Although my current project is freshwater, I got most help from this site, so I figured I would post up what I've done.
Let's start with a before shot - this tank is a Oceanic 105 Show that was given to us as a gift (read: free), I had kept A. Cichlids years and years ago, so I figured I would get back into it:
Silly me, I didn't take pictures of work in progress (I'm too one-track minded), but I got plenty of "after" pictures:
Sump:
Sump was made from 1/4" acrylic, holds 15-20 gallons when operating and 28 gallons max. Bio chamber holds 5 gallons of bio balls, sump space is designed to hold 4 Red Mongroves. Right now my Fluval 404 is running in tandem to seed the new filter. Two QuietFlow 3000's return water back to the display (measured at just over 630 GPH each).
Plumbing:
I wish I got better shots at the plumbing. Drain pipe is 1.5" PVC with modified durso's going into the tank. Returns are 3/4" black flex tube.
Tank:
Overflows are 1/4" acrylic from http://www.dursostandpipes.com they look really sweet and perform as expected. I really like the rounded profile and think I made a really good choice. Back of the tank was painted black to blend the overflows in. I drilled two 60mm holes and two 38mm holes in the tank for drains and returns (I was shaking the whole time). I used the rest of the egg crate for the bottom of the tank to give my rocks some stability. The modifed Durso's are completely silent, and the only sound I can hear is the waterfall in the PVC pipes.
I started this project with HOB overflows, but they couldn't keep up with my pumps - and I was wanting to have one overflow handle both pumps in case of accidents. Then, to add insult to injury, the tank I was using as a sump cracked and seperated at the seems. After that, I put my game face on and started to do this the right way. Now, one overflow can handle the flow of both pumps easily, and I feel it's much safer than a siphon based overflow. I was actually really suprised at how good the filter/sump turned out - I used weldon 4 then went back over the seams with weldon 40.
Well, that's my project. We are fixing to move into a new house, and I've already talked the better half into letting me start a saltH2O tank. This tank really pops now, the black brings out the fish and the overflows aren't really noticeable at first. I'm really pleased and really suprised at how good this thing looks.
Thanks for the help everyone!
Not sure why the image tags aren't working
Let's start with a before shot - this tank is a Oceanic 105 Show that was given to us as a gift (read: free), I had kept A. Cichlids years and years ago, so I figured I would get back into it:
Silly me, I didn't take pictures of work in progress (I'm too one-track minded), but I got plenty of "after" pictures:
Sump:
Sump was made from 1/4" acrylic, holds 15-20 gallons when operating and 28 gallons max. Bio chamber holds 5 gallons of bio balls, sump space is designed to hold 4 Red Mongroves. Right now my Fluval 404 is running in tandem to seed the new filter. Two QuietFlow 3000's return water back to the display (measured at just over 630 GPH each).
Plumbing:
I wish I got better shots at the plumbing. Drain pipe is 1.5" PVC with modified durso's going into the tank. Returns are 3/4" black flex tube.
Tank:
Overflows are 1/4" acrylic from http://www.dursostandpipes.com they look really sweet and perform as expected. I really like the rounded profile and think I made a really good choice. Back of the tank was painted black to blend the overflows in. I drilled two 60mm holes and two 38mm holes in the tank for drains and returns (I was shaking the whole time). I used the rest of the egg crate for the bottom of the tank to give my rocks some stability. The modifed Durso's are completely silent, and the only sound I can hear is the waterfall in the PVC pipes.
I started this project with HOB overflows, but they couldn't keep up with my pumps - and I was wanting to have one overflow handle both pumps in case of accidents. Then, to add insult to injury, the tank I was using as a sump cracked and seperated at the seems. After that, I put my game face on and started to do this the right way. Now, one overflow can handle the flow of both pumps easily, and I feel it's much safer than a siphon based overflow. I was actually really suprised at how good the filter/sump turned out - I used weldon 4 then went back over the seams with weldon 40.
Well, that's my project. We are fixing to move into a new house, and I've already talked the better half into letting me start a saltH2O tank. This tank really pops now, the black brings out the fish and the overflows aren't really noticeable at first. I'm really pleased and really suprised at how good this thing looks.
Thanks for the help everyone!
Not sure why the image tags aren't working
