how to plumb my tank??

[orthokardia]

I need some help. I have been plumbing today and am worse off than when I started. I have 2x2" and 2x1.5" drilled in the bottom center of my 300g (72x32x32) tank. one 2" is used for the corner overflow. I have a 100g rubbermaid sump in the fishroom. sugestions please. i am very frustrated.

-bart

 

[NeveSSL]

So whats going on with it, Bart?

And you've got a corner overflow pipe drilled in the center of the tank? Did it just come like that?

Brandon

 

[orthokardia]

that is an interesting story. the tank is one of the glasscages with center overflows designed to be viewed from all sided, but i built it into a wall so it is three sided now. the overflows took up too much real estate and you could not see behind them so I pulled them. I ran a 2" pvc to the right rear corner them up with a 4" pipe.

BTW-how did the games go? i still need to get by there. all your stuff is coloring up very nicely.

-bart

 

[commonstranger]

Bart this is what I do. Whatever Im doing to my tank or a new tank Im getting I sit down with a piece of paper (already know all of my measurements) and draw it out. I invite one or two people over and we brain storm about different ways of setting things up. I listen to the pros and cons of doing it different ways and think about it for a few days before I do anything. This had helped me alot and Im sure its saved me alot of money. I also do this with sumps just to make sure the baffles are in the right place and that the skimmer has enough room etc. Even draw out the plumbing and think ahead of where you have it set up to see if you will run into problems with the lay out of the room. Hope this helps some, posting different pics of what your talking about would help or if you can take some and bring them over to my place one day we could talk about it. Hope this helps some.

 

[orthokardia]

the main question is how to get the best wave action and the neatest look.

 

[NeveSSL]

That's easy: Vortech MP40w's.

Brandon

 

[ocd_mariner]

Negative. Wavebox.

 

[NeveSSL]

:lol: Fair enough. A wavebox would be a great way to do it as well, and cheaper, too.

Brandon

 

[orthokardia]

what is this wave box of wich you speak?

 

[waynesworld]

A toilet works also

 

[ocd_mariner]

Tunze Wavebox

 

[John_A]

Done a Little Googling and found some DIY waveboxes seems pretty simple acutally

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37745

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1411393

 

[orthokardia]

anyone up for a group build. acrylic, beer , and brain damaging carcynagenic solvents sounds like a good time.

 

[John_A]

lol has got me toying with the idea of using this for my tank i am setting up I ofcourse would need 2 given the length of the tank

 

[commonstranger]

I do as few DIY projects as possible. There is a reason people get paid to build all this stuff, lol. Wish you guys the best.

 

[orthokardia]

yes, the pro's can do it better, but building something yourself lends the opertunity to learn as you build skill. some time you save money, but usually cost more when it is all done than buying a COTs product. besides, DIY is just plain fun!

 

[rumble]

I think actually building the wavebox with acrylic would be trivial, but I really just don't want waves in my tank. I mean really, waveboxes? I bet the next thing will be four-wall aquascapes complete with soundproofing foam. I mean, with everything else you can buy in the name of simulation, covering up the fishes' unsightly view of your living room is really the only thing standing in the way of creating the perfect replica of their natural ocean habitat.

 

[sandalscout]

I mean really, waveboxes?

Sure, why not. People aren't putting them in their tanks for the aesthetic quality, it allows you to have good high volume low velocity truly random flow that makes corals and fish happy. I don't see a thing wrong with replicating nature when possible, especially if it'll make the inhabitants of my tanks happy.

 

[rumble]

Sure, why not. People aren't putting them in their tanks for the aesthetic quality, it allows you to have good high volume low velocity truly random flow that makes corals and fish happy. I don't see a thing wrong with replicating nature when possible, especially if it'll make the inhabitants of my tanks happy.

If I want random, low-velocity flow, I'll wire a couple of those pumps up to a roomba and make a radio-controlled submarine that drives itself around the tank when I'm not there.

You know I'm kidding around right? Like Sean Penn said in The Game, "Fun. You know what that is... uh, you've seen other people have it."

 

[ocd_mariner]

With one low wattage tunze nano wavebox in my 120, I have movement in my tank throughout the whole water column, not just gentle currents running through. Where there is water, its moving.