CoralVue's Fish Room, Episode 3

In this episode, Join Sam as he discusses the design intricacies of the Fish Room at CoralVue.

FIode 3: Fish Room

Dec 1, 2023

Sam steps into the fish room at CoralVue, a space far from the typical fish room. Designed to showcase David’s product line, it features an elaborate setup that exceeds standard expectations. As he moves through the room, he takes in the various elements that make this space unique.

At the quarantine systems, originally intended for coral acclimation, he observes how corals are gradually introduced with a full water change over several days to prevent shock before being transferred to the main display. A large Biota clam, once housed in the refugio, has now found a permanent home in the quarantine system due to its size and behavior.

Each individual system operates under separate Hydro units. In the fish quarantine section, removable partitions divide the area into five separate tanks. Water flows through three 90-watt UV sterilizers, which Sam has modified into a single S-curve ultraviolet sterilizer. Automatic top-off fans and a Hydro-controlled light bar illuminate the coral care area, ensuring optimal conditions.

The Hydro control for the main display was built before the release of the new Kraken. Sam works with two 400 controllers that function as the primary returns for the display—one returning water directly to the display, while the other routes it through a one-and-a-half horsepower chiller located roughly 150 feet away. The control panel is designed to be removable, with an iPad providing continuous monitoring of the system.

Framing Tech support structures reinforce the sump and refugio, custom-cut to exact specifications. One of the standout features is the extendable tray for the calcium reactor, which simplifies maintenance and media changes. Plumbing connects the main display to the sump, integrating Hydro’s X10 and an IV alkalinity device, along with CO2 containment and dosing equipment.

Beneath the stand, Sam has set up two 200-gallon vats for bulk water storage, mounted on wheels for easy maneuverability. One vat serves as a freshwater backup, while both can be used for saltwater as needed. Each vat features a 16-inch diameter manhole, allowing for mess-free access. Gyre pumps handle mixing, while other pumps assist in water transfers.

Additional Hydro control systems manage coral care, linking all components into a seamless network. Algae turf scrubbers by Ice Cap Pro play a crucial role in nutrient uptake—a design originally developed by Dr. Walter Adey. Though updated, these scrubbers still adhere to the fundamental concept of harvesting algae for nutrient export.

The refugio’s drains operate via siphons, utilizing Brightwell Aquatics’ export bricks for quiet performance. Control components include ballast for the skimmer feed pump and vacuum receptacles, streamlining cleaning operations. The sump, designed by Reef Octopus, is elevated for easier maintenance, eliminating the challenges associated with conventional sump designs.

Custom-made hangers and pipe clamps secure essential components, including bio pellet reactors repurposed for carbon filtration. Automatic top-off systems ensure a steady flow from freshwater reservoirs, controlled by a Hydros H2O mechanism.

The light box, crafted by Three Form, houses tunable and dimmable LEDs, optimizing the lighting environment. Walls are layered with waterproof materials for durability and moisture resistance, while high-gloss baseboards and translucent resin materials enhance the room’s aesthetic appeal.

To prevent flooding in case of a spill, Sam has installed a floor drain beneath the sump. A 63-millimeter drain line allows for rapid water changes. The structural fiberglass stand, commonly used in industrial settings, is carefully assembled and adjusted to precise tolerances.

A commercial dehumidifier and exhaust fan control humidity levels, while spotlight bulbs cater to specific needs, such as encouraging mangrove growth in the refugio. Heating is managed by an inline heater and a counterforce reactor under development, designed to regulate pH levels effectively.

Sam takes a final glance around the room, satisfied with the meticulous setup. This is Wet Work, and he looks forward to sharing more insights in the future.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

"Welcome to the fish room at CoralVue. So it's not your typical fish room because it was designed to be a showcase for David's product line. So it's a little fancier than one would typically expect. So I'm going to climb down and I'll show you a little things here and there. And give you a little tour.

So over here, these are quarantine systems. The initial intention was coral quarantine. Coral acclimate. We would gradually acclimate it with a full water change over several days to the water that's in the main display before moving specimens in. So there's no shock whatsoever. This gigantic biota duration clam that was several inches smaller when I got it for David, was originally up in the refugio, but, if anyone is familiar with large clams, clams, fart and spray water everywhere.

So, because the refuge is relatively shallow and it had grown so much, it was showering the lights, the mangroves, the, the light wall, the equipment, everything was saltwater. So this is his permanent home now until we're willing to take a chance on the emperor in the main display. Won't make lunch out of it. Individual systems, individual hydras.

Control on both of them, one on each side. This is fish quarantine. Removable partition. So you have five separate tanks. This is very simple. It pumps through, three 90 watt UVs, which were Frankensteins by me into a single S curve. Ultraviolet sterilize her. The fans are controlled by Hydro's automatic top off individually for each system. Just one or lower bar up here.

Coral care is below. And then again, as I said, individual Hydro's. This is the Hydro's control for the main display. We built this a while back. When this was designed. The new Kraken had not come out yet. So this is the original prototype. We have the two, which is a 400 controllers, which are the main returns for the main display.

One of them goes directly back to the display on this end, and then the other one goes to a one and a half horsepower chiller, all the way out on the opposite side of the building, a total of about 150ft away. Back and out again. Panel is fully removable. We do have an iPad that goes here so that we have constant display of what's going on in the system.

All of these support structures for the some refugio, all of this are from a company called Framing Tech. Send them the specs to cut them. They send them to you. Really great people to work with. Always been very happy with, what they've done for us back here. This little cubby and this is. This is one of the reasons why we had to push the tank out into the lobby.

Was so that we could accommodate this calcium reactor. And this is, as you can see, it sits on a tray that's fully extendable. So it's really easy to maintain, add more media, change media, etc., do maintenance. And if you look behind it, you can see the plumbing runs from the main display to the sump. This is a new hydro's X10 along with their ivy alkalinity.

Big CO2 container of course with a carbon dozer on it. And then underneath the stand, these are two 200 gallon vats for bulk water storage. They are on wheels, so you can pull them out. One of them. They can either. Both be used for saltwater. One of them is just used for freshwater. Storage is back up, but there is a 16 inch diameter manhole in each of these.

So you just put a box on top, open it, dump it in. No mess, no scooping. Mixing, is accomplished with two big gyre pumps and then transfers with a couple of various eights. These are more of the Hydro's control systems. These are all linked into the single collective ones here. The bevels up on the wall to control all 12 of the coral cares.

Those are all linked into a single collective. The signal system back here as well. We have a couple of the largest ice Cap Pro algae turf scrubbers. LG turf scrubbers were originally developed by Doctor Walter 80, in 1990, and that that work was published in his book Dynamic Aquaria, along with, Karen Loveland and They design was significantly different than what we have here at employed trays and a dump bucket created the surge across the algae.

So this technology has been in existence for quite a long time, and there are various products on the market. They all serve the same purpose of up taking nutrients. As the algae grows, you harvest it for nutrient export. Many of you use these on your tanks. I've been using them since 1991. I had a because no commercial products were available at the time.

I had Dennis team and acrylic creations on Kenner build me a couple of dump buckets for my algae turf scrubber, and for a surge device in the 90 gallon aquarium that I set up to mimic the microcosm ZP 8000. Their largest noncommercial skimmer, it I mean, I'm standing two feet away from it. I can smell it from here.

It's been incredibly effective and very nauseating when you clean it. That's that is an example of a very effective skimmer. These are the drains from the refugio. One on each end. They have dirt. So this just to keep them a little bit quieter. One is run at full siphon, so you don't have a bunch of gurgling and burping.

They go into here and the stands that they sit on are drip trays. And underneath them are a couple of the export bricks from Brightwell Aquatics. So one is submerged, one is up in open air as far as, control. We have ballast down here. These are the controllers for both the skimmer feed pump. This is a vacuum receptacle.

This is designed so that it'll go around the eight inch wide perimeter brace on the tank. And we can get in and get all the dead snails and detritus and whatnot along that back edge. It goes. It attaches with silicone tubing. This location before the socks and the sump. The sump. David had already had designed by Reef Octopus and.

The idea was to. David is the same height as I am. He's six two. So we wanted to design a system that made it easier to work. Anybody that has a reef tank with a sump underneath it knows what it's like to crawl around on the floor, reaching and bending unsupported, and a tiny cabinet that's full of equipment.

This way you don't even bet everything is at the perfect height. All the shelves are at 42in, which is a little bit above architectural standard for countertops, but it's designed for David specifically, which was easy for me because of the same height. The hangers were custom made by Dennison Acrylic Creations pipe clamps here. These are a couple of reef off course bio pellet reactors that we converted into use for carbon.

They sit on stands also from Dennis. Really simple. They just tee off of the skimmer supply feed, which is also a various aid that runs at 100% and then supplies these as well. Automatic top off combination of a feed from the reservoir, the freshwater reservoir into this reservoir. And then there is a, a reef or, hydrous H2O mechanism in here that controls the flow from the reservoir into the tank itself or into the sump.

The light box was designed by me and fabricated by three form. It's a translucent resin material full of LEDs with the reef octopus logo. The lights themselves are tunable, LED. They can be tuned from 2700 to 6500 degrees Kelvin, and they're fully dimmable from 0 to 100%. We wanted enough light in here to allow it to be an effective and efficient and well lit work area, but I also didn't want just your standard warehouse bay lights.

Just to common. And then the walls themselves. There's several layers. So you have the basic wood framing. And then on top of that, OSB and then on top of that product called magnesium core, which is similar to combination between Hardie board and drywall. But it is outdoor rated. So it's completely inert to moisture. And then on top of that, after the OSB was waterproofed fully the entire room, we added more of the three form resin below four feet.

As you can see. We also have good old FP. This is the same stuff you find in commercial kitchens, except black is so much cooler than white. Most high gloss baseboards, which you never really see. This is more of the three form resin material on the cabinets. The countertop material is the. So they've got really cool stuff.

Bunch of different colors. But this worked well with the reef octopus colors. So we went for the red because it's so subtle and a nice fireplace sink, cooler fixtures. And it's designed this whole room, the floor is epoxy dry deck on top of that. So you're never standing in water, but it's a little dirty right now. Sorry, but, the room itself is sealed, so if there is a catastrophic spill, it will go down.

This six inch floor drain underneath the sump, and you don't have to worry about it flooding the entire building. In addition, for water changes, we have a 63 millimeter drain line here that goes directly into the floor drain. So to facilitate a water change, you turn on the transfer pump in the saltwater barrel, open the valve just before the drain chamber.

Open this drain. You can empty that tank in about 7.5 minutes without lifting a finger. 200 gallons of water change like that. The stand itself. As I mentioned previously, this is all structural fiberglass. It's exactly the same material that's used on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico or anywhere else for that. It was shipped here in pieces, and we put it together in the warehouse and then brought it in here and slipped it in.

There is exactly a half an inch clearance on each end of the stand itself. So it was very much threading a needle, getting it in here. We wanted to have the access, the ability to remove the access ladder, get it out of the way. But we also needed to maximize the space for the quarantine tank. So as you can see, our tolerances in here are quite close.

And then. Locked in place. Out of the way so you can get to the huge movie that we shoehorned into this corner that runs constantly helps with water clarity and minimizing the likelihood of any disease spread. Diseases are always going to be introduced either through coral specimens or fish, but this helps to minimize the likelihood that they'll turn into a major outbreak.

Heating is accomplished in the winter time through an inline heater 1200 watts. From the logic, and we're in the process of adding or counterforce a reactor that will help to control pH in all four systems, the main for quarantine for lack and the fish. Also up here, you may have seen we have a commercial dehumidifier.

That significantly reduces the amount of moisture that drains into a drain line, into the wall that goes into the main drain from the AC system. We also have a, exhaust fan. 750 CFM is up there. That just helps to control the heat and humidity as well. It's, activated by a hydrometer. So it's controlled by humidity, not temperature.

The spotlights at the ceiling, those are two 250 watt, five K, 5000 degree Kelvin. LED spotlight bulbs. And those are specifically for the Julian sprung mangroves and the refugio. So once again this is Sam with wet work and, thanks for watching. I'll see you next time."