G
Guest
Scape looks very nice!
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180 Gallon Tank Build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter AquaNerd
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OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
ok, so here's some much better pics. i would have posted them yesterday, but i was too tired. here you go.
(ignore the birdsnest in the pic below...it was looking like crap when i moved it and still looks like crap today. oh well)
(taken from outside my window in the parking lot)
(ignore the birdsnest in the pic below...it was looking like crap when i moved it and still looks like crap today. oh well)
(taken from outside my window in the parking lot)
OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
oh, and forgot to mention that:
-i know some corals are still in the sand...they obviously won't stay there too long. i just haven't had the time to relocate them and epoxy them into place.
-i am needing to fill in a few specific places with some more live rock. i'm transferring all the contents of my "nano cube of death" tomorrow (the livestock in that tank hasn't transferred too well...lost a picasso and my helfrichi). all the rock from the nano should fill a few gaps in my aquascape that i have.
-i know some corals are still in the sand...they obviously won't stay there too long. i just haven't had the time to relocate them and epoxy them into place.
-i am needing to fill in a few specific places with some more live rock. i'm transferring all the contents of my "nano cube of death" tomorrow (the livestock in that tank hasn't transferred too well...lost a picasso and my helfrichi). all the rock from the nano should fill a few gaps in my aquascape that i have.
OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
actually...i added 1 piece of rock. the rest of it all came from the 90. needless to say, i was quite surprised as well. i do have some spots in the back that need to be filled, but it's not necessary. i did want to build up one spot a little bit though.Scott said:
Simply amazing, man!
deepsea43
Guest
Your tank lloks awsome!
Triton
Guest
Brandon, how are you powering that thing in an apt? Did you run a dedicated circuit?
OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
nope. it's on a regular outlet along with a few other house hold items. it sucks because the breaker will trip every once in a while. it hasn't been doing it lately, but when i first set the tank up it would trip every time the lights would come on.Triton said:
Since it's an outlet it's most likely a 15A circuit and it probably covers 2 to 3 rooms (about 8 outlets total). There is absolutely no harm in changing that breaker out for a 20A and then you don't have to worry about it anymore. Just take a random breaker out to make sure you get the right style and go to Lowe's for a 20A to replace the one your tank is on.
pelochas
Guest
Scott said:
i really wont not recommend this especially in a apartment..other lives may be in danger of fire..if this was your home and you knew what type and size wiring and age of the wiring then i would not worry about it
but since its tripping already, you already are pushing over 15 amps. please reconsider or talk to the manager about adding a dedicated breaker or simply not use any other applicances on the same circuit..dont change to a higher breaker
Triton
Guest
I would think that you'd want to make sure that your receptacles and wiring rate with your circuit breaker. Seems to me if you regularly exceed the capacity of your 15A receptacles (not to mention the wiring) with 20A breakers, you're eventually going to have a problem.
But then again, I ain't no 'lectrician. YMMV.
But then again, I ain't no 'lectrician. YMMV.
Well, I was trying to avoid this but here goes:
Circuit breakers typically trip if you try to continuously operate them at 80% or more of their rated capacity so he could be running just over 12A on the entire circuit when it trips or close to it and another component starts up surging the load to beyond 15A (less likely). Though the individual outlet rarley sees more than a few amps they are typically rated for 15A each, sometimes 20A, and you normally see between 4 and 8 on each circuit . 12AWG solid core copper wire is typically used, per code, on 15A circuits though it can handle about 40A so even with a 20A breaker it will never come close to overloading the wiring.
Even if the TOTAL on the ciruit is greater than 15A the usage at the outlet his tank is on is likely considerably less, I would estimate between 6A to 8A. Changing to a 20A will not harm anything because the outlet his tank is on will not be overloaded and the wiring itself will come nowhere near being overloaded before the 20A breaker trips, either from a surge (startup power) of over 20A or a continuous load of 16A+. The code requirements are extremely conservative for safety reasons but, as you can see, no harm will come from changing to a 20A breaker.
Circuit breakers typically trip if you try to continuously operate them at 80% or more of their rated capacity so he could be running just over 12A on the entire circuit when it trips or close to it and another component starts up surging the load to beyond 15A (less likely). Though the individual outlet rarley sees more than a few amps they are typically rated for 15A each, sometimes 20A, and you normally see between 4 and 8 on each circuit . 12AWG solid core copper wire is typically used, per code, on 15A circuits though it can handle about 40A so even with a 20A breaker it will never come close to overloading the wiring.
Even if the TOTAL on the ciruit is greater than 15A the usage at the outlet his tank is on is likely considerably less, I would estimate between 6A to 8A. Changing to a 20A will not harm anything because the outlet his tank is on will not be overloaded and the wiring itself will come nowhere near being overloaded before the 20A breaker trips, either from a surge (startup power) of over 20A or a continuous load of 16A+. The code requirements are extremely conservative for safety reasons but, as you can see, no harm will come from changing to a 20A breaker.
SnMan
Guest
Typically 14AWG is used (white outer coating) the 12AWG has a yellow outer coating and is not typical. Especially in apartments. I believe code requires for 14AWG a 15A breaker max and for 12AWG you can use up to a 20A. I am referring to copper wire just in case you have aluminum wiring. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for the info Bill, I'm used to the code in VA and haven't read up on the codes since I got home. If that's the case and it is 14AWG it is still technically rated for over 30A which still makes the rest of my argument hold true.
I too forgot to mention Al wiring, it is more brittle and won't carry as large a load as copper in which case it is usually stepped up to the next larger wire guage from the copper requirment to compensate but the same argument should still hold true. If the building was wired to code when constructed the wiring on a 15A circuit will easily support more than 20A and in all probability, more than 30A.
Thanks for the correction.
I too forgot to mention Al wiring, it is more brittle and won't carry as large a load as copper in which case it is usually stepped up to the next larger wire guage from the copper requirment to compensate but the same argument should still hold true. If the building was wired to code when constructed the wiring on a 15A circuit will easily support more than 20A and in all probability, more than 30A.
Thanks for the correction.
OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
ok, well, i am no electrician, so i'll let you guys duke it out. the breaker will trip randomly even when there's nothing else extra on. i just added my protein skimmer to the same outlet and nothing tripped. the lights came on today as usual and nothing tripped. my lights have been coming on daily without any sort of tripping as of late. the maintenance guys do know about it. i don't know what they plan to do, if anything. i'm not too worried about it now anyways since i always come home at some point in the day. we'll see how it goes i guess.
but on to the real reason i'm here...another update!
i picked up the euro-reef rs250 beast of a skimmer from wazzel today. it was producing skimmate immediately and it's so unbelievably thick. i am super impressed with this skimmer already.
i also got a new inhabitant. i met matt aka jurgy up at t and t today to sell him some frags and instead, he just bought me a fish instead. it worked out great since it was one of the tangs i had on my list. it's a juvenile orange shoulder tang. he's still all yellow, with a hint of his bar, but he's gorgeous...in a drab sort of way. i plan on getting a chevron tang and an achilles tang soon too. as well as a scribbled rabbitfish and a sailfin tang (<~ wife's favorite). i might add a couple of other tangs as well, but i'm not sold on too many more, but we'll see. now i'm off to take pictures.
but on to the real reason i'm here...another update!
i picked up the euro-reef rs250 beast of a skimmer from wazzel today. it was producing skimmate immediately and it's so unbelievably thick. i am super impressed with this skimmer already.
i also got a new inhabitant. i met matt aka jurgy up at t and t today to sell him some frags and instead, he just bought me a fish instead. it worked out great since it was one of the tangs i had on my list. it's a juvenile orange shoulder tang. he's still all yellow, with a hint of his bar, but he's gorgeous...in a drab sort of way. i plan on getting a chevron tang and an achilles tang soon too. as well as a scribbled rabbitfish and a sailfin tang (<~ wife's favorite). i might add a couple of other tangs as well, but i'm not sold on too many more, but we'll see. now i'm off to take pictures.
Brandon, that's the same skimmer I've got, but what pump do you have on it?
Oh, and I want to see pictures! I'd be careful with the orange shoulder and achilles in the same tank. Even with a 180, it may be troublesome. I do like them both, though. Maybe you should upgrade to a 300?
OP
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AquaNerd
Guest
it's the genx pump that comes with it. i was a little iffy at first, but i love it now that i've gotten to see it in action.crvz said:
and yeah, i'm concerned about the orange shoulder and achilles fighting. but i think if i get the achilles close to the end and at a small size it will not be as bad. we'll see though. i have to find a tiny achilles first. it may never happen.
