Twin Titan Tanks Part 2 (Controls & mechanical)

[majorhavok]

Amazingly well thought out system.

With this setup I hope to see complete automation or at the very least push-button programs on PLC controlled systems for water changes and cleaning.

 

[terrors r us]

To all a Merry Christmas!!!!
I've been really busy, with things....but here I go again...

Here are some pic's of some controls( Have? I not shown pic's of the main brain,PLC, Pleases let let know),
first;

this is one of my half horse power motors (as long as you don't start and stop it often, it doesn't cost much to run),
next

this is a pvc solenoid valve(it's only for on/off drain system)(there are 6 of these)
next

this is an rtd(kind of like a themometer that tell the brain the temp.)(there are 3 of these)
next

next
there are 6 of these that shut down the system and go to alarm state)

and the rest

ask questions now and then we will go to part 3 , start up....
thanks
this is not in the correct order...but so be it......

 

[rwellbaum]

 

[DIDYSIS]

I guess I get it but also I do not really get it, All that crap for what?? All I see is thousands of dollars on stuff that is nice but really is it all needed?? But as with anything if you have an idea you can do anything of course.

 

[Reedmaster16]

Damn that plumbing is organized! Great pictures.

Last question,

How do you evenly distribute flow running multiple tanks off one bead filter? Did you simply plumb a series of valves and adjust the flow for each tank to and from the bead?

It seems this would take some time and a number of adjustments to balance the water flow.

 

[terrors r us]

I guess I get it but also I do not really get it, All that crap for what?? All I see is thousands of dollars on stuff that is nice but really is it all needed?? But as with anything if you have an idea you can do anything of course.

I seen your link of your L shaped tank which looks very nice so I must say that from one MFK to another, I am very surprised you think the controls are crap.

First of all I have 2000 gal that are automated and about another 500 gals that are regular(fluval filter, jag heaters, etc, no automation just your standard stuff.) With the standard stuff there is allot of manual maintenance( many pails of water , gravel vac's, always checking that the heaters are working right,etc).
It takes me allot more time with these smaller tanks than with my 2000gallons of automated tanks.....

Remember that I have tanks running off the same system in different rooms and at the start(when I wasn't sure what to expect, I had my tank C(150gal) (which is connected to my 750gal) overflow.....the water reached the top of the tank and started running onto the floor..
Luckily I have my flood sensors(which noticed the water and automatically shut down the entire system and went to alarm state, so no more water spilled onto the floor...
When I got home I only had a small mess to clean up and the water never reached my hard wood floor in the living room.
Another Catastrophe avoided due to automation.

To do a water change(300 or more gallons) it takes about an hour and I never have to lift a pail, just turn the handle for back wash and push a couple of buttons on the touch screen......everything (temp, level, etc is monitored and it goes off without a problem.)

I read many times about peoples heaters malfunctioning, well in my case my tank would go to alert state and let me know(shut down the heaters) before all the fish get cooked.
It actually happened to me when I was on holidays and a friend looked after my tanks for me....he would come over twice a day to feed the fish..
Well there was a heat wave that week and the temperature in my tanks rose to 87 F(and climbing).....the tank when to alert state and the yellow light came on...my friend noticed and called me.....I told him to remove all lids, open all windows and get the big fans going in the house.....another Catastrophe avoided.........(Acrylic tanks hold heat allot more than glass)

I can tell you more Catastrophes but they were always avoided and now I have all the bugs out.

I don't have time to do daily checks of everything on my tanks thus the automation is great...

Also I am an Electrician/Instrumentation tech. which is why I can do something like this...allot of the stuff I got from work and I have friends that work in the plumbing wholesale, so I was lucky that it wasn't that expensive for me and very challenging to achieve.

I do admit that I could of done without some of the things I put in, but it was my first time to create something of this magnitude and it's done now......

I don't expect everyone to understand the entire system but this is MFK's, is it not?
So you can love it or hate it but this is close to what you would see in a public aquatic place(scaled down of course) and IMO you can never have enough automation....now I can concentrate on my breeding projects and not my maintenance.....

Cheers......

 

[aldiaz33]

I like how you have everything labeled...very cool.

It sure does look like plumbing you would find in a public aquarium:

 

[terrors r us]

Damn that plumbing is organized! Great pictures.

Last question,

How do you evenly distribute flow running multiple tanks off one bead filter? Did you simply plumb a series of valves and adjust the flow for each tank to and from the bead?

It seems this would take some time and a number of adjustments to balance the water flow.

First i have a 1/2 inch pipe that is connected to both tanks(6 inches down from the top). I call these pipes the equalizing pipes because what ever you pour into one tank will also fill the other tank as long as it is within 6 inches from the top of the tanks...( I should of made this a 1 inch pipe but too late now).

Secondly , from the pump motor of the polybead canister filter I have a 2 inch tee in and a tee out.
from that tee , I kept the size at 2 inch(going to the 750gal) and reduced it to 1 and1/4 inch(going to the 150 gal tank).
I did some research on the internet and with the size of pump I have, this is what I came up with..
Thirdly I have a fine tuning diaphram valve, which I adjust( ball valve is not good for fine tunning flow rate)..

It took a while to find all the right levels,etc, but now I don't have to touch it any more and the levels hold nicely between all tanks..
I could of used an electric actuator valve, with another level transmitter and an analog card but it works fine and thats enough automation for now.....
Hope this makes sense...(its the same set up for system B)
next I will show the panel view(touch screen) and then well go the the fish....

 

[terrors r us]

I like how you have everything labeled...very cool.

It sure does look like plumbing you would find in a public aquarium:
View attachment 863756

WOW, now thats a nice looking filtration system.........I would need a shop and allot more money...LOL

 

[terrors r us]

Here are some pic's of the panel view(this is a touch screen where you can add in your setting, see the alarm status, switch between manual or automatic and much more).
This first pic is the home page....the green run light is only on if everything is within parameters, the yellow alert light comes on to tell you there is an issue but you can get to it later and the red alarm light with buzzer means...COME RUNNING we have a major issue...
also you have the alarm page button and other buttons but the " Run,Alert & Alarm" are only lights....


next is the page that gets you to Auto or Manual.....depends what you want to do...



next is called the test pages which shows me what is on and what is off, in the polybead & sump systems



next is the alarm pages, one page is common alarms to all systems and the other two alarm pages are specific to either system A or B,
the background color of the specific alarm will turn red when activated




next is setting......here i can tell the lights what time i want them to turn off/on, what temp , high/low that i want the alarm to turn on, etc , etc,



and there is more but all i want to show you is the temp. readings and level..



it took a year(when time permitted) to finish the programming and now I can do any changes I want thru the touch screen and don't have to hook up the lab top and change the logic....

Well that's about it......LOL

anyone want to see if this really has any fish in it??????
sorry for the bad pic's, my camera sucks.......