Sump done, plumbing done... check it out!

[ZURCSREEF]

Well, started putting together my frag system this weekend. Manny from Marine Design Systems ( www.MarineDesignSystems.com ) got around to finishing my sump yesterday, so I thought I'd go out and get it all plumbed. Pictures below show the setup...

All I have to do now is get the lighting and setup the aqua controller, fill with water and viola! Right?

Check it out:

I requested this be done by Manny, its a nice little rack that holds returns for the; chiller, kalk mixer, calcium reactor, auto top off and phosban reactor.

Enjoy!

If you have any comments, suggestions, critique, please let me know, I am open ears!

-Mike C.

 

[smchais]

Looks great. I can't wait to see it up and running.

 

[gasman059]

excellent work and craftmanship!
well done.

 

[Lifes A Beach]

Nice looking! What sizes are the tank and the sump?

 

[scubasteve247]

how did you have the bottoms drilled??????

 

[Kewlworm]

Maybe it's just me, since the it's drain from the bottom...what happen if the pump failed?

 

[creepin]

nothing really because of the overflow i guess its kinda hard to see the divider...

 

[creepin]

hey mike...is that little mag pump FS??

 

[ZURCSREEF]

smchais, gasman059, Lifes A Beach - Thanks!

Lifes A Beach: The two tanks are 30g Breeders, the sump is 36x18x18 (50g).

scubasteve247: Manny from Marine Design Systems drilled the holes for the drains on each of the 30g breeder.

Kewlworm: Nothing will happen, because of the over flow, only maybe about 5-7g will make it back into the sump if that.

creepin: after I do a water test and see how everything is working, I will let you know. Took me forever to get one and I plumbed it differently. lol.

Thanks,
-Mike C.

 

[djfrankie]

Pretty sweet!

The only thing I would change is the connection from the pump to pvc would be a small (12") vinyl hose to eliminate all the resonance from the pump's vibration from being carried all over the pvc piping. If noise is not an issue, then no worries.

djfrankie

 

[scubasteve247]

isnt the bottom of the 30g breeders tempered???? thats why i asked how you had them drilled

 

[ZURCSREEF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12474323#post12474323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by djfrankie
Pretty sweet!

The only thing I would change is the connection from the pump to pvc would be a small (12") vinyl hose to eliminate all the resonance from the pump's vibration from being carried all over the pvc piping. If noise is not an issue, then no worries.

djfrankie

I used 7 minute epoxy to get that attachment onto the pump, it has the barb going up the pvc adapter, if noise become an issue, I will change it out once I am able to do a water test. The pump return threading wouldn't accept any standard PVC sizes as its in MM. But time will tell

Thanks,
-Mike C.

 

[ZURCSREEF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12474432#post12474432 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scubasteve247
isnt the bottom of the 30g breeders tempered???? thats why i asked how you had them drilled

No, they are not, I got these from Big Al's and read everything to make sure they weren't.

-Mike C.

 

[scbauer]

Re: Sump done, plumbing done... check it out!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12472012#post12472012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ZURCSREEF

I was wondering what would happen if the pump stopped working, too, but if you look closely, it looks like there is a baffle in both tanks so the water level is constant up near the top.

-Scott

 

[macawmagic]

i would get powerheads for each tank so that if for some reason the pump stopped working there would still be flow in the tanks. I had a frag tank setup once without a powerhead and the sump went dry and everything died from no flow. ( i was on vacation for a week). other than that I would say it looks awesome!!! wish i had the room for more frag tanks!

 

[ZURCSREEF]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12474775#post12474775 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macawmagic
i would get powerheads for each tank so that if for some reason the pump stopped working there would still be flow in the tanks. I had a frag tank setup once without a powerhead and the sump went dry and everything died from no flow. ( i was on vacation for a week). other than that I would say it looks awesome!!! wish i had the room for more frag tanks!

Definitely going to be doing that, trying to choose between Koralia's or tunze streams... I might also go with a closed loop, but thats a different story for another day

Thanks for the comments,
-Mike C.

 

[Kewlworm]

O, ok...I missed that pic. coo.

 

[compulou]

Looks sweet!!!

One thing I'd like to add if I may, why don't you stick a piece of PVC on the bulkhead drains and then the strainer on top of that piece so when the pump does stop for whatever reason it will drain a LOT LESS water. Here's a pic of mine, I even circled the portion I'm speaking of.

Now when I have to turn of my frag tank pump like I said A LOT LESS water will drain from that section. Without that piece of PVC my frag tank will drain like 20 gallons instead of just 5.

 

[ZURCSREEF]

Thats something I am definitely going to do compulou, I was contemplating it and was hoping someone would chime in about that.

Thanks,
-Mike C.

 

[creepin]

i have a question...isnt the system gonna only remove as mush water as its pumped in?

if that section isnt allowed to fill up, because the drian is on the bottom, its only gonna drain the remaining amount that in the tube and maybe a couple of gallons....

i thought that tube was there just incase a fish/invert fell over he wouldnt be sucked in...