TheFishTeen
New member
Water will always reach its lowest possible point. Its pretty cool when you start messing with that law, and seeing just how far water will climb to reach a lower point.
Heliman...the end of a long journey
- Thread starter Heliman
- Start date
Water will always reach its lowest possible point. Its pretty cool when you start messing with that law, and seeing just how far water will climb to reach a lower point.
Yep, I did look at Sea Swirl, but they are the same price in US as I pay for Vertex here in Aus and by the time I pay freight and customs duty they would be at least 50% dearer than Moceans...but thanks for the info.
Crazy_Beaver
New member
Looks very interesting build!tagging along!:beachbum:
Yep...that's correct. There is a "natural" head between the DT and the sump of nearly 8 inches, therefore the water will "fall" up into the sump where it is pushed back into the DT by the return pump, thus maintaining this natural head.
The stand pipe does not really figure in this dynamic, because at equilibrium, when the whole thing is flat-out the water level in the DT overflow section (after the weir) is about 1.5 inches below the level of the DT.
When the system stops, if there were NOT a stand pipe, the DT overflow section would drain right down and expose the "planned" sand -bed. Therefore the standpipe limits the lowest level to which the Overflow section can drain to.
I pourposely cut the standpipe to a level below that of the overflow when it is running, about 4 inches in fact. I did this to ensure that no air was pulled into the standpipe by a surface vortex and removed the need for Beans, Dursos etc...and to avoid noise !!! As it is running now, the standpipe is always completely filled with water...no air, no bubbles, no noise.
But just to reinforce the point, the standpipe does NOT represent the water surface as in normal systems...it is there to maintain a minimum water level in the overflow section when/if the system stops for power outage/pump failure or whatever.
Last edited:
I really appreciate the picture. What I couldn't picture before was that you had the sump drilled twice, once for in and once for out. I was wondering if the holes are a must but I know it is the safest way to do that.
Am I correct that the drain lines are all hard PVC and the return is vinyl tubing?
Am I correct that the drain lines are all hard PVC and the return is vinyl tubing?
I think the hole drilling is a must. If you are going to rely on syphons and not bulkheads, then you will likely get a noise problem, which is what I wanted to avoid. I drilled all the holes myself, it was easy and quick if you follow the right method...plenty of good advice on drilling holes on the Forum. None of my glass is tempered, so it was no biggie !!
All the plumbing is in rigid PVC, except that I have flexible PVC coupling in every line (to disconnect the line from vibration and to allow a more easy take-down if needed) but the system is vibration free and very quiet, so in hindsight they were not needed. The longer runs have Unions in them for the same reason.
Padrino
I have been finishing off the installation.....running cables, setting up top-off , plumbing in the 'fuge and the Carbon and Phosphate reactors.
I will button it all up during today and should have some final photos later this evening !!!
The system has been running for 1 week now, I filled with tap water to which I added 20 lbs of rock salt. I wanted to properly flush the system with "salty" water to get rid of as much as possible of silicon residue, plasticisers and release agents from the PVC pipes and all. I think this step is very important in a new build.
All has gone to plan, I am hugely happy with the final result.
The noisiest part of the system is the 2 Vortex P/H's, but even that is not intrusive, especially when I can close the door of the fish room and not hear a thing !!
Tomorrow they system will be drained and my wife and I will do a dummy set-up of the rock work (I have bought 250 lbs of base rock, and my wife will do a better job than me on the aesthetics of the rock-work...left to me it would just be a pile of rubble !!!). My job will be to wash 150 lbs of white coral sand...ugh !!!!
Sea-water will be delivered Thursday or Friday next and then on to the dreaded cycle !!!
I have been finishing off the installation.....running cables, setting up top-off , plumbing in the 'fuge and the Carbon and Phosphate reactors.
I will button it all up during today and should have some final photos later this evening !!!
The system has been running for 1 week now, I filled with tap water to which I added 20 lbs of rock salt. I wanted to properly flush the system with "salty" water to get rid of as much as possible of silicon residue, plasticisers and release agents from the PVC pipes and all. I think this step is very important in a new build.
All has gone to plan, I am hugely happy with the final result.
The noisiest part of the system is the 2 Vortex P/H's, but even that is not intrusive, especially when I can close the door of the fish room and not hear a thing !!
Tomorrow they system will be drained and my wife and I will do a dummy set-up of the rock work (I have bought 250 lbs of base rock, and my wife will do a better job than me on the aesthetics of the rock-work...left to me it would just be a pile of rubble !!!). My job will be to wash 150 lbs of white coral sand...ugh !!!!
Sea-water will be delivered Thursday or Friday next and then on to the dreaded cycle !!!
I hope you don't mind but I'm copying your elevated sump idea for my own build, which is in the works now. I'll also be mounting my external pump and plumbing underneath the sump as you have done since there is all that extra room underneath there now. Many thanks for the inspiration!
MX 175
You are very welcome...I hope the end product is as successful as mine, you will be very pleased I am sure
So....Houston, we are go for launch !!!
At long last the build is just about finished...I have a couple of tiny jobs to do and then its done !!!....connect up the inlet piping for the 'fuge and connect the outlet piping from the 2 reactors.
That has been a loooong project, about 5 months from the get-go....many, many hours and about twice the budget !! (isn't it always that way )
Tomorrow I will drain the system and get "herself" busy on arranging the rocks while I wash the coral sand...and then on to cycling.
Maybe 3 to 4 weeks I can think about livestock...wont that be nice :lol2:
You are very welcome...I hope the end product is as successful as mine, you will be very pleased I am sure
So....Houston, we are go for launch !!!
At long last the build is just about finished...I have a couple of tiny jobs to do and then its done !!!....connect up the inlet piping for the 'fuge and connect the outlet piping from the 2 reactors.
That has been a loooong project, about 5 months from the get-go....many, many hours and about twice the budget !! (isn't it always that way )
Tomorrow I will drain the system and get "herself" busy on arranging the rocks while I wash the coral sand...and then on to cycling.
Maybe 3 to 4 weeks I can think about livestock...wont that be nice :lol2:
Attachments
Padrino
New member
NICE JOB HELIMAN!
I created a sump and fishroom thread a while ago, in fact I think that is where I first met you. I think your finished sump design and fishroom should be in there. Would you mind posting some pictures and an explanation?
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1846238&page=10
Cheers
Rob
I created a sump and fishroom thread a while ago, in fact I think that is where I first met you. I think your finished sump design and fishroom should be in there. Would you mind posting some pictures and an explanation?
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1846238&page=10
Cheers
Rob
The bare wood was painted first with Oil-based Dulux Universal Primer. Then sanded and recoated.
For the finish I used Dulux Brilliant white enamel, 2 coats.
All applied as per Manufacturers recommendations.
That much fiddly painting was a real pain in the butt.....!!!! However, I wanted it to last a long time and also to look clean and crisp :lol2:
For the finish I used Dulux Brilliant white enamel, 2 coats.
All applied as per Manufacturers recommendations.
That much fiddly painting was a real pain in the butt.....!!!! However, I wanted it to last a long time and also to look clean and crisp :lol2:
That's good to know. I heard to use oil based primer and not water based and it looks like that is what you recommend as well so I'll do the same. Thanks!
MX175
Yep...I know that oil-based paints have gone out of fashion these days...so much easier to clean up with water-based products and the results look good.
But I dont think you can beat oil-based for durability and toughness.
One small tip.....if you add a little Flow-coat to the final top coat you get a beautiful finish with a brush...almost as good as a spray job..
Yep...I know that oil-based paints have gone out of fashion these days...so much easier to clean up with water-based products and the results look good.
But I dont think you can beat oil-based for durability and toughness.
One small tip.....if you add a little Flow-coat to the final top coat you get a beautiful finish with a brush...almost as good as a spray job..
At long last....beginning to look like an aquarium and not a work in progress.
Everything up and running, dead prawn in the 'fuge...cycling begins.
Lots of critters and small corals on the live rock in the'fuge, hope some of them survive the Ammonia.
So far...so good :lol2:
Everything up and running, dead prawn in the 'fuge...cycling begins.
Lots of critters and small corals on the live rock in the'fuge, hope some of them survive the Ammonia.
So far...so good :lol2:
Attachments
As of yesterday, the Ammonia spike has come and gone !!!
The LR in the 'fuge had been in my LHS for some time, so I guess a lot of the dying off had already happened.
A faint trace of diatom activity is now starting which is a good sign, also pods have appeared everywhere.
CUC went in yesterday, and I might just risk one fish and a piece of coral next week....
System is working perfectly .
Will post some photos when I get my first living creatures in the DT next week
Cheers
The LR in the 'fuge had been in my LHS for some time, so I guess a lot of the dying off had already happened.
A faint trace of diatom activity is now starting which is a good sign, also pods have appeared everywhere.
CUC went in yesterday, and I might just risk one fish and a piece of coral next week....
System is working perfectly .
Will post some photos when I get my first living creatures in the DT next week
Cheers
Similar threads
