Chad January 9, 2012 Share January 9, 2012 I also wouldn't worry about the natural light (unless it contributes to a temperature problem). Is the stand on a pedestal? It looks tall (which I like). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 9, 2012 Author Share January 9, 2012 (edited) Is the stand on a pedestal? It looks tall (which I like). Yes it is. Andy had a custom 9" stand built to make the tank taller. I also like that a lot. It raises the stand from 29" to 38". Edited January 9, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 9, 2012 Author Share January 9, 2012 Dying to add water. Just need a sump! I would love a sump that looks like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad January 9, 2012 Share January 9, 2012 You could go with something like this: This is a design did a while back to go under the 200g version of your tank. Looking at it now, I would change the position of the horizontal part between chambers 1 and 3 such that it is in between chambers 1 and 2. But other than that I think it would work great! Maybe a little large for your stand, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 9, 2012 Author Share January 9, 2012 That's a nice sump. I need to measure the inside exactly, but maybe a smaller version like that would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 9, 2012 Author Share January 9, 2012 (edited) The max size sump I can fit in my stand is 30" x 22" x 18". So it would be a wider version of this one (which is 31" x 13" x 16"): NAGA has a 31" x 18" x 17" available that might fit the bill... Edited January 9, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw January 9, 2012 Share January 9, 2012 Just be careful.......if you fill the stand with the sump you will have a H-E-double hockey sticks of a time trying to get to things. I'm sure you have a bunch of plugs and things that have to fit under there too. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 10, 2012 Author Share January 10, 2012 (edited) Just be careful.......if you fill the stand with the sump you will have a H-E-double hockey sticks of a time trying to get to things. I'm sure you have a bunch of plugs and things that have to fit under there too. Just a thought. True enough. I would love to have everything fit underneath. I am wondering if a $20 Petco 20g long glass tank might be the best option at this point... It's 30" x 12" x 12"... What do you think? I could fit a ASM G3 inside, toss in a couple baffles, have a return pump section for the mag 9.5, and a small fuge. I am thinking the sections could be 13" / 9" / 8" (skimmer/fuge/return)? Edited January 10, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 10, 2012 Author Share January 10, 2012 Or another thought, I could skip the fuge, make a 2 section sump with a couple baffles, out of a 20g long? is a fuge required? Even if it's tiny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella January 10, 2012 Share January 10, 2012 You could use a HOB refugium with your sump. As in hang (id recommend making a stand) the fuge on the sump, keep it all underneath. The HOBs have a relatively small footprint. Then you can have it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 10, 2012 Share January 10, 2012 ive got a 38g sump somethign gal that is 36 in and i have room for the asm return and about 6-8 inches of fuge so. i think the asms footprint is like 11x12...so should fit in the 20l, just figure in the space for baffles etc....ill try to measure mine tonight..i have mine nestled in pretty tight, 3 baffles, mag9 return chamber and the rest is a fuge. you might be able to work a small 10g fuge or somthing along those lines and make a shelf above the 20 long to since the stand is a bit higher then normal (im assuming its taller inside as well), then just T off the return or the overflow to feed it and have it drain into the return pump chamber. so basically stacking the fuge over the sump. or the HOB will most likely be easiest..or just skip a fuge...they are nice but not necssary, you can always seperate some macro with eggcrate if needs be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 12, 2012 Author Share January 12, 2012 (edited) What do you all think about this layout for inside the stand? (The stand is 36"x36", but the usable space is 30"x30" inside, which is why the diagram is 30"x30"). Edited January 12, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 12, 2012 Author Share January 12, 2012 Is my drawing that bad? haha Would like advice on location of the sump/fuge; should I use a union/check valve on both lines going from/to the tank above; are baffle locations okay, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella January 12, 2012 Share January 12, 2012 (edited) Based on the drawing, it looks like a nightmare to do anything in that cabinet with all that stuff.. Your really gonna be cramped, and dont forget all the cords/cables that will be going everywhere... Edited January 12, 2012 by trockafella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella January 12, 2012 Share January 12, 2012 Do the side panels come off the stand.? Btw your drawing looks like a treasure map from goonies.. I can appreciate yor artistic ability.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 12, 2012 Share January 12, 2012 couple random things why are you using check valves? i would think it safer to not rely on them (one more thing to go wrong)you just need to leave the sump with enough room to have the overflow drain. Heater placement, i think you would be safer putting it in the return pump area....but i could be wrong here the baffle on the far left before the skimmer is unnecessary I might turn the sump around so the return pump is closer to the hole up to save on some head loss. Also would think about splitting off return line to feed the refugium as it will be easier to control the flow rate into it that way. Would also think if you have the room to put the fuge up high enough to fit the dosing jugs under you would save alot of room. and last....just make sure you can get to everything easily...aka to refull jugs, take off the skimmer top etc...once you get it dry fit you will be able to see and test for maintenanec issues. i would think the fuge in the back would be best since you dont have to do too much for it. sorry to write a book but those are some things i see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 12, 2012 Author Share January 12, 2012 Do the side panels come off the stand.? Btw your drawing looks like a treasure map from goonies.. I can appreciate yor artistic ability.! Yes, the side panels come off entirely. The back is open, and the front has 2 cabinet doors. A nice stand that way. And goonies... darn... That stings a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 12, 2012 Author Share January 12, 2012 couple random things why are you using check valves? i would think it safer to not rely on them (one more thing to go wrong)you just need to leave the sump with enough room to have the overflow drain. Heater placement, i think you would be safer putting it in the return pump area....but i could be wrong here the baffle on the far left before the skimmer is unnecessary I might turn the sump around so the return pump is closer to the hole up to save on some head loss. Also would think about splitting off return line to feed the refugium as it will be easier to control the flow rate into it that way. Would also think if you have the room to put the fuge up high enough to fit the dosing jugs under you would save alot of room. and last....just make sure you can get to everything easily...aka to refull jugs, take off the skimmer top etc...once you get it dry fit you will be able to see and test for maintenanec issues. i would think the fuge in the back would be best since you dont have to do too much for it. sorry to write a book but those are some things i see. Thanks Evan, I appreciate it. The reason I went with the fuge up front, is because I wanted to be able to see it easily. I love the ecosystem in the fuge a lot! I am hoping the jugs in the back are easily accessible. Once I get everything in, dry, I may change the plans, but I'd really like to be able to watch the fuge easily. I can definitely add a 3rd Tee on the return line for the fuge, so I will do that! I thought check valves were extra safety if the power went out, the tanks below wouldn't gain any water? If they can be problematic I will skip them then! The far left baffle, I will yank. I will spin the 20g Long around, so the return pump is closer to the hole. If I am splitting it 3 times (1 for Carbon, 1 for GFO, and 1 for Fuge) I will need all the flow I can get. *When it comes to plumbing - I think the Mag 9.5 outlet is 3/4", and the return hole in the tank is 1" or 1.5", how hard is it going to be to plumb that line with 3 Tee's? The carbon and gfo will be 1/4" each; and the fuge can be whatever I choose, would 1/4" work here as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 12, 2012 Share January 12, 2012 i dont think you will need as much flow as you think, look into the waterblaster 5000, compared to a mag9.5 it pays for itself in electricity in less than 2 years. ill be using mine on my 120, 30g frag, T'd off for the frag, Biopellets, Carbon, and Ca RX....i thought about the waterblaster7000 but from what the people that have them already are saying is they are a ton of flow...im getting sean from F&F to order me one so your welcome to wait till i get it and i can let you know how it does.....I also have a couple Mag 9.5s that im getting ready to sell id be happy to lend ya or sell. the T itself shuold be easy will just need some ball valves to control flow as for the check valves, if you just leave enough room in you sump for the back flow to fill it up but not overflow i believe its considered best. aka you dont rely on anything working you just need enough room in the sump to not overflow. this is the way i have my tank and i know many others do too... best way is to make the skimmer compartment as tight as you can so that compartment for the pump is as big as it can be/you need it to be. that way you can get the skimmer water level where you want it with the baffle and then you can just set your ATO to turn on and off at the correct level in the return chamber...hard for me to explain in words but if you ever want to come take a look at mine your welcome to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer January 13, 2012 Share January 13, 2012 +1 on the Ts and check valves. You are probably best off with clean runs of flex PVC into that tight space. A check valve that is limed up because it is hard to clean is worse than no check valve at all. A nice thing about driving your reactors with a T off the return is that it gives you another layer of siphon- break protection. Just keep the outputs of the reactors above the water line and they will start sucking air when the return goes out. You may really want to shop around a little before going with the mag. There are much cooler-running and more reliable pumps around now. I can't even remember how many mags I have owned that ended up in the trash. That doesn't even consider the scores of impellers and housings I have gone through. When I look back at it, I have to say they fail a lot and take a lot of attention. Of course you know I am a high-reliability freak. But I am posting this from Singapore and I am not even slightly worried about the status of my return pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 13, 2012 Author Share January 13, 2012 Alright. I brought home a 20g tall and a 20g long from Petco this afternoon. Both tanks fit under the stand, but filled the entire thing, no room left for reactors or BRS Alk and Cal jugs, etc. So that's not going to work. I've decided to keep the 20g long and use that for the sump, and return the 20g tall. I like the 16" depth of the 20g tall, but the 12" of depth of the 20g long will make working in the sump a lot easier. Plus it's longer, which helps with finding a skimmer. The Mag 9.5 is really heavy. When I just set it on the bottom pane of glass of the 20g long, I feel like it's going to break the glass due to it's weight. Is there anything I can do to make sure the bottom glass of the 20g long doesn't break under the heavy mag pump? I was thinking some sort of rubber under the pump to lessen the vibration noise and impact on the glass? What about put egg crate then the rubber mat, then the pump on the glass? The 20g long is 30"x12"x12". I've ruled out the ASM G3 and ASM G4 as skimmers because they are too big and too tall. I'm also leaning against an Avast CS1 because it won't fit under the tank with a swabbie installed (25.75"), and I want a skimmer with a 1/2" clearance-required screw-off top that I can dump and clean in the sink easily. So now I'm seeking a skimmer with a heavy tank rating of 200-300g; a small footprint with one side no larger than 12", and a height around 20-22". I need to decide if I want to go recirc or not. I like the idea of recirc because I won't have to worry about the water level on the skimmer side of the sump (which is normally around 9" - and that's high in a sump that's only 12" tall); and because a power outage won't create a sump that overflows due to pressure. The downside is the 12" max width, and whether I am going to put a fuge in the sump. Recirc would more or less eliminate the chance of a fuge because of the larger footprint. As to the layout of this 20g long as a sump. I have a couple options. I could go 2 chamber, like this: http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8682&stc=1&d=1148411962 Or 3 chamber, with a fuge, like this: http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/glass/20gsump_new.jpg I really wish I could have the fuge, but I am leaning against it for 2 reasons. First, it will be so small, I highly doubt it would do much for a 150g tank (~5g = ~3% of the 170g system volume.) Second, without a fuge, the return pump section of the sump could be larger, and the skimmer side too - which would give me maximum footprint space for the best skimmer I can afford. 1. How can I prevent the bottom glass of the sump from breaking under the weight of the mag pump? Egg crate? Rubber mat? Other? 2. Should I go recirc on the skimmer, or just insert baffles that are 9" tall? (Wouldn't only 3" of clearance in the tank be asking for trouble during a power outage/overflow?) 3. What would you all do for chambers in the sump? 2 chambers or 3 chambers? 4. Anyone have a skimmer idea for a powerful, 20-22" tall, internal, small footprint skimmer? Recirc one as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 13, 2012 Author Share January 13, 2012 You may really want to shop around a little before going with the mag. There are much cooler-running and more reliable pumps around now. I can't even remember how many mags I have owned that ended up in the trash. That doesn't even consider the scores of impellers and housings I have gone through. When I look back at it, I have to say they fail a lot and take a lot of attention. Of course you know I am a high-reliability freak. But I am posting this from Singapore and I am not even slightly worried about the status of my return pump. The mag 9.5 came with the tank. Should I run it until it goes, or should I buy another pump now? I used to have an external pan world that was an excellent pump, but I wasn't planning on drilling this sump. I guess I could and get a pan world hooked up? Are there any reliable internal pumps? An eheim perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable January 13, 2012 Share January 13, 2012 I too am running a Mag 9.5 for my return. I have it sitting on top of acrylic that was left over from making my baffles. The guy I bought my setup from said the pump is 7 years old, and it's still running with no problems. knock on wood.... probably just jinxed myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 13, 2012 Author Share January 13, 2012 1. Should I buy a Pan World External pump and drill the tank? And sell off the mag 9.5? 2. The way I used to have an ATO was: Solenoid valve on a timer, then the ro/di unit, then a float switch in the sump. The timer would come on for 15 minutes a day, 4 times a day. Or something similar. I think this was fail-proof? Should I also drill the sump for a float valve and setup an ATO like this method again? I was leaning towards the Avast ATO, but by the time I get that ($90) and a pump ($17), you're at $107, and I'm not sure it's as fail-proof as my old method. For example, if I ran the ro/di line directly to the ATO pump, like an aqua lifter, how would it handle the pressure? Are they meant to handle constant ro/di pressure? Could it break, or could the tube pop off? Second, using this setup, the ro/di unit would be on 24/7. My old method, it was only on 1 hour a day total, thus, would last longer between resin and filter changes. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 13, 2012 Author Share January 13, 2012 $25 Solenoid Valve $13 Float Valve Would just need to find someone that could drill a 7/16" hole...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now