Urchin tank - lab setup

[padra]

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[padra]

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[Anonymous]

padra,

:welcome:

What a fun job to have! Okay, let's get some basic information. How many tanks, how many gallons (liters) per each. Also are you having separate tanks plumbed together, plumbed separately or partitioning a large one?

 

[padra]

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[Anonymous]

Rubbermaid sump is often used. Do a search and you will find tons of reference. Welcome to RDO.

 

[Anonymous]

Rubbermaid tubs would do the job. You can also easily drill them to install bulkheads, etc as you will need those if you have to use a chiller.

As far as filtration, were you planning on having any liverock in the tub or no? If you do, you could really get away with minimal filtration, even simply a good quality protien skimmer. If no rock then really a simple wet/dry setup would work. I do think any system you setup would benefit with the addition of a skimmer.

 

[padra]

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[padra]

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[padra]

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[Anonymous]

"Rubbermaid sump is often used"
yeah, i figured so. like with hydroponics
my concern was with the plastic.. not food grade and would you know if they chew it. urchins like spending time hanging on the glass

also, does a large external filter act as the sump? i'm a bit confused with the filters as you might have noticed. when i first read about salt-water tanks everything pointed to under gravel filtration, then i read about bio-wheel filters and thought they were the new and improved method, now ive seen these external units that look quite complex. in my application i need gear that is as mainenance free as possible, even at the cost of easy change filters/carbon/whatever

Well, the reason they spend time on the glass is to forage for algae, but I don't think they would chew into the sides too much. Your need for a chiller makes some plumbing necessary. An inline chiller unit needs feedlines. A drop in unit-not sure about avilability where you are at- might work but it can't be in the main tank it must be in the sump.

An external filter is just that-a filter. A sump is a secondary tank situated under the main tank and plumbed to drop water by gravity to the secondary tank where it is filtered, skimmed, etc. The water is then returned to the main tank via a pump. They are used to house extra equipment instead of in the main tank and for additional water. More water in a system equals more stability which equals less maintenance and means you can keep more animals in the same space.

Also, a simple top-off device could be placed there, as you have read I am sure that water evaporates out of the system daily (raising the specific gravity) and needs to be replaced with treated freshwater.

A standard sump with a wet/dry filter should do everything you require with very little in the way of maintenance. It could also be constructed by using a rubbermaid tub.

Also, if you wish to avoid extra plumbing, you could (possibly) use a drop-in chiller unit in the sump rather than one that is plumbed inline. But, chillers are NOT my forte so I hope to have others post up here.

hoping not to drill holes either. its why im thinking a tub rather than glass.
i'd like it to never ever leak and because lab stuff is prone to rough treatment i could see silicone seals eventually giving out.

are the pumps not powerful enough to hang a hose over the side?

Drilling holes and installing bulkheads in rubbermaid tubs are very easy to do and have a good track record. It's when you drill glass that things get tricky! The way a sump works, i.e. a gravity feed by having an internal overflow (one hole drilled) which sends water to the sump where it is processed, and then returned via a pump to the main that can be made out of PVC rather than another hole. The problem with using a pump to drop the water down is balancing it with the pump pushing it back upwards! It doesn't work very well. Also, the more pumps in a tank, the more heat is generated. There are external overflows, but they tend to be less reliable. I'm attaching a picture of a sump I had under my 125 gallon so you get an idea.

Also, there are a ton of very smart guys in the DIY (do it yourself) forum who have made their own tanks, and could contribute a lot to this discussion. You might consider starting another thread there, and referencing this one here (you can copy the URL of this thread and paste it in the new one.

 

[Anonymous]

Here are some good articles on basic stuff that I think you will find helpful:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... ginner.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... ginner.htm

Here's an article on sumps...part 1
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php

and part 2
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/gt/index.php

and part 3
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/gt/index.php

 

[shavo]

hey lawdog why don't you just do the research too! lol
you are good, if you get time please respond to my post about cleaner shrimp i am in need of some advice on a situation
thanks

 

[Anonymous]

The devlopmental biolab had an urchin setup when I was in college (not too long ago).

They just had a 40 g breeder tank (short and wide) with a couple powerheads. No light.

From what I remember they just had one of the drop in titanium chillers.

No need to plumb anything.

FWIW - I agree on getting a skimmer though. A mid-price hang-on-back style should work nicely.

I see no reason not to go with a glass tank. They are tougher than you think!

 

[Anonymous]

browncj7

I have -0- experience with chillers, it is okay to put those directly in the tank with specimens?

 

[Anonymous]

Lawdawg


That is how they had it in the lab. Maybe it would not be a terrible idea to put a protective screen or some egg crate around it. I am willing to bet that if the probe is uncomforably cold, the urchin will stay off.

Don't know for sure though. Good question.

 

[padra]

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[padra]

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[Anonymous]

Glad to see you making progress...even gladder someone who knows about chillers posted up

 

[Anonymous]

Glad to see you making progress...even gladder someone who knows about chillers posted up

Don't assume just because I posted that I know anything!
This is the internet - for all anyone knows I could be a 12 year old girl 8O

 

[Anonymous]

about the skimmer.. considering the urchins like algae and im not working to get clear water, is it necessary? also, would a decent filter like a big Eheim get rid of the dissolved protein?

skip the expensive cansiter filters and just get live rock and powerheads. The skimmer is far more efficient in removing disolved organics anyway. If you are concerned that it will remove too much, try it without. I feel that you would be fine with m onthly waterchanges anyway.

or maybe a combination filter/skimmer if there is such a thing.???

There is a product called a Skilter, skip it.

thanks for the tip on the titanium drop in chiller.. that sounds perfecto. ill go look online for it now but if you know the brand name or anything to help my search. i have been having a little trouble with brands cause most all the info online is for american products that arent always available in europe[power considerations etc] like the bio-wheel for one. there are some german companies so i have been finding some equivalents

I'll see what I can find

and we have decided to go with a glass tank as it will be in the main lab after all and everyone wants to be able to see them! right under a big window too, so im hoping lights wont be necessary

if you get enough hours of sun, this should be plenty for most macros and micro algea

tomorrow morning im going by a local aquarium shop to buy a tank and air pump/diffuser.

Why? Do not put an airstone in a salt tank, unless you like saltcreep. If you have adequate flow (or a skimmer) then you should have no problem with 02 levels in the tank


oh, btw. is it advisable to 'seed' beneficial bacteria/algae someway? is there a product like that?

there will be plenty on live rock/sand. Products exist, but are generally not worth it IMO

cheers

And responding to a later post. From what I remember - many chillers are rated by how far below ambient they can go. It is the controller that will allow for temperateure ranges. So you need to find a controler that will allow lower temps. Search for cold water reefs on this site. There are a few, and the threads have info on how they keep their tanks cold. I am far from a chiller expert though.