Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Over the holiday, finally get around to do the plumbing with the help of a RC friend.
180g In Wall Construction
- Thread starter Boxster
- Start date
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.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
More pics
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Overflow pics. Anyone has any ideas why the water heights is different between the 2 overflow?
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Pics for the drain pipe into the sump. On the right side of the drain pipe, the water drain caused the pipe to vibrate a little. I am worried that the vibration can cause some trouble at the drain bulkgead in the future. I am trying to find out the root cause of the vibration. It seems to me that maybe the opening of the drain at the sump is too close to the surface and thus causing vibration due to the water movement. Anyone has any ideas?
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
In the event to screw it the bulkhead, I realized that my overflow opening at the stand does not have enough room for me to screw in from the bottom. I had to lift up my tank and slip in a 2x4 for support to screw the bulkhead.
however, my trim at the front is blocking the tank. I had to remove the trim
in order to lift the tank high enough. The pic showed my friend doing the trim removal.
however, my trim at the front is blocking the tank. I had to remove the trim
in order to lift the tank high enough. The pic showed my friend doing the trim removal.Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Unexpected events always happened to me. When the plumbing is all done, we filled in the water, and with a switch of the button at my American DJ power panel, we started the pump. Everything went on fine. We ran the pump for 20mins and don't see any leaks. It was around 9pm and we decided to turn off the pump, put back the trim and go for dinner.
Coming back from dinner, I saw a small pool of water on the left side of the stand.
I rush out to get a flashlight and lo and behold, the return 3/4" bulkhead crack on me and the water back siphon. I adjust loc return above water to stop the back siphon, put a bucket below and unscrew the union and the male adapter to the bulkhead (I use threaded bulkhead). But as you guess it, how am I going to change out the bulk? I am not willing to remove the trim again. Nor will I want to remove my plumbing, ldrain the water and lift up the tank!!!
I drained the water in the overflow and went ot bed. The next morning, I went to Lowes, HD, Ace HW, NAPA and could not find any wrench that I can work from the bottom. I had my last stop in Sear Hardware and to my big sign of relief, I found the "miracle' tool that saved my agony. It allows me to work from the bottom. It does come with sizes that fit the 3/4" bulkhead and the 1" bulkhead. They are very costly though due to the odd size, but it is worth it.
Coming back from dinner, I saw a small pool of water on the left side of the stand.
I rush out to get a flashlight and lo and behold, the return 3/4" bulkhead crack on me and the water back siphon. I adjust loc return above water to stop the back siphon, put a bucket below and unscrew the union and the male adapter to the bulkhead (I use threaded bulkhead). But as you guess it, how am I going to change out the bulk? I am not willing to remove the trim again. Nor will I want to remove my plumbing, ldrain the water and lift up the tank!!!
I drained the water in the overflow and went ot bed. The next morning, I went to Lowes, HD, Ace HW, NAPA and could not find any wrench that I can work from the bottom. I had my last stop in Sear Hardware and to my big sign of relief, I found the "miracle' tool that saved my agony. It allows me to work from the bottom. It does come with sizes that fit the 3/4" bulkhead and the 1" bulkhead. They are very costly though due to the odd size, but it is worth it.
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Replaced the 3/4" bulkhead and restart the pump. To my agony, I saw another small leak at the return pipe after the union. It turned out that I forgot to glue in that piece :?
Well, we all learnt things the best in a hard way and I am just glad that after I fixed this leak, there isn't any more leak.
Well, as you can see, I did not hook up the skimmer because the shipment I received has a missing gate valve. Talk to Andy about it and I should received it this week.
I saw another small leak at the return pipe after the union. It turned out that I forgot to glue in that piece :? Well, we all learnt things the best in a hard way and I am just glad that after I fixed this leak, there isn't any more leak.
Well, as you can see, I did not hook up the skimmer because the shipment I received has a missing gate valve
. Talk to Andy about it and I should received it this week.RocketSeason
Aquarium Advice Addict
that is a big ol skimmer!
Salttanker
Aquarium Advice Addict
Wow! That is a huge skimmer! Very cool!
Mike
Mike
JamesR
Aquarium Advice Freak
Very nice documentation! Thanks for the pics........I admire you're patience through the setup!
For what it's worth, did you use silicone where the bulkhead "gasket" rests against the acrylic/glass. If you put a little around the gasket, it really helps! Just my opinion.
Take care,
Jim
For what it's worth, did you use silicone where the bulkhead "gasket" rests against the acrylic/glass. If you put a little around the gasket, it really helps! Just my opinion.
Take care,
Jim
GrndHog
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Boxster said:
Why is it that you only have one drain pipe going into your sump? You have two overflowes I think that two pipes need to be going all the way into the sump and not T them. That would take some of the vibration out of the pipe.
GrndHog
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Boxster said:
I cracked 3 when setting mine up. I will never use threaded again, you reall cant mess up a slip.
JamesR
Aquarium Advice Freak
May i ask what the pieces of plumbing are that look like PVC with a donought around it. You have them near the plump. Are they some type of disconnect? I have been looking for a way to setup a disconnect for my pump (so I can clean it periodically) without having to reglue the pvc.
thanks in advance.
Jim
thanks in advance.
Jim
GrndHog
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Boxster said:
The only thing I can think of is the Durso pipes are not the same height
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
mle421: The baby is doing very well. Does not want to sleep after 5am though He is going to take his first shot today. I thank my wife for not keeping me too distracted in setting up the tank.
nodoubt: I had finished cutting the starboard. Once there is no issue with the plumbing, I am going to drain all the water out and then put in the starboard.
I am thinking of using regular Silicone from HD to glue the starboard to the tank. Anyone think this would be an issue?
Jim: No, I did not use Silicone around the bulkhead. That is the union. It is use so that I can unscrew it and take out the pump without redoing all the plumbing.
GrndHog: I do have 2 drains. One going to the left side of the sump where the skimmer is and the other go to the right side where the refugium is. The one on the right side is the one that is vibrating. For the left drain, the drainpipe did not go into the water. It is about an inch above the water and thus the splashing, but it is not vibrating. For the right drain, I kind of tilted sideway with an elbow so that part of the elbow is in the water, and a small part of it is above water. This is the one that is vibrating a little. I was told that you need to have some opening for the air to get out.
He is going to take his first shot today. I thank my wife for not keeping me too distracted in setting up the tank.nodoubt: I had finished cutting the starboard. Once there is no issue with the plumbing, I am going to drain all the water out and then put in the starboard.
I am thinking of using regular Silicone from HD to glue the starboard to the tank. Anyone think this would be an issue?
Jim: No, I did not use Silicone around the bulkhead. That is the union. It is use so that I can unscrew it and take out the pump without redoing all the plumbing.
GrndHog: I do have 2 drains. One going to the left side of the sump where the skimmer is and the other go to the right side where the refugium is. The one on the right side is the one that is vibrating. For the left drain, the drainpipe did not go into the water. It is about an inch above the water and thus the splashing, but it is not vibrating. For the right drain, I kind of tilted sideway with an elbow so that part of the elbow is in the water, and a small part of it is above water. This is the one that is vibrating a little. I was told that you need to have some opening for the air to get out.
BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
looking good boxster!
The only thing I want to comment on is your drains. Where they enter the sump there seems, from the pics you posted, like there is a lot of cavitation and bubbles. You might want to try extending the drain pipes down a bit further below the surface of the sumps water line. All this cavitation and bubbles will lead to a TON of salt creep and evaporation. You will want to minimize that as much as possible.
The only thing I want to comment on is your drains. Where they enter the sump there seems, from the pics you posted, like there is a lot of cavitation and bubbles. You might want to try extending the drain pipes down a bit further below the surface of the sumps water line. All this cavitation and bubbles will lead to a TON of salt creep and evaporation. You will want to minimize that as much as possible.
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
BillyZ: That is one of my concern too. I am trying to find the best way to fix the splashing and the vibration issue. Extending the pipe into the water, wouldn't that prevent the air from getting out?? Do you see any problem if I re-configure my right drain pipe to go to the left side (skimmer side) as well and skip the right side? My concern here is that the 2 drain pipe will then be of different length. I may not want to have any refugium.
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
Just would like to post some close up shot of the sump made by an AA member here. He had been a great help through all these setup.
Boxster
Aquarium Advice Freak
After re-thinking my tank water movement, I am re-thinking my plumbing configuration. I am thinking of having the 2 drains goes to the left side of the sump where the skimmer intake is. This allows the skimmer to take most of the water for cleaning. Then I will have the skimmer output goes to the refugium side. So on the return chamber, the water still come in from both side.
Pros: The skimming is more effective.
Cons: My skimmer is located on the left side of the sump. This would mean that I have to extend my pvc from the skimmer outlet from the left to the right side.
Pros: The skimming is more effective.
Cons: My skimmer is located on the left side of the sump. This would mean that I have to extend my pvc from the skimmer outlet from the left to the right side.
