26 gal project and i still have some questions!

[roadrunner1659]

Ok guys here is my list for my project...am i missing anything?

30 gal tank - refugium
heaters (2) - rated at 30 gals each...1 for fuge, 1 for main tank
2 bags of caribsea agar-alive (1 bag for fuge, 1 bag for main tank)
1 bag of caribsea agarmax oolitic reef sand (for main tank)
Overflow - gravity feed from LFS
Return pump - not sure what brand or how big...
Sparflex Tubing - were do i find this?
Viynl tubing
Acrylic Glass
Clamps to sure my lines (what is a god type...not sure about metal)
Eggcrate - to place in one of my baffles to hold carbon and phosban
Ball valve (although i dont know how to connect that into my lines?

*what is the stuff called that will hold the acrylic to the tank glass?*
*maybe a wavemaker and 2 MP900 to go with it but not sure yet*

Can you guys think of anything else?

Thanks!

[fidojoe]

A few things...

I would put both heaters in the sump, just to keep things out of the main tank. Water will circulate fast enough to effectively heat the entire system.

Return pump- I would suggest something like a mag 5 or a via aqua 2300 (www.drsfostersmith.com has good pricing on these) and get 2, one for regular, and one for backup.

Spaflex tubing can be found at both home depot and lowes.

Lowe's will cusom cut acrylic for you. They do a pretty good job. I used aquarium silicone to secure mine, which works perfect. You can also get 100% clear silicone from HD or lowes to do this. Also make sure you have the acrylic cut 1/8" shorter than needed for the with of the tank, so if it expands it will not shatter the glass tank.

For clamps, the metal ones are good for parts of the plumbing that are not exposed to water. For parts that are, a lot of online vendors carry the plastic ones. I think that spaflex can be cemented with PVC cement, but not 100% sure.

For the ball valve in the vinyl lines, the way I did it was to run vinyl from the pump barbed fitting into a barbed to MPT (male pipe thread fitting), screwed into a Female PT to slip coupling (I think thats what its called), into a small PVC section, then into the ball valve, then reverse that process back into vinyl if needed. My stuff all used 3/4" fittings so it was fairly easy to find that stuff at lowe's.

[roadrunner1659]

Originally Posted by fidojoe

I would put both heaters in the sump, just to keep things out of the main tank. Water will circulate fast enough to effectively heat the entire system.

at 200 gph moving through the fuge that will keep everything at the right temp? i guess that isn't not a big deal b/c if it didn't i would just put one up in the tank...

Originally Posted by fidojoe

Return pump- I would suggest something like a mag 5 or a via aqua 2300 (www.drsfostersmith.com has good pricing on these) and get 2, one for regular, and one for backup.

i was thinking mag and you had suggested the via aqua...the reason im not sure yet is b/c i need to figure out how far the water will be moving from fuge to main tank (im thinking about 6-7 feet) also why should i get 2? 1 to use and 1 for just in case? is that what you mean?

Originally Posted by fidojoe

Spaflex tubing can be found at both home depot and lowes.

i was at HD today and i couldn't find it...i found the black viynl tubing that im going to be using for my return but i didn't see anything that sayed spaflex...

Originally Posted by fidojoe

Lowe's will cusom cut acrylic for you. They do a pretty good job. I used aquarium silicone to secure mine, which works perfect. You can also get 100% clear silicone from HD or lowes to do this. Also make sure you have the acrylic cut 1/8" shorter than needed for the with of the tank, so if it expands it will not shatter the glass tank.

Will lowes cut it to the exact size? and all the pieces that i need? (four pieces)

Originally Posted by fidojoe

For clamps, the metal ones are good for parts of the plumbing that are not exposed to water. For parts that are, a lot of online vendors carry the plastic ones. I think that spaflex can be cemented with PVC cement, but not 100% sure.

i would be fine with using metal outside of the water just looking for under the water...

Originally Posted by fidojoe

For the ball valve in the vinyl lines, the way I did it was to run vinyl from the pump barbed fitting into a barbed to MPT (male pipe thread fitting), screwed into a Female PT to slip coupling (I think thats what its called), into a small PVC section, then into the ball valve, then reverse that process back into vinyl if needed. My stuff all used 3/4" fittings so it was fairly easy to find that stuff at lowe's.

what is a barbed fitting? do you mean that the viynl tubing went over a fitting, then the fitting screwed into the ball valve? and then repeat that on the way out? also what will a ball valve do for me? only stop the water from running back to my sump when the power goes out and im there for it? and is a ball valve put on the overflow line and the return line or only 1?

Thanks for the info fidojoe!

[fidojoe]

Yes at 200 gph it will heat the tank.

I use viaaquas and like them, IIRC, thats what woodstock uses too. And yes, 1 for regular use, and one for backup, even good pumps fail.

Its white flexible tubing. I've for sure seen it a lowe's, and pretty sure at HD. It is on a spinner thing like the vinyl. I use all vinyl for my plumbing, but a lot of people like spaflex. I think that vinyl is still more flexible, thats why I use it.

I had lowe's cut peices that were 9"x11 5/8" and they came out exact. You just have to pay for the whole sheet that they cut it from. Fortunately they have all kinds of standard sizes to cut the ones you need from.

While you're ordering your viaaqua pump from DRs. F&S you can get your clamps there too. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113833

The ball valve is a good thing to have for reducing flow if the output is too strong. There is a chart for the flow rates on www.marinedepot.com for the viaaqua pumps, and you can use the head loss calc on RC to figure out what the head pressure is on your setup and match the two. I would suggest getting a slightly larger pump than you think you need and use the ball valve to reduce it down. That way you can up your flow later without spending too much $$.

[fidojoe]

BTW, marine depot also has good pricing on the viaaquas and they have clamps there too.

[fidojoe]

DOH, forgot about the barbed fitting thing.

The VA pumps come with a barbed output, for connecting directly to vinyl. There is a plastic fitting at lowe's (in the area with the brass fittings) that has a barbed end and an end with MPT. You connect the pump and this fitting with vinyl tubing, then from there the MPT end of the plastic fitting will screw into the FPT to slip PVC fitting (in the section with the elbows and "T's" and other PVC stuff. From slip end of the PVC fitting you put in regular PVC (about a 2" section) which goes right into the ball valve.

[roadrunner1659]

fidojoe i was wondering when the overflow tube comes into the fuge, how should i set that up? i've seen poeple with towers that the flow comes into but im not sure what i should do?

[fidojoe]

Just make section on one end for your input (you can put your skimmer and carbon here too), silicone baffles in place, fuge in the middle, then another set of baffles then the return pump.

The towers usually work pretty well, or you can get some 50-100 micron filter socks and run drain into those in that first chamber.

[roadrunner1659]

i was going to have it fuge, skimmer, return...only b/c i have no real need for pods in my main tank...i was actually hopeing that after a while to place 2 seahorses in the fuge and let them enjoy the pods...

[fidojoe]

Well if you do the skimmer in the chamber in the middle you may run into microbubble problems. The skimmer and return pump will do the same thing to pods, so I'd still say put the skimmer in the first chamber.

[roadrunner1659]

but i thought the skimmer in the 1st section is a no-no? i thought that the fuge is suppost to get the water from the tank 1st?

[fidojoe]

No, not really. I think the skimmer in the first chamber is the best way to go. It removes anything that could harm what in the fuge. I think it would also help to allow the fuge to "focus" on removing certain things like PO4 and reduce nitrates vs. trying to remove other stuff.

[roadrunner1659]

do you have a fuge that is setup like this?

[roadrunner1659]

ok om next question...how long does it take for the acrylic adhesive take to be fully dry?

and is skimmer, fuge, return really ok to have? just making sure?

[fidojoe]

I do, but it doesn't fit under my stand.

Its not really acrylic adhesive that you're using. Nothing can bond glass and acrylic very well, but I am using silicone which works. Weld-on is an acrylic solvent type cement (which cannot dissolve glass), and silicone is intended for glass. I let it cure for about 48 hrs before I put my sump on.

I still think its just fine to put the skimmer first, I honestly think that its the best place, and cannot for the life of me figure out why someone said NOT to put it in the first chamber. I'll let someone else chime in to confirm this though.