Check these plans for my tank???

[AlrightCool]

This is what im planning on doing with my 55g tank if u you guys think this will work,i just hve the tank stand and canopy right now and im in the process of figuring out what size i want the sump/fuge to be im getting the tank custom fit to the stand.

instead of having the tank drilled with 5 holes id rather just have 1 hole drilled for flow box and use the pvc to spread the flow around with a pump and gravity the water from tank to sump/fuge with the pvc spreading the flow around i can have it where i want to go and less leakes on tank i have to worry about with the bulk heads so tell me if this sounds like a good idea and also thats how im going to be building my fuge/sump if that makes anysense . The return is gonna go through live rock rubble through eggcrate back up to the fuge and to the end where im going to put my skimmer heaters and top off probably . this is just a rough sketch i dont have the measurements yet figures out.

Tell me what you guys think comments criticism please

 

[shavo]

alright cool

 

[Len]

One change: skimmer first, refugium next. No point skimming the plankton before it gets back into the tank

 

[AlrightCool]

that does make sense Len lol i was wondering ehst type of pump do you think i would need to get that water flowing through those pipes?

 

[bleedingthought]

If you like Danner pumps, a mag7 or mag9.5 might work just fine for you. But they aren't going to be enough flow for a reef tank. The thing is, you don't need/want too much flow through your sump (especially not with an in-line fuge) as more flow means less filtration possibility and more noise. So, most people supplement their flow with either powerheads or a closed loop system for more flow that doesn't go through the sump.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

You might want to look into a Oceans Motions 4 way for your return as well. It will make more random flow instead of just in one direction. I also agree the return pump is not enough. Look into Tunze Stream or a Vortech.

 

[Len]

Mag pumps are good. Consider Eheim 1262 as well.

Rob has a good suggestion about the Oceans Motions. Their Super Squirt would work very well for you.

 

[AlrightCool]

im a little confused on the 2way squirt or super squirt are they attached where the T spreading the pipes to left right side?they randomly send more flow to left and right side??


and also about flow i could put ball valves on the pipes to slow the flow and also from flow box to the sump so there wouldnt be so much flow through the sump
if i put a ball valve from the box to the sump because im going to have the water from tank sent by gravity if i slw it with a ball valve does it have a chance of stopping?.

now that i think of t its gonna be drilled so really it wouldnt need to be sent down by gravity its going to be flowing nomatter what lol

things get confusing lol this is my first time ever making or plumbing a tank before

Also thank you for the suggestions iml ooking into them



Brian

 

[AlrightCool]

i forgot to ask but what size pipe would be suit this design best and also how do i connect the pvc with the pump?





Brian

 

[Len]

Here's a few pics of my Super Squirt installed:

So one return pipe comes up into the Super Squirt, which divides it into four outputs. The motor inside the Super Squirt will switch which of the four outputs is pumping out water, creating a more variable flow pattern in your tank. Ocean Motions offers a few different flow pattern choices (none of it is random ... for example, my Super Squirt outputs sequentially from outlet 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 1 .... ad naseum ). You will need to find some way to secure all the plumbing/Super Squirt so that it doesn't move around too much.

As for your question about valves, you can put ball valves or gate valves on either your overflow or your return plumbing. I would suggest gate valves on the overflow pipe because it allows for more precise adjustments. You can use this pipe to restrict the flow into your sump to eliminate noise and bubbles. In my experience, if you don't restrict the flow too much, there is not much chance of it clogging and stopping on you.

Yes, going with a built-in (drilled) overflow box is safer then a siphon, which has a chance of stopping/breaking. Gravity fed overflow systems are definitely the way to go.

A ball valve is just fine for the return plumbing.

 

[Len]

i forgot to ask but what size pipe would be suit this design best and also how do i connect the pvc with the pump?

For the overflow, 1" piping is standard and a safe bet. For the return pump, I would go with 3/4". Most pumps' oulets are 1/2", 3/4", or 1". For example, if you get a Mag 7, it has a threaded male outlet of 1/2". There are many types of PVC fittings available to join the pipes to pumps. So for the Mag 7, you'd need a 1/2" female threaded (to fit into the male threaded outlet of the pump) x 3/4" slip fitting (to slip 3/4" PVC pipe into it, which has to be glued with PVC glue). The reason I would go with the larger diameter pipe, even though the pump's outlet is only 1/2", is because it reduces pressure which allows for more flow. It also gives you more options for other (bigger) pumps in the future if you wish to change it.

For your size tank, you don't really need the Super Squirt. The OM Squirt (smaller version) will do. Same principle design so my pictures will still give you an accurate idea of one way to plumb it.

 

[AlrightCool]

ahh i see thats awesome i want one hahaha little pricey

thanks for those photos Len

I was wondering if any one had any pictures of their overflow how they have it setup , not exactly sure on how i want it

any suggestions?

Maybe Len ?

 

[Len]

Hehe. My overflow plumbing is super simple:

I have an internal overflow box with a hole drilled at the bottom of my tank. The piping comes down the hole; In the picture, it is the left plumbing assembly. There is a ball valve which you can see is partially closed to restrict the flow coming down (in order to quiet the tank down). I wish I had gone with a gate valve (could still do it, but too lazy). The ball valve works just fine, but it's just a lot harder to fine tune the flow. After the ball valve, the pipe takes a 45 degree bend then goes into the sump. That's it

 

[AlrightCool]

Awesome

do you think it would be a good idea to have a seperate hole for overflow going back to the sump? or just have overflow box like originaly?

the thing is my tank has no holes in it and friend at the LFS said i could return it and they can send me a tank with predrilled holes and just pay the difference for the holes so i can do ehatever i want just a matter of figuring out how many holes and where i want them

 

[AlrightCool]

Awesome

do you think it would be a good idea to have a seperate hole for overflow going back to the sump? or just have overflow box like originaly?

the thing is my tank has no holes in it and friend at the LFS said i could return it and they can send me a tank with predrilled holes and just pay the difference for the holes so i can do ehatever i want just a matter of figuring out how many holes and where i want them

 

[Len]

IMO, get a overflow box installed inside the tank (they can be bought at the LFS or at wetdryfilter.com). Drill one hole at the bottom for the overflow pipe (drill the hole so it will accommodate a 1" bulkhead ... hole size is about 1 3/4"), and as an option, you can drill a hole for the return pipe (hole for 3/4" bulkhead is 1 1/2" in diamter). This way, you can plumb your return through the overflow box, which will keep your plumbing very tidy and not take up much space.

In your original design, did you plan on using a U-tube siphon overflow box? I can't quite tell from the picture but it looks like it. In any case, an internal overflow box based on gravity feed is much better then a siphon.

 

[AlrightCool]

2 or 3 sided over flow box? and think i can install that my self or should i have someone else do it?

 

[bleedingthought]

A 2-sided overflow box is used for corner overflows. A 3-sided would be a center overflow, like Len's. If you can drill glass (find out if it is tempered first) and silicone the box in place, you can do it. If not, LFSs can usually do it for you. Or you can get the tank drilled by them and then silicone the box yourself, which isn't that hard and doesn't need to be completely watertight if you don't do a perfect job.

 

[Len]

Yup, what Thiago said. Simple silicone is all you need to secure it, but make sure the silicone is reef safe (e.g. no GE Silicone II).

 

[AlrightCool]

im a little confused on where the water comes in and how the overflow box is used i get the purpose but when it comes to where the holes need to be does the box have a hole in it??? i get everything but overflow and holes on tank for overflow ?