2.

 

I don't know anything about constructing tanks or the plumbing involved for a sump, but it certainly is intriguing to look at.

 

 

[jayc]

11 hours ago, bluestarfish said:

My assumption would be so that you always have some plants using CO2.

That plus release of O2. 

The fluctuation of CO2 and Oxygen between the day/night cycle is minimised. And thus, pH is maintained / balanced between night and day.

Some people encourage algae to grow in the refugium sump, where the algae will take up the excess nutrients and nitrates. So the sump can look as nasty as it needs to be since it's hidden, while the tank looks clean and free of algae. This is making algae work to your advantage.

Just to avoid further confusion, we should call it by it's correct name.

Sump = no light.

Refugium = with light.

 

Some other benefits include:

• A great place to grow nitrate eating plants in a Cichlid tank. The cichlids would destroy the plants in a tank otherwise. But in a refugium, the plants can thrive and help with the intake of nutrients.
• An alternative to housing fry or shrimplets in breeding boxes, without impacting the aesthetics of the main tank.
• Hide all the unsightly heaters, skimmers, etc.
• uh, probably something else I have forgotten

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by jayc

[Jarad]

On 9/7/2016 at 11:58 AM, jayc said:

Nice. Stereo tanks.

It looks like you have one pump controlling waterflow back to two separate tanks.

How are you doing that? With a "T" valve? - Is water flowing evenly to both tanks?

@jayc, I've just noticed something you might find interesting.
I have opened up all valves to full and the levels in the tanks are balancing themselves.
This makes sense as when one tank has more water in it than the one next to it ; it has more pressure so the other tank receives more water from the pump and vice versa. The tanks level themselves, and as such receive the same amount of water :)
As per usual I make things overly complex and difficult for myself ^_^ 

Edited September 10, 2016 by Jarad G Davey

[jayc]

58 minutes ago, Jarad G Davey said:

opened up all valves to full and the levels in the tanks are balancing themselves.

That's actually cool to know. 

[Jarad]

6 minutes ago, jayc said:

That's actually cool to know. 

I thought so too, The only thing I can't work out is why this is happening considering one drain is about 30mm lower than the other. I believe it has to do with the water level at the input as they are of identical height. I also think that even though one drain is lower ; due to the way that they are plumbed the drains are running at capacity making the drain height irrelevant. I suck at fluid dynamics but thats my thoughts ...

[bluestarfish]

I asked the guy about it (he's a physicist) he said that it's complicated because the system isn't static, and that the height of the drains does not really matte relative to the size/length. And that "to a first approximation" what you said about it is correct.

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2016 by bluestarfish

[Jarad]

8 hours ago, bluestarfish said:

I asked the guy about it (he's a physicist) he said that it's complicated because the system isn't static, and that the height of the drains does not really matte relative to the size/length. And that "to a first approximation" what you said about it is correct.

 

 

 

Haha cheers mate, Glad to know my hypothesis has merit :)

Edited September 10, 2016 by Jarad G Davey

[jayc]

1 hour ago, Jarad G Davey said:

my hypothesis has merit

Well done. 

What is more comforting is that the slight imperfections of our designs doesn't matter,  and physics sorts it out. 

[Jarad]

Hooray for the laws of the universe !

[Jarad]

Well the sump is maturing well, Getting some nice growth and the plants are taking off, Now all I need to do is put some mesh in so I can put some shrimp in there

[Jarad]

So life has been a bit hectic and I still haven't done the write up, I will get to it eventually although my phone died and I lost all my pictures :(  

[Jarad]

Grow space / refugium is getting used well...

[Jarad]

So I have just finished wiring the night lighting, Sump on opposite cycle of course ...

[bluestarfish]

How did you get the sump in there anyway? Lots of careful wiggling to squeeze it in, or did you add the T bar's after putting in the sump?

[Jarad]

8 hours ago, bluestarfish said:

How did you get the sump in there anyway? Lots of careful wiggling to squeeze it in, or did you add the T bar's after putting in the sump?

I've made it so that the front support can be pulled out and jimmied in for maintenance :)

[bluestarfish]

Ahh I see!