120 Long Tank! (Build Thread)

[Grizz]

I'd add another drain with them linked the single drain can plug. How much water will your sump hold?

 

[baron1282]

I will try the single drain for now, it's all I got. I want to get a bigger sump and switch to a Reef Sump someday, so the good news is that I can just buy new bulkheads and refit the HOB overflow. I know the sump is designed for 125 to 150 gallon tanks. So It's not what I would want forever, but it will work for the initial set up.

I want buy a drilled tank as my next tank, but that will require a better job, one I hope to have one day. I got this tank because it was used and cheap, so I can get my Yellow Tang, Yellow Eye tang, and the Luna Wrasse out of the 55.

It's a 120 LONG (5 foot long), and I might one day just upgrade to a bigger canister filter, as this will only be a FOWLR tank forever, and not a reef. Just not have a sump at all because the HOB overflows are not that great!

 

[Grizz]

HOB over flows get a bad rap because most dont take the time to tune the return pump, iv'e run mine for years and have never lost siphon. I would cap off one of those holes in the overflow it will make tuning the flow much easier.

 

[6eteeth]

Sweet build! Looking forward to see the final outcome. I also have a 55 right now and can't wait to upgrade.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[baron1282]

Grizz, I was thinking about another Idea.

Buy 4 bulkheads, and redo my HOB, and replace the bulkheads that I am going to be gluing with the new ones. Than, with the Wet/Dry I have too just drill a hole in the plastic the size of the bulkhead and screw it in, thus turning my one hole wet/dry into a two hole wet/dry. The difference between The one I have:

ESHOPPS | WD-125CS

and this one:

ESHOPPS | WD-150CS

Is literally the 2nd connection for the other hose. Any Plumbers out there that would recommend this? I don't see how it could really hurt, besides risking breaking the plastic to the sump. The other difference would be one hose would be off center while the other is center, besides that I wouldn't see a difference in the two.

 

[baron1282]

Grizz

I just had an Idea! The difference in price between the two wet/dry is really just the extra bulkhead to the sump. So I can turn my 125CS into a 150CS with simply adding the bulkhead to the 125CS. So I am going to my local hardware shop and asking them to cut me the plastic to the same dimensions as the current plastic on top and adding the two holes to the new piece so they are pretty and symmetrical and not off center (LOL), and I am going to order another $5 dollar bulkhead. Thus, I will have the 150CS for less than I can buy it new being I got the 125CS used. It's so brilliant I amaze myself. HAHA J/K!

 

[Grizz]

That's what i would do Why waste the extra flow by chocking it with one drain.

 

[baron1282]

Got it being done for around 20 bucks. I didn't think it would be hard to find a place that would cut some plastic for me but I had to go to three different places. They said "I can do it, but it will be a little thicker and a different color, will that be ok"? I said "it could be pink for all I care"! I don't think the extra thickness (which is not that much, like a hair more thick) will matter. He is also drilling the holes for me. So essentially I am upgrading my filter from the 125 to the 150 for 20 dollars. I got it used apart of the $600 dollar package I bought when I bought the tank .

 

[Grizz]

Awesome gotta love it when things come together

 

[baron1282]

I am pleased! I went from this:

To this!


So I am basically just waiting for the new Bio-Balls and hoses to come in. I will than start the tank up and clean it out including the sump with the vinegar I got.

 

[Grizz]

I'd use live rock in place of Bio-balls Looks like they did a nice job with the upgrade.

 

[baron1282]

I would! I just do not have enough money for the rock yet. I would need at least 30 pounds. That's a lot for my budget! LoL

 

[Grizz]

Use base rock you can cycle it at the same time as the tank then it will be live

 

[baron1282]

I bought the bio-balls already. LoL. I have been using my fluval with some bio-balls and ceramic already and had good success. Just need to clean more often to get all the big stuff off.

If I switched to rock would it work just like the bio-balls in a wet/dry filter? They wouldn't be fully immersed in water all the time as a wet/dry just trickles down on the rocks or bio-balls. Don't rock need to be fully immersed?

 

[Grizz]

The live rock will work better it has a greater surface area for bacti to live As long as it's wet it will hold the bacti And it wont need to be cleaned as often

 

[baron1282]

Update!

I got my hoses! I just got new hoses and being they are the right hoses to the system they fit perfectly with no glue or anything like that. So that is a plus!

So anyway, here is what my system looks like now! It is running and I only flooded half the basement.

I got it to where the overflow will keep suction if the power goes out, and therefore will not flood the room. So if the pump goes out it will not flood, but my question is, how do you keep it from flooding if suction is lost? I got two suction pips, so it's a slim chance they will loose suction, but if it does happen how do I stop it?

So I am now 90% done, so after this weekend I will start cleaning it and draining. I can't do anything else this week because I got school this weekend and it's the 2nd to last class for my Master's. So that takes center stage.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I had a pair of 55 gallon tanks setup with a dual siphon overflow like this one. If the flow is high enough to not allow any bubbles to accumulate at the top of the siphon, they are dependable. But I would have a backup plan in case they do fail. You don't want to overflow the tank, or run the pump dry if the siphon fails. I would like to hear others with long term experience with siphon overflows and how they made them more dependable because I have a glass QT tank I don't want to have to drill.

 

[baron1282]

Ok, about two weeks away! It's been long, but I hope to be up and running in two weeks.

My only question is a auto top off. Should I go with this one?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13959

Or this one?



Would I have to buy a pump with the first one? I really need one being I am new to the sump thing, and I do not want to ruin my pump. Plus it would just make things easier! LoL

 

[Sniperhank]

I use a JBJ ato with an aqualifter. Works great for me.

 

[baron1282]

Would I just get a bucket and run the pump from the bucket? How do you set it all up?