Need help with adding to 180g

[worm5406]

OK... I am in a quandary over something.
I have a NEW 180g with 40g sump. Running good already cycled all all the good stuff. It was a replacement/new build for my 120.

Everything has been moved to the new 180 and it is kicking butt.
I am VERY happy over it.

Here is a pretty good (but not the best) FTS.

My puzzle is:

My old 120g. Yeah yeah.. most would sell it or what ever with it.

I am thinking of making it go in with my new 180.

The 180 is on top and the 40g sump is below. I do not have room to add anything else down below.

SO... I want to take the 120g and place it off to the left of the tank so you can see three sides. It is NOT bottom drilled and I have not looked into if I can or not.

IDK if you would call this a remote sump / build out tank / frag tank. Yeah I know I moved my lights to the 180g so I would need to get new lights.

I have the room, that is not an issue. I am wondering about plumbing it or whatever. I just spent an hour talking this over with a person that helped me build a lot of it already. (In my worm 180g build out thread he appears often.) We talked about making it a three sided tank and the pros and cons. Including what to do with a sump or what ever.

IDEAS? Thoughts? Opinions? Money IS an option, so I can not blow this out of proportion and might have to do it slow. Heck I still have to finish the rest of the room this is in and put up a bunch of Drywall and paint still. hahaha.

I just got a HUGE bug for zoa's, too, btw.

 

[worm5406]

OK.. I plan on taking the old 120 and plumbing it to a custom sump under the tank.

I will have to make it, custom, as the most I could get below it would be a 20, with standard sizes. I will take the two sumps and connect them with a slow flow (like maybe 500/hr flow (one both ways) (REALLY NEED SOME IDEAS ON SIZE OF PUMP AND GPM) then the two tanks would be connected via flow.

I can leave the skimmer on the 40g sump. It is MORE than powerfull to handle it (right??) RO DDNW250 Dual 10" recirculating.

• Manufacturer rates skimmer for tanks up to 350 gallons
• BRS Recommends this skimmer for tanks up to 310 gallons
• Powered by 2 OTP 3000 pumps at 750GPH each
• High performance venturi air injection system

Total volume without LR/SAND would be 340. With LR it would be about 250 (???)

The new tank I can make a frag out tank.

Make custom build stair step open core light grid with LR on it to allow frags to grow on, or would it be best to use frag disc's?? With maybe LR below the open grid with PH on both sides to circulate the flow.

Hummm

Ideas... I am looking for some.

 

[worm5406]

In looking at the ML120 documentation, none of the glass is tempered.

Yes... so I can move forward.

I'll either have to make a overflow chamber or make one of those old timey overflows. The ones with the straight pipe up and the tines around the pipe. What are those called anyway?

 

[worm5406]

I have been reading up on some other threads. I was looking at maybe a BeanAnimal overflow with the three pipes. As long as I can safely drill the tank.

Anyone know if they work in a corner drilled tank instead of a wide overflow?

I was thinking about maybe doing three holes in the two corners closest to the wall. That way it can be hidden still.

This weekend I am finishing the drywall and making the room presentable.

Ahh... I feel that I am getting closer and closer each day. (Now just put a door on the room with a lock and I can stay in there for hours.)

 

[worm5406]

Here is a ROUGH layout as it stands.

The stairs are going toward the bottom of the pic, so the tank would sit below them.

So making the tank there is not a problem I have elec and clear spot above it to hang the lights. I have an open gap between the wall and the left hand side of sump to pipe and hide the pipe inside the wall.

 

[danfeig]

So I was checking things out and have a quick question. I wasn't able to watch all of the videos you posted on your 180 gallon build, so my question might be answered...

Is your sump big enough to handle the flow from your tank if your electricity goes out?

The thought that I had for your 120, was possibly building a bigger sump (your cabinet looks big enough) that could service both tanks.

 

[worm5406]

So I was checking things out and have a quick question. I wasn't able to watch all of the videos you posted on your 180 gallon build, so my question might be answered...

Is your sump big enough to handle the flow from your tank if your electricity goes out?

The thought that I had for your 120, was possibly building a bigger sump (your cabinet looks big enough) that could service both tanks.

Yes it can handle it with no problems. I have actually tested it a few times to level out my ATO.

You mean make the 120 the sump? A Display Sump?

The cabinet is off sized in the center bracing.

I will have to make a custom sump for it, depending on how I go forward.

 

[danfeig]

I am talking about turning both tanks into a closed loop system that dumps into and returns out of your sump.

 

[worm5406]

Yes but the problem is the 180 only has a 40g sump. In thinking, I do not believe enough for both the 120 and the 180.

If I can take the stand below the 120.

In this picture of my old 120 during it's initial fill and cycle, wow that was a long time ago, you can see the fx5 I had below it.

The fx5 had no room behind it or in front of it. The door closed and if there was anything in front of it, it would then not close....

BUT

I could make a new stand... DAMN... I... Well.. I just made the one for the 180... I can make the stand a tad wider to support a sump and tie the two sumps together (OF COURSE AFTER THE NEW TANK HAS CYCLED)

Hummm why am I thinking packaged deal and just dealing with what I have.

OK then...

Sumps...

Tie them together with two transfer pumps. Leave the skimmer on the 180 side.

 

[worm5406]

I am talking about turning both tanks into a closed loop system that dumps into and returns out of your sump.

Well a closed loop never touches the sump.. but I know what you mean...

IDK that I need that type of flow... I can get away with PH's. I do not mind them and I try to hide them anyway. Have not tried yet with the 180.

 

[worm5406]

I was talking to a friend over the weekend and I brought up the subject of adding the 120 to the overall load of the existing 180+sump.

Yeah I know if I have a problem with one that it will manifest to the other one also.

I also know that the larger volume of water helps keep things in check better by not having large swings.

If I take the 120 make a new stand that can house it's own sump, how much benefit would you say putting a 200/300 gph (or smaller) to flow the sumps together and let mix. (Yeah I would need two, one to go each way.)

Lets say I had all zoa's in the second one, maybe.

 

[worm5406]

OK

BUMP BUT...

I have decided to take the OLD 120 and defiantly move it to beside the 180.

I will make a custom sump (prob a 40 breeder)

I want to tie the two together...

Should I tie them at the exit of the sump or tie them some where else?

I have an existing 40 breeder as the 180 sump. which houses the skimmer, too.

Maybe I should tie the NEW sump discharge into the start of the existing sump so that it can get hit by the skimmer...

Hummm... so If I have 2 40 gal sumps... and a 120dt and a 180 dt... tie the sumps together... I guess the sum of my cross flow should be 3/4 the average of the flow into each sump....

??

HUH??

Ideas??

Or am I talking in circles?