48 replies to this topic

[littlen]

     I figured I would chronicle my tank renovation during the slower months and give a little reading (with pictures) during these slower months on the forum.  I've referenced this tank over the years which used to be a stream tank.  It was not drilled at the time.  It ran off of a FX6, and also an external Iwaki pump.  Well I needed to move this tank out of the living room to give frolicking children more room to play.  So I gave away all the fish and now I'm starting over. 

 

     Since I'm now banished to the back room, in a dark corner of the basement, I'm taking my time and doing it right.  The tank dimensions are 72" x 18" x 27".  It weighs over 300 lbs dry and will rest directly on the concrete slab.  The first step was to use a diamond hole saw to make holes for the overflows (2) and supply line.

 

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The first picture shows the two, 1.5" bulkheads.  Each has a male adapter added so I can use slip fittings the rest of the way.

 

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Closer view, different angle.

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This picture shows the 3/4" bulkhead that will support the supply line coming from the Iwaki pump.  Inside the tank I will make a spray bar.

 

 

[littlen]

     After that point, I was able to move the tank inside.  (Those of you unfamiliar with drilling, it requires a little trickle of water to keep the bit and glass cool which could lead to the tank cracking).  I wanted to paint it outside but the weather wasn't favorable.  So the family and I had to deal with the fumes of an oil base enamel paint for a few days.  I decided on a deep blue which can be seen in some of the pictures.  

 

     I added caps to each of the overflows and drilled a small hole in the top of each to allow air in.  This will reduce the volume of the falling water.  The caps are removable.

 

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The back of the tank is facing out in this view which is allowing the paint to cure while I worked on the overflows.

 

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In this view, I have finished joining the two overflows together using a Wye.

 

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I decided to incorporate unions below the Tees and after the Wye to be able to break down and remove the plumbing if the tank gets moved again and no cutting is necessary.  I used a 1.5" to 2" adapter and a 2" union at the bottom so from this point on, the piping will be 2" as it dumps into the sump (Not pictured.)

 

 

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This is a current tank shot on the stand.

 

 

     The next step is to drill a 55 gallon tank that will serve as the sump.  Also, baffles need to be cut and siliconed into place.   

More to come.

[Josh Blaylock]

Can't wait.

[MtFallsTodd]

Nice start Nick. I drilled a 125 for a glassholes dart overflow to make a reeftank. Kinda high pucker factor but well worth it. Can't wait to see where you go with this.

[littlen]

Thanks Todd. I know what youre saying. I was used to taking at least 10 minutes to do thin 10 gallon tanks. I got impatient and rushed drilling this tank. I put some force behind the drill and when it got thin enough it busted through early and popped off some flakes on the inside. Shouldnt be an issue but I did have to silicone the bulkhead as the gasket didnt cover the damage.

See below.

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[Chasmodes]

Sweet, I'll be following.  Will this be a river tank again? 

[littlen]

Will this be a river tank again? 

 

Not immediately.  It will house some of our tropical neighbors from the Central portion of the continent.  But the new system will allow for a much more efficient stream set up in the future and require fewer pumps for water movement.

 

The one thing I am NOT missing about having a stream tank is thawing out bloodworms, mysis, and ABS daily!  I'll have a new mouth to feed come June, so I need to start enjoying the simplicity of life (pellet feedings) while I can.

[mattknepley]

Durn them frolicking chillen feets, anyway! But congrats on having another little Little around! Honestly, the basement doesn't appear to be a bad deal from the looks of things. Mad scientists do their best work when out of sight, anyway. I know we've hashed this on the forum before, but I still think of North America from the geographical, not geological/environmental point of view (if that's the correct wording) so if you're doing CA cichlids and such you're still doing the NANFA thing as far as I'm concerned!

What made you decide to put it on a stand after all, as opposed to keeping it directly on the slab?

Excited to see this build unfold. I am enviously storing away ideas from all the builds across the forum just in case I ever do score the opportunity to have my fish room. Darn thing has turned out to be pretty elusive!

[littlen]

Im with you Matt, on the geographical thing. But for the sake of the forum and this postI figure Ill just chronical the build and set up for advanced fish keeping rather than the fish themselves (and where they are from) and their husbandry.

Ive always been excited to have people over and see the (then stream tank). Now being in the basement, no one really will. More for me?

The stand was a no-brainer for many reasons. One, cant put a sump under the tank without one Second, I find that the fish are more outgoing when they are higher up. And I like them at eye-level too. My stand is 40 tall and makes the tank perfectly viewable from a standing or seated position. At only 27 tall, Id have to lay on my side on the ground to view it if on the slab. Cant say Ive ever put a tank on the ground.

It it wasnt between single digits in the AM, and barely above freezing at the warmest, maybe the hose would thaw and I could take the sump out and drill it soon. Stupid weather.

[mattknepley]

That makes sense about the stand. When you said "directly on the slab" I took you literally.

[Chasmodes]

And I like them at eye-level too. My stand is 40 tall and makes the tank perfectly viewable from a standing or seated position.

 

My stand for my oyster reef tank is 36" tall for that very reason.  I hate having to kneel down to see my fish or sit on the floor.  I used to do that, but I'm a lot older and less tolerant of pain than I was back then.

[littlen]

I got impatient and drilled the hole for my sump in to a 30 gallon tank (pictures coming). The picture below shows the plumbing to and from the pump.

Starting with the bulkhead, Ill be using some 1 spa hose (not pictured) which will negate some of the difference in height between the bulkhead and the suction side of the pump. From there the Tee, and valve to the left will allow for easy draining or the sump for periodical cleanings and water changes. My idea for larger water changes is to start a siphon from the tank directly to the sump which will continuously drain to a nearby bathroom.

The unions and valves on the suction/discharge sides of the pump allow for easy isolation and removal of the pump for maintenance or replacement.

Hope to have the sump plumbed by the end of the week.



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[Chasmodes]

So you'd turn off your pump during a water change I guess?

[littlen]

Correct

[mattknepley]

Where's the fun in that?

[littlen]

I guess for every time my wife leaves the curling iron on and the house smells of burnt hair, I should get a pass to leave the pump running dry and fill the house with my own unique, burnt smell.

[Chasmodes]

I'm not saying that you should keep the pump on with your plumbing scheme and run your pump dry.  The reason that I ask is that if you have a large sump, then you can plumb it in such a way that you can do water changes and keep the pump running and the tank never drains, only the sump.  For example, if your sump normally holds 40 gallons of water, and you want to change 10 gallons, you can drain the 10 gallons and your entire system keeps on running.   However, if the sump is too small and the pump too strong, this would not be possible.

 

There is no right or wrong way to do it.  The ability to complete a water change is the goal, and there are many ways to do that, from full automation to the siphon/bucket method (my current way).  

[littlen]

I hear ya.  I try to do 50% w/c every 2nd or 3rd week.  So a siphon from tank to sump, and then open the drain line (with the pump off) is likely the plan of attack.  If I decide to run the FX6 canister filter on the tank as well, maybe a secondary loop on the sump itself, cleaning that out itself is several gallons.  I'd love to get really crafty with additional components but this build is pretty straight forward.

 

I'll also have a tray that will hold a couple filter socks like the picture below.  This was from another build.

 

 

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[Chasmodes]

Cool.  Yeah, large water changes like that are a different game. 

 

For my system, I will design a scheme for small water changes within the sump that will minimally impact the display tank.  This is mostly because I'm lazy, and if I continue to rely on the bucket/siphon method, then I may neglect a needed water change.  For my oyster reef tank, this will also require a set up where I can make and save RO/DI water, make it easy for me to top off the tank, and also mix salt/brackish water.  I was going to try a total gravity based system, but it might be more of a space saver to purchase another pump and move water from a distance.  I won't know for sure for a while, but, that will be detailed on my build thread.

[littlen]

With the collecting season gearing up, I need to finish this thread (and the build for that matter).

A late evening once the kids were asleep and some motivational scotch, I finally finished the plumbing and turned the system on.

First is the drain line, suction and discharge to/from the pump.  Pretty straight forward.  I'll likely redo the pad that the pump sits on as there are some pretty good vibrations going through the whole stand and into the tank despite the rubber pad under the foot of the pump:

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Next shot is the supply.  Coming directly off the pump it is 1", but is reduced to 3/4" by the time it gets to the tank.  The only real reason is due to the fact that I had a 3/4" bulkhead.
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Not the greatest picture, but there is a 3/4" diameter spray bar.  When the system is on and running, the water just barely covers the top of it.  I believe I used a 3/16" drill bit and spaced them every half inch.  The spray bar spans the width of the tank, ~18":
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The finished overflows.  The fancy, blue, translucent blue piping at the bottom is called Kynar.  It was leftover from a construction project.  The last elbow is not glued in the event I need to change the direction of flow into the filter socks-or-replace the elbow with a 45:

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Full tank shot.  Large pieces of driftwood are soaking.  I found the 'max fill line' on the sump by filling the main tank until it just started flowing into the drains.  Once that stopped, I filled the sump within a 1/2" from the top.  Then fired the pump up.  Where the water level stops in the sump is the maximum level to fill after water changes or topping off.  (*Important to know max fill line in the event of a power failure and the main tank water returns back to the sump.  Another important factor to consider is if your supply line has any fittings that are a few inches under the water in your fish tank, they will create a siphon and continue to fill your sump even if your drain line is above the water level.  You can easily flood your tank if this happens.  A siphon break is a small hole you can drill in your supply line near the water line (just below is fine) while the system is running.  When power is lost, air will enter via the siphon break and prevent additional water from back-siphoning into your sump.)

Fortunately for my setup, my spray bar is higher than the overflows and all the holes in the spray bar itself act as siphon breaks as the tank drains back into the sump.  Confused yet?  Any way, here is the picture:

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Still need to cut and silicone in the baffles and sock plate (green sheet at the bottom of the last pic).  More pictures to follow once I re-up the scotch collection.