new tank and flow question

geoxman

geoxman

Premium Member
I am getting a new tank. It will be exactly like my old one 36x36x11 all black except this one will have a 30x1/4 inch rourtered in the rear, with an external overflow. This will eliminate those annoying strainers that I have on there now. With the overflow only being 1/4 inch deep I am hoping that it will rise just to the top outer shelf that surrounds the top of the tank and I wont have that annoying 1&1/2 inch unused tank, which is usually covered by someones canopy on a see through tank.

The other delima is how to drill the tank with the least visible return spouts. I do not want any power heads in the tank and I do not want to see any locline coming from the sides of the tank. Basically nothing man made visible in the tank

Any ideas would be great. I am debating in drilling the bottom and trying to hide the returns in the rock work. I would like to run about 2000gph through about 4-5 different returns. Would that work?
TIA
 
that is what I was thinking. I need the flow but I cant have surface agitation since it is my only viewable side so I guess 6 different return lines hidden in the rocks. Is there black PVC or is there a paint that is suitable to keep in the aquarium that will stick to PVC?
 
That how I did mine, thru the bottom. I have 5 3/4 loc-lines with a ampmaster 3600 and it works well. Fairly easy to disguise the returns.

Robbie
 
I'd call US Plastics about black PVC. They'd have it if it's out there. I heard they have clear pvc.

Otherwise you can use Krylon Fusion paint I believe.
 
Didnt trottman do some experiment with a milk jug and some sort of paint? I will search the fusion paint here on RC.

Robbie do you have a pic of your plumbing coming from the pump and underneath the tank?
PL
 
No, the only pics I have are in my gallery. I was just thinking though, mine are a closed loop. that could make a difference if your's wont be. The tank can drain pretty quickly!
 
You can use Krylon Fusion or just use regular purple PVC primer. It will look like coraline.

You might want to go just a bit deeper than 1/4" on you weir. 2000/60 = 33.33 gpm. A weir requires 8.27 GPM/foot for 1/4" depth of water.
2.5 X 8.27=20.675 X 60 = 1241 GPH.
 
the top piece/shelf above the tank is 3/4 black acrylic and the idea is to fill up to the middle of it. So It should be just about be there if I did the calculations right. Did I???
 
If I'm reading your first post right, you're going to have a weir routered into the rear 1/4" by 30" for overflow? If so, it will flow 1241 GPH. Anymore and you'll start running over the entire perimeter (assuming it's gnatsass level).

Or am I misunderstanding you?
 
Above the top of the tank, on top, of the routered piece is a lip/shelf that 3/4 inch. The idea is to get it as close to the top as possible. So the routered piece is 3/4 inch under the top of my lip, which I want to get as close too as possible. I can dial down the pump if need be or go with a smaller pump. Did I figure wrong?
 
sounds like a really cool tank, but you're going to have flood city if you lose power or turn off your pumps because its not like you'll be able to have siphon breaks in those return lines

you should put ball valves under the tank on those lines so you can shut them off for times when you turn the return pump off
 
OK, now I'm confused. Is the weir 3/4" deep and the entire length of the tank? If so,you're golden.

If not, can you draw a picture or something (or wait until my wife gets home with a bottle of wine to lubricate my thinking processes)?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9202000#post9202000 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
sounds like a really cool tank, but you're going to have flood city if you lose power or turn off your pumps because its not like you'll be able to have siphon breaks in those return lines

you should put ball valves under the tank on those lines so you can shut them off for times when you turn the return pump off
Click to expand...

No, it will be a closed loop so you don't have to worry about it draining or breaking siphon.

The ball valve on the return side is a must or you'll have to drain your tank to service the pump.
 
It will be closed loop. The weir is 1/4 and it is under a 3/4 lip that I am trying to get the water as close to the top as possible.

Top of the tank outer shelf here 1 inch beneath the bottom weir
--------------------------outer shelf euro brace
________________ top of the tank
[____________]weir

The idea is to get the water as close to the edge a possible without going over. I figured the extra 3/4 inch above the top of the weir would suffice. That is the best pic I could do.
So the top of the tank will be exactly 1 inch above the bottom of the weir. Make sense yet? Or did still figure wrong.
 
ok, so its a closed loop, only instead of drilling the back of the tank you drill the bottom..........got it

ok, I was thinking that these were the returns from the sump
 
So the weir is 1/4" X 30"? if so, you'll only be able to flow 1241GPH. If you go 3/8, you'll be a lot closer to your 2000GPH (around 1800ish GPH).
 
I want to semi over flow the tank so it will reach the top of the shelf above the top of the tank.
I was using all of these different formulations to try and get the exact flowGPH correct.
I need to make this tank overflow the top of the tank to an extent. Just not more than 3/4 of an inch above the rim of the tank.
I am afraid if I go deeper than 1/4 to 3/8 or 1/2 it will not reach the top outer euro bracing and I will still have an annoying part of the tank that is not filled with water.
I need to make this tank overflow too much water about 1/2 above the top of the tank--not the outer shelf that will surround the top of the tank.

Make any sense??
 
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