New Tank Build- From Scratch. Step by step. All things considered

skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#41
#41
thnks wicked.
Guys I could really use some help with some q/a on a crash course in some sump plumbing options. I am trying to stick to 50% or bigger for a sump for all the obvious reasons. More water volume means less suttle changes in quality, easier to disperse the bio load, and more room to do more kwel things.
Its the options on the how to I am seriously needing clarifications on. My 90g now has an hob overflow with a 1" utube. this is 600 gallons per hour draining. The new tank has 2x2 3/4 inch holes that will pipe to bulkheads at 1.5". By my math that around 900+ an hour drain capacity each. Does that sound right?
If you go with 10 times the circulation thats 3000 gallon per hour. Granted some can be circulation inside tank. So I believe i am limited to 1800 gph on the overflows.
So if that sounds right, here is the thick of the how to question. Say the drains flow down to another tank in the basement. Forgetting the size for the moment. A pump that can handle that head at 1800gph would undoubtedly need be external right?

So say that tank has overflows. Would it not be very unwise to have that sump drain into a 10-20 gal where I can easily drill a side bulkhead for the pump?
I would rather plug all other overflows and have one drain straight to pump? is that safe?
Say the tank does not have overflows, and drilling would be to risky (150-300gal tank). How to get the water up, and over to go to the tank without priming issues for an external pump.

Sorry so long, but I am tired of trolling cl for something. I am going to walk out and buy somehting. I can hold off on the skimmer and reactors for later as I don't have much coral and everything can stay (all be it moved to another wall) in my existing tank.
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#43
#43
From the jist I got from the engineer that would be a really bad idea if the basement floor moves it will push your supports and floor above it up as well. But I know nothing, and perhaps your floor was not designed to float... I should see about using those for my sump :p
 
ShelbyJK500

ShelbyJK500

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#44
#44
I had so many of these same questions when starting up. I ended up pulling the trigger, after seeing many done successfully, on a 150g Rubbermaid stock tank. If you were wanting to do 50% of your water volume on your 300g, a 150 would be exactly there. The stock tanks already come with a "drain" hole, that is easily your bulkhead hole for an external pump. You will most likely need an external for a basement sump, just for the head pressure. I don't know of any other way, unless it much lower volume.

One of the added benefits of a stock tank, is the bulkhead/drain hole is on the side at the bottom of the tank. This allows use of one line to your pump and no priming needed, say when the power goes out. You could probably just run more powerheads and get a lower volume pump if you're only going to get ~1800g/hour draining. I was fortunate enough to have room for more drain holes from my display tanks then you may. I went with multiple for the bean animal setup. When using that format, one of the drains can be a full siphon, which with a 1 1/2" drain (which I have on both displays), I think the flow is something like 2000gph on one drain! Of course with that much flow, I have a 6000gph external pump. It runs full bore and I still have to close the drains some with a ball valve. At about 17' of head pressure the pump is around 3600gph, so it makes sense because my two full siphons on my tanks equal 4000gph full unrestricted flow.

Don't know if any of that makes sense, but I ended up with a stock tank for several of the reasons/hurdles you're trying to figure out. My setup is in a thread, though I'm not done with it. All the stuff I just mentioned is in there though.

http://www.marinecolorado.org/forums/showthread.php?10780-ShelbyJK-s-550g-(total)-build...FINALLY!!
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#45
#45
Where can you get those locally? See below, but could still use for mixing my salt. oh oh or to double sump. ohoh well I could put that to use.

So I bought a storage unit full of crap. 150g aqrylic tank, 6', 5' 4', and 3' t5 and MH lights, 2 pc fuge lights, 4 sumps, a wet dry, and balasts up the wazoo.

We are going to put together a plan for plumbing now. Either as installing baffles into the 150 and use as sump, or just another 150 gal tank in basement for more kwel critters! So I don't know that my search for a sump is over yet :)

The tank leaks though :(. I think it lost 2-3 gallons overnight, so really slow. Hard to tell, but it looks like it gets into the overflow box down low, and then just ran out the 2 holes that are wide open right now (no bulkheads). Looks like a little silicon job. If i use a standpipe for the overflow (if i use the overflow) then it may need nothing, but we will still take a look.

I need a return pump, and the plumbing game plan. Then it is off to move existing tank and on to assembly. I am looking at 3000 gph (realistically 2300 is what I think i can drain through 2x 1.5" holes) at 15-20 feet of head. Oh, and a good deal on some salt buckets. someone said to check with cris? a vendor? but I did not hear back, and need to make a ton of SW.
 
Bajamike

Bajamike

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#46
#46
skebo;145318 said:
Where can you get those locally? See below, but could still use for mixing my salt. oh oh or to double sump. ohoh well I could put that to use.

So I bought a storage unit full of crap. 150g aqrylic tank, 6', 5' 4', and 3' t5 and MH lights, 2 pc fuge lights, 4 sumps, a wet dry, and balasts up the wazoo.

We are going to put together a plan for plumbing now. Either as installing baffles into the 150 and use as sump, or just another 150 gal tank in basement for more kwel critters! So I don't know that my search for a sump is over yet :)

The tank leaks though :(. I think it lost 2-3 gallons overnight, so really slow. Hard to tell, but it looks like it gets into the overflow box down low, and then just ran out the 2 holes that are wide open right now (no bulkheads). Looks like a little silicon job. If i use a standpipe for the overflow (if i use the overflow) then it may need nothing, but we will still take a look.

I need a return pump, and the plumbing game plan. Then it is off to move existing tank and on to assembly. I am looking at 3000 gph (realistically 2300 is what I think i can drain through 2x 1.5" holes) at 15-20 feet of head. Oh, and a good deal on some salt buckets. someone said to check with cris? a vendor? but I did not hear back, and need to make a ton of SW.
Click to expand...
Was there a wet spot? (insert joke here don :) ) my 125 evaps 5 gallons a day just a asking. Also I would not spend to much time fixing or worring about it once you get bulk heads and stand pipes and sand, it should be fine. Just my .02
 
ShelbyJK500

ShelbyJK500

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#47
#47
You can get stock tanks at pretty much any ranching/tack store, like Murdochs. There is somewhere up in Commerce City that had the best prices on Rubbermaid stock tanks i've seen. Can't remember the name off the top of my head. I'll try to remember and hit you up when I do. Best thing about stock tanks, they last FOREVER and don't have seals to leak. (except bulkhead I guess). ;)
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#49
#49
Do you know of anyone who pumped a skimmer in to a return line or drain line or between joined sumps to elevate the skimmer? I am hoping when I get a skimmer to have it high enough to run a hose to my drain (laundry sinksetup) to drain most to lessen how much a housesitter would need to do if we were gone. Can still sit in a tank and flow back into sump area somehow.. Even if I cannot elevate I can drain over by the water heater, but wondered about sparing the need of a pump if my flow inline is high enough or near enough to match specks of skimmer.
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#50
#50
Also, trying to map things out that I don't have now. Canisters, reactors (carbon, phos),skimmer, but am unsure of the order, what needs to sit in sump like skimmer. Anyone have pictures of this on thier setup? While i won't be installing this now, please throw out your thoughts on what to keep in mind and allow for in planning now.
 
tlsrcs

tlsrcs

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#51
#51
so wait are you selling the 150? I have a stock tank and like it besides you cant put baffles in it......Also I love buying storage units! lol great potential!
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#52
#52
I don't think so, still on first cup of coffee. All I am trying to do, is see if I can brainstorm a way to overflow the 300g dt down to the basement into the 150g to use also as a dt (non reef safe or something needing seperation). If I baffle in a section in the front for fish, and sump items baffle around the back? Seperate sumps or several of them downstream the 150 interconnected? I really am not a fan of drilling, and to use this 150 as a sump, I would need to drill. I guess, i am trying to see all options now to avoid major changes later. However this is starting to slow my build to a stand still and frazzling me. Its hard for me to picture some items I have never used before (major skimm, reactors, ATO, whatelse?) and I worry I am going ot miss some detail that sends my butt back to the drawing board during assembly. (of course this will happen anyway right?)

I think i need to walk from this project for a bit, clear my head and regroup. I bet this lasts 4 hours. :(
 
tlsrcs

tlsrcs

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#53
#53
hhmm what if you go from DT to a Sump and have the return "T" off to the 150 and you saif the 150 is RR if so you can just plumb it to the same sump. Then no drilling required. and you get two tanks one sump. just use a larger return pump so you can "T" off it
 
skebo

skebo

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#54
#54
I don't think any of these sumps have enough space to cover the overflow of both tanks (perhaps not even 1) in case the pump shuts off. Is there a math formula for knowing how many gallons the top x inches would be in gallons based on dimensions?
 
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