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Josh Blaylock's 125 gallon stream tank. Build and updates.

Started by Guest_jblaylock_* , Nov 07 2010 04:51 PM

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227 replies to this topic

#121 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 25 August 2013 - 09:28 PM

I already have the background in. I'm just changing the pump in if now. I've had the background for almost 2 years now.

Sent from the ATRIX HD MAXX on Pac-Man using Tapatalk 4

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#122 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 27 August 2013 - 10:29 AM

Thanks for pinging this, Josh. I've had a hand-me-down 125 sitting under my deck for years waiting for action. After purchasing a new house, it's finally going to get some action in my family room. Like you, it has to be 'exhibit/display' worthy for all those who might find the cords, hoses, and pipes an eye-sore. I re-read the entire thread to see where you had hiccups and success. Thanks for documenting all of this.

Would you mind providing a list of your inhabitants?

Keep up the great work.

Nick L.

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#123 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 27 August 2013 - 07:36 PM

This reminds me - I acquired a 100g from an employee, who was dissatisfied with it just because the front glass blew out. I figured I could replace the glass for $100 or so, or else break down the tank and use the existing glass for another project. So, I called my glass shop (people I've been doing business with both personally and professionally, plus the owners are neighbors of mine AND we go to church together) - $358!!!! For one piece of glass. I bet the whole tank didn't cost that much.

The question is, has anybody found that they can get a REASONABLE price on replacement glass? And, how did you do it??

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#124 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 28 August 2013 - 01:50 PM

Thanks for pinging this, Josh. I've had a hand-me-down 125 sitting under my deck for years waiting for action. After purchasing a new house, it's finally going to get some action in my family room. Like you, it has to be 'exhibit/display' worthy for all those who might find the cords, hoses, and pipes an eye-sore. I re-read the entire thread to see where you had hiccups and success. Thanks for documenting all of this.

Would you mind providing a list of your inhabitants?

Keep up the great work.

A list....oh gee, I'm not sure I can do that.....there's a lot of fish in there.

2-3 Madtoms
20+ darters of various sizes
20+ shiners, dace, and minnows

I've had more but have lost a few fish recently and haven't replaced them.

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#125 Guest_biggreenavalanche_*

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Posted 28 August 2013 - 09:13 PM

I already have the background in. I'm just changing the pump in if now. I've had the background for almost 2 years now.

Sent from the ATRIX HD MAXX on Pac-Man using Tapatalk 4

I just read the whole thread...silly me...

Rich

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#126 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 29 August 2013 - 07:00 AM

I assume mostly local, KY species?

Nick L.

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#127 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 29 August 2013 - 10:02 AM

I assume mostly local, KY species?

Mostly, there are a few in there from Virginia.

Sent from the ATRIX HD MAXX on Pac-Man using Tapatalk 4

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#128 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 09 September 2013 - 01:07 PM

I have a question. If I get this pump in and the water is too strong, I may put a valve on the input line to slow the flow. If I do reduce the flow, will that cause the pump to burn up?

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#129 Guest_EricaLyons_*

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Posted 09 September 2013 - 01:29 PM

I have a question. If I get this pump in and the water is too strong, I may put a value on the input line to slow the flow. If I do reduce the flow, will that cause the pump to burn up?

If you reduce the flow by increasing pressure, yes, possibly. The best way to test this is to feel it for increasing temperature as it's running.

At the local club meeting on Friday we were discussing someone burning up a pump by using one of those rainwater-like returns on a multitank system with one pump in the sump. The pipe coming out of the pump had holes drilled in it to drip water into each tank. That built up way too much pressure and caused the pump to burn up. The speaker mentioned how you can prevent these sorts of catastrophic pump failures by releasing the pressure with a hole at the end of the pipe. Or check it to make sure it's not getting hot. If it is, release the pressure by increasing the flow. Let it cool off and try again.

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#130 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 09 September 2013 - 01:34 PM

What about reducing flow by reducing the water intake?

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#131 Guest_EricaLyons_*

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Posted 09 September 2013 - 02:33 PM

What about reducing flow by reducing the water intake?

Short version: Check the pump to make sure it's not getting hot. If it's getting hot, you need more water flow.

Long explanation:
Reducing the water intake can cause the pump to burn up just as much as reducing the outflow can because what really causes the problem is a lack of cooling due to reduced flow in the pump. The water needs a certain flow rate and volume to receive the heat from the pump. If the flow rate drops too low, it doesn't wick enough heat away from the pump and the heat accumulates, burning out the pump.

Think of the cool water rushing by as a heat sink. The more water volume moves by, and the more rapidly (within laminar flow), the more heat the water can remove from the pump. If you reduce either the volume of water or its flow rate, you reduce the amount of heat it can draw off of the pump. This can cause the pump to overheat and 'burn up'. Since the pump has an unchangeable surface exchange area, you've got to either keep the water flow within a certain range or decrease the temperature of the water to keep the pump from accumulating heat.

More info, if you're curious: http://en.wikipedia....e_heat_transfer We meet again, Fourier's law. (My senior design project was a heat exchanger).

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#132 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 10 September 2013 - 05:39 AM

Josh, do a quick redesign of your return line (to the tank) from your pump such that you add a "T" in the line which will allow you to have a loop that recirculates in the sump, and the other line runs back into the tank. Put a valve on each line. That way you can reduce the flow to the tank as much as you want (say, 40%) and still have the pump push (or recirculate) the other 60% back into your sump. This way there is no back-pressure on your pump causing it to overheat. If you find later on down the road that you want to restore 100% flow to your tank, just open up the return line to the tank all the way, and close the recirc loop. Make sense?

Many pumps can handle reduced flow and subsequent heat build up for some time. It's not an ideal situation for the pump and certainly reduces the life expectancy--but it's usually not 'fatal' for the pump. Albeit, you're not using a grossly oversized pump, and greatly reducing the flow.

Nick L.

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#133 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 10 September 2013 - 08:06 AM

Nick,

I'm not sure I understand, this entire setup will be in the tank. This isn't going to be a sump setup, it is basically a modified Stream manifold design.

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#134 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 11 September 2013 - 06:24 AM

Sorry, I didn't realize there wasn't a sump. That certainly changes things a bit. What I would recommend then is custom making your own, long, spray bar. A 1/2" piece of PVC with a cap on the far end and various holes drilled throughout it (in a nutshell) will disperse evenly along the bar. You can play with the diameter and spacing of the holes to get the desired/reduced flow without having to restrict the output on your pump. There are aquarium safe epoxy paints that you could use to paint the spray bar the same color as your background and or run it across the top of the back glass so it's not as obvious.

Nick L.

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#135 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 12 September 2013 - 08:04 AM

Good point, I didn't really think about that. I'm using a double loc-line output on this. I could always add a spray bar or just Y-off on of the outputs and add another loc-line tube to that. Adding more outputs would essentially lower the flow rate, right?

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#136 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 12 September 2013 - 09:47 AM

Right. With more angles and elbows, you lose a little bit of flow. A spray bar will definately help spread out the flow over a larger area. But in all honesty, it's hard to have too much flow in a tank if you have fishes that live in flowing streams. I thought I had way too much current in a 20 long, but as soon as I fired up the pump, guess where all the fish went... Directly in front of the output. If the fish don't like the flow, they will find the natural eddies and pools created by you wood, rocks, plants, etc.

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#137 Guest_EricaLyons_*

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Posted 12 September 2013 - 04:15 PM

Right. With more angles and elbows, you lose a little bit of flow. A spray bar will definately help spread out the flow over a larger area.

Be careful because angles, elbows, and spray bars all decrease flow by increasing pressure. That can burn out a pump.

Making a T and directing one of the T pipes into some stagnant water diverts water and decreases flow in the other side of the T but doesn't increase pressure on the pump. It also doesn't decrease the water's heat-sink effect on the pump, so you avoid increasing the risk of burn-up.

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#138 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 12 September 2013 - 04:31 PM

Awesome,

Thanks Erica and Will. I hope to install the pump on Saturday and will be reporting back.

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#139 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 22 October 2013 - 08:58 AM

So I finally go around to installing the pump. I've been working on it the past two days and have it hooked up and running.

All I can say is it's a HUGE disappointment. It moves less water than the old pump. I'm almost convinced there is a problem. This pump is rated at 991gph with a max head of around 10 feet. It's pushing water about 6 inches out of the output. The old pump would move water a few feet and was only rated at around 250gph. I'm going to remove the intake tubing today to see if that is restricting the pump too much, but I don't think that's the issue.