freshwater to 75 gallon saltwater reef with fish evolution.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
ive finished putting the last bit of pipe on the overflow last night. we also went out to look at fish for the little tank. didnt find anything that we couldnt live without but came home with a sponge for an aquaclear 70 so i could cut it down and use it as a "screen" for the overflow. i figured just to be safe i would test it again to see how much it changed everything.

with it completely assembled it was too tall to fit in a bucket in the bathtub. so i put a new trash bag in the kitchen trash can and headed outside to test with the garden hose.

it was a little shaky at first. i started out with out the sponge to see how it acted. it would surge up and down in the drain tube. im assuming as the lift pump sucked the air out. but it kept up with the hose. so then i put the sponge in and it didnt really like it. i cut it in half. and put it back in. it was happy again and kept up with the garden hose again. i tested the garden hose flow and came up with 4.7 gallons every 30seconds. do the math and thats 564 gph. i added a hose from the kitchen sink to the mix and it still kept up. with little indication of it wanting to overflow my overflow. i didnt get the flow rate of the added hose from the kitchen. im guessing another gallon at least in 30seconds. grand total 684gph and still flowing fine?

will it make it to the 800gph that i want? idk. i still havent added the piping to get it to where i need it in the sump.
 
the new return pump compartment is siliconed in place and trying to cure.

ive done some looking about the surging in the intake tube of my overflow. but most of it refers to drilled tanks or standard overflow boxes. im not sure how to incorporate any of that information on the diy version.

im itching to paint but if i have to make changes the paint will only get in my way. also i did some double checking and found that i needed a 4" to 2" reducer to get my linear overflow part of the equation correct. ill have to look into that.
 
Well mate I would say your almost there! Don't forget to put in a ball valve somewhere, don't know if you already have but I thought I'd mention it.
 
yes thank you sir. im waiting to actually get the pump in the sump before i go too crazy on the plumbing. i will put the "t" there. ive had really good luck with starting the siphon for first start up so i dont think i need one on the supply side.

i dont know if the local hardware stores will sell flexible pvc by the foot or if i have to buy a role. so thats something else for me to check into.

i also think i should buy more rock for the sump from reefcleaners. or can i just buy lr local and drop it in?

i have a store that usually has a really good selection of macro. what kinds should i get? mangroves?
 
coffeetwitch said:
yes thank you sir. im waiting to actually get the pump in the sump before i go too crazy on the plumbing. i will put the "t" there. ive had really good luck with starting the siphon for first start up so i dont think i need one on the supply side.

i dont know if the local hardware stores will sell flexible pvc by the foot or if i have to buy a role. so thats something else for me to check into.

i also think i should buy more rock for the sump from reefcleaners. or can i just buy lr local and drop it in?

i have a store that usually has a really good selection of macro. what kinds should i get? mangroves?

Mangroves grow outta water and take a bit to get going. Calurapa is better. And just throw rubble rock in sump, don't worry if it's live or not, just for filtration...
 
about 20lbs? you think? or as much as i can throw in there? i am running a bit lean on the lr in my dt. close to 1lb per gallon now.
 
$100 and i can get another 50lbs from reefcleaners. i may go that route. im half tempted to make a sump for my little tank once i get a stand for it.
 
coffeetwitch said:
about 20lbs? you think? or as much as i can throw in there? i am running a bit lean on the lr in my dt. close to 1lb per gallon now.

All I used in my sump. You chambered for it, right?
 
yep i think i could fit 50lbs in the refugium section. and if not ive got room in the skimmer compartment.
img_1575445_0_1af1b5f5597cdf27ab1eab742a71d84c.jpg

img_1575445_1_d382cdaefb80d0e0fc9eeb741a14ddb9.jpg
 
coffeetwitch said:
$100 and i can get another 50lbs from reefcleaners. i may go that route. im half tempted to make a sump for my little tank once i get a stand for it.

That will be way to much if ur not putting it in ur DT too
 
coffeetwitch said:
why is that? then i would have to re scape the dt.

U only need rubble about 6 in high for the water to travel over and down to filter it. Use it like bio balls... Make sense?
 
coffeetwitch said:
yes thank you sir. im waiting to actually get the pump in the sump before i go too crazy on the plumbing. i will put the "t" there. ive had really good luck with starting the siphon for first start up so i dont think i need one on the supply side.

i dont know if the local hardware stores will sell flexible pvc by the foot or if i have to buy a role. so thats something else for me to check into.

i also think i should buy more rock for the sump from reefcleaners. or can i just buy lr local and drop it in?

i have a store that usually has a really good selection of macro. what kinds should i get? mangroves?

Doesn't matter what rocks u get. Of course LR is always better but also more expansive.

I got Ulva, red graciella, cheato, and mangroves in my refugium. They don't do that crazy sex thingy and got some good filter reputation
 
coffeetwitch said:
im surprised aa didnt filter the word sex. whats that all about. what do you mean?

I think he is talking about sexual reproduction. That is when the algae releases a bunch of spores and they put a lot of bad things into you water.
 
coffeetwitch said:
im surprised aa didnt filter the word sex. whats that all about. what do you mean?

Hahaha I know right?! But sex is actually not a "curse" word ;) it also means gender etc

Caulupera for example does, when nit taken care of right or when growing too much, release spores into the water. It turns ur entire tank green and kills stuff
 
Back
Top Bottom