Nano-setup for non-photosynthetic corals?

[dendro982]

Ready, here they are:

Quiet overflow:
only 2 kinds, cheaper than Tidepool's overflow:
1. Quietflo-600â"žÂ¢ Overflow, link
Quote:
"This overflow assembly is rated to handle up to 600 gallons per hour (GPH), and requires approximately 4" of clearance behind the aquarium. The Quietfloâ"žÂ¢ series of pre-filters are the most advanced on the market, incorporating flush-mounted lids and specially designed Backdraft tubes to ensure the quietest pre-filter operation of any overflow assembly today.
This includes: pre-filter skimmer box, pre-filter siphon box, acrylic mounting bracket (fully adjustable), a 1" polypropylene reinforced bulkhead (no cheap PVC connectors like other overflow assemblies on Ebay), a 1" PVC connection for drain hose, foam pre-filter sponge, 2' of Backdraft tube, 3' of black drain hose (black color discourages growth of algae in the drain line), siphon u-tube, installation manual, and all plastic nuts and bolts. "

2. PVC DIY overflow, pretzel type, also requires less wall clearance, than usual:
See photos at the bottom of the page , more:
Any thoughts, visible pitfalls?
The house walls are thin, and I prefer not to irritate neighbors and myself.

Possible problems in case of power failure:

I asked this question for a PVC type on the other forum, one more suggestion was added:
"You could burn your pump up FAST.
two small float switches:
One for the main display to kick the pump off if the water level rises past a certain point and one in the sump to kick the pump off if it drops below a certain point."
What do you think?

Should be nano-tank above the 90g?
Usually I'm trying to keep the same water level - less troubles in connecting, the same components can be reused in another setups.

My usual the simple way to connect two tanks, U-tubes or 1" clear vinyl tubing (depends on the distance between tanks). U-tube leads into micron sock, and return pump (same type of connection) forces water from the sump.
Below shown 90g tank:
Was, when system was simple:

Just for fun, another tank, same principle:

90g now, after needs arose:

More clean view, before new skimmer, coraline and green rock:

Where nano-tank will be relatively to 90g tank:
The only place, what was left for a nano-tank near 90g tank, is on the left. Around 2 ft, above canister filter. Will be front access only, alas.

Nano-Cube should fit. Here it is:
sideview, corals are open:

front view, daytime:

Plumbing questions:
What is name of detail:
1. used to connect flexible tubing to the rigid U-tube - slip inside-fitting one end (I think, it's what's called here "male" connection, but generally prefer not to mix organs with plumbing :eek1: ), barbed end - to the flexible tubing. Should it be glued into U-tube, or what?
2. used to make transfer from smaller diameter flexible tubing (1/2" from the Maxi-Jet) to the larger diameter flexible tubing? My guess, the both ends should be barbed. I had seen several times, that increasing diameter of the tubing right after pump is better for the flow.
3. connecting return from the flexible tubing to the (I think) another U-tube, but smaller than outflow in diameter. Same as point 1?

Pardon my ignorance, may be anything better than that?

Relative to the skimmer:
Should nano-tank's overflow go to the main tank, or directly into the micron sock in the sump?
The fish is too big to eat these particles, may be corals (softies and euphyllids).

 

[dendro982]

The small additional problem:
The only pump in Nano-cube, the quietest from available, Mini-Jet 606, is hanged onto the 90 degree elbow, just like Maxi-Jet 600 on this photo:

Still vibration is significant (if place the ear in contact with the tank), more troubles for a fish, than for humans. I thought about placing pump outside the tank, connected by flexible tubing, like this:

Could this work, or are there even more quiet pumps, around 160 gph?

 

["Umm fish?"]

Honestly, I have never used a siphon overflow. So, those are questions best answered by others. The only problem I see with the DIY ones are the lack of surface skimming. If you go that way, I would make sure to have a lot of water motion aimed at the water surface.

You could burn your pump up fast.

Yes, I agree. But remember that this is only in case of failure of the overflow. And, for the small amount of flow you are talking about, you are also talking about a really small pump. Which is better, to go with the cheaper and easier method of buying a new small pump in the case of failure (maybe keep a backup on hand); or, going with the much more complicated scheme that may save your pump (remember: float switches fail, too)? If I was setting up a tank right next to an existing tank and thinking about using a $20 pump, then I would probably not bother with the float switches, especially as it looks like carpet is not a worry.

Do you still have the clownfish? If so, I think you would be surprised at how small a particle they will eat. Mine spend a lot of time eating the tiny food I'm feeding. Honestly, it's more natural, IMO, given that on the reef that's mostly what they are getting. (Natural clownfish diet = mostly small copepods.) The lion will certainly ignore the small stuff, though.

I don't really see what you mean from the photograph on tank placement. It looks like you are going to place it in the middle of a walkway?

Nice cube! Is that xenia in it, though? Careful of that, don't let it encroach on the gorgonian.

You can use the micron sock if you like. It's probably a good idea without a sandbed and sandbed crew to catch the small stuff. Know that if you use it, you will be removing the food for the 90 that would have come from the nano. Meaning, you'll have to feed the 90, too, making more work for your filtration. Of course, you have to anyway with the lion, right?

 

[dendro982]

Thank you very much again, most helpful!
Sorry, I was out for weekend unexpectedly.

90g location and the place for the nano:
The big tank is in the basement, along the side wall, the short side on the left faces small basement window, with the table under it - for a cat to reach the window. Storage cartons under it.
~2 ft/60cm space between the table and the tank side, canister filter is on the floor there. No carpet - tore it away before setting tank, floods were expected. No traffic at all.

Probability of burning pump:
Fully agree, it skipped my attention. Was not much involved with plumbing before, as you can see.

Clownfish and a small food particles:
Didn't know that, thanks! Good - one more cleaner at the hand.
BTW, lionfish is a clean eater, but the biggest fish of the tank (6" long, 4-5" high) and a puffer are spitters by nature, plus waste - they are causing the most troubles with keeping.

Other filtration options for 90g?
Yes, no sand there. What could be the better filtration, instead of micron sock? The only one other suitable option for the heavily fed tanks, that I had seen, was trickle filter - it couldn't be used in my side-by-side setup, siphon will break.

Can you help me with general logic of filtration in 90g, please?
I have to finish this before transferring Nano-Cube down - will need access from all sides of the tank.

There are 2 points of water intake for filtration now:
- canister filter intake, behind the biggest rock mass; at the bottom and at the middle;
- at the top of the right side, going to the sump, into micron sock.
300 gph each. Total flow in tank is 2100 gph.

This is not working good for cleaning water column from particles - they just settle down, after floating for a some time. Despite the flow pattern, moving water toward each of them.

Possible solution, that I thought of, was to re-do all flow in the tank from scratch: remove canister with spraybars, powerheads, and replace them with closed-loop-like PVC flow outlets, with all water turnover going through the sump (and micron sock).
Any other thoughts?

Questions with this possible setup:
(My apologies, asked them several times in different places, the result was - it's up to you...)
1. Should it be permanently working 650 gph return pump (OceanRunner), will be this enough?
2. Or leave 300 gph Eheim in the sump, as is, and add independent loop with high flow pump - 3000 gph (Sequence Dart, analog of AmpMaster), working for 15 min 3 times daily only.
This was done by ldrhawke, shown in this article, illustrated. Does this sounds reasonable, or are there better (easier) ways?

If this is matter not only of the water volume, filtering through the micron sock, then may be make more points of water pick-up for filtration - several through the tank, at different level. It seems to me less likely the cause, but who know?

These were my last questions, hopefully.
Any input is greatly appreciated.