180 gallon build begins......on a budget

[evad1]

stand and pump purchased........

20 gallon acrylic tank already had it is going to be for refugium..
this weekend staining the stand dark chocolate brown....
next week 180 gallon lemaar is coming....

the pump is a sedra 20000 which is rated at 2000gph. i heard they work alright but sometimes the prop breaks..but i got it at a steal brand new so i could not pass it up....

 

[ever818]

good luck on your project, keep the pics coming

 

[JenDub]

I'd reconsider that pump, it uses 200+ watts!

A reeflo dart will give you much more flow at 160w

Also, be sure to get a sump large enough to hold any backflow. My 120 has a 100 gallon sump for example...

Good luck, try to get the design worked out before you start buying parts =)

 

[evad1]

yeah my sumps going to be 60 gallon and my refugium is 20 so that should be big enough..

 

[Bebo77]

budget.. whats a budget?

 

[818]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8425076#post8425076 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
budget.. whats a budget?

LOL


Budget- [buhj-it]

An estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.

I was on a low budget....but now that I find myself completly done buying all my equipment...I went over my $50 dollar budget

I guess its true when they say this hobby is more addicting than drugs...

Nice start man...What size pipe is that 3/4? Are you splitting it? Is that a check valve at the end there?

 

[JenDub]

60 should be okay, my prop system has a 60 and it fills all the way to the top when power goes off =)

When you are installing your return manifold try adding a couple of extra 1/2" outlets. Then drill a small hole in an endcap and place it on an elbow pointing at the water's surface. This trick can help avoid backsiphons =)

 

[evad1]

got keep to my budget deffinately...so i am going to run a really simple system..the pump has a 1" flow return so downsized to 3/4" and then through a clear check valve and then my return going to be split into to 3/4"...the tank im getting next week is a leemar 6x2x2. standard glass with center/trapizoid over flow with 1" drain and 2 3/4" returns. also the tank will have splash gaurds around the top bracing.(i couldnt afford euro and starphire-got to keep to the budget...for now i will have fish only and take my time buying the equipment for reef..for flow inthe take probally a couple of seios and a controller. im currently looking for a skimmer probally a g3(budget again)..simple and effective-hopefully..

 

[JenDub]

G3's are nice, they work like gangbusters =)

Don't waste your money on a check valve, they are not reliable enough to warrent $25+

My recommendation would be to make a siphon break hole somewhere in the plumbing. Even a small hole drilled in the part of the plumbing inside the overflow will work better than a checkvalve IMO. Checkvalves tend to leak slowly so a prolonged outtage will lead to overflowing sumps.

What gph does that sedra put out at the height of your tank? I'd warn against high wattage return pumps because they kill electric bills and cost a lot of money in the long run...