Intro HFG

HFG · 03-19-2004, 12:29 PM

Hi,
I guess I am not introducing my self, as you are probably more interested in my tanks

I am going to post my project and some pics that I have found usfull at other forums. I hope to see you all at the April meeting.
-HFG

This is where I am at. I have done FW tanks for years. This is my first SW tank (75g). It has been FOWLR for 2 years (though only 30-40# of LR). I decided to make it reef. The fish are back at the LFS, and there is 60# of base rock and 30# of LR cycling.

I have a CPR sump / skimmer. I took the biomedia out.
I added a tek-light T5 system and had to get a chiller so wish I had got MH (I'm in a condo, top floor, facing west... my heat is off and I have the door open right now

Imagin June in here! ).
Still there is a heater in the sump (even though the chiller is running ATM....)

Here are some comparison pictures I have found usefull:

HFG · 03-19-2004, 12:56 PM

This is where the project is going. Plz skip the notes after the picture if building diarys are boring to you

If you are into diy, this is really my first project... of any kind with tools, feel free to comment on the design.
Right now I have a load of bulkheads comming in the mail.

Warning @@ BORING NOTES AHEAD @@ Warning

The 75g, chiller, and yellow lines ( vinal tube ¾”), are done up and running. The shelving is also done.

E1 runs a wave maker and 4 maxi-jets in the 75g, and 2 of the T-5 (on the same fuse is 4 computers 3 monitors and a partridge in a pear tree).
E2 runs the return pump mag 7?, skimmer pump rio 1700, 4 of the T-5, chiller, will run any additions (3-5 60w lights, another mag7 most likely, 2 small heaters and another partridge in a pear tree).

Blue lines flow up, cream lines flow down. I would have the normal flow end up all in the sump, but add a return to tank 5 in case I need to turn the 75 off for an extended period.

The pumps in #6 (sucking through #5) and “sump” are identical so I could switch the cooler fast if I had to.

Pink lines are gravity fed. Sump, 5, and 6 will keep the sumps all one level. Between 2 & 3 is just a little more fault tolerance. I would like to come up with a method to see if flow is really going through there (which would mean one of the overflows is clogged). I am thinking dental floss then a ribbon of some sort in the center.

1) 20 gallon Long
2-6) 10 gallon

4) will be my mixing tank but will serve as a sick tank in a pinch. The green boxes on #1 and #4 are one in the same HOB. The HOB will stick on #1, less I need it then I will move it to #4. It takes me close to 2 days to make 10g of RO water so I plan to use #4 as the mixing pot for new water, that way I can be as fast as possible in an emergency getting the sick tank going.

5,6) I plan on making this sump/refugium style. They will have about 6” inches of working space. 3” in the back of each tank has been reserved for plumbing and was not considered in the volume of “sump” water. Probably I will block these off with a “curtain” of sorts and reverse daylight; 11PM to Noon (I run my main lights later in the day about 12 to 12). I could completely scoop out the algae from one tank each weak (although the way I stock things I doubt I will ever have that much algae). Hmm what should I grow the algae on?

1,2,3 These will be species / refugium tanks.

polskp · 03-19-2004, 02:25 PM

Pretty ambitious for your first project! I don't know much about the theories behind sump/autotopoff schematics and the like. But yours looks like a winner to me (albeit a little complex). Hopefully someone in the club will come to my aid when I look to build a 180 next year. (maybe a 220).

I like the idea of separate species tanks on the same system. If you're gonna do it, you may as well do it right.

HFG · 03-19-2004, 03:04 PM

Its not my first tank, just my first diy

The whole thing started because:
I would like to do as "natural" a filter method as possible. The two tanks on the bottom should be great for scooping out algea if I can get it to grow in there. Since I needed to do this outside the tank anyhow, and I am using up room space... why not use ALL the space up (and I do mean "up" hehe).
With the "open" top I am having to fill RO every day. This unit lets me put in an easy to do gravity filled top off

I need a Quarintine tank right

BTW what should I use to run the Q tank... I bought a HOB... but that has a biowheel

any suggestions here would be apriciated.

So hey that leaves 3 tanks for species

I really want a smokin' green Mantis shrimp ... Though I laugh everytime I think of the poor suckers. I used to eat them alot and they were called pee pee shrimp by the locals

I also would like a--- Highfin (Threadfin)Goby Stonogobiops nematodes with a Alpheus randalli (pistol shrimp).

The main tank I would like to aim for a Mandarin (another reason I am adding lots of refugiums).

I am also looking at:
One purple firefish Goby – Nemateleotris decora.

one or three Royal gramma - Gramma loreto. (Mixed reports on how succsesfull 3 Royals would be in a 75.

But, I am not sure of the compatablity of these three species. Again any comments on the fish choices would be apriciated

Rest will be inverts. Still have a fair amount of research to go on this, fortunatly I will be busy drilling for a while.

clyde · 03-19-2004, 04:10 PM

very cool drawing of the all those pipes and all, I SWORE I saw a hamster running on one of those tubes, must be me eyes playing tricks on me.

Graham · 03-19-2004, 04:18 PM

Welcome HFG - glad to have you onboard!
I agree, that's some plan!

David Grigor · 03-19-2004, 04:26 PM

Not for sure why all the complexity and need for multiple small tanks but more power to ya.....

You could eliminate multiple tanks on rows 2,3,4 buy have built or build yourself an acrylic with just partitions between them instead of all the plumbing. Switching from glass to acrylic would make it a synch to drill......or just putting partitions in a larger glass tank such as a 40 long or 40breader or something.

Hmm what should I grow the algae on? eggcrate partitions with some vinyl screening on them would work well for it to adhere and harvest from......

David Grigor · 03-19-2004, 04:33 PM

FYI: 10g tanks are the trickiest to drill. Glass being so thin it can crack real easy when the bit is breaking through the other end. If you go with the 10g tanks there are lots of economy tanks out there that may be tempered ( even the sides )and not marked. Be sure to go with a name brand where you can verify they are not tempered.....

HFG · 03-20-2004, 02:21 AM

Thanks for the tips.
This has been my thinking
1 ) 10g tanks are 8 bucks at for pets sake. AGA aquariums in the 10g style are not marked as tempered in their CAT. I won't cry if I mess up a 10g tank (and if I do I will have lots of glass to practice with

.

2) I have never worked with acrylic (once again live in a condo and really have never done HW stuff before). I need a dremel any how, so this seemed the cheepest.
3) The stand I am working with has a 36 inch base, but only a 33 inch hole.

4) Having sepperate tanks
a) allows me to easly pull a whole tank off the system and scrub it down, if need be.
b) 3 x 10.5 = perfect fit
c) it is a shame the 30 L couldnt fit in there (as the rack is 36"). but thats ok because I will use the 6 inches on that shelf to build a mini cabinet for supplies.

....................
Of course 30 and 40 breeders are the penultamate shape, but you can see what I am working with in the first pic on this post.

I don't think it is neerly as complicated as my messy drawing made it out to be.. It is pretty a pretty simple pathway, each having 2 routs (on the rack tanks) to get to the sump.

I would get a larger rack. but I want that space between the tank and the rack. Or else i wont beable to see the side of the main tank from the location my lazy butt is on now

Egg/vinyl sounds good I will design my sumps around that.. any gut reactions on screening both sides to vs one side of the egg crate? (mine is 2 is more area to grow on, but would trap too much crud inside).

Thanks for the brain storms !

otolith · 03-20-2004, 11:56 AM

Wow, that looks like a pretty awesome setup. The only thing I would add to that is to make sure you're a member of the Department of the Redundancy Department. ie. your outlet to one of the tanks gets plugged, what is the water's second way of draining?

As for the eggcrate, prolly just one side, since only one side will see light.

Can't wait to see this when you have it all up and running.

Derek

HFG · 03-20-2004, 12:30 PM

Oh right... the egg crate I was thining to have vertical strips of it and force the water through it... I was actually thinking of just using egg crate with no holes in it (I don't want to trap debrie) just get good surface area for algea to grow on. I'll play with that today and see If I can get some designs going on the sump (probably better to copy others methods... but this is part of the fun for me

What do they call the tube that goes from tank to HOB overflow?

Thats my redundancy for 2/3... no not great and probably should put a seccond bulk head in

.. hmm let me see might beable to fit one 20 H in there..
The 75 is obviously up and running already and no way I am going to drill into that

I wish I had known more about plumming when I first got the tanks

happy · 03-20-2004, 12:44 PM

I would suggest some type of drip pan under all that stuff. with that many fittings, etc, you will have salt creep, and some leaks. and use smoke or green hose anywhere light can shine to keep algea off the inside of your hoses. did you know sears sells small green hose for use with dehumidifiers.

SawCJack00 · 03-20-2004, 01:21 PM

Nobody mentioned it yet, but your aquascaping looks very nice! Good luck with the project.

HFG · 03-20-2004, 09:31 PM

WOW, wish I had found this group much earler. Thanks for all the support. I apriciate the tips, suggestions and praise.

Im on draft 8. I keep trying to make it more and more simple yet do all the jobs I want.

Few things came up.

1 the center rack needs to be the good looking one. Probably will be a DSB with a pistol goby combo.

I found out I have enough room to get the chiller off the shelf . woo hoo more room to work with

I want the new sump to feed into the tank (long term goal of having a mandarin.. Hmm It would still be direct if I reversed the flow..
OK off to the drawing board again. I will post soon as I feel secure for 10 min in the design.

Once again TY for the support!!!

otolith · 03-20-2004, 09:38 PM

A fully mature 75g should provide plenty of pods for a mandarin. Also make a few "pod piles" by putting some rubble in a little pile.

As for the redundancy, just make sure that if you use a 1" bulkhead on your 10g tanks that you have a large strainer that is virtually guaranteed not to plug up.