my 29 build

James... can you explain the HOLY PIPE a little? That is your suck line? Do you think you will get any draw outta the last holes at all? Of even any of them lower than half way down that pipe?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14711435#post14711435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by james3370
small update......here is a mock up of where the glass-holes.com overflow box will go thru the tank & the suction part of the closed loop.

doing the closed loop suction over the top instead of drilling it & using a bulkhead. the rock wall will cover the piping & around the overflow box. i figure having the closed loop suction behind the rock wall, it should keep flow back there & keep the detrius build-up to a minimum. there will be a 2" tall piece of glass running verticle in front of the pipe along the bottom to form a barrier for the sandbed so it won't get sucked up

haven't decided if the overflow box will be covered in rock too or just epoxy & sand...that's waaay down the road LOL




also, here's a little tip.....don't drill holes in the pvc like i did in the living room thinking "i'll just vacuum it up when i'm done..."

3hrs later after a trip to wal-mart to get a belt to replace the broken one from the pvc strings wrapped around the drive brushes. i also became an expert at taking my vacuum apart to unglog it in about 3 different places & then on my hands & knees picking up all the pvc strings removed from the vacuum clogs

lesson learned....the hard way :mad2:
Click to expand...

Musta been them voices that made you do it.

Jim
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14713060#post14713060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Imzadi
James... can you explain the HOLY PIPE a little? That is your suck line? Do you think you will get any draw outta the last holes at all? Of even any of them lower than half way down that pipe?
Click to expand...

it is the intake side of the closed loop. doing that over the top instead of a bulkhead thru the back of the tank

it was a take-off of the one marc did for a closed loop setup
http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html

i kinda assumed it would pull suction the entire length of the pipe, but i sent marc a pm asking for his opinion......
 
Last edited:
Well, that is a lot of holes. Too many, but honestly anything can swim or crawl over it and not be sucked inside. Of course, it will be a great home for a giant worm, something we all yearn to discover in our tanks one day. ;)

I'd probably stay with the horizontal holey pipe, but replace the vertical one with a solid surface (except for a siphon break 1" beneath the surface (1/4" diameter is plenty). You don't want the closed loop to burst one day and siphon your tank down to the very bottom. The anti-siphon hole will prevent that risk.
 
Gotcha... I would be interested to see if you get ANY draw in through that horizonatal pipe at all with THAT many holes in the vertical one.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14713276#post14713276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Well, that is a lot of holes. Too many, but honestly anything can swim or crawl over it and not be sucked inside. Of course, it will be a great home for a giant worm, something we all yearn to discover in our tanks one day. ;)

I'd probably stay with the horizontal holey pipe, but replace the vertical one with a solid surface (except for a siphon break 1" beneath the surface (1/4" diameter is plenty). You don't want the closed loop to burst one day and siphon your tank down to the very bottom. The anti-siphon hole will prevent that risk.
Click to expand...

so should i redo it & have the verticle pipe w/ no holes & the bottom pipe w/ smaller holes?? i did it w/ a step drill, so i can just not go as big next time LOL

i also thought about doing 2 along the bottom almost meeting in the center & going up each corner.

would the 2 pipes be a better way to go as far as having suction along the entire pipe?? i want to keep as much flow behind the rock wall as possible to keep it low in dead spots as far as flow

btw...the anti-siphon hole was already planned :)
 
I think one pipe with holes will suffice. Perhaps smaller holes would be wiser. The internal diameter is 1"... you won't have a problem meeting its demands if you drill a bunch of holes.
 
i'm about 95% done with the plumbing. i still need to drill the holes in the closed loop intake pipe (pvc inside the tank beside the overflow box). i also plan to paint any pvc that is in the inside area of the tank (the closed loop part on each side, the closed loop intake pipe & the return line adapter where the hydor flo deflector is attached). i also need to do the 2 pvc pipes that go to each side of the sump, but waiting till i get the bubble trap/live rock corner chambers installed to figure out exact placement for those 2 pipes. all 4 of the closed loop inputs (on each top corner) will have loc-line fittings. the empty electrical box will be where the 2 GFCI outlets will go....going back to the 2 dj strips in the front top middle (seen in previous posts & yet to be reinstalled)

anywhoo, on w/ the clickable thumbnails :)



 
continued.....by the way, in the 1st pic below, the t-fitting w/ the screw on cap that is on the angled pipe is the fill point for the closed loop line so i can fill it & not have the pump sucking dry



 
Very nicely thought/layed out! Your plumbing is a work of art. You may want to turn the whole setup around so the plubming faces fowards and reef to the back. ;)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14779403#post14779403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MVlk
Very nicely thought/layed out! Your plumbing is a work of art. You may want to turn the whole setup around so the plubming faces fowards and reef to the back. ;)
Click to expand...

thanks :)

the way the rear canopy support & canopy are done plus painting the back wall of the tank.....none of the plumbing will be seen

 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14779426#post14779426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Imzadi


You are gonna regret not putting felt or something under that pump! lol

Is there still time?
Click to expand...

i am gonna do something there. thought about a mousepad which should fit no problem. i am also considering getting a piece of 3/4" syrofoam...but that would mean cutting the pvc between the elbows & unions on the ball valves. that would be a little more work, but still doable

earlier, i had mentioned putting a small tank around the mag closed loop pump & plumbing it into the sump. that became too much of a nightmare trying to get the tank & plumbing to fit in the tank & still plump it into the sump, so i scraped that plan

i still have the cut pieces & pre-fab plastic frame for that tank, so i'm gonna assemble it & it'll sit on the shelf on the left side & it'll be a small QT tank :)
 
Last edited:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14779887#post14779887 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Imzadi
Holy crap... how big is that freaking drainline!?!?!
Click to expand...

the overflow is a standard glass-holes.com 700gph kit.....1.5" bulkhead

sump return is a mag 3 & plumbed 3/4" to the elbow that reduces to 1/2" barb for the hydor flow deflector. head height on it is about 5-5.5 feet.

from the return pump at the bottom, the plugged union facing forward is for water changes....turn off pump, close ball valve, swap union to another union w/ a piece of pvc coming out to a 5g bucket, turn pump on & since ball valve is closed, it drains return chamber. refill chamber & reverse procedure

closed loop is a mag 9.5 plumped all 3/4". return side is t'd to each side of tank & then (4) 3/4" loc-line inputs
 
Last edited:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14779562#post14779562 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by james3370
i am gonna do something there. thought about a mousepad which should fit no problem. i am also considering getting a piece of 3/4" syrofoam...but that would mean cutting the pvc between the elbows & unions on the ball valves. that would be a little more work, but still doable

earlier, i had mentioned putting a small tank around the mag closed loop pump & plumbing it into the sump. that became too much of a nightmare trying to get the tank & plumbing to fit in the tank & still plump it into the sump, so i scraped that plan

i still have the cut pieces & pre-fab plastic frame for that tank, so i'm gonna assemble it & it'll sit on the shelf on the left side & it'll be a small QT tank :)
Click to expand...


Reply to all posts today:

Now James, have I taught you nothing? This is what happens, send the kid to school and he eats the teacher for lunch. *Shakes head*-- is there not something Scotty said a number of years ago? You are gunna have more water in the pipes than in your tank. And where the heck are all those unions you keep talking about? Surprised I don't see a check valve in there somewhere.

I was in another thread this morning or last night (senile) and was saying that with a smaller tank (nanos and picos especially) you can't treat them like a "hobby tank" so to speak, because bad things can happen more quickly in a smaller tank. So you got to get "serious"-- but puuuuuuuuuullllllllllleeeeeeeeaaaassseeee:D

Nice execution of a thoughtful plan, and I am sure it will work fine. (as long as all those pipes hold water.) Just make sure your wiring is just as clean.

Regards,

Jim

Edit: Opps forgot to post what I started out to post: a mouse pad will probably be sufficient.:smokin:
 
Last edited:
I'm not a fan of the sweep fitting in this picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v501/james3370/tank/29 build/CIMG1807.jpg

As you can see, the reducer didn't push in very far because the sockets are merely 1/2" deep. All plumbing fittings should be 1" socket, so you get a good surface bind. Other than that, it looks good so far.

That one union on the drainline is from Lowes. I bought a few myself, but after taking them apart a few times, I opted not to use them. In that particular orientation, unscrewing the union half wouldn't stop the tank from draining because the ball is in the lower section. And once it is unscrewed, even if you had it reversed, I don't know if it could hold water back without the other half pressed against it. It's just a less-than-ideal union/ball valve, unfortunately.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14784152#post14784152 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I'm not a fan of the sweep fitting in this picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v501/james3370/tank/29 build/CIMG1807.jpg

As you can see, the reducer didn't push in very far because the sockets are merely 1/2" deep. All plumbing fittings should be 1" socket, so you get a good surface bind. Other than that, it looks good so far.

That one union on the drainline is from Lowes. I bought a few myself, but after taking them apart a few times, I opted not to use them. In that particular orientation, unscrewing the union half wouldn't stop the tank from draining because the ball is in the lower section. And once it is unscrewed, even if you had it reversed, I don't know if it could hold water back without the other half pressed against it. It's just a less-than-ideal union/ball valve, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

as far as the sweep fitting, i noticed that it wasn't the standard depth, but figured since it isn't a pressurized fitting, it should work fine.

GOOD CATCH on the union/ball valve!!!! .....i totally missed that i got the single union ball valve on the overflow reversed.

doh.gif


i think i'll cut it out & put one of the dual-unions like the rest of them.

as far as the siphon breaks i mentioned in my pm to ya....are those gonna be the correct placement??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Lighting Advise for 36 x 18 SPS
Replies
7
Views
535
Uncle99
Uncle99
F
Tank stand on castors
Replies
4
Views
334
albano
albano
D
DIY Stand Help
Replies
6
Views
394
kharmaguru
kharmaguru
E
Getting back into the hobby
Replies
11
Views
417
Uncle99
Uncle99
T
Alternative Lighting for Biocube 29
Replies
0
Views
108
thommyboy12183
T
Back
Top