Tank Journal Archive

[slin1977]

That will be great. now i can see you didn't realy go with a closed loop. just using the return as flow. i can see that causing some issues as the drains will be extremely noisy due to the amount of flow going through it.
i have a feeling you will need more flow then that. im guessing it looks like a 7500lph return. t'd off 3 times once you account for the loss of head due to height and diameter of the pipes it will be less then you thing. (but you could prove me wrong) any reason you didn't go with a closed loop?

Hi matt,

Yes you are right, its not a closed loop. I cannot comment on the noise yet as I have not tested it out.
For the return I have chosen a Sicce Syncra 2.0 pump, looking at the flow curve chart it says at 1.5 meters head I will get 1000 liters per hour and at .5 meters head I should get 1800 liters per hour.
The tee that you see in the picture is incomplete... That tee gets a ball valve put on it and is used for water changes.

 

[slin1977]

:bulge - hope it works for you.

Are you planning on an ATO to make up for any evaporation losses? The baffle in the return section doesn't look very high?

Yes, in the last return baffle, where the pump sits, there is a float ATO

 

[MTG]

will be very interesting to see how this weir works out for you. :rolleyes

 

[MagicJ]

That wouldnt be ideal if it drained all the way down to those outlets. could you use dual non return valves for redundancy?

Matt, I am not sure that using two valves would add a great deal of comfort. The problem is that the valves will have sponges, tunicates etc growing inside - they also appear to be somewhat translucent which will encourgae algae etc. These growths have the capacity to stop the valve working correctly - if it happens to one it is just as likely to happen to both. Would probably be better than one but I am not sure two is adding a great deal of redundancy.

Cozer has actually got a similar setup to yours - perhaps ask for his experience.

The tee that you see in the picture is incomplete... That tee gets a ball valve put on it and is used for water changes.

Is this tee to pump water out? I could be wrong, but by the look of your setup you will not be able to do much of a water change from this tee - only the water above the overflow wier in the DT will be available to pump out as there is no other way for the water to get into the sump.

Don't mean to be too negative mate :) - just trying to help where possible as it is easier to change things now rather than after the tank is full of corals and fish.

 

[MTG]

For water changes it would be more suitable to have another hole drilled in the bottom of the tank with a ball valve on it so you can drain it right down if need be. (obviously with a cover over the pipe to stop fish going down it and substrate etc)

the way its setup now will work aslong as you are pumping water into the display as it is draining out

 

[MagicJ]

For water changes it would be more suitable to have another hole drilled in the bottom of the tank with a ball valve on it so you can drain it right down if need be. (obviously with a cover over the pipe to stop fish going down it and substrate etc)

Or maybe a few inches down from the top of the tank - always hesitant about drilling too many holes in the bottom of the tank :rolleyes:

the way its setup now will work aslong as you are pumping water into the display as it is draining out

Agree, but you will be also be removing some of the new water (as it mixes with the existing DT water) thus mitigating the benefit of the water change :)

 

[slin1977]

Hey MajicJ

Yes most of this concept is a Cozer design, I have always admired his tanks.
Actually Cozer played a big part in designing this tank and this sump.

 

[slin1977]

For water changes it would be more suitable to have another hole drilled in the bottom of the tank with a ball valve on it so you can drain it right down if need be. (obviously with a cover over the pipe to stop fish going down it and substrate etc)

the way its setup now will work aslong as you are pumping water into the display as it is draining out

Hey Matt,

I have tested the tank with water and to drain it I let it drain through the flow accelerators, I then unscrewed one of the accelerators to get the rest of the water out....

 

[MagicJ]

No problems - can't argue with a setup like Cozer's :)

 

[MTG]

Hey Matt,

I have tested the tank with water and to drain it I let it drain through the flow accelerators, I then unscrewed one of the accelerators to get the rest of the water out....

so are you going to do that every time you want to do a waterchange? sounds a little tedious.

 

[slin1977]

No problems - can't argue with a setup like Cozer's :)

I was never taking a negative bashing from you..;)

 

[MagicJ]

Hey Matt,

I have tested the tank with water and to drain it I let it drain through the flow accelerators, I then unscrewed one of the accelerators to get the rest of the water out....

Now I understand :content The tee for the drain is above the non-return valve so you are not pumping water out for the water change but using a gravity feed from the accelerators.

I must admit though, I like to use my water changes to siphon any detrius from the rocks/sand.

 

[slin1977]

Ok so I thought I would add an update about my rocks.
I have decided to use baserock for this system after washing the rocks in RODI water for a week,
I then decided to give them an extra clean in a solution of Muratic Acid . I made a solution of 10 to 1 rodi water to acid and let the rocks froth for 5mins, This will certainly get rid of unwanted phosphates...

 

[Jonny Glover]

Very nice and neat. Good job but i have to agree with magic on some things

 

[slin1977]

Cheers Jonny Glover,

Here is how I plan to hold the formation together,

 

[MTG]

interesting i havent seen that before nils, does it make a form of putty?

 

[slin1977]

Matt,
it looks like plaster of paris and meant to be the ducks guts....

 

[MTG]

seems like you dont need to much of it either. a tub like that would make alot of paste. expensive? :drool

 

[Jonny Glover]

looks guiwy ;P

 

[slin1977]

Cost me a pineapple, three stick of aquaknead are going back, lol