Hey guys. I setup my 260 a few months back and all was sorta going well but recently everything except a cat died to velvet fish disease. (Here is my original thread for the velvet incident Velvet Thread) When I originally set this tank up it was sorta done half ass and since I've discovered many better ways to set things up. The tank is currently in a black out state and has been cupramine dosed. I decided to take this opportunity to re-due some of this setup how it should have originally been done. I'm try to list all the important information and at the same time stick to the important details and not ramble on.
1. I recently got a bucket head and cleaned out the sump. it had all sorts of plants in it and debris, uneaten food etc in the bottom. I don't understand how I'm still getting sorta high nitrate readings when there is literally nothing in this tank but the raph cat. As you can see from todays results, we're looking at around 30ppm nitrates. Also. Where the aquarium drain comes in I have some "egg crate" like filter media with the points facing up. I have no idea if this is right. When the water comes in it seems to splash and can't go threw quick enough and a little comes in the sides. Obviously I feel like this isn't very efficient as some small amounts might not be being mechanically filtered since theyre splashing down the side. I turn the pump lower and lower to avoid this but at some pt it's so low the drain starts to get noisy.
2. The in tank overflow. 1" and 2" holes. The 1" is plumbed to the eflux 6011 pump and back to the tank with loc line at the end. I have a Y piece of loc line coming. The drain is a fat 2" down and under the tank split into 2 1" that come into the sump. Those are the splashy spots. I know other folks from what I read keep these pipes kind of submerged but that's not an option with this design of this sump. (tsunami I believe)
3. I contacted the guy that originally set this up for me and all this pvc is glued. So I'm thinking I need new bulkheads and all. Maybe NOT do all hard plumbing and some soft some hard. I've been reading like a mad man about this but I need some serious help still. With making the durso, size, if I should put ball valves in, where I should go flex, what to use for flex, etc. From what I've read 1 1/4" durso with a reducer at the 2" bulkhead would be ideal?
4. So I noticed the top of my tank looks like identical to other ppls acrylic large tanks. How on earth are ppl cleaning the front angles from the inside where algae builds up? My inside seems to constantly have algae buildup and foggy water and I can't figure out why. Or how people are keeping this so clean? Is there some long ass tool ppl are using to get in onthese angles that I don't know about?
5. How do I know what my gph actually are? There are no actual measurements on this switch connected to the pump. I remember sumps and canisters 4x and hobs 10x does that still hold true? So I should be doing 1040 gph right?
UV Reactor. I realize these are usually SW from what I've read but worth buying one when I replumb? For piece of mind for disease and parasites, plus possibly help w/ water clarity?
1. I recently got a bucket head and cleaned out the sump. it had all sorts of plants in it and debris, uneaten food etc in the bottom. I don't understand how I'm still getting sorta high nitrate readings when there is literally nothing in this tank but the raph cat. As you can see from todays results, we're looking at around 30ppm nitrates. Also. Where the aquarium drain comes in I have some "egg crate" like filter media with the points facing up. I have no idea if this is right. When the water comes in it seems to splash and can't go threw quick enough and a little comes in the sides. Obviously I feel like this isn't very efficient as some small amounts might not be being mechanically filtered since theyre splashing down the side. I turn the pump lower and lower to avoid this but at some pt it's so low the drain starts to get noisy.
2. The in tank overflow. 1" and 2" holes. The 1" is plumbed to the eflux 6011 pump and back to the tank with loc line at the end. I have a Y piece of loc line coming. The drain is a fat 2" down and under the tank split into 2 1" that come into the sump. Those are the splashy spots. I know other folks from what I read keep these pipes kind of submerged but that's not an option with this design of this sump. (tsunami I believe)
3. I contacted the guy that originally set this up for me and all this pvc is glued. So I'm thinking I need new bulkheads and all. Maybe NOT do all hard plumbing and some soft some hard. I've been reading like a mad man about this but I need some serious help still. With making the durso, size, if I should put ball valves in, where I should go flex, what to use for flex, etc. From what I've read 1 1/4" durso with a reducer at the 2" bulkhead would be ideal?
4. So I noticed the top of my tank looks like identical to other ppls acrylic large tanks. How on earth are ppl cleaning the front angles from the inside where algae builds up? My inside seems to constantly have algae buildup and foggy water and I can't figure out why. Or how people are keeping this so clean? Is there some long ass tool ppl are using to get in onthese angles that I don't know about?
5. How do I know what my gph actually are? There are no actual measurements on this switch connected to the pump. I remember sumps and canisters 4x and hobs 10x does that still hold true? So I should be doing 1040 gph right?
UV Reactor. I realize these are usually SW from what I've read but worth buying one when I replumb? For piece of mind for disease and parasites, plus possibly help w/ water clarity?
