rjwilson37
New member
How about some new pictures, how are things going?
Sinistard's 68.8 Acrylic Tank Journal [Photo Intense]
- Thread starter Sinistard
- Start date
Sinistard
New member
LOL, I have not had a lot of time to work on my tank but am still chugging along.
Thanks for the complements and the link to the top off system I may go with something like that. I don't have any room for a container to hold top off water under my tank.
I will try to get some pictures of my "progress" all though there is not much. I am tweaking my overflow and sump still.
Oh and I did get my second MH light from www.nanocustoms.com so now I have 2 250 aqua medic lights and just need to build my hood.
Thanks again
Lunchbucket
Premium Member
yeah we want pics 
Lunchbucket
Lunchbucket
Sinistard
New member
Well no real progress over the last couple weeks due to my reluctance to set up the tank and have something not work the way it should or having it be to loud for my living room. I want to get it compleatly right before I stick salt water and LR in the tank.
I have been trying to get my overflow set up using the tuned method and I was able to get rid of the bubbles and water noise but if I had a pump failure my sump would overflow due to drain back, which was more drain back then I got with my stand pipe. I just think my sump is not big enough to do what I want.
My other problem is noise from my pumps. Unfortunately both the pan world and the Iwaki are just to loud for my taste. The Iwaki vibrates my sump and the pan world has a fan that sounds like a jet engine. With my limited space under my tank and existing plumbing I just don't have anyway to quiet them. Iwish I had done a little more research before getting these pumps. From what I have seen they are both awesome pumps but not known for being quiet.
I think I have come up with a solution to my problems both the pump noise and micro bubbles/sump overflow problem. My plan now is to plumb my sump and probably fuge into my basement.
I plan to use the Panworld 200ps as a return pump and to get a sequence dart to use as my closed loop pump. I am not sure If I want to stick both the fuge and sump in the basement freeing up space under the tank or I could keep the fuge under the tank and use the trigger systems fuge I got the the raffle as a "show" fuge. I will probably keep the dart in the in the cabinet since from what I have read it is a very quiet pump and it would be much easier to plumb.
I will be able to use a much bigger sump this way and will not have to worry about overflowing. I was planning on some type of Rubbermaid sump and like I said the trigger systems tank as my fuge. I will also have much more flexibility as far as equipment that can be added this way since I will not be limited to the space under my tank.
I would appreciate any suggestion on making this idea work as far as type of sump, changes in pumps, or configuration. Also if anyone had ideas on how to make a hole in the wall not look completely ghetto I would love to hear it, pictures would be great.
Like I said any input would be greatly appreciated, I don't want to make any more mistakes that will cause more delays of unsightly holes in my wall.
I have been trying to get my overflow set up using the tuned method and I was able to get rid of the bubbles and water noise but if I had a pump failure my sump would overflow due to drain back, which was more drain back then I got with my stand pipe. I just think my sump is not big enough to do what I want.
My other problem is noise from my pumps. Unfortunately both the pan world and the Iwaki are just to loud for my taste. The Iwaki vibrates my sump and the pan world has a fan that sounds like a jet engine. With my limited space under my tank and existing plumbing I just don't have anyway to quiet them. Iwish I had done a little more research before getting these pumps. From what I have seen they are both awesome pumps but not known for being quiet.
I think I have come up with a solution to my problems both the pump noise and micro bubbles/sump overflow problem. My plan now is to plumb my sump and probably fuge into my basement.
I plan to use the Panworld 200ps as a return pump and to get a sequence dart to use as my closed loop pump. I am not sure If I want to stick both the fuge and sump in the basement freeing up space under the tank or I could keep the fuge under the tank and use the trigger systems fuge I got the the raffle as a "show" fuge. I will probably keep the dart in the in the cabinet since from what I have read it is a very quiet pump and it would be much easier to plumb.
I will be able to use a much bigger sump this way and will not have to worry about overflowing. I was planning on some type of Rubbermaid sump and like I said the trigger systems tank as my fuge. I will also have much more flexibility as far as equipment that can be added this way since I will not be limited to the space under my tank.
I would appreciate any suggestion on making this idea work as far as type of sump, changes in pumps, or configuration. Also if anyone had ideas on how to make a hole in the wall not look completely ghetto I would love to hear it, pictures would be great.
Like I said any input would be greatly appreciated, I don't want to make any more mistakes that will cause more delays of unsightly holes in my wall.
rdmpe
New member
Have you been following this thread? He set up a basement fish room. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&goto=lastpost&threadid=729757
I don't have any good advice on going through your wall. Is it an interior wall? I usually just wing it and patch it up with some spakle :lol:
About putting the fuge under the display, how will you feed water to it and then get that water from it back to the tank or down to the sump? I think that might make it a little complicated trying to get all of that balanced.
It seems like you would have to run all of your sump flow through your fuge first or have two separate lines going down to the basement. One would feed from display to fuge then sump, the other from the display all the way to the sump directly. Seems like it would be a lot simpler to have the fuge next to the sump but might not look as cool as having it under the display.
I don't have any good advice on going through your wall. Is it an interior wall? I usually just wing it and patch it up with some spakle :lol:
About putting the fuge under the display, how will you feed water to it and then get that water from it back to the tank or down to the sump? I think that might make it a little complicated trying to get all of that balanced.
It seems like you would have to run all of your sump flow through your fuge first or have two separate lines going down to the basement. One would feed from display to fuge then sump, the other from the display all the way to the sump directly. Seems like it would be a lot simpler to have the fuge next to the sump but might not look as cool as having it under the display.
Sinistard
New member
I had not been following that thread but it's an awesome setup. Unfortunately my house was built in 1913 and there is no way for me to make my fish room look that nice.
I decided to go with your wing it and patch later method. I managed to get a hole in the wall and was lucky to find a hole in the basement that I could use. It's not the prettiest hole in the wall but if I ever move the tank the hole is the right size for a double gang electric box so I can just throw a wall plate over the hole.
I have 3 lines going into the basement for now. One 1 1/2" and two 1" flex PVC lines. The 1 1/2" is for my overflow and one 1" is for my return and the other 1" is for my emergency overflow line for my tuned overflow.
I plan to use the Panworld as my return from the basement from what I have figured with about 15-20 feet of head I will get from 750-1000gph out of it. That's a bit higher then I wanted but I have the pump and if I have a bigger sump/fuge I don't think I will have to worry about micro bubbles due to the high flow.
I think I am just going to stick the fuge in the basement to simplify things. I will probably use the trigger systems fuge and have my overflow split downstairs and basically do the same thing I did under the tank.
I am ordering a sequence dart to use as my closed loop pump and am going to keep it under the tank again for simplicity. From what I have been told (thanks rdmpe) and read the dart is quiet and should not be a problem in my living room. It is a bit more powerful then I wanted but I guess the manufacture says its OK to throttle back using a valve.
If you have any ideas on what I should use as my sump of changes I should make let me know.
I am very happy I decided to go this route. It has got me excited about this project again not having to worry so much about hating the noise I would end up living with with the pumps in my living room. Also having the plumbing get into the basement relatively easy is a big plus
Here are a few pictures of my new holes
Not the prettiest but it will work.
I decided to go with your wing it and patch later method. I managed to get a hole in the wall and was lucky to find a hole in the basement that I could use. It's not the prettiest hole in the wall but if I ever move the tank the hole is the right size for a double gang electric box so I can just throw a wall plate over the hole.
I have 3 lines going into the basement for now. One 1 1/2" and two 1" flex PVC lines. The 1 1/2" is for my overflow and one 1" is for my return and the other 1" is for my emergency overflow line for my tuned overflow.
I plan to use the Panworld as my return from the basement from what I have figured with about 15-20 feet of head I will get from 750-1000gph out of it. That's a bit higher then I wanted but I have the pump and if I have a bigger sump/fuge I don't think I will have to worry about micro bubbles due to the high flow.
I think I am just going to stick the fuge in the basement to simplify things. I will probably use the trigger systems fuge and have my overflow split downstairs and basically do the same thing I did under the tank.
I am ordering a sequence dart to use as my closed loop pump and am going to keep it under the tank again for simplicity. From what I have been told (thanks rdmpe) and read the dart is quiet and should not be a problem in my living room. It is a bit more powerful then I wanted but I guess the manufacture says its OK to throttle back using a valve.
If you have any ideas on what I should use as my sump of changes I should make let me know.
I am very happy I decided to go this route. It has got me excited about this project again not having to worry so much about hating the noise I would end up living with with the pumps in my living room. Also having the plumbing get into the basement relatively easy is a big plus
Here are a few pictures of my new holes
Not the prettiest but it will work.
rdmpe
New member
Too bad we don't have basements very often here in FL. If I had a basement it would be a giant indoor koi pond (would be below groundwater level...)
You could possibly plumb your CL through the floor as well, to futher reduce noise, though I'll be surprised if noise is a big deal with the dart. Remember that there is no static head on your CL pump even if it's in the basement...
You could possibly plumb your CL through the floor as well, to futher reduce noise, though I'll be surprised if noise is a big deal with the dart. Remember that there is no static head on your CL pump even if it's in the basement...
Sinistard
New member
Here is my first picture of the new plumbing. I decided to stick the closed loop pump in the basement as well.
The overflow is not hooked up yet I need to get a couple new parts to make it work.
Looks like dr. octopus got stuck in my wall.
I don't know if the big curves in the flex PVC are ok but it's really the only way it would work. I guess it will slow the pumps down a bit but they were both going to be stronger then I wanted anyways so I hope it will work out.
This is just a dry fit nothing is glued yet.
Oh and my Dart should be here tomorrow, I ordered it from http://www.saltycritter.com/ today and they are only a few hours away so even ground should only take one day.
The overflow is not hooked up yet I need to get a couple new parts to make it work.
Looks like dr. octopus got stuck in my wall.
I don't know if the big curves in the flex PVC are ok but it's really the only way it would work. I guess it will slow the pumps down a bit but they were both going to be stronger then I wanted anyways so I hope it will work out.
This is just a dry fit nothing is glued yet.
Oh and my Dart should be here tomorrow, I ordered it from http://www.saltycritter.com/ today and they are only a few hours away so even ground should only take one day.
::PixelFish::
New member
Wowsa, your tank is already beautiful and you don't even have water in it. Great plumbing and beautiful cabinet!
pnsnowboard
New member
calcium
calcium
what do you do about dosing calcium cus i dont see a calcium reactor
calcium
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6083044#post6083044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjwilson37
You have just an awsome setup with all that plumbing and maybe that is something I will do with the next setup, but I do like to keep it simple. I agree with Lunchbucket and can't wait to see it up and running.
Here is a picture of my sump/refuge with just 1 overflow and 1 return. I do like that you don't have a bunch of power heads in your tanks though, but I tend to overlook mine when there are other nice things to look at in my tank. People at work think my Seio is an underwater camera and think I just may be taking this hobby a little to far.
what do you do about dosing calcium cus i dont see a calcium reactor
Sinistard
New member
Thanks, It does look pretty clean and flowing under my tank now which I like. I really wish I would have done this before, the flex PVC is much more forgiving. I was able to use a lot of my old plumbing so it was fairly easy to finish the under tank plumbing. Next on to the basement..
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6526788#post6526788 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by :ixelFish::
Wowsa, your tank is already beautiful and you don't even have water in it. Great plumbing and beautiful cabinet!
Thank you.
rjwilson37
New member
pnsnowboard: I just dose Kent Liquid Calcium 2 times a week, AragaMilk 2 times a week and drip Kalkwasser about 2 times a week.
Sinistard
New member
Thanks.
The black spaflex is not that bad, 81 cents a foot I think for the 1". Now all the unions and valves on the other hand :eek2:
I have not really done anything in the basement yet, just pulled the PVC through the holes. I have not decided on what to do as a sump yet, any suggestions would be welcome.
I did get the dart today and the rest of the plumbing parts I will need.
Sinistard
New member
I got the closed loop and under tank plumbing all done and glued.
Here is a picture of the closed loop in the basement, pay no attention to the mess around it.
Basically I have the 2 1" drain hoses coming in on the left and combining at the 2" Y fitting and then going to the pump. I added a drain to one of the closed loop lines to do water changes as well as drain the tank if needed. The drain is on the lower left. I just cut it off the old plumbing.
For the return it's just a 1 1/2" pipe leading to a T under the tank and then it's split into 4 returns.
That's it for now, tomorrow I'm going to test the closed loop for leaks. The pump will be pumping up around 5-6 feet.
Here is a picture of the closed loop in the basement, pay no attention to the mess around it.
Basically I have the 2 1" drain hoses coming in on the left and combining at the 2" Y fitting and then going to the pump. I added a drain to one of the closed loop lines to do water changes as well as drain the tank if needed. The drain is on the lower left. I just cut it off the old plumbing.
For the return it's just a 1 1/2" pipe leading to a T under the tank and then it's split into 4 returns.
That's it for now, tomorrow I'm going to test the closed loop for leaks. The pump will be pumping up around 5-6 feet.
