toughdog

I can't find a decent PVC pipes shop. Homely doesnt keep PVC pipes. Found a small uncle shop with pipes full of oil and rust in Ubi.. But would be great to find alternative shops with more choices in connectors, reductores, Ts, corners, valves, etc.. Any recommendation?

Thanks guys, I will keep the sump in position. I will have the two drains as planned one in first (filter room) and one in last (refugium) room. I measured the drains and they are 2 inch and 3/4inch. I will have ball valve on them eventually. Before that, I will be having standing durso pipes for each, in the overflow. Just got the materials for that. That will increase the watervolume in the overflow to the hight of the dursos and water fallin in overflow box will only fall few inch for less noise and bubbles. For the return, I will have 2 pumps Eheim 1262, with a total 1800GPH, that's more than 10X the volume. I can transfer my powerheads from my old tank if not enough. Lastly, the two one inch returns will raise above the tank and form a closed loop with T in each corner for distributed/messed water circulation.. can't wait for the weekend to start on it Tunicate, if you reed, I need your approval

Thanks James, I will visit MadPetz asap Seems to be a good shop!

Thanks. I will put a net to cover the two bafles at righ side.. I will put the chiller pump inside third compartment together with return pump, becase I dont want to disturb the 4th compartment (refugium). As for return pump, uh, uh, uh. I have just done this test, with the sump plumbed as is. (meaning 2 inch drain, one inch return pipe). I have filled both tank and sump to the max with the pump off. Then I started the return pump. It supposed to pump as much water up that would fill the overflow box at least half (the higher the better to create lower noise by the falling water in the overflow, right?) until finds a balance. That should be my max level in the sump. Well, the two inch drain is sooooooo big that sucks down all the water in overflow instantly, creating a vertigo, such that the sump level doesn't even drop one mm. the OEM pump is a crap (SOBO?) rated 4000 litters per hour. Since I will have the second drain, will be even more water coming down. So I will replace this SOBO pump with two Eheims, each one on a one inch return pipe. Hope that will push up enough water to have a lower level in the sump and a bit higher level in the overflow. Also I am looking to put inside the overflow, two durso style stand pipes (1 inch and 2 inch) to cut on the glorious noise that I am hearing right now.. That will also raise the water in overflow since the pipes in there will be higher..

Excellent tips, I will sure make use of it. Thanks a lot. I will update later, after I do the mods. tunicate, can I find the comb in LFS shops or I should look at DIY some more? Solo77, I will use just as much water in the summp to accept entire volume of the overflow in case the pump is out. You are right on the return pipe. Since I have two drains (2 inch and one inch) I think I will install 2 return pumps and 2 return pipes 1 inch each to two corners of the tank

Hi tunicate, thanks for reply. I may be sealing as you advise or make the sand-stop pannel REALLY high.. one foot? For the cabinet, yes it has 4 big drilled holes at the back. Have posted some pics on the DIY forum, please have a look? I am planning to change the plumbing and use the return drilled hole for drain as well (in refugium) and create a new return piping from the 3rd sump compartment through the cabinet back hole and gthe back of the tank...

Hi all, I just purchased a 4 feet tank and I am not happy with default piping.. This is the picture of what it comes from the shop: The overflow box is on left back side of the tank and has two wholes drilled. One (I think 2 inch) drain and one (I think 1 inch) return. The water from the drain goes one by one from first to last room in the sump where the return pump sits. Now I would like to change this and have the last sump room (since is the biggest room) transformed into a refugium. For this I am planning to transform the two drilled holes in the overflow both to be drains. The big drain will go in first sump compartment for normal mechanical and chemical filtering, while the second drain (which by default is the return) to be sending water in last sump room to feed the refugium with DSB and Cheato algae. both first and last room then will overflow in the 3rd sump compartment where the return pump will send the water back to tank to a piping I am planning to plumb outside, at the back of the tank. Here the picture of new water flow: However, I am not sure if the sump walls are correct configure to allow the water the way I want. I am not too good with fluides physics, and would appreciate any input from reefers who understand this better.. thanks lots

Hi ambystoma82 Thanks for input! I am planning to add a 5-6 inch tall glass or plastic pannel parallel with the overflow box, stick with silicon on tank's walls so it will hold the sand but allow water to flow. Probably at 1 cm distance from the overflow wall. See the picture below.. I really love deep sand beds and I need to find a workaround to have it.. I hope this 'engineering" will work.

This is the new tank: I am planning to have same style - look with the old tank, with 4-5 inch DSB (I have lots of pistols shrimps and shrimp gobies and it fascinates me), I probably have to upgrade my chiller and skimmer since old ones are two small and also due to the fact that I am planning to transfer over in time, so for a couple months both thanks should run in paralel. I am planning to get 3 inch of sand from the East Coast Park (I did the same on old tank) and top up the surface with the sand in the old tank (to be the last addition to the new tank - the top 1 inch layer of sand). 4 the water I am planning to buy 4 boxes (32Kg) of Red Sea Salt since this is the one I am using in the old tank, and my livestock is used to it.. But before going there, I am not happy with the original sump plumbing and want to do some DIY. not sure should I post it here or in DIY forum..

this is my "old" tank. Is running for a year and is stable.. It holds 50 Gallons of water and doing a 10% water change every Sunday.. Some specs: tank - 90x50x45cm = 200L = 50 Gallons setup on August 8 2010 25kg live rock 25kg live sand Eccolamp KR93 - 100W (at repair shop right now) EHEIM professionel II canister filter - up to 600L - 20W HAILEA HC-150A chiller - up to 400L - 250W TUNZE 9006 skimmer, 850L/h water, 500L/h air - up to 600L - 12W 2xTUNZE nanostream 6025, 2500L/h pump up to 200L - 2x6W KORALIA 3, 1600L/h up to 3200L/h pump up tp 400L - 6.5W And the livestock: 2xtrue percula clownfish - Amphiprion percula yellow tang - Zebrasoma flavescens blue hippo tang - Paracanthurus hepatus dracula goby - Stonogobiops dracula randall's goby - Amblyeleotris randalli white cap goby - Lotilia graciliosa 2xBlue/Green Reef Chromis - Chromis viridis Sailfin/Algae Blenny - Salarias fasciatus 2xcamel shrimp - Rhynchocinetes durbanensis 2xharlequin shrimp - Hymenocera elegans 2xcleaner shrimp - Lysmata amboinensis peppermint shrimp - Lysmata wurdemanni complex blood red fire shrimp - Lysmata debelius 6xtiger snapping shrimp - Alpheus bellulus 6xred banded snapping shrimp - Alpheus randalli 2xred spotted snapping shrimp - Alpheus rubromaculatus snapping shrimp - Alpheus bisincisus snapping shrimp - Alpheus djeddensis banded coral shrimp - Stenopus tenuirostris bumble bee shrimp – Gnathophyllum americanum reef lobster - Enoplometopus sp 2xturbo snail - Turbo fluctuosa 2xbmble bee snails - Pusiostoma mendicaria 2xnassarius snails - Nassarius distortus Pincushion Urchin, Blue Tuxedo - Mespilia globulus Pom Pom Crab - Lybia sp Porcelain Anemone Crab - Neopetrolisthes ohshimai sebae anemone - Heteractis crispa goniopora clove coral button polyp corals star polip mushrooms Obviously pretty crowded since I took the plunge in trying my luck, my skill and my patience with the big daddy I just got..

Hi all I am hving a 3 feet tank and just got delivery of a 4x2x2.5 feeter... I will try to keep here a blog of the transition between the two (of a probably 2-3 months) till everything is running on the big one. I will put down all my plans and considerations and welcome all the comments and advise that I can get.. So watch this space

hey little brother nice to see you are going strong just to say that you have influence me so much a year back when I seen your 2 feet tank.. and get me really started in this hobby.. i have since moved from 2 feet to 3 feet and now planning for a 4 feet tank.. will start a thread of my own cos I need all the help I can get with this project take care and keep going

k enjoy your trip

If tank is 3 feet u should be good. If you have a 2 feet or smaller you can swap it with me. I give you these 2 babies: KORALIA nano, 1600L/h up to 100L - 4.5W KORALIA nano, 900L/h up to 60L - 4.5W 82687664

Hi interested in the fishes (esp the percs) and the tunze Wavebox with 6091 controller can sms price? 82687664 thanks