The Build Continues...
Installing the Sump and Return:
By now, I was getting a tad excited. The sump is mounted first which makes a lot of sense. It looks like a smart design, the only concern I have is that as it drains into the first chamber, then overflows into the socks, that debris is going to collect in there instead of the socks. That said, it's going to take all of 2 secs to clean it out every so often so again that’s me picking before I even see it in action.
The skimmer section is larger than I expected and for those wanting to know, is 32x42x26cm which is plenty of space for most skimmers I am aware of, as well as an internal reactor. Just be aware that the filter socks slide out for maintenance so you lose a 23x12cm square in the front right of the skimmer section.
After this it has a simple twin baffle for bubbles and comes fitted with a course sponge as well. I am only planning on running a cryptic section of live rock near the skimmer, but time will tell if/how fast the sponge will block, but it is designed so that it can overflow the last baffle if required.
The return section is 14x42x23cm in size, with a small ATO float in the back corner. It works by blocking the feed line from the reservoir and at first glance I thought it looked a little low, but apparently it can be adjusted according to the manual (not that it tells you how…).
Getting the sump in the cabinet was easy, however a bit fiddly as there is no spare space. It literally fills the bottom of the cabinet from the back to the front, flush with the middle wall. There is maybe 2cm clearance from the hinges side but that is all.
This brings me to one other problem my brother-in-law ran into as he uses a large hang on skimmer on his old tank. There is no space for any external or hang on devices. You could use the right section, but you would need to either modify the internal wall, or plumb out the back and around. This might limit the use of or number of reactors you can use so it is worth noting.
Once the sump is in, the plumbing for the return is put in. I was told in the store that the tank didn’t come with a flexible pipe for the your return pump, but mine did (my brother-in-law's 450 didn’t) so be prepared to get one.
The three stand pipes are all slightly different and can be installed the wrong order so make sure you have the picture facing the right way :) Each one is screwed into the bulkheads and has a toothed fitting to ensure a good lock, but which just made me nervous about how hard to tighten them. Each one extends about 4 inches into the sump section of the cabinet and looks like it will make for easy maintenance.
Each pipe has a different connection for the sump section, two go into the first sump chamber and the first one is for the return pipe.
Up top, there is a second wider pipe to attach to the main over flow that makes the overflow drain from the bottom. The return pipe has an adjustable outlet that screws on and clips into the overflow. The middle and tallest pipe I assume is an emergency overflow.
There is a hard lid that can be used on top to enclose the overflow, a good idea and very neat fit. It has a removable section in the back of it for light mounts in the center of the tank, however reckon I would struggle to fit my RMS mount in there. If anyone wants to know let me know and I will check.
Now to install all the fun stuff :)
By now, I was getting a tad excited. The sump is mounted first which makes a lot of sense. It looks like a smart design, the only concern I have is that as it drains into the first chamber, then overflows into the socks, that debris is going to collect in there instead of the socks. That said, it's going to take all of 2 secs to clean it out every so often so again that’s me picking before I even see it in action.
The skimmer section is larger than I expected and for those wanting to know, is 32x42x26cm which is plenty of space for most skimmers I am aware of, as well as an internal reactor. Just be aware that the filter socks slide out for maintenance so you lose a 23x12cm square in the front right of the skimmer section.
After this it has a simple twin baffle for bubbles and comes fitted with a course sponge as well. I am only planning on running a cryptic section of live rock near the skimmer, but time will tell if/how fast the sponge will block, but it is designed so that it can overflow the last baffle if required.
The return section is 14x42x23cm in size, with a small ATO float in the back corner. It works by blocking the feed line from the reservoir and at first glance I thought it looked a little low, but apparently it can be adjusted according to the manual (not that it tells you how…).
Getting the sump in the cabinet was easy, however a bit fiddly as there is no spare space. It literally fills the bottom of the cabinet from the back to the front, flush with the middle wall. There is maybe 2cm clearance from the hinges side but that is all.
This brings me to one other problem my brother-in-law ran into as he uses a large hang on skimmer on his old tank. There is no space for any external or hang on devices. You could use the right section, but you would need to either modify the internal wall, or plumb out the back and around. This might limit the use of or number of reactors you can use so it is worth noting.
Once the sump is in, the plumbing for the return is put in. I was told in the store that the tank didn’t come with a flexible pipe for the your return pump, but mine did (my brother-in-law's 450 didn’t) so be prepared to get one.
The three stand pipes are all slightly different and can be installed the wrong order so make sure you have the picture facing the right way :) Each one is screwed into the bulkheads and has a toothed fitting to ensure a good lock, but which just made me nervous about how hard to tighten them. Each one extends about 4 inches into the sump section of the cabinet and looks like it will make for easy maintenance.
Each pipe has a different connection for the sump section, two go into the first sump chamber and the first one is for the return pipe.
Up top, there is a second wider pipe to attach to the main over flow that makes the overflow drain from the bottom. The return pipe has an adjustable outlet that screws on and clips into the overflow. The middle and tallest pipe I assume is an emergency overflow.
There is a hard lid that can be used on top to enclose the overflow, a good idea and very neat fit. It has a removable section in the back of it for light mounts in the center of the tank, however reckon I would struggle to fit my RMS mount in there. If anyone wants to know let me know and I will check.
Now to install all the fun stuff :)
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