High Tide Aquatics

9 footer disaster

popper said:
@JVU And @richiev both valid point and thank you.

I can remove the bottom board to slide the reefmat out but still wont be able to squeezr in a skimmer.

Time to look for a different sump. It'd been a year no rush. Besides i have more experience cutting acrylic to size and a better idea to place the baffles.
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I have a low stand on my 320. I trimmed the alpha 300 skimmer cup by 1”. I didn’t notice anything in performance. Since then I removed the alpha and went with a octo 200int. It’s much smaller. You’ll figure it out. It’s a process. Can’t wait to see it filled.
 
an option would be to run the skimmer in its own tank/sump
On its own pump and returns back to main sump
Might be aesthetically undesirable, but way easier to maintain
 
If you need a skimmer large enough for that beast of a tank, I have an SRO-5000xp just collecting dust. I’ll make you a great deal on it.
 
Fudd. Got a leak rear left side of tank. The wood is wet and i dried it 5 minutes ago. Time to drain. Urgh. Good thing the water will be used for the above ground pool
 

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Drained the tank. Inside under tank rear left corner is dry. This is puzzling. Any idea?

Next step is to raise the tank, insert 2x4 under and fill 10-12" of water. Then observe.

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popper said:
Drained the tank. Inside under tank rear left corner is dry. This is puzzling. Any idea?

Next step is to raise the tank, insert 2x4 under and fill 10-12" of water. Then observe.

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I would jack it up like you said or slide it off the corner. Fill slowly and try to pin point the leak. That’s a lot of weight on jacking the corner tho. Maybe sliding off the edge of the aquarium stand might be a better idea.
Worse case scenario. You could add fluorescent dye to the water and use a black light. That will highlight the leak seam. But dunno if that’s reef safe.
 
Turkeysammich said:
I would jack it up like you said or slide it off the corner. Fill slowly and try to pin point the leak. That’s a lot of weight on jacking the corner tho. Maybe sliding off the edge of the aquarium stand might be a better idea.
Worse case scenario. You could add fluorescent dye to the water and use a black light. That will highlight the leak seam. But dunno if that’s reef safe.
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Not a bad idea, but skip the fluorescent dye. Use plain non scented bleach (glows blue) or open up a vitamin B12 capsule and mix in (glows yellow).

Both can be rinsed and once dry wouldn't be a threat.

With a tank this long, I'd be cautious about propping it up on 2x4's. It's possible to create pressure points that may cause it to leak elsewhere. I'd support as much of the bottom as I could. Even with only 12" of water in there, with that footprint you're dealing with some serious weight.
 
popper said:
Drained the tank. Inside under tank rear left corner is dry. This is puzzling. Any idea?
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When I had my 200 up, I had the opposite thing happen, had a leak from somewhere inside/bottom pane without knowing it because the weight of the tank+water actually prevented water from getting out from under the tank, it was only an unknown amount of time later I noticed the leak.. and there my reef passion died. So you may have a similar thing happen here, but your water is coming from a corner seam and not the bottom pane, where I presume mine was. But the weight of the tank + water prevents any water from seeping under the tank. So I'd fill it up, and check again, tape some paper towels to the corner so you can more easily see it, in fact I might just tape paper towels at every edge just to try and pin point where it isn't coming from.

I will say the oddity is that there appears to be dust on the bottom part of that tank trim where the wet spot is suggesting the water didn't actually come from that corner.

I wish you luck.
 
Red construction paper lining the bottom won't cause a pressure point and will easily show contrast if there is a leak.

Off topic, with the recent threads going on about reefing OG's, @sfsuphysics has been around for as long as I could remember (the start of BAR) and has a wealth of knowledge...I gotta say, it's nice seeing you still chime in on these threads Mike!
 
Turkeysammich said:
I would jack it up like you said or slide it off the corner. Fill slowly and try to pin point the leak. That’s a lot of weight on jacking the corner tho. Maybe sliding off the edge of the aquarium stand might be a better idea.
Worse case scenario. You could add fluorescent dye to the water and use a black light. That will highlight the leak seam. But dunno if that’s reef safe.
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Sliding tank is a much better idea. Your experience is invaluable. Slid it 5", filled to 5" water. its dry as a whistle.

Conclusion is either higher pressure or the return spout splattered, from a broken locline, some water out. There was a small puddle in the same area but the tank, pipes and stand were dry. That puddle most likely came from the splatter and some landed on a narrow part of the stand.

Hope it's just splatter.
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Added about 150lbs of used sand which is about 1".

Finished the ceiling light mount. Pending 1 more hanging kit.

Finished the light mount brackets. Two 7 foot 1/2" thick aluminum bars. Will hold 3 xr30 and 2 ap9x

Leveled all 4 sides.
 

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