The Journey - 300+ Gallon System Build - Picture Heavy
- Thread starter bpcardona
- Start date
bpcardona
Trying to hard
Thanks everyone for stroking my ego a bit. I guess everyone needs that from time to time. The charger is there because my phone was going dead, and I needed to take pictures for you guys. The manifold will run a frag tank, the protien skimmer, reactors, and a denitrifier. It will be a bit tricky to plumb at first but once done it won't be hard at all. It is just an arm reach behind the sump. I plan on labeling the line and marking the sweet spots. This way I can fine tune when needed, and am not just willy nilly the turns. I will continue the update once I get home.
Again thanks for letting me know you are watching. Knowing that someone is watching your every move make you pay close attention to what you are doing. Makes you not cut corners, and for that I am grateful.
Again thanks for letting me know you are watching. Knowing that someone is watching your every move make you pay close attention to what you are doing. Makes you not cut corners, and for that I am grateful.
bpcardona
Trying to hard
The plumbing issue
The plumbing issue
So her comes the issue that I had:
I spent the time to dry plumb everything and insure all fit well. As I said I saved the glueing of the pump side for last. Well as I was screwing the true union ball vale (just before the pump) I hear, "POP!!!!". Directly below my 2" bulkhead a crack! No I didn't take a picture, and I don't want to hear about it. There were a lot of words coming from my mouth and none of them consisted of "Get my phone." So what am I to do? I did what any reasonable man with a tube of silicone would do. I pilled it on thick on both sides and let it dry. The results are shown below. (Once I calmed down I got the phone)
The plumbing issue
So her comes the issue that I had:
I spent the time to dry plumb everything and insure all fit well. As I said I saved the glueing of the pump side for last. Well as I was screwing the true union ball vale (just before the pump) I hear, "POP!!!!". Directly below my 2" bulkhead a crack! No I didn't take a picture, and I don't want to hear about it. There were a lot of words coming from my mouth and none of them consisted of "Get my phone." So what am I to do? I did what any reasonable man with a tube of silicone would do. I pilled it on thick on both sides and let it dry. The results are shown below. (Once I calmed down I got the phone)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550868082/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8550868082_1b6289a4a1_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550868778/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8550868778_a1145f3dc3_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550869540/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8550869540_f842901b2c_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550868778/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8550868778_a1145f3dc3_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550869540/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8235/8550869540_f842901b2c_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
owenspackman
New member
Oh no. Am I seeing that right, it cracked the glass? Wow, If so, im sorry to hear that. How thick is the glass?
owenspackman
New member
The cracks on the sump right? Not on the tank?
bpcardona
Trying to hard
Right this is in the sump. My saving graces is that it cracked on the bottom of the hole, and it cracked down. This means it cracked all the way down to the bottom of the glass and will not travel.
owenspackman
New member
i had exactly the same thing happen in my acrylic sump. Did the crack travel all the way through. can you drain that portion of the sump as much you can and get the silicone inside also? I did the same as you, siliconed the crack (inside and out even though it hadn't made it all the way through) then all around the edge of the bulkhead (inside and out).
I had the smallest leak that sealed up after 24-48 hours of the tank running with saltwater.
I had the smallest leak that sealed up after 24-48 hours of the tank running with saltwater.
bpcardona
Trying to hard
This all occurred during my leak test. I drained the sump, and sealed the #*@& out if the crack. I have ran it for 48 hours without problems. So I guess we will see.
owenspackman
New member
Hopefully you'll be fine like my old sump. I just don't know how glass cracks and acrylic cracks differ over time.
bpcardona
Trying to hard
Okay so I am still behind in my post so let me try to catch up:
The next step was to fill it with water and leak test. Well this sort of went well. That is if you consider that I only had two small leak that were easly fixed going well. However this test provided me with a new and big challenge.
So I was watching the overflows fill along with the rest of the tank, and for some reason this didn't strike me as being a problem until I was 3/4 full! It is hard to be an "overflow" when the water does flow over! I quickly realized my issue. The previous owner of the tank thought it would be a great idea to drill the bottom of the overflows, for what reason I don't know. He place a bulk head in each of the hole, which if this were a single walled overflow might prevent water from entering. However it is not single walled. This tank is a 210g AGA with dual mega flow overflow box. Water was rushing in and filling the overflows at the equal rate as the tank. Problem!
Solution! I thought if I remove the bulkheads, and fill them with something then no more problem. But what do I use? Well I decided on a expanding foam used for ponds. This was about $15 at Home Depot. This solved the problem perfectly! However if any one needs to use this stuff I have some suggestion:
1.When the back of the can says wear glove, wear the GD gloves!
2. The suggestion that is not on the back of the can! Wear a GD hat! Why wear a hat you ask? Well if you thought it was hard getting off your finger, try getting it out of your hair! I leaned over to check the coverage, and I got it right down the middle. I had to cut it out!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550872356/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8550872356_91cba8122d_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8549773935/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8549773935_4100ed9f67_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8549775045/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8549775045_5be4fdc1a1_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
The next step was to fill it with water and leak test. Well this sort of went well. That is if you consider that I only had two small leak that were easly fixed going well. However this test provided me with a new and big challenge.
So I was watching the overflows fill along with the rest of the tank, and for some reason this didn't strike me as being a problem until I was 3/4 full! It is hard to be an "overflow" when the water does flow over! I quickly realized my issue. The previous owner of the tank thought it would be a great idea to drill the bottom of the overflows, for what reason I don't know. He place a bulk head in each of the hole, which if this were a single walled overflow might prevent water from entering. However it is not single walled. This tank is a 210g AGA with dual mega flow overflow box. Water was rushing in and filling the overflows at the equal rate as the tank. Problem!
Solution! I thought if I remove the bulkheads, and fill them with something then no more problem. But what do I use? Well I decided on a expanding foam used for ponds. This was about $15 at Home Depot. This solved the problem perfectly! However if any one needs to use this stuff I have some suggestion:
1.When the back of the can says wear glove, wear the GD gloves!
2. The suggestion that is not on the back of the can! Wear a GD hat! Why wear a hat you ask? Well if you thought it was hard getting off your finger, try getting it out of your hair! I leaned over to check the coverage, and I got it right down the middle. I had to cut it out!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8550872356/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8550872356_91cba8122d_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8549773935/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8549773935_4100ed9f67_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8549775045/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8549775045_5be4fdc1a1_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
bmullikin1
New member
Ya that stuff doesnt come off the skin easy, even w mineral spirits. Nice build.
bpcardona
Trying to hard
Okay so on to the next headache:
So with the hole filled and the overflow working properly one would think this plumbing was done. Wrong! So the next issue I had was that the right overflow was filling faster then the right. Well my first thought was I must have been un level. I checked it, and it look like I could make some improvement. I planned to shim between the tank and the stand. I did and filled it again. Nope....still filling faster. I borrowed a friends high quality level, and thought I could do a little better. Shim, shim, shim. Fill it up. Nope! @&*%$@"^!
Okay so I went and thought about this. I figure that my biggest problem was not that I was un level. I was thinking about this backwards. it wasnt that my right overflow was filling faster. My problem was that the right overflow couldn't drain fast enough. To test this out I dialed the pump back until the the overflow box could handle it. I then dailed the left overflow in. And it worked.
My problem, I have now dailed my 2600gph pump back to near nothing. My solution is a risky one but its what I am going to do. I have decided to use three of my four pipes as full siphon returns, and only have one emergency. I know I am going to get ripped apart for this, but my turn over rate with this method is wonderful. I will use a apex with a water level sensor in case of emergency. The sensor will let me turn off the pumps in case of a full clog.
I am almost caught up, a few more updates to come.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8552950729/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8552950729_2d80c18241_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8552949993/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8552949993_afde47b8e2_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8554050406/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8554050406_0423706168_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8554053558/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8554053558_125c142598_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
So with the hole filled and the overflow working properly one would think this plumbing was done. Wrong! So the next issue I had was that the right overflow was filling faster then the right. Well my first thought was I must have been un level. I checked it, and it look like I could make some improvement. I planned to shim between the tank and the stand. I did and filled it again. Nope....still filling faster. I borrowed a friends high quality level, and thought I could do a little better. Shim, shim, shim. Fill it up. Nope! @&*%$@"^!
Okay so I went and thought about this. I figure that my biggest problem was not that I was un level. I was thinking about this backwards. it wasnt that my right overflow was filling faster. My problem was that the right overflow couldn't drain fast enough. To test this out I dialed the pump back until the the overflow box could handle it. I then dailed the left overflow in. And it worked.
My problem, I have now dailed my 2600gph pump back to near nothing. My solution is a risky one but its what I am going to do. I have decided to use three of my four pipes as full siphon returns, and only have one emergency. I know I am going to get ripped apart for this, but my turn over rate with this method is wonderful. I will use a apex with a water level sensor in case of emergency. The sensor will let me turn off the pumps in case of a full clog.
I am almost caught up, a few more updates to come.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8552950729/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8552950729_2d80c18241_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8552949993/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8552949993_afde47b8e2_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8554050406/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8554050406_0423706168_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/8554053558/" title="Untitled by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8248/8554053558_125c142598_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Untitled"></a>
