Planning process of 29 gallon- New member

[realhiphop]

Good afternoon all:

I just found out about this community, and I'm already excited that there is a NYC reef community like this. I currently have a 10g tank that I plan on upgrading to a 29 gallon. You guys seem to be the experts as far as setting up tanks, and just flat out knowledge about NYC stores and what not.

My plans:
I'd like to set up my a 29 gallon and use the 10 gallon as a sump. At this point, I also plan on updating my skimmer to a Aqua C Remora. I admit, I'm very new to the idea of a sump.

I have a few questions.
1. Do you guys recommend any specific places in Brooklyn to have holes drilled in a glass tank for bulkheads?
2. Do you recommend an internal overflow for this tank? If so, where can I get one, or get it placed on the tank? I plan on leaving the DIY stuff to the tank back painting and possibly building a stand.

BTW, JHale, you do amazing work. I was just admiring the stand you built.

Look forward to hearing some thoughts.

 

[jhale]

realhiphop,

hey welcome to Manhattan Reefs, you'll like it here.
I found this site right as i was setting up my tank, it made a huge difference.
thanks for the props on the stand

I'm not from BK so someone else will have to answer that for you.
If you have a glass tank you'll need to make a glass overflow. it's easy. i would put it in one of the corners, or if you want to do something really cool make it external and have teeth cut into the top of the tank, it saves a lot of space in a smaller tank.

J

 

[spykes]

im sure brett will cut it for you for some beer money, message badcoffee

 

[realhiphop]

Very quick responses fellas. Do you have recommendations on size of overflow box? Beer money seems to be the best universal currency I've come across. Does 25$ sound reasonable for a hole drilled in the back of my tank?

Do you recommend drilling holes for returns, or just hanging return valves over the tanks sides?

 

[nanoreefer22]

Welcome to MR

As spykes said there should be some people on the board that are willing to drill the tank for you. Your gonna find everyone on this board helpful and best of all friendly.

A 29g is a nice size tank for a set up. Everything sounds good, but if you do want to save room go with the external overflow just to get that much more room in the main tank.

 

[realhiphop]

Aren't external overflows riskier if your power goes out?

 

[jhale]

you might be confusing the old school external overflow with a u tube that's dependent on a siphon, the overflow I mentioned is basically gravity fed. water drains from the tank to a sump, it's pumped back into the tank to cycle again, no power = no water draining. period.

 

[realhiphop]

I was confusing the two. I'm still very new to sumps, and I was under the impression that all external overflows are subject to power failure. Thanks for clarifying this for me.

How large would the overflow need to be? Would you drill the 2 return holes for bulkheads or just hang the return lines?

 

[jhale]

it's up to you, drilling for the returns would keep that much more stuff out of the tank. i like the idea, I hate seeing equipment inside the tank, that's just me.

 

[realhiphop]

Time to start fully researching, and planning the sump! I'm going to paint the back with Krylon Fusion. Not sure which blue I'm going to go with yet.

I'm leaning towards going with a 250W Aqua Medic pendant.

 

[House of Laughter]

RHH,

Welcome to Manhattanreefs -

I would ask Bad Coffee to take a look at his tank - he did an unbelievable job on making an external overflow out of glass with teeth cut into the back of the tank. Basically the return pump pumps water into your tank, when it gets to the teeth, it goes out and into the overflow and down the drain pipe and into your sump.

You don't necessarily have to drill your sump - as long as you baffle off the drain (reducing microbubbles) and baffle off the return (this is a check as not to pump the entire sump into your tank if ever your teeth get clogged).

really is a very simple design and works pretty well - there are issues, however, like the return siphon not breaking and draining your tank into the sump - ways around that are check valves and small holes drilled in the return to help break the siphon -

Let's see, anything else? Feel free to drop a line if you have any more questions.

House

 

[realhiphop]

I thought that if you drill holes, it wouldn't be running off of a siphon. I still need to figure out the size for my pvc and the proper size overflow.

 

[Deanos]

I would ask Bad Coffee to take a look at his tank - he did an unbelievable job on making an external overflow out of glass with teeth cut into the back of the tank.

Brett's Tank

 

[realhiphop]

Wow. That tank is unreal. Is the glass tank made from scratch? Thats the exact setup I was looking for.

Can someone kindly offer me a summary behind the pros and cons of the 3 different overflow setups (HOB- CPR or U tube, external like Brett's or internal)?

 

[House of Laughter]

Deanos,

Never fails, the link master

RHH, the siphon that I was referring to was the one that is created by the returns when the power goes out - a details one can not overlook - I already flooded my basement once or twice - 3 times a charm

Visit other reefers, get a good sense what is going on and then start - otherwise you'll spend a ton of cash "figuring it out"

House

 

[spykes]

like i said brett needs beer money LOL!

 

[DRZL]

watup realhiphop,

Now that you made it to THIS site, you have to make a SN at Reefcentral.com, its the largest reef site there is. If you really wanna do this/get info for it. Run a search over there for "DIY External Overflow" the thread starter is Tunjee.
I have on myself as I have a 36G BF and space is limited, it works out lovely mine is deep enough to accomadate carbon/purigen thermometer whatever besides having a sump which always is a plus.
Go use the site as a library, then come back and chill w/ us "cooler" locals, and get the help you need.

My .02 i had an aquaC, ditch it and make urself a euro-reef...search it (EAP euroreef skimmer, DIY Euro reef) , one of the best makers of skimmers there are. I just made one for Kris (nanoreefer) and it cost about $50 to make and itll do up to a 90 easily.

 

[realhiphop]

If I indeed plan on asking for bad coffee's services, I will certainly provide him with some beer money. Maybe enough for some Natty Ice (j/k).

 

[nanoreefer22]

the DIY euro really is good. I posted some pics of it and being on the budget that I am it worked out great.
-Kris

 

[DEEPWATER]

Hey RHH

welcome to MR..
As you can see you found your way to the reef experts,(im getting there but not quit there yet).ill post a pick of my tank for you to see how i had drilled my return and intake. I find it to be safe way not to have nasty overflows and i have nothing inside the tank ,aside from the 1/2 pvc i made to extend the return,as far as power failure .My sump help out there ,never had a prob with water overflowing> I got it drilled at a LFS ,If You can get it done by one of the members ,Ill take to the LFS and get it for you at a better price i know most of the LSF in brklyn ..
.im in brklyn as well ,,,

Its a great site and you will learn alot from the members on here as i did ,,and youre just in time for the frag swap ,,Its my 1st time to one . hoping to meet the rest of you guys ,i meet some and all the ppl here are Great .Ronen