[crazymittens]

One item I'm not certain about is the return plumbing. My initial plan was to have the return plumbing run up the opposite side from the drains...but after building the stand, that'll be difficult/awkward to do.

I think this is how I'll run it instead:

1. Pumps
2. Solid 3/4" PVC (not glued)
3. Bulkhead in glass lid
4. 90-degree elbow
5. Flex line or solid
6. This runs back out near the drains, up past the overflow, then allll the way down to the other end of the tank.

Probably going to do solid PVC to keep costs down, reliability up.

 

[crazymittens]

Oh, and brainwave about the 20G shrimparium...I already have a Rena XP1 - will just use that instead of plumbing the 20G into the sump. No costs incurred this way! Plus, this tank can act as a QT! Win-win.

Also, definately doing solid 3/4" returns...50% the cost per-foot compared to vinyl.

 

[crazymittens]

Checked the sump last night, panels are SOLID. So there you go...even if you have 3/16" gap on either side of the panel, enough silicone will still get the job done!

Sanded down the edges of the tank holes.

And drilled for the siphon activator

I need to pick up the return plumbing bits this week (3x 10', connectors), and get a threaded adapter for the emergency bulkhead. If they have clear primer...will probably splurge on that, too. Save me painting stuff black.

 

[crazymittens]

Dang, check this sump out:

It is a reef tank, but still...awesome plumbing job.

 

[Phil Edwards]

Oh my, that sump is gorgeous....

 

[fishyboy]

^ One of my builds is very closes to that with some tweaks, only in glass. Works great

 

[AHP]

Nice job this weekend!

 

[crazymittens]

Tx, AHP. Very exciting...depending on how this week goes, could have plumbing tests this weekend!

I've seen the design before, but almost all sump designs seem to revolve around using filter socks. Not a huge deal, but I found they required much more attention due to clogs. I get the water polishing thing, just found it to require a lot more effort.

 

[crazymittens]

Why is it that every time I've been to Lowe's for PVC, they are out of 3/4" 90-degree elbows? Haha, it's kinda funny. Picked up the return stuff...I have had an idea...

That being, send ONE return line instead of two. I had to get a tee, so the more powerful pump will go straight through, the less powerful pump will have to deal with a 90-degree tee. I know, a y-adapter is best, but we take what we can get. This part of the plumbing will be in-sump and not glued, so easy enough to change in future.

When it enters the tank, the flow will be distributed via a spraybar or something.

Reason for the change...I've been considering moving to one pump (one better pump) in future, and I would like to limit how much plumbing I have to run across the top of the tank.

Anyways...going to try and finish the sump tonight.

 

[crazymittens]

Hoh boy. Sump is 95% done!

What's left?

• Cut/fit the center drip tray stand (pvc)
• Drill sump lid for bulkhead
• Cut/fit lid for drains
• Buy more pot scrubbies

Do those plexi stand bits/drip trays look familiar? Recycled from old sumpy!

Egg crate recycled from bottom of old display tank
This will keep the pot scrubbies in their place, since they be floaters. 10.5" tall. I'll probably do something like...tie a bunch of them into 'pillars' with fishing line. Those will sit along the edge of this screen, hopefully preventing any floaters from getting by.

This is what we'll do to keep to a single return pipe
Whoa, HDR freaked out with the lighting.

You get the idea about using the tee. I know it's not great for flow, but it'll do for now. None of the joints inside the sump will get glue - for this simple reason: No way to easily (cheaply) change over to a proper Y-adapter and sump access would become a nightmare.

Note about flow: These two pumps will pretty much be maxing out the flow of 3/4" pvc. With all the bends and runs, the two should get max flow and not much more anyways.

In future we'd upgrade the pump and all return plumbing to 1".

And out the stand, up over the tank
Bottom three pieces get us outside the stand and going vertical, top two pieces get us past the external overflow box and onto the long horizontal run to tank entry point.

An idea of what I'm mumbling about

Use a bulkhead at tank entry point?

Or just cut a hole to fit this?
(3/4 to 1" bushing -> 1" street elbow -> 1" 90-degree elbow)

Pew pew pew!

Sump pumps!

Overflow plumbing almost there
That's the theory, anyways. I'll be teflon-taping the threaded joints to ensure no siphon issues, but no glue otherwise (well, the full water test will tell the tale). Depending on how overflow water levels do, I may be able to do away with the emergency pipe extension (i.e. the threaded adapter will do the trick).

Other notes

• The adhesive shipped, should be here tomorrow. This means tomorrow night is overflow box assembly! :icon_eek:
• Will wait until everything is together before I buy the Spa-Flex.
• Still have to create an entry point into the stand for plumbing. That'll wait.

Edit: Just realized something...so far, the sump has cost me ZERO dollars!! All recycled/leftover bits! Cool! Oh wait...a glass cutter. $6.

 

[crazymittens]

I ran the proposed config through RC's nifty head loss calculator (http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/head-loss-calculator) and it looks like we'll only be getting something like 600GPH net.

To resolve this, there are a few options...

1. Add two light-duty powerheads to ensure proper circulation inside the display tank ($60-70 total, unless I can clean up the ones I have - prev. used in SW tank)
2. Replace the ghetto 'two-pump-return' with a proper single pump (DC variable BLING) ($200-250 total)

I'm thinking that a cleanup effort on the two Koralias probably has the highest WAF.


So tonight's tasks:

1. Build overflow box!

 

[Phil Edwards]

Dang boy, that's looking awesome! Seriously, I really like what you've done so far. As for the tank return, don't cut a hole. It'll make things a little more difficult to access quickly should the need arise.

 

[crazymittens]

Tanks! (haha!)

Yeah, after playing around some more, seems like a bad idea to use the bulkhead here. Once everything is up and running (well, testing), I'll start to play around with spraybar ideas to divert the flow across both long panes of the tank.

 

[crazymittens]

More research, better idea. One or two Koralias toward the bottom of the tank at the overflow end. Leave the return as-is, pointed diagonal across the top of the tank.

This should allow a nice circular pattern - Koralias ensuring that the bottom water gets sent across and picked up by the return flow, which then sends it back across the top and out the overflow.

As a side benefit, it means I still get to keep all intrusive plumbing/wiring at the overflow end, so it's an aesthetic win.

 

[Phil Edwards]

I'm going to be using either a Korallia 4 or EcoTech VorTech MP40w on my tank, so a pair of Korallias on your system should work. You may find that the pump is better placed near the top, or higher up in the tank, as they have significant draw that could disturb your substrate. Also, if you plan to have any hardscaping materials, there's a good chance you'll get some eddy induced excavation on the flow side. I did a flow test with the MP40s (on 100%, granted) in the reef I'm setting up and got SIGNIFICANT displacement...down to the glass, around some of the rocks.

 

[crazymittens]

Hm, good points about 'eddy induced excavation'. That's a nice term.

I picked up the Spa-Flex today - $2.90/ft!!! Ouch. Hope I mentally measured correctly. (mistake#1) Unfortunately Canadapost's delivery dates were super-wrong, delivery is actually the 3rd now, so box building won't happen until Thurs/Fri.

This means, however, that I can go dig those Koralias out, see what's what. Maybe even go out and see some friends tonight. WEIRD.

 

[crazymittens]

Friends overrode tank stuff, and it was good - I need to get out and see them more than once every quarter.


I did get a little tank stuff done - drip tray is siliconed in place (spot decision), and drilled the bulkhead hole for the returns. If Dropbox wasn't so anal about battery life, I'd have even posted pictures.

 

[crazymittens]

BTW, Phil, this should help your sump planning...wished I had it when I was doing mine! http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/3skeng-pipe

 

[mnellis3023]

nice build thread, and you were right....this is pretty similar to mine!
One thing I would suggest. The standard 3/4'' tee that you are using for the return pumps could case increased head pressure due to the two pumps competing with each other. I would suggest looking for a sweeping tee which is sometimes called a street tee. This will allow the second pump to place its flow inline with the primary. This should eliminate some back pressure and head lose. See the picture attached, you would reverse it from what the pictures is showing

 

[crazymittens]

Brief update pics...

Bulkhead drilled

Drip tray siliconed in place

• Still debating if the lip at the edge of the drip tray is a necessity...I suppose it'll add vertical /horizontal strength if nothing else so I can get rid of the central support. Ya, okay fine.
• Had a brainwave about the drains last night - I'll cut out a section of the lid to be plexiglas, then cut out holes to exactly fit 1.5" PVC. Alternatively, cut the glass using my Dremel...hm. Ya, that.