dcantucson
Reef pro
+1 James
Advice on set up plz
- Thread starter ggNoRe
- Start date
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Ok thanks! :D
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Which leads me to the question, than how do you stop the fish from going overboard?
daugherty
part time reefer
you hope they dont jump
yote
In Memoriam
Wes888
Reef enthusiast
What make them jump? I have a few jumpers but I kinda get too comfortable with how they go along with each other. I haven't put back up the jail grid wall back for awhile now.
yote
In Memoriam
Usually something startling them or chasing them.
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Thanks for the replies. I actually read your entire build thread yesterday yote. Having 3 jumpers in one day really scares me and the dragonflagelles or w/e they are called that whiped your entire tank out scares me even worse and then theres all the other numerous stories I've seen that go along the lines of "7 yrs and thousands of dollars down the drain, overnight!" kind of giving me the jitters about jumping into this hobby. :(
yote
In Memoriam
AH,Its no different than any other hobby I guess.When its good,its awesome and when its bad,it makes you wanna give up and quit.But I guess its like my wife says,I'm hard headed:D Plus the kids love the tank as much as I do.
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Well seems as my addiction isn't going away so I will just have to make an addition to my insurance policy case I flood or burn down my entire condo building. :P wonder how much that will cost...
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
No matter how much research I do I still find myslef completely baffled on how to plum a sump. Considering that I will get the 90 gallon predrilled tank and 29 gallon sump I posted earlier how would I plum it. I'm hoping to have an in sump octopus skimmer rated for 150-200 gallons and hopefully a small refugium as well in the sump. I also plan to hook up 2 phosban reactors (one gac and one gfo) daisy chained to the system. Any advice on how to plum all of this would be greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind that I have never owned a marine tank or sump in my life and also know absolutely nothing about plumbing so the more details and pictures the better. Thanks in advance!
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
No suggestionss? :( I hate to sound so needy but after looking at melevs reef a million times as well as several dyi frums and sump pics I'm still completely overwhelmed about how to plum. Simple things like where does the return enter the tank? Whats a ball valve? Does the order go from skimmer to refuge to return pump? and if so, how? I would like things to be simple, effecient, as little junk in the DT as possible, and not have to ever worry about flooding my home. Oh yea, and also an ATO is something else I'm definitely interested in. If someone can even steer me in the direction to a good book that specificaly explains how to set these kind of things up for n00bs it would be appreciated.
On a side note, the closing date on my new condo has been scheduled for tuesday which brings me one step closer to bringing my obsession into a reality! :bounce::bounce:
On a side note, the closing date on my new condo has been scheduled for tuesday which brings me one step closer to bringing my obsession into a reality! :bounce::bounce:
rdang
Reefing newb
go on youtube, they have a bunch of DIY sump vids
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
I've tried that but all I came up with was waaaay over the top and overcomplicated ways to do uneccessary things no one seems to explain the simple stuff. Either that or they have the stone age of doing things like using a hob overflow into a berlin sump with bio balls and no fuge. lolz but I will search some moar!
Bifferwine
I am a girl
The easiest way to set up your sump will be to have plexiglass (from Home Depot or Lowe's) cut to form three sections in the sump.
Section 1: This is where the water enters the sump. This will also hold your equipment, like skimmer, phosphate reactors and heater.
Section 2: This is your refugium. You can have sand, macroalgae and live rock in this section.
Section 3: This is where you put your return pump to send the water back to the tank. This is the only section that the water will rise and fall in; all other sections and the display tank will keep a constant water level. So when water evaporates, the water will only drop in the return section.
You can plumb using PVC or flexible vinyl hose. The vinyl hose is easier to work with IMO, but is much more expensive. My tank is plumbed with PVC. You need to measure and cut pieces of PVC to run from each overflow down to Section 1 of the sump. You also need to measure and cut PVC to attach to the return pump and go back up to your tank. These lines will either go over the top of your tank to put water back into it, or if your tank is drilled for it, up through the bottom. You can use plain old PVC primer and glue to put the plumbing together.
A ball valve is a way to turn down the flow from your return pump. Be sure to only buy ball valves with all plastic pieces. You do not want any metal in the system. Here's a pic of a typical PVC ball valve.
http://www.bennys.bz/images/uploads/Pvc-Ball-Valve.gif
You want to add a ball valve after your return pump, so you can control how much water gets returned to the main tank. Water can only travel down your overflows as fast as the return pump can push it back into the tank. But if your return pump is too strong, you can overflow the display tank, so you'll want a ball valve to turn it down if necessary.
You will also need to drill siphon holes in your return lines to prevent flooding if the power goes out. So, wherever the plumbing puts water back into the tank, if any part of that plumbing extends underwater (which it usually does), you'll want to drill a hole in each PVC line below where the water line will be in the tank. This way, the water can only be sucked in a reverse siphon as far as the hole. Once the water level drops below the hole, it will start to suck air and will break the siphon.
Hope this helped a bit. Ask more questions if you have them, and I'll try to give more specific answers.
Section 1: This is where the water enters the sump. This will also hold your equipment, like skimmer, phosphate reactors and heater.
Section 2: This is your refugium. You can have sand, macroalgae and live rock in this section.
Section 3: This is where you put your return pump to send the water back to the tank. This is the only section that the water will rise and fall in; all other sections and the display tank will keep a constant water level. So when water evaporates, the water will only drop in the return section.
You can plumb using PVC or flexible vinyl hose. The vinyl hose is easier to work with IMO, but is much more expensive. My tank is plumbed with PVC. You need to measure and cut pieces of PVC to run from each overflow down to Section 1 of the sump. You also need to measure and cut PVC to attach to the return pump and go back up to your tank. These lines will either go over the top of your tank to put water back into it, or if your tank is drilled for it, up through the bottom. You can use plain old PVC primer and glue to put the plumbing together.
A ball valve is a way to turn down the flow from your return pump. Be sure to only buy ball valves with all plastic pieces. You do not want any metal in the system. Here's a pic of a typical PVC ball valve.
http://www.bennys.bz/images/uploads/Pvc-Ball-Valve.gif
You want to add a ball valve after your return pump, so you can control how much water gets returned to the main tank. Water can only travel down your overflows as fast as the return pump can push it back into the tank. But if your return pump is too strong, you can overflow the display tank, so you'll want a ball valve to turn it down if necessary.
You will also need to drill siphon holes in your return lines to prevent flooding if the power goes out. So, wherever the plumbing puts water back into the tank, if any part of that plumbing extends underwater (which it usually does), you'll want to drill a hole in each PVC line below where the water line will be in the tank. This way, the water can only be sucked in a reverse siphon as far as the hole. Once the water level drops below the hole, it will start to suck air and will break the siphon.
Hope this helped a bit. Ask more questions if you have them, and I'll try to give more specific answers.
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
Thanks biff!:mrgreen: the tank I'm looking at from glass cages with the reef ready package come with a glass overflow in back of tank with two drilled holes. Would I be correct in assuming that one hole is for draining from the overflow to the return section of the sump and one for the return from the sump back to the tank. You mentioned that if the tank is pre drilled that the pluming from the return pump enters a hole in the bottom of the tank wouldn't that create a lot of bubbles as well as stir up the sand and rocks? Since I'm not much of a handyman (which I'm sure is painfully obvious) I'm also considering adding the 29g custom acrylic sump option that comes with the tank from glasscages. If you take a look at the picture of it it seems to already be split in 3 sections (sorry can't provide link as I am on my phone). Would this sump be sufficient for what I'm trying to do? Does the drain from the overflow go straight into the skimmer or into a pump first that feeds the skimmer? Where would the pump that feeds the reactors go? If I'm starting to get annoying let me know and ill shut up for a bit. :P thanks again and sorry for being so nabsauce.
Last edited:
dcantucson
Reef pro
A pump around 900 gph is the smallest you will want to go with.
ggNoRe
Reefing newb
I plan to have 2 koralia #4's on timers inside the dt.
Zissou
What about my dynamite?
The drain from your overflow goes into the chamber with the skimmer, not connected by anything. Alot of people put a filter sock over the end of it, others don't. Either way, you want it underwater so it doesn't make alot of noise. The skimmer has its own pump and will pull water from the chamber, it doesn't need to be hooked up to the overflow, all it needs is enough water to let it work.
This is a good video on how to join PVC plumbing. The adhesive is usually in two parts, and will most likely come packaged together. The cement in the video is clear, but oftentimes you'll see purple.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MsMEQ8Q9Y"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MsMEQ8Q9Y[/ame]
Also, PVC dimensions are not actually what it says on the pipe. It's like wood, 2x4's are actually 1.5x3.5. 1" PVC isn't exactly 1" inside, nor 1" outside. I wouldn't worry about the actual dimensions, if you're using 1" pipe, get 1" connectors. SLIP fittings require the glue. Threaded fittings use teflon tape, this video shows a shower head install, but that's generally the same way you use the tape with PVC.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNjKs-bwOk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNjKs-bwOk[/ame]
Now, you only have to worry about this if you're hard plumbing your tank. They also make hose barbs, that can attach to PVC. If your overflow drain pipe is threaded underneath your tank, you can screw in a hosebarb (with teflon tape), and then just get some flexible tubing and push it on there, using a hose clamp to keep it on. If your overflow has a regular PVC pipe, you can get a non threaded, SLIP hosebarb. Either way will work. The SLIP barb will need cement just like the PVC.
On the drain, you shouldn't need anything between the overflow and skimmer chamber. Some people put gate or ball valves on theirs to control flow, but it's debateable whether this is a good idea or not. The only difference between a gate valve and ball valve is that, a gate valves uses a door inside to control the water, and the ball using a rotating ball. Not sure if any is better than the other, though gates are normally more expensive and probably allows more fine control.
This is a good video on how to join PVC plumbing. The adhesive is usually in two parts, and will most likely come packaged together. The cement in the video is clear, but oftentimes you'll see purple.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MsMEQ8Q9Y"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MsMEQ8Q9Y[/ame]
Also, PVC dimensions are not actually what it says on the pipe. It's like wood, 2x4's are actually 1.5x3.5. 1" PVC isn't exactly 1" inside, nor 1" outside. I wouldn't worry about the actual dimensions, if you're using 1" pipe, get 1" connectors. SLIP fittings require the glue. Threaded fittings use teflon tape, this video shows a shower head install, but that's generally the same way you use the tape with PVC.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNjKs-bwOk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNjKs-bwOk[/ame]
Now, you only have to worry about this if you're hard plumbing your tank. They also make hose barbs, that can attach to PVC. If your overflow drain pipe is threaded underneath your tank, you can screw in a hosebarb (with teflon tape), and then just get some flexible tubing and push it on there, using a hose clamp to keep it on. If your overflow has a regular PVC pipe, you can get a non threaded, SLIP hosebarb. Either way will work. The SLIP barb will need cement just like the PVC.
On the drain, you shouldn't need anything between the overflow and skimmer chamber. Some people put gate or ball valves on theirs to control flow, but it's debateable whether this is a good idea or not. The only difference between a gate valve and ball valve is that, a gate valves uses a door inside to control the water, and the ball using a rotating ball. Not sure if any is better than the other, though gates are normally more expensive and probably allows more fine control.
Zissou
What about my dynamite?
This is a basic setup. It's wise to make a T off the return line with a ball/gate valve, to control the flow of your pump. If the pump pumps too fast, it'll drain the sump faster than it can fill and possibly run dry, and that's not good. So if you find your pump is pumping too much water, you can use the valve to bleed some of the water off back into the overflow chamber, or into the refugium.
Also on your return line, you want to have some sort of protection against back siphoning. Either a check valve (water can only go in one direction, if the power goes out and the water comes back, a gate shuts, preventing water from draining back), or a siphon break. A siphon break is usually a drilled hole in your return line, right below the water line in your fish tank. When the water drains back and hits that hole, air gets in, breaking the siphon.
If you don't have a siphon break or check valve, you may come home to a wet floor. The power will go out, and since the return line in your tank is under water, it'll create a suction going in the wrong direction when the pump stops. So, if your return line is 6" underwater, that's 6" of tank water that'll get siphoned back into your sump. If you don't have enough room in your sump to compensate, you get a flood. The water will drain until it hits air.
A check valve is usually a SLIP or threaded piece, and plumbs into your PVC the same way as everything else.
http://www.aquacave.com/swing-check-valves-true-unionbr-clear-pvc-socket-connection-479.html
Hope this helps!
Also on your return line, you want to have some sort of protection against back siphoning. Either a check valve (water can only go in one direction, if the power goes out and the water comes back, a gate shuts, preventing water from draining back), or a siphon break. A siphon break is usually a drilled hole in your return line, right below the water line in your fish tank. When the water drains back and hits that hole, air gets in, breaking the siphon.
If you don't have a siphon break or check valve, you may come home to a wet floor. The power will go out, and since the return line in your tank is under water, it'll create a suction going in the wrong direction when the pump stops. So, if your return line is 6" underwater, that's 6" of tank water that'll get siphoned back into your sump. If you don't have enough room in your sump to compensate, you get a flood. The water will drain until it hits air.
A check valve is usually a SLIP or threaded piece, and plumbs into your PVC the same way as everything else.
http://www.aquacave.com/swing-check-valves-true-unionbr-clear-pvc-socket-connection-479.html
Hope this helps!
Last edited:
