Plumbing 180g FW to 65g sump

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also its not a reef tank. so you cant teat it like one. the water you pull from the main tank is the water you put back in. you put that much flow in that tank your turtles are going to be tired from trying to swim in a river like condition. i understand you have a platform for them but the question is would they be able to get the the platform with all the flow. ive had turtles for a long time and had no issues with them or their waste my bacteria load kills it right off the bat.

the stand pipes are really efficient and it would clear up all the pipe mess you have. the water flowing over into the overflow helps break up the water surface and eliminating the "pond scum" syndrome that builds on the surface.

as far as pump noise. is it the water flow noise or the vibration? well if its the vibration then you can get the filter sponge and put some under the pump.

also mags run hot i know my 18 i use it one time to mix salt in a 30g overnight the next day i looked at the temp of the water and it was 98 deg. :shocked!:

hope this all helps in any way.
 
I don't want 2000gph of flow, I want 1300, or around that, I think I will make a new spraybar as well, that simply flushes out under-platform area...

the stand pipes are really efficient and it would clear up all the pipe mess you have

What do you mean, if you are saying I have too many pipes then you haven’t read the thread, the U siphons are to pull from the bottom of the display without flooding my setup.

I remember you from the reef forum, it is great that you have your turtle tank set up with canister filters, but I don’t, and I cant, I have a heavy metal screen top and an overflow design, I have set up my tank differently than you because I have different limitations. I don’t want to use flow routes that go over the top of the tank, I will make the most of the holes I already have drilled.

The noise from the pump is not the water flow, it is the vibration, and I did put it on filter foam to reduce this, but...

THE PUMP IS LOUD, THE PUMP IS NOT QUIET, THE PUMP IS LOUD, THE PUMP IS NOT QUIET

However you want to interpret that, I am looking for a new pump, one that puts out about 1300gph (maybe 900gph) and is silent. I don't want any more advice on how I can silence a pump that is LOUD, only on pumps that aren’t.

Thanks for the advice on heat, though with my tank size I think I will not have to worry, leaning towards an in-line silent pump anyway...
Do or did your turtles ever eat the sand you put in? A turtle forum has me confused about what to use...
 
well if you are going to act the way you are acting then dont post on here obviously you have no idea what you are doing. i dont want you to set your tank up like mine. you can go ahead and have a complicated setup that doesnt need to be i was simply trying to help you sorry if your thread was long and repeating it self for me to read.

the water flow on the top is so that you dont get the pond scum build up. incase you dont understand that its a film the forms on the surface of the water.

about the pump yeah i get it its too loud for you. so get a quiet one pump. problem solved this is not that difficult. as far as you return pump chamber the water flowing from the main tank into the first chamber has too much restriction.


yes they eat the sand its okay though they poop it back out. endless cycle.
 
Sorry if I offended you, I appreciate any constructive advice you have to offer.
What I don’t appreciate is how you brought your condescension to the end of this thread without even reading it. It was 6 pages before you joined in, and it is full of diagrams and pictures.

I am not using this forum because I already know everything about setting up an aquarium; I have gotten lots of explanations and some creative solutions from ppl here.

What I did know, before joining here, is what an overflow is for, and the fact that it is built into my tank should make that obvious.
I have attempted to figure out a way to also draw water from the bottom, where the waste will collect, if you go back and read the thread you will find that jsoong provided me with a clever, floodproof solution to simultaneously draw from the surface and bottom of the tank into the overflow.
 
thatguy: Yes, I will get a Quiet One, I am trying to figure out which one to get based on flow, I want 1300 after head loss and the two Quiet Ones nearest provide 900 or 2000. I might settle for the 900, or I might go for a silent in-line pump that is closer to 1300.

jsoong: I guess I will try and mimic 900gph to see if it works, though it will have to wait...

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I am sanding and finishing the stand now, around my schedule, and moving it requires help from a friend when we both have time...
The tank is incredibly heavy, if the turtles wouldnt scratch it up I would have gone with acrylic...
Anyway it slows work down a bit, will have the tank back on the stand on Monday, hopefully.
 
Progress...

Back after moving, finishing, moving, plumbing everything.

First, I widened the holes in the stand to get a better grip on the bulkheads:

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I then sanded, finished, sanded, finished, sanded, and finished all surfaces of the stand. Luckily I beat the cold weather by a few days and didnt have to close up my house and suffocate on fumes.

I bought the QuietOne 9000 to take advantage of it's 1.5" openings. It didnt fit in the sump or even facing the sump, so I plumbed it with a 90* PVC connection. Drilling the hole in the sump was nervewracking. I then made a bulkhead out of male and female pvc parts, got the idea from An Improvised PVC Bulkhead.

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I used 1" styrofoam in the stand and carved 1/2" pockets to possibly mute noise from vibrations? It was leftover from the peice under the tank so I figured it couldnt hurt.
I made the drain lines simple and separated, and the return line bends 135* toward the back of the tank, I dont know what spraybar to design so the flow will flush out that side and everything will make its wayto the other side.

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I have the U siphons still, and simple open drain pipes set at the max display level.

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System Running

I removed all obstructions from the sump, the filter floss and foam, and no more flow over the fist baffle:

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At max safe level for the tank and sump, the system does stabilize after water makes it over the overflow and somehow it works out.

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So the system runs, the open pipes need to be silenced, I will try a stockman style I think.
The pump is loud, I will add more cushion below it and bolt it to the stand floor, but I am convinced that the problem is with the hard plumbing. I can remove the pump and make changes without having to empty the tank or sump, so this is a problem to be addressed later.

For now though, I bought these overflow combs to line the overflow:

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Before I put energy into cutting them and siliconing it all to the overflow, I wonder, is this necessary? The turtles are 6" long and I dont think they can pull themselves over the glass. Also, the water is flowing over the glass, what would the combs do? I wont have any fish with the turtles, and keeping fish from jumping in is the only purpose I can think of...

Are the combs worth spending time and energy on?
 
Those combs are there to stop small critters from entering your sump. If you don't have anything small to worry about, you can prob. dispense with them.

That tank is looking good. It is a lot of trial & error to DIY something like that. I am glad things are working out.
 
update and tweaking

2 things to add…

1. Turtle forum ppl are adamant about using eggcrate on the overflow as necessary and the comb as recommended, since there would be no way to keep eggcrate in place without a frame to sit in I will be adding the combs…


2. I tested flow through the tank with rice (bottom) and torn up kale (surface)

On the bottom the return line flushes out the underside of the platform well, and nothing gets stuck under the ramp. It has only been running for 20 minutes so I cant be sure how far the rice will travel but most of it stops before it is halfway, with some making it ¾, and a couple pieces almost to the U siphon, hopefully it is a slow process that works…

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On the surface, the kale quickly moves toward the overflow and is drawn in. There are dead spots all along the back wall (ramp side) however, and things too close to the platform are drawn toward it, probably because of the force of the water coming out of the return and that the water level is currently at or a millimeter below the platform.

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Beyond seeing where the kale goes, you can see a line in this photo (horizontal through the white PVC male threaded part) between a current and dead spot, going diagonally toward the rear wall…

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To the U siphons: a 3rd function is now apparent in that nothing can settle on the bottom of the overflow, the water in the box is constantly mixed from the top and bottom, keeping everything moving into the sump where it belongs. Thanks again jsoong.

Back to the comb, installing it so it makes a ¼” frame for the eggcrate to sit it will also raise the operating display level ¼”. I think this will help with reducing some of the surface flow toward the platform but I am not sure.

Thoughts?
 
I don't think 1/4" will make much difference, unless it raise the water level enough to flood the platform. you just have to try it & see.

BTW, increasing the display depth would mean adding a few more gals of water to the setup to balance everything out.
 
i'm interested in this project, as i'm trying to figure out a good overflow/sump system INSIDE a plywood tank I have planned.
Any updates in the past few days?

Now that it's working out for the most part, what would you do differently from the beginning? What would you recommend to someone who is planning on starting their own project and wants everything inside the main tank, and no boxes hanging off the back or sides?
 
The tank is plywood or the stand is plywood?

A few initial points of advice I have are:
  • Go with acrylic and not glass if you don't worry about anything being scratched up. Glass is heavy, but turtles like to scratch.
  • Buy what is available instead of cutting any corners to build it yourself. I am not talking about setting it up once you get it, but buying the stand saved me time, tools, and energy. Ask yourself if you can earn the money faster than you can build your stand. If they would have sealed the wood too I would have paid for that.
  • Glasscages.com gave me exactly what I specified, but didn't offer advice on my plan, it's great that you are on here before you buy, I have had to make the best of what I bought instead of buying the best setup.
I have to go to work all day but if you have any questions I am happy to answer them.

I have the stockman standpipes installed as well as the overflow comb, my pump is bolted to the floor and would be running through reinforced vinyl tube if I could find 2 more female threaded-nipple-adapters, only store that carries them is out. If I can't then I will use 2 femal threaded-pvc-adapters and use male-threaded-nipple adapters. Will post pics once I find out why my camera isn't working.
 
the tank is going to be plywood. I'm thinking in the 225 gal range. Although I love the look of deeper tanks, so if I could get the height to 40 inches (safely of course) then it'd be a considerably bigger gallon size. In the 270gal range i would imagine
 
I am not sure I understand why a plywood aquarium would be desired, all of the different sealants and chemicals don't seem all that safe. If money is the issue, why not save awhile for an acryllic or glass aquarium?

As to my setup:

I have redone the pump connections with re-enforced vinyl tube and have the pump firmly pressed into layers of styrofoam. The 'loudness' has disapeared. It now sounds like what I would expect from a small motor.
Everything is not exactly fine though, my lack of a female threaded adapter led to using a male one into a double ended female pvc construction, it takes up too much space and the hose is kinked at least halfway. The lack of flow is noticable, the U siphons are able to match the flow and there is no strong flow over the overflow.
It is satisfactory for now, the store says a week or two for the part I need. I am letting everything run for another day, especially to see how much the pump raises the water temp, to put the turtles in. Water is 68.1F with the pump off, in just a few hours it is already at 70.9F. 75-78 is optimal, though I don’t regulate their temp in their current, smaller setup now. As long as the water isn’t too hot and the basking area is around 10 degrees warmer, they do fine.
 
plywood tanks last for DECADES. Like 20+ years with no problems at all. Easy to design and change your designs in building. Easy to add plumbing later, etc.

I imagine you've never really looked into plywood tank construction. If you're truly curious, do a few google searches. You'd be absolutely amazed. I've seen 480gal reef tanks that are plywood that would blow your mind. No ridiculous reinforcement needed, not even for the bowing of the sides. Very VERY versatile tanks. and the only way to go imo.

Especially with turtles. I dont like the look of turtle in an all glass tank. I like them to have 3 sides, like a cave, or the way they'd look in a lake up against the bank or something. Looks more natural to me, and a plywood tank allows you to do that, without adding in backgrounds that take away from the space
 
Interesting, I had never heard of plywood making a good aquarium. I guess I would be interested if I hadn't already bought and setup an expensive glass tank. If turtles need to be separated later on I wouldn't know what to do, I would not buy another giant glass tank. I'll remember this if that day comes, thanks.
 
Interesting, I had never heard of plywood making a good aquarium. I guess I would be interested if I hadn't already bought and setup an expensive glass tank. If turtles need to be separated later on I wouldn't know what to do, I would not buy another giant glass tank. I'll remember this if that day comes, thanks.
I try to never hijack a thread, but I'll offer some quick links just so you can get a quick idea. I immediately thought of a plywood tank in your situation and how easy it would be to remedy majority of your space problems and other obstacles you've had to overcome. Some of the links are on other forum sites. i hope that's not a no-no.


DIY plywood aquarium, 581 Gallons
http://www.jonolavsakvarium.com/eng_diy/2200litre/2200litres.htmlhttp://www.jonolavsakvarium.com/eng_diy/2200litre/2200litres.html


300 Gallon Plywood tank build - MonsterFishKeepers.com
300 Gallon Plywood tank build - MonsterFishKeepers.com


Frank Panis - Building a giant plywood tank II
Frank Panis - Building a giant plywood tank II


and here's a turtle tank build of plywood. He didn't do a great job on the aesthetics of it, which is odd, because this guy does really good work. Has a custom built fish room and such. Anyway, I think it's ugly on the inside, but he did his thing
My plywood tank build - Aquaria Central
 
Fin

No worries about hijacking this thread, the DIY plumbing job is done, it might actually be fitting to offer alternatives at the end.

The plumbing may be done, but now I have to ensure the turtles will be healthy and try and add some aesthetics. Gravel is not possible, nor is anything smaller than their heads, they will eat and die. Sand is recommended as an alternative, though so is a bare bottom for cleanliness.

I plan on staying active with future questions and photos of my progression in different forum topics, thanks for all the help, especially ziggy and jsoong.
 
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