280g Inwall - Page 53

Delphinus · #**521** 12-06-2010, 06:20 PM

Ok I have to share this. This actually made me LOL:

http://www.funlol.com/15983/Build_your_own_chopper.html

Admittedly, a bit of a stretch from reef tanks to R/C helicopters, but the idea feels about right.

lastlight · #**522** 12-06-2010, 06:23 PM

It's not a deal-breaker at least man. I saw the setup and you should be ready to cycle and get on with it. The wave thing would be nice but at least you can sort out that issue WHILE the tank gets it's reef on.

Lance · #**523** 12-06-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Lance do you just use the Vortech's or do you use other things as well.

2x MP40's, Turbelle Stream2, Korallia Evo 1400, Barracuda return pump via 2x 1" return pipes. Guesstimating about 12,000 GPH or about 50x turnover. I change up the settings on the Vortechs fairly often: going with a wave for awhile and then to erratic movement for awhile. I don't really have many SPS in this tank so it's probably overkill, but some of my LPS have really grown into large colonies, so it's not really too much flow. I use the night setting on the Vortechs. I think the LPS appreciate some lull time.

Delphinus · #**524** 12-07-2010, 05:20 AM

So I guess it's not the controller. Next step is get them out of the tank take them apart and see what's going on inside.

FWIW it does have the 3rd LED for "pump on" ad yeah it's indicating on.

Is all this worth it? I kinda doubt it.

Tomorrow .. I'll poke some more at it tomorrow. Today, I'm just done. Tomorrow will be the turnaround day that makes all the crap of the last 3 weeks seem like a distant memory. Or .. not. Time will tell.

christyf5 · #**525** 12-07-2010, 05:39 AM

Tony, is the light on on the power supply? (I think its the 24v "fuse" that lights up or something like that.) if not its probably shot, I had one go that way and had to replace the power supply.

Also you could try reversing the master and slave to see whats up there or if you have another controller, hook that up as well as it will still run the pump without the proper controller.

Delphinus · #**526** 12-09-2010, 07:09 AM

So some good news and some not so good news for me. I finally got the waveboxes out and it looks like after cleaning the impellers they're both off and running again. I'm impressed by how little gunk it took to stop them dead in their tracks. I'm guessing they were probably fine when they were on and warm, but when I turned off all the pumps to add sand the other day, they cooled off and the contraction was enough to cause a problem for starting up.

So that's the happy news, they're still out of the tank on account I need two people to do the job of putting them back in and I'm never home when Linda is home and she's never home when I'm home because of the whole one parent is home with the kids all the time kind of thing wheeeeee! So yeah that's not done yet but whatev'.

The sucky news is that although I took some time and resoldered the power plug on the 6100's driver (I took pics as I went, it's a real MacGyver job - I cut up and used pieces of a paper clip to jury rig replacement pins for the plug and then soldered those in - I'll post them later) .. it turns out the broken plug was the least of the problems. Roger Vitko had suggested (about a month ago) that it might be worthwhile to replace the impeller but alas it's not the driver, it's not the impeller but it does seem to be the motor block. I've tried every other combination of motor blocks, impellers and drivers and everything works except when this one motor block is involved. Que'lle dommage. The silver lining, if it is one, seems to be that J&L has replacement motor blocks in stock (according to the website anyhow, in the meantime I've fired off an email and will see what they say back). The not-so-silver lining is that depending on which model I need (I'm a little unclear on this) it's either $255 or $270. Ouch. $325ish to buy the newer model 6105, it's almost a no-brainer not to even bother replacing the motor block.

So yeah it's not real clear to me at this point what's the better thing to do. Any advice?

Dez · #**527** 12-09-2010, 01:00 PM

I would find another wavebox used. I've seen them pop up every once in a while. That's what I would do. Sucky luck man.

Delphinus · #**528** 12-09-2010, 04:10 PM

Yeah, thanks, that's sort of what it's going to come down to at this point although at least it's not a wavebox that's the problem, just a stream on its own. Coleus on here had a 6100 for sale for the longest time, it's too bad mine decided to crap out a month after that one finally sold.

After poking around some more on the net this morning I've figured out the difference between the $255 replacement motor block and the $270 replacement motor block ... and of course it's the $270 one that I would need since it's the older style stream that I have. Funny that the older one is the more expensive but I think that's the explanation - it turns out you can't even get these from tunze.com anymore - totally discontinued. So the options are buy used, there do seem to be a few for sale over at RC at the moment, buy something else (Time to get a Vortech???) or buy the replacement motor block. But that last option seems like a non-starter. Check it out:

$270: http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tz...+6101.015.html

$332.35: http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/tz...mp+-+6105.html

Unfortunate timing with the holidays around the corner and a recent streak of rather expensive unfortunate luck. I'm really feeling squeezed at the moment... for now I might just have to make do with whatever I can muster out of the junk drawer. Don't be too surprised if the next FTS there are about a hundred itty bitty powerheads all over the place in the tank .. I knew I was hanging onto all those things for a reason even if said reason wasn't entirely clear at the time..

kien · #**529** 12-09-2010, 04:48 PM

Let me know if you don't have enough ittt bitty powerheads. I have a box of 2xtunze 6055s (with controller), and some koralias and I think there might be a noisy 6105 in there too. Noisy as in it rattles a bit. They are just collecting dust at the moment.

michika · #**530** 12-09-2010, 04:52 PM

If I was you, I'd just make due for the next little while, and then replace it with a new one. Like you said everything for it is discontinued, and what happens if you pay the $270 and something else goes a few months later?

So what if you have some extra powerheads in the tank for a while, really what does it impact aside from the aesthetics of it all?