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If I use a tru-union ball valve on the return line, just before the inlet of the external pump, I gain an ability to remove the pump without draining the sump. However, in order to fit the tru-union ball valve + pump behind my tank, (i.e., the pump with the added length of the tru-union ball...

I had to use Spa Flex on the return lines from my external pump, to quiet things down. Previously, my Iwaki 40 MD RT pump caused the hard PVC on the return lines to vibrate and make noise. I ditched the Iwaki and will now replace it with a quieter pump: the Dart 3600. Question: can I go back...

I am ditching my too-loud Iwaki MD40 RT external pump. I just bought a quieter external pump, the Reeflo Dart 3600. My Dart pump should arrive in a few days. The Reeflo Dart 3600 pump has a whopping 2.0" inlet, which allows it to take in a fair amount of water with each gulp. By contrast, the...

And I mean QUIET. I have an Iwaki MD 40 RT, and in a word: "no way." I can do better, I'm sure of it. I was told that Blueline Velocity T4 was the way to go...but it's been discontinued by the manufacturer...so that leads me to ask again: what is the QUIETEST external pump? I want one, please...

I'm ditching my Iwaki MD-40 RT pump because it's not quiet enough. I hear Blueline Velocity T4 Pump is a quiet, external pump. However, I can't find a seller who has this pump in stock. From the pump's name-changes over the years, it would appear that new companies keep buying the old company...

I have a sump. It drains to an external pump, through a bulkhead hole at the bottom portion of the rear side of the rear chamber. It's a 1-1/2" drain. I have a PVC-Elbow on the inside of the rear chamber, connected to the bulkhead hole. I gather I should turn the elbow upside down. That way, the...

I used teflon paste on the plumbing fittings that were screw-in fittings. After running a test of the new plumbing system, my tanks are gunked up with a white pasty substance. I figure it is the white teflon paste that I used. So I clean out the stuff, which is a greasy type of substance...

I cracked the back panel of my BioCube 14 last week after pulling a bonehead move and over-tightening my bulkhead. I was quite annoyed at the prospects of either: (1) buying a new BioCube 14; (2) trying some lame repair with silicone or silicone + patch glass; or (3) replacing the back panel of...

So I am told: "get a bigger bulkhead and return line from your sump to your external pump." So if I upsize the sump drain from 1.0" to 1.5", and run a bigger return line from the sump to my Iwaki MD 40 RT external pump, from 1.0" to 1.5", what gain will I realize? My pump's inlet is still only...

Of course I did. I over-tightened 2 bulkheads on the back of my BioCube 14 Gallon, custom-modified tank. Voila! A hairline crack appeared near the two bulkhead holes. The cracks are so small, that only tiny beads of water pass through the back wall of the tank. Yet...I don't want a cracked tank...

Howdy I have an external pump. It's about 5 feet from the sump. It's connected via Spa Flex PVC. The reason why it's 5 feet from the sump is because that is the distance the curving Spa Flex PVC takes to connect to it, without getting kinks or drastic bends in the line. The pump will be...

My external pump lies outside my cramped aquarium stand and is too loud. It sounds like a hair dryer blowing air on a low setting. How can I make it quieter? It's brand new and never used before. Will it "break in" to become quieter? Seriously, a pump should not operate this loudly. Please...

My Current USA Prime Chiller (1/10 hp) is designed with two different sizes for its water-line inlet and outlet. The chiller-water-line inlet accommodates a 1/2"-diameter line, but the chiller-water-line outlet accommodates a 5/8"-diameter line. Guessing here, the engineers who designed this...

I'm trying the pick the best place to route the return-line of my chiller. The chiller is fed by water from the first chamber of my sump. I propose two possible methods of routing the return water of my chiller to my sump: (1) I could send the chilled water back to that same, first chamber; or...

Hi, all: I was all set to water-test my set-up, which is a modification to my Nano-Cube + BioCube + sump. Then, my cheapo 1/8" baffle cracked in my sump, necessitating that I replace that baffle with 1/4" glass. Since I am going to replace the one cheapo baffle, I will replace the second, as...

I bought an SWC Xtreme Cone 120 Protein Skimmer. It came with no instruction manual or owner's manual, and I can't find one on the Internet. I have read that this skimmer comes fully assembled and should be ready to go, right out of the box. But still, it came with an extra down-tube (at the...

Howdee: The Setup: I have an 10-gallon sump below that receives the water of two display tanks above: (1) a 28-gallon, main tank; and (2) a 14-gallon, dedicated refugium, which is displayed on its own stand next to the main tank. This sump has three chambers: (1) Chamber 1 (8" x 10"), which...

I have a Nano Cube 28 Gal HQI Reef Aquarium. I have been remodelling it, such that the stock Nano Cube hood will no longer rest on the top of the aquarium, nor will it have a tight, snug fit to the top of the tank. Instead, I want to raise the hood up several inches above the top rim of...

Hello: I have some questions about how to connect my PVC return line to my external pump. I built a glass sump. It lies in the aquarium stand below the main tank. I drilled a hole at the bottom of the rear wall of the sump. I installed a bulkhead in that hole. I cemented a PVC elbow on the...

Mangroves look awesome. But are they for real? Do the produce real benefts (like Chaeto does) to the water quality? How do you have them implemented in your system? Is mud required, or can they be planted in sand in a refugium? What type of lighting requirements do they have? Do certain fish...