Tooting My Own Horn!

[Mya]

I am going to get a bigger tank and I am actively looking.
I know I want a 75/90 ... hopefully drilled.. but if not Ill deal with that when the time comes.

For the time being tho...
I am still tinkering and trying to make my current work in some fashion or another. The overflow is for the refuge. The 10 gal make shift job I got going on in the floor.

Btw, you're not rude. I am all over the place.

 

[trippkid]

I never try to be, but you know things can be misconstrued just by reading someone's post the wrong way. I just didn't want to see you go wasting money on something you don't want or will give you problems down the road. Check out Lifereef overflows, these are another good brand to try. Sorry, I know all this information and opinions, can get very overwhelming sometimes(another reason I said about maybe slowing down a bit and having a plan). Take your time, you'll figure out the best way to go. I would seriously look into off the shelf type of overflow, like someone posted earlier, pretty much plug and play. I will also say to do a simulated power outage to see if the siphon holds and starts back up with whatever overflow you decide to go with, before leaving it on its own(I know it may sound funny, but all my problems start when I am not home, which I am usually home, everything goes great no tinkering with anything for days, weeks, months. I leave the house and come home to something screwing up, I think I have tank gremlins).
Matt

 

[Mya]

The siphon holding honestly isnt the biggest issue. I have to use the overflow box because I have to try to move water ... instead of down like gravity fed.. horizontal since they are both on the same lvl.

 

[ZAPCOnj]

The siphon holding honestly isnt the biggest issue. I have to use the overflow box because I have to try to move water ... instead of down like gravity fed.. horizontal since they are both on the same lvl.

if the siphon doesn't hold or restart, then when the water from the return chamber pumps water back to the display tank and the display tank starts to empty back in to the sump. Chamber 1 will overflow all over your floor. if the overflow from chamber 1 is not started again via the siphon.

 

[Mya]

I think I need to doodle you a pic..

Yes be amazed by my awesome doodle~



Okay the top large square is my tank. The orange box below is my stand... with the awful divider wall.

The water comes into the overflow box and down to the sump via the red line...
Water is returned from the sump via pump up the blue line...
Water from the sump is pumped to the refuge via the green line...
Water is returned to the sump from the refuge via an overflow box along the purple line...

Lines green and purple.. and the sump and refuge for that matter are all on the same lvl. No gravity to help feed it.. Hence why I said I need an overflow box...

 

[trippkid]

It may help with deciding on your best bet for a reliable overflow setup.
Matt
sorry, you got it in there before my post.

 

[BigAl07]

But if purple doesn't re-start after a power outtage wont the pump(green line) pump all the water from your system into the refuge/floor?

 

[trippkid]

The types of overflows we have been discussing won't work for this application(I am pretty certain). The best way to do this is, IMO, is to have your refugium drilled for a bulkhead(where you want the water level to be), then a hole in the sump(lower than the hole in the "fuge", but above the water level in the sump, then plumb the two holes together. This is how my refugium is plumbed. Here are a couple of pics, you may be able to see what I'm talking about(sorry about all the extra crap in the pics). The only other way( and I don't reccommend) I see is to use two pumps, one to feed the fuge and one to feed the sump, problem is if one of the pumps dies or the flow slows through it, than there is an imbalance and something may overflow or drain, and that is not what you want(you could hook up the pumps to float switches to turn them off and on, but still could be a problem and a lot of extra stuff that is really not needed.

Let me know if you want any other pics, I can probably take some different ones(as long as the camera is charged up) to make it a little clearer for you.
Matt

 

[ZAPCOnj]

ya know what would be easier. If you just got another overflow for the DT and just ran a seperate refuge.

I'll try and get online tonight and explain . I'm driving and it's impossible to type

 

[Mya]

I thought about doing the 2nd overflow from the DT to the refuge but then I either have to buy another high rate return pump for the refuge to return the water to the DP.. or I have to pump the water over to sump. Then the sump is going to prolly get to much water to fast.

Thoughts? And.. what about.. if in a power outage.. the overflow running into the refuge.. wont that cause it to overflow?

 

[Jeremy0322]

In that case the water will only run out as deep as the baffles are, and then it shuts off because water cant get into the overflow. That is why you see many half full fuges, they are leaving room in it for the overflow water, thats atleast the case with mine.

And ZapconJ, you play paintball? I used to play ALOT.

 

[Mya]

Oh and Zap I ain't calling you cause my cell is showing its ass and not charging. It only charges if I set a book on top of it.

Grr.

So I gotta silicon some plexi glass divider things in it right?

Also, how about returns? Tank? Or Sump? And how do I make it happen ... do I need to buy a higher flow pump?

Going to take a nice hot bath. Be back soon.

 

[Jeremy0322]

If you are using an overflow that does 600 gallons an hour you will want a pump that can do 600 gallons an hour at that height. If you have to push water up 4 feet you will need a pump rated for 600 at that height, but i know that most sites offer those ratings. Heres the chart for the Mag pumps and what they push at what pumping height.

Danner Supreme Mag-Drive Aquarium Water Pump/Powerhead

 

[Mya]

So I want to go for sure back to the tank vs just over to the sump... Right?

 

[Jeremy0322]

You could go over to the sump and then back up to the tank, you just need to make sure all of your flow is the same rate, other wise you will run into a few problems. I had a few plans when I was setting my system that had a sump slightly above the fuge that water falled into it, but it required you to drill 2 holes in one of them, make sure the first tank was above the second one, and you would need a few baffles. If you are curious i could send you the plans i drew up in the CAD program, i am sure i have them around here somewhere.

 

[Mya]

Well if Im going to get a 600 gph overflow then I can't pump it over to the sump with a 300 gph.. and if Im going to have pump it at 600 it might as well go back up into the main tank. I was hoping to pump it to the sump and let the sump return it up... but with 600 coming down from the sumps overflow along with saying 300 gph refuge pumping over thats 900 in.. vs the 600-ish going out which aint going to work.

 

[ZAPCOnj]

here is how it works in my sump/refuge look at pic below:

The water from the display tank drains down to the sump via the DISPLAY TANK OVERFLOW.

1. The water flows in to chamber 1. (left chamber) where my skimmer, HOB Phosban reactor and pump, and heater are.
2. The Water then flows in to chamber 2, the refuge (center chamber)
3. The water then flows though the bubble trap and though the carbon bags in to chamber 3 where my return pump is.
4. The Return Pump pushes the water back t the display tank where my SCWD powerheads divert the flow left and right in 7 second intervals (i'll be doing a review on the SCWD this weekend)

My CPR overflow is rated for 800gph so i bought the Ehiem 1260 pump that is rated for 1200gph at the nozzle. at the 4.5' height where the water re-enters the tank the pump is rated to about 800 - 900gph so the flow is evened out between the two. Just to be safe. I installed a ball valve on the return line (kind of visible to the right of the fuge light) this allows me to regulate the flow going back in to the tank. so if the return pump is putting the water back in to the tank too fast i can slow it down some so the over flow can catch up.

a thing to note about an HOB overflow.... the overflow may be rated for 10000gph. but if your return pump is only rated for 600gph your total cycle of water will be about 600gph. The overflow can only dump the volume of water that is being returned to the Display area. even if it out paces your return pump. if your sump is set up correctly it will only drain down to the over flow level and your sump should not overflow (assuming it's set up right)

The flip side to this school of though is that if your Return pump is 1000gph and your overflow is only 300gph (and you are NOT using a ball valve to restrict the return flow) your overflow will not be able to drain out the water fast enough and you will find that your DT will flood out.

Jeremy - yep. I play a lot but with the way the economy is and the recent bankruptcy of Paintball 2 xtreme magazine and the NPPL it's up in the air what league and format we will be playing next year. we spent most of this year building our team and now the format that we were going to play is no more (d2 7man nppl). I also play some woodsball but not as much as i use to. Check my webpage www.ZAPCOnj.COM and you will find more info on my paintball life and the magazine article Spec ops did on me a few years ago.

 

[Mya]

I kinda figured that. My over flow is rated prolly 600 or 800. Something like that.. and my return is rated for I believe 600 at that height.

I really got to figure out the dividers and everything else for the tank. The chambers and ballists... things like that.. Ugh...

Zap, where are the links to current pics of ur DT?

 

[ZAPCOnj]

Without aqua mags

with aquamags

 

[Mya]

I was laying in bed... I can't sleep... This tank is on my mind... and the question popped in my head...

Why the hell am I running a sump? What is the point? There is no bio-balls.. or wont be soon in there.. Right now all its doing is holding a bag of carbon?

Why dont I take out my sump and move my new refuge in the spot ... over there... and save myself a hell of a lot of work?
I already have an overflow box.. a return pump... and looking at ur refuge above Zap.. All I need is dividers. I can section that 10 gal tank up just like you're refuge is and use it... can't I?

Thoughts?

Also a lady said she might be able to get a hold of some 1.5" size frags for $10 of Braireum, "Dead Mans Fingers" and 3-6 heads for $20 of some Frogspawn. Is that a good price? She offered to frag sit for me if I wanted them as well until I get my tank ready...