My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle - Page 10

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbittner

The smaller the box, the less surface water that is sent to the sump/fuge/skimmer.

See, now thats a concept that I totally overlooked. So going to small would defeat the purpose of surface skimming in the first place.

BigAl07 · 01-23-2008, 08:07 PM

one KEY feature about the box is you can "work" on your plumbing and you don't have to drain the whole tank. My Overflow and "siphon allowance" is a hair shy of 4 gallons which makes working on it much easier than draining all 90 gallons.

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 08:08 PM

Very good point Allen.

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 08:11 PM

My original overflow box on my 120 was maybe 2/3 the size of my new lifereef overflow box. I couldn't get the layer of scum off of the surface no matter what I tried. I changed it out and replaced it with the lifereef, scum layer was gone in 1/2 hour.

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbittner

My original overflow box on my 120 was maybe 2/3 the size of my new lifereef overflow box. I couldn't get the layer of scum off of the surface no matter what I tried. I changed it out and replaced it with the lifereef, scum layer was gone in 1/2 hour.

And just for a rule of thumb.... What size is that LifeReef overflow?

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 08:48 PM

Inner box measures 15 1/2" wide x 8 1/2" tall x 2 1/2"

Now my overflow is a true, over the top edge siphon box but that measurement is just the inside box.

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 08:51 PM

Thanks.

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 09:09 PM

You could easily make a coast to coast skimmer (or buy one) and then run it into a small box that holds your plumbing. This would take up virtually zero room inside the tank. The skimmer box wouldn't need to be more then a few inches deep. Say a total of 3-4 inches from the top of the tank to the bottom of the box.

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 09:20 PM

I was thinking about doing that, but I ran into those space retraints I was talking about earlier. The max with of the tank can only be 30". So if I run a coast to coast it would reduce my interior tank width to about 26", or would take up 18g of space... I'm not sure I want to give that up.

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 09:38 PM

It would only reduce the top 3-4 inches of the tank width by 26". You'd have the full 30 inches to mess with below that.

The coast to coast wouldn't go the whole height of the tank, just the top 3-4 inches.

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbittner

It would only reduce the top 3-4 inches of the tank width by 26". You'd have the full 30 inches to mess with below that.

The coast to coast wouldn't go the whole height of the tank, just the top 3-4 inches.

Do you have any pics you can post so I can see what your talking about?

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 09:46 PM

This picture is from Concept Aquariums and it shows an internal box to give you a visual idea of what I'm talking about. But visualize it running the length of the tank and dumping into a small box that contains your plumbing...

SaltwaterGeek · 01-23-2008, 10:39 PM

Thanks Terry. I now see and understand the concept, but if it needs to be plumbed outside the tank in the back its not going to work with my space restraints unless I make the tank narrower. Like I said 30" ia my max and I'm only leaving 1" between the wall and the tank.... even at this its pushing it. Frankly, although a coast to coast would be real trick and clean, I don' think its going to work for me.... Unless you know something I don't!!!!!

framerguy · 01-23-2008, 11:26 PM

That 3"wide x 4"tall x 48" wide trough goes from end to end (ie:coast to coast). In the corner (or in the middle, or where ever you want it) there is a smallish box, say 6 x 3 that runs the height of the tank. You plumb that area the same as your other overflow would have been. The return pipe is hidden inside the coast to coast and piped out either end. You don't really lose anything you would have been using anyway.

tbittner · 01-23-2008, 11:33 PM

That box is inside the tank, but it only comes down like 3 inches from the top.

Ok, picture this. You have a small overflow box that goes from the bottom to the height that you want the water to be. Your tank is 30" (?) tall? So say the small overflow box, like in Gregs diagram, is 28" tall. Inside this small box is your stand pipe and the return pipe(s). Off to both sides of this small box are the long skimmer boxes that dump into the small box.

And the more I type about it, the more I think it's not worth doing.

BUT, it would provide some awesome surface skimming!

01-23-2008, 08:07 PM	#137 (permalink)
BigAl07 Reef Addict (hopeless) Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 10,619 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle one KEY feature about the box is you can "work" on your plumbing and you don't have to drain the whole tank. My Overflow and "siphon allowance" is a hair shy of 4 gallons which makes working on it much easier than draining all 90 gallons. __________________ Allen Allen's testimonial . . ."Let Me help you help YOURSELF" (Click Here) with a SW set up there is one basic fundamental rule that we ALL should follow *When in doubt... wait it out. This means take it slow and let the tank "develop" and don't rush it. Time is your friend Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef Reef Balls & Cakes Debt Free & Change your Family Tree!!

01-23-2008, 08:08 PM	#138 (permalink)
SaltwaterGeek Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 401 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle Very good point Allen. __________________ Thanks for the help, My 150g Envision Acrylic Chronicle

01-23-2008, 08:11 PM	#139 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle My original overflow box on my 120 was maybe 2/3 the size of my new lifereef overflow box. I couldn't get the layer of scum off of the surface no matter what I tried. I changed it out and replaced it with the lifereef, scum layer was gone in 1/2 hour. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

01-23-2008, 08:48 PM	#141 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle Inner box measures 15 1/2" wide x 8 1/2" tall x 2 1/2" Now my overflow is a true, over the top edge siphon box but that measurement is just the inside box. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

01-23-2008, 08:51 PM	#142 (permalink)
SaltwaterGeek Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 401 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle Thanks. __________________ Thanks for the help, My 150g Envision Acrylic Chronicle

01-23-2008, 09:09 PM	#143 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle You could easily make a coast to coast skimmer (or buy one) and then run it into a small box that holds your plumbing. This would take up virtually zero room inside the tank. The skimmer box wouldn't need to be more then a few inches deep. Say a total of 3-4 inches from the top of the tank to the bottom of the box. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

01-23-2008, 09:20 PM	#144 (permalink)
SaltwaterGeek Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 401 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle I was thinking about doing that, but I ran into those space retraints I was talking about earlier. The max with of the tank can only be 30". So if I run a coast to coast it would reduce my interior tank width to about 26", or would take up 18g of space... I'm not sure I want to give that up. __________________ Thanks for the help, My 150g Envision Acrylic Chronicle

01-23-2008, 09:38 PM	#145 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle It would only reduce the top 3-4 inches of the tank width by 26". You'd have the full 30 inches to mess with below that. The coast to coast wouldn't go the whole height of the tank, just the top 3-4 inches. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

01-23-2008, 09:46 PM	#147 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle This picture is from Concept Aquariums and it shows an internal box to give you a visual idea of what I'm talking about. But visualize it running the length of the tank and dumping into a small box that contains your plumbing... __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

01-23-2008, 10:39 PM	#148 (permalink)
SaltwaterGeek Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 401 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle Thanks Terry. I now see and understand the concept, but if it needs to be plumbed outside the tank in the back its not going to work with my space restraints unless I make the tank narrower. Like I said 30" ia my max and I'm only leaving 1" between the wall and the tank.... even at this its pushing it. Frankly, although a coast to coast would be real trick and clean, I don' think its going to work for me.... Unless you know something I don't!!!!! __________________ Thanks for the help, My 150g Envision Acrylic Chronicle

01-23-2008, 11:26 PM	#149 (permalink)
framerguy Manta Ray Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mount Airy, Ga Posts: 3,326 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle That 3"wide x 4"tall x 48" wide trough goes from end to end (ie:coast to coast). In the corner (or in the middle, or where ever you want it) there is a smallish box, say 6 x 3 that runs the height of the tank. You plumb that area the same as your other overflow would have been. The return pipe is hidden inside the coast to coast and piped out either end. You don't really lose anything you would have been using anyway. __________________ ___________________________________ Greg All time fav quote: "Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."-Guillaume Apollinaire "Being happy can be as easy as deciding to be!"-Greg Kimsey (framerguy) Still Workin' on it! 390gDT built in wall, Gargantuan DIY Beckett Skimmer, 150g sump, Sequence Hammerhead closed loop, 75 gallon seagrass/mineral mud refugium, 55 gallon crushed coral/live rock refugium, 30 gallon DSB/ cheatomorpha refugium, algae turf scrubber, DIY calcium reactor, DIY kalkwasser mixer, DIY light system w/4x 250MH & 4x54w T5, etc, etc, etc... chronicles-akwareum (\___/) This is Bunny. (=O.o=) Copy and paste him into your signature (")__(") to help him gain world domination

01-23-2008, 11:33 PM	#150 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My 120g Acrylic Tank Chronicle That box is inside the tank, but it only comes down like 3 inches from the top. Ok, picture this. You have a small overflow box that goes from the bottom to the height that you want the water to be. Your tank is 30" (?) tall? So say the small overflow box, like in Gregs diagram, is 28" tall. Inside this small box is your stand pipe and the return pipe(s). Off to both sides of this small box are the long skimmer boxes that dump into the small box. And the more I type about it, the more I think it's not worth doing. BUT, it would provide some awesome surface skimming! __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

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