Silver_Stang
New member
Wow, your tank is looking really nice. Your coraline is growing like crazy. All of your frags seem to be showing some impressive growth as well. thanks for the update.
29 gal external overflow all DIY - yep another one
- Thread starter impur
- Start date
impur
New member
Thanks! Yah that coraline is everywhere. Tough to scrape too.
Lisa - the scwd cuts the flow from the mag by half i'd say. There is maybe 500gph coming from it. The OM Squirt will not cut the flow like the scwd does, so that might be the best route if you really want some sort of wave action. I think the 2 drains are the way to go. If you only have one, you are just asking for trouble. All it takes is a snail to get into the drain and back up the water onto your floor. Just safer to have a backup. A closed loop would be a great way to increase the flow in the tank. I originally planned to go that route with a genx 2400 pump i have, but ended up going with the Seio. For the baffles in the sump, one thing i learned is the spacing should be 3-4", otherwise the velocity of the water going between a smaller gap is greater, and that will in turn just carry any MB or other particles along with the water back to the display. I'll get ya a pic of the sump tonight
Lisa - the scwd cuts the flow from the mag by half i'd say. There is maybe 500gph coming from it. The OM Squirt will not cut the flow like the scwd does, so that might be the best route if you really want some sort of wave action. I think the 2 drains are the way to go. If you only have one, you are just asking for trouble. All it takes is a snail to get into the drain and back up the water onto your floor. Just safer to have a backup. A closed loop would be a great way to increase the flow in the tank. I originally planned to go that route with a genx 2400 pump i have, but ended up going with the Seio. For the baffles in the sump, one thing i learned is the spacing should be 3-4", otherwise the velocity of the water going between a smaller gap is greater, and that will in turn just carry any MB or other particles along with the water back to the display. I'll get ya a pic of the sump tonight
nice set-up just took a little while and read all of it!
I have a 75 and will be using a HOB overflow with dual 1" drains.
I am thinking of using 10 gal tanks for my sump, return and refigium. 2 or 3 seperate tanks, will this work? and whats the best way to join them.
I am going to be running a little giant 4md qsc and have a scwd on the way. Any ideas would be greatm i just want the most space possible for each section of my sump/refigium.
I have a 75 and will be using a HOB overflow with dual 1" drains.
I am thinking of using 10 gal tanks for my sump, return and refigium. 2 or 3 seperate tanks, will this work? and whats the best way to join them.
I am going to be running a little giant 4md qsc and have a scwd on the way. Any ideas would be greatm i just want the most space possible for each section of my sump/refigium.
cateyes
New member
hey Miles -- thanks for the pics!!!
i think i will be following your sump set up.. i don't want anything complex and yours seems basic enough that even i can replicate it, seeing that i'm DIY challenged. but i am looking forward to this project..
with that last "over" from the media compartment to the return area, are there many bubbles created from that drop over to the return??
i think i'm going to use a 15 gal, 24x12x12, so i will have the space and was thinking about adding a few more baffles before the return area. to further decrease the MB's getting to the display...
would it be benificial or just unnecessary baffle use??
thanks a lot,,,,,,,,,,lisa
i think i will be following your sump set up.. i don't want anything complex and yours seems basic enough that even i can replicate it, seeing that i'm DIY challenged. but i am looking forward to this project..
with that last "over" from the media compartment to the return area, are there many bubbles created from that drop over to the return??
i think i'm going to use a 15 gal, 24x12x12, so i will have the space and was thinking about adding a few more baffles before the return area. to further decrease the MB's getting to the display...
would it be benificial or just unnecessary baffle use??
thanks a lot,,,,,,,,,,lisa
impur
New member
X88&94GT said:
Thanks! It sure has turned into quite a thread.
Well you have a few options. First and probably the best would be to drill the sides and connect them with some PVC pipe. There is a guy here that did this with 3 five gallon buckets for his sump. So if you have a dremel and want to give it a shot this is how i'd do it.
The other option i can think of would be to use HOB overflows. In this setup you would have to have the first 10 gal higher than the second, and the second higher than the 3rd so the drains would work right. Depends on where you will be keeping the 10 gals, on a rack or something or in the stand?
impur
New member
seafan79 said:hey Miles -- thanks for the pics!!!
i think i will be following your sump set up.. i don't want anything complex and yours seems basic enough that even i can replicate it, seeing that i'm DIY challenged. but i am looking forward to this project..
with that last "over" from the media compartment to the return area, are there many bubbles created from that drop over to the return??
i think i'm going to use a 15 gal, 24x12x12, so i will have the space and was thinking about adding a few more baffles before the return area. to further decrease the MB's getting to the display...
would it be benificial or just unnecessary baffle use??
thanks a lot,,,,,,,,,,lisa
My pleasure
The only thing i would change on my sump is that first baffle spacing. I'd suggest 2-3 inches apart on the baffles, like my last one. The flow is much faster thru the first baffle since its such a smaller area. I have the intake on the return pump facing away from the waterfall created over the last baffle. You could do one more under baffle to eliminate the waterfall. But i do not see any MB from how i have the pump positioned. I even cut a piece of plexi that sits there like a ramp for the water if need be, but ended up just turning the pump intake away from the bubbles.
cateyes
New member
Miles -- that's one reason i want to go with the 15gal. it will give me a little more baffle spacing..
if i were to add an extra baffle before the return, would it go over then under then to the return pump, or under then over then return???
i have descided to go with a larger pump for the return, either a mag 7 of 9.5, not sure which one yet...probable the mag7 then add a powerhead or a CL if additional flow is needed....
thanks a lot,,,,lisa
if i were to add an extra baffle before the return, would it go over then under then to the return pump, or under then over then return???
i have descided to go with a larger pump for the return, either a mag 7 of 9.5, not sure which one yet...probable the mag7 then add a powerhead or a CL if additional flow is needed....
thanks a lot,,,,lisa
Thatnks for the info, I was thinking of either doing the bulheads or the external overflow like you did here. My main issue is knowing how high the water levels need to be with my baffles.
I know that the external overflow will work on the refigium which is fine, but is it just as good to use a bulkhead and a elbow turned up? And what size bulkheads ? (Btwn the tanks and comming out of the refigium)? I think the refigium will be a little higher anyways, b/c of my refturn pump.
All of this is going in my stand, i figured it up and I can get 3 10 gal to fit fine, just takes a little figuring on spacing.
I am going to mount 2 side by side like this I I then have the other one a little higher T-boning into the other 2 like this II-- the horizontal tank is gunna be my refigium and will prob be 6in or so higher than the other 2.
I actually went and bought my 3 10 gal tanks yesterday. I'm ready to get this thing going!!
keep the advice comming! Ony other thing I wondered was what thickness glass did you use for your external overflow?
I know that the external overflow will work on the refigium which is fine, but is it just as good to use a bulkhead and a elbow turned up? And what size bulkheads ? (Btwn the tanks and comming out of the refigium)? I think the refigium will be a little higher anyways, b/c of my refturn pump.
All of this is going in my stand, i figured it up and I can get 3 10 gal to fit fine, just takes a little figuring on spacing.
I am going to mount 2 side by side like this I I then have the other one a little higher T-boning into the other 2 like this II-- the horizontal tank is gunna be my refigium and will prob be 6in or so higher than the other 2.
I actually went and bought my 3 10 gal tanks yesterday. I'm ready to get this thing going!!
keep the advice comming! Ony other thing I wondered was what thickness glass did you use for your external overflow?
impur
New member
seafan79 said:Miles -- that's one reason i want to go with the 15gal. it will give me a little more baffle spacing..
if i were to add an extra baffle before the return, would it go over then under then to the return pump, or under then over then return???
i have descided to go with a larger pump for the return, either a mag 7 of 9.5, not sure which one yet...probable the mag7 then add a powerhead or a CL if additional flow is needed....
thanks a lot,,,,lisa
I would just add an under, so it would start: over, under, over under then return pump. The mag 7 and CL or PH is a good way to go, i think you'll like that a lot.
impur
New member
X88&94GT said:Thatnks for the info, I was thinking of either doing the bulheads or the external overflow like you did here. My main issue is knowing how high the water levels need to be with my baffles.
I know that the external overflow will work on the refigium which is fine, but is it just as good to use a bulkhead and a elbow turned up? And what size bulkheads ? (Btwn the tanks and comming out of the refigium)? I think the refigium will be a little higher anyways, b/c of my refturn pump.
All of this is going in my stand, i figured it up and I can get 3 10 gal to fit fine, just takes a little figuring on spacing.
I am going to mount 2 side by side like this I I then have the other one a little higher T-boning into the other 2 like this II-- the horizontal tank is gunna be my refigium and will prob be 6in or so higher than the other 2.
I actually went and bought my 3 10 gal tanks yesterday. I'm ready to get this thing going!!
keep the advice comming! Ony other thing I wondered was what thickness glass did you use for your external overflow?
I think you can get buy with just the elbow turned up. With 3 10 gals your really increasing the total water volume, thats awesome. On my tank i used 1.25" just to be on the safe side. There is no way i'm going to push too much for those drain lines. You could probably do fine with 1" its really up to you. I like to have larger drains that i need just for peace of mind. If a snail gets into 1.25" its harder for it to get stuck than in 1". On my overflow box i used 1/8" glass. Keep in mind i broke the bottom piece that the bulkheads go thru, so i upped that to 1/4" and it has been fine ever since even with some small tweaking to the drains while installed. The rest of the glass is still 1/8". Be sure to let me know when you start and take lots of pics! I love going thru these types of journals, fun to watch ppls tanks evolve.
nice tank
nice tank
Wow, you have an awesome setup. Your coral growth is amazing. I also have a 29 gallon tank and I am redoing it again because it had a few leaks. I hope you dont mind me copying your idea. The only difference is that mine has a canopy. I didnt know they made single ended phoenix 14k bulbs. I am definately going to check into that. I will be PMing you along the process so you can assist me, is that ok? Is there anything that you would change or regret not doing? Once again, very nice setup.
Jerry
nice tank
Wow, you have an awesome setup. Your coral growth is amazing. I also have a 29 gallon tank and I am redoing it again because it had a few leaks. I hope you dont mind me copying your idea. The only difference is that mine has a canopy. I didnt know they made single ended phoenix 14k bulbs. I am definately going to check into that. I will be PMing you along the process so you can assist me, is that ok? Is there anything that you would change or regret not doing? Once again, very nice setup.
Jerry
impur
New member
Hi Jerry! Thanks for the compliments! Thats unfortunate about your leaks, but at least you get to start new! I don't mind you copying at all, feel free thats kinda why i've been keeping this updated. I really like the 14k bulb, but i don't like the SE type. I would go with a DE bulb in the future. I don't know if it is the Reef Optix III pendant or if it applies to all SE pendants, but it throws that shadow right down the center of the tank. If it wasn't right in the middle i probably wouldn't mind.
Go ahead and shoot me a PM anytime, i'll get back to ya asap
Miles
Go ahead and shoot me a PM anytime, i'll get back to ya asap
Miles
Sweet! I killed one of those once. 
Darn Visatherm heaters!
Darn Visatherm heaters!
Silver_Stang
New member
X88&94GT-
you own a 88 an 94 mustang????
you own a 88 an 94 mustang????
