Nate's 300g Build

piper2013 said:
Nate - great build - following! Couple questions as I am planning a build.

1. Custom Aquariums won't notch a panel for surface skimming. Do you feel that with the C2C internal weir the surface skimming is equivalent to a notched tank panel? I was hoping to avoid bulkheads in the tank itself.
2. For the pump intake sleeve - how did you determine that the size and number of slits was adequate for the pumps intake draw?

Thanks!

Craig
Click to expand...

I have never owned a tank that had a panel milled down to act as an overflow, so I am not sure if they would be more or less effective at surface skimming. Most tanks that I have seen milled down have some form of overflow teeth built in which I would think would be rather restrictive. I have also never seen a tank have the entire back wall milled down. Usually it's one or two sections for external overflow boxes. If you were to imitate a C2C with a notch, you would need an external overflow box to be the length of the tank (not practical). I would imagine it would weeken the back wall having no support from the top brace. This is probably why custom Aquariums wouldn't put in a notch. As for my setup, so far surface skimming is amazing, but I am also putting close to 4,000gph through the tank. When I open up valves to feed the skimmer, UV, and reactors, the flow rate to the tank will drop. Not sure how much it will reduce surface skimming but I'll let ya know.

There was really no rhyme or reason to the length of the DIY intake strainer. Or the number of slits put in. I just needed something that would let me have a lower operating sump level while not sucking in air. I was actually thinking about making it longer with more slits.
 
Thanks Nate - here is a pic of the notching I was looking for. I think Miracles does this but was hoping Custom A did because I live in WI. On the sleeve - my only thought was if the pump would be stressed/restricted if it did not have enough area for intake.
Craig

picture.php
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Subscribed, awesome builld. Wish I saw this thread 2 weeks ago when I was up visiting family in Vermont. I would have loved to see your set up in person. I am in the planning stages for my rebuild. Definately going to be 8 feet length but I am trying to decide if I am going with a 24 or a 30 wide. 2 questions:

Are you concerned about critters going over your coast to coast and clogging things up?

How far down from the top are the holes for you beananimal?
 
BLOODMAN said:
Subscribed, awesome builld. Wish I saw this thread 2 weeks ago when I was up visiting family in Vermont. I would have loved to see your set up in person. I am in the planning stages for my rebuild. Definately going to be 8 feet length but I am trying to decide if I am going with a 24 or a 30 wide. 2 questions:

Are you concerned about critters going over your coast to coast and clogging things up?

How far down from the top are the holes for you beananimal?
Click to expand...

The tank has been up and running with livestock for a little over a month now. I have been netting fish out of the external overflow twice a week. Usually it's a tiny clown fish, or a clown goby. Snails also find their way in, but are able to make it back into the tank. I custom made some PVC strainers for all three standpipes. So I am not really worried about anything clogging them or making its way to the sump. It is just annoying having to constantly remove small fish that hopped over.

The holes are centered 4 1/2" from the top of the tank and centered 8" from each other. I kinda wish I had them 1 inch lower so I could run a lower operating level.

Here is a video of the external overflow.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eyJK6BTugBM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Nate32185 said:
The tank has been up and running with livestock for a little over a month now. I have been netting fish out of the external overflow twice a week. Usually it's a tiny clown fish, or a clown goby. Snails also find their way in, but are able to make it back into the tank. I custom made some PVC strainers for all three standpipes. So I am not really worried about anything clogging them or making its way to the sump. It is just annoying having to constantly remove small fish that hopped over.

The holes are centered 4 1/2" from the top of the tank and centered 8" from each other. I kinda wish I had them 1 inch lower so I could run a lower operating level.
Click to expand...

I really like your set up and i want to do something like it on my new tank. Do you think that if the acrylic put on your coast to coast was notched to make strainers, it might help with the critters getting over the top?
 
BLOODMAN said:
I really like your set up and i want to do something like it on my new tank. Do you think that if the acrylic put on your coast to coast was notched to make strainers, it might help with the critters getting over the top?
Click to expand...

Yeah, actually the black acrylic piece was put on with silicone and is coming off. I was thinking about notching out teeth in a new taller piece and glueing it on with Mr Sticky's underwater glue. Also thought about making a couple strips with teeth that can be removed for cleaning. My only concern with adding teeth to the coast to coast is that it will reduce the effectiveness of surface skimming.
 
Adding teeth will help increase the amount of particulate matter from the water column into your overflow as well as surface oils. That's why they were added to overflows so many years ago.

Dave.M
 
Hi Nate, Custom Aquarium is offer Cellular Support Pad for $80 do you aware of this product? Also their Ultra Clarity = Starphire glass?
 
Oh crap! I have been so busy this summer, I haven't had much time to do updates.

dave.m said:
Adding teeth will help increase the amount of particulate matter from the water column into your overflow as well as surface oils. That's why they were added to overflows so many years ago.

Dave.M
Click to expand...

How does adding teeth increase the overflows skimming capacity? I was planning on making some sort of teeth for the overflow. Netting fish out of the overflow gets old fast. However, its been 2 weeks now since I have found a fish in there (knock on wood).


El Camaron said:
Very nice Nate! now add some candy pictures to the thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks man! Working on it. I tore the internal overflow's cover off to reattach it better. Just waiting on the glue. I don't have any pictures of it when it was up and it looks terrible with it off.

lionfish300 said:
Hi Nate, Custom Aquarium is offer Cellular Support Pad for $80 do you aware of this product? Also their Ultra Clarity = Starphire glass?
Click to expand...

Yes, I purchased the cellular pad. It worked out great. I think that starphire is a brand name. Yes, Custom Aquarium's ultra clear glass is suppose to be comparable. I haven't seen any other starphire tanks so I can't really say how comparable they are. I can say that the difference between the standard glass on the back wall and the starphire panels is significant enough for the extra $.

goreefers said:
Hey Nate- any update... on this
Click to expand...

Yeah I have tons of undocumented updates. Just picked up 3 55 gallon food safe drums for my new saltwater mixing station. They had canola oil in them and I am not too sure how I am going to clean them.

 
Last edited:
Nate32185 said:
How does adding teeth increase the overflows skimming capacity?
Click to expand...
Biological processes within the tank exude an oily protenaceous film that floats on the surface of the water. This greatly cuts down on the amount of oxygen exchange at the surface and also cuts down on light penetration into the tank. A straight edged overflow is most efficient at pulling this oily layer off the surface. However, there is also a lot of particulate matter floating in the water. A straight-edged overflow pulls little of this matter out. Adding teeth to the weir works differently from the straight edged overflow. The teeth create turbulence at the surface which breaks up the oily layer for extraction, not quite as well as the straight edge, but also draws the particulate matter down to be filtered by the socks in your sump.

Dave.M
 
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