120g w/6 pre-drilled holes

[treesprite]

I'm trying to figure out what to do with this project. I've got lots of thoughts in my head on what to do with these holes, but would like to gather some more thoughts from other people. The tank is an Oceanic 120 gallon, 48" x 24" x 24".

The biggest issue to deal with, is that this 120g has only 1 drain hole, which uses a 1.5" bulkhead. It is drilled way up high in a corner (it had a laughable mini-sized overflow box in front of it which I removed). The only way to resolve the problem is to use one or both returns for drains, and put the return plumbing over the back of the tank.

The other holes are all 1" bulkheads. There are 2 upper returns which are a little lower than the drain hole. There are 3 holes for closed loop, halfway down the back wall. All of the CL holes are only 1".

There is no overflow currently in the tank. I have to figure out what I'm doing with those upper holes first. If I use both upper returns for drain holes, I could make a C2C (I made glass C2Cs for my last 2 tanks; one stuck out too far, but had holes for the return pipes to go through it; the second was super narrow, so stuff got in there that I couldn't get out, and made the return pipes have to stick out more, which made me wish I had saved the glass that had the holes in it).

Regarding the closed loop, is one 1" feed with two 1" returns going to be enough flow for a tank that size, when combined with the sump return? Any suggestions on pump sizes for those two pumps? I was using a really big sump pump on my last 75g, so between the big pump, a tiny refugium return, and having a C2C OF to keep the surface moving, I was able to get away with no power heads even though I had no CL.... but that tank was 6" narrower and 4 " shorter.

I'm still trying to find time between 2 jobs to clean the tank and re-do the visible sealant. Have to build a stand next. I'm hoping to get the tank running by April.

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

 

[treesprite]

Was trying to post image, but it won't show up. Is there a trick to getting images from my Google accountto show up? It will give an image link, but then there is just a blank post.

 

[treesprite]

That took forever. Had to download from Google to my laptop, then upload it to Photobucket, which I haven't been using because Photobucket has become a real pita.

 

[marioensf]

You can do a nice cut-out top center and add an external box with two or three drains and a closed loop with the rest of the pre-drilled holes.

I did it on a small tank; OF box is wrapped in ABS plastic but inside is glass.

 

[treesprite]

That would be really cool, but I don't exactly have the tools to cut out a chunk of glass. I have put slots in 1/4" thick glass using a dremel with diamond cutting disc, but it would take an eon to make a long row of slots through glass this thick.

 

[marioensf]

Don't scratch it off; I think the circular blade I used fits a cordless saw; I'll confirm later. All you'd need is a glass hole saw, the diamond continuous rim blade, straight guide and some water.

Will try to get pics later; off to work in a few...

 

[Brunzy]

So do you have 2 returns and 3 drains? The only issue I see here is if the power fails you will drain 70% of your tank in a matter of 2 minutes lol

 

[treesprite]

So do you have 2 returns and 3 drains? The only issue I see here is if the power fails you will drain 70% of your tank in a matter of 2 minutes lol

The lower 3 holes are not part of the standard plumbing, they are for a closed loop system. A closed loop does not allow water to escape the system, which is why it is called a closed loop. Please don't make me explain standard aquarium plumbing.

 

[treesprite]

That would be really cool, but I don't exactly have the tools to cut out a chunk of glass. I have put slots in 1/4" thick glass using a dremel with diamond cutting disc, but it would take an eon to make a long row of slots through glass this thick.

It had not occurred to me until last night, after trying to find examples, that I could make one long, horizontal slot which does not need to have teeth. Apparently, having a smooth, rounded over edged slot will be quieter than a flat edge and quieter than teeth.

Speaking of examples, I only found one example with pictures for a large tank. I want to ask if other people have examples or info, but should I just start another post for that specific topic? I'm not set on what to do yet, so I need this thread, but I am really REALLY interested in this idea if I can do the job without too much hassle.

 

[Brunzy]

I understand the closed loop, I am just confused as to what you plan on doing with this setype sorry.

 

[marioensf]

It had not occurred to me until last night, after trying to find examples, that I could make one long, horizontal slot which does not need to have teeth. Apparently, having a smooth, rounded over edged slot will be quieter than a flat edge and quieter than teeth.

Speaking of examples, I only found one example with pictures for a large tank. I want to ask if other people have examples or info, but should I just start another post for that specific topic? I'm not set on what to do yet, so I need this thread, but I am really REALLY interested in this idea if I can do the job without too much hassle.

Sort of a coast-to-coast CTC/C2C. I used a regular 45mm (for 1" bulkhead) diamond hole saw for the edges then a straight cut using a guide and a Makita 3 5/8" circular saw with a continuous diamond rim. The blade does not fit regular arbor saws I found today but I have been eyeing this Ryobi 4" tile saw handheld http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-4-in-Tile-Saw-TC401/205654302
...or another brand available from Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Buil...gclid=CO-S0tqKxtICFZOKaQodRqUJdQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Ryobi has a GFCI already, don't know about the MD brand.

There are some diamond router bits in different grit available too; they would be to sort of "finish" the cut.

Don't forget to post images or it didn't happen !

 

[treesprite]

Going back to the idea of using return holes as drains:

If I use an external box for my pipes (drill 3 holes in bottom of it to do BA plumbing), then couldn't I have the internal box be like just an inch from the wall, with the water just flowing through those two 1" holes into the external box, allowing me to use the 1.5" hole that is higher up and way in the corner, for return plumbing somehow?

I would be able to just do a C2C, since those two return holes are a couple or few inches lower than the 1.5" drain hole, meaning maybe a return pipe from the 1.5 wouldn't have to go around the internal overflow. Not sure how it would work out, reducing the size because of the big hole, and tee off into multiple return ports.

I'm worried about noise, of course. Would water flowing into the outer box from the two 1" holes make noise for some reason? Would I possibly have waterfall noise and/or gurgle noise due to those holes being kind of low so the internal overflow would have to be kind of tall? Would an angled internal overflow wall prevent waterfall noise?

 

[treesprite]

I think I am just going to make a C2C OF and use the upper sump return holes as passage into an external box drilled through the bottom with BA plumbing.

I'm worried about suction into the CL drain, and also, would like more CL return options, so I am wondering, how would it be if I used all 3 CL holes for drains (combined into one pipe to the pump), then put the CL returns over the back of the tank?

If I do that with the CL, I wouldn't want all the returning flow up high, so I would need to run pipes down the back inside the tank, but with the tank back painted black, I could use black pvc or paint.

If I do put CL return pipes over and down the back, I would either: 1. Make the C2C a few inches shorter so I can have end space for CL pipes, or 2. Put the return pipes down through the bottom of the overflow (properly sealed water tight of course), that way the upper parts could be hidden, and I could put them in better locations than down the sides where they will not be so easy to hide behind rocks.

 

[treesprite]

I guess if I put CL pipes through the OF, the OF would have to be wider, which defeats my purpose in using an external box with a slim low profile internal OF. Maybe in such a situation I should just put the sump drain stuff in the internal box then, and skip external. But then the internal OF would be sticking further into the tank, which I have been wanting to avoid.

I had a 75g with return pipes going through holes I had drilled in the OF, but through the wall of it. The OF stuck too far out doing it that way, but if the pipes are through the bottom, the overflow could be a little narrower (putting the pipes through the OF wall required having elbows in it, and those take more space than a straight vertical pipe).