Advice of refuge plumbing please !

[nanshaw2001]

As shown in the link below,( tried to move just the pic here...couldn't do it ) I have my 55 and a 15 side by side. Will the plumbing work as shown and is there any neccesity for it to be a high quality power head? I'm hoping not as funds are very limited. Any and all advice appreciated!!!!


http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/blank/bldonrefugcloseup.htm

 

[Herefishyfishy]

It would work but is dependant on not losing the syphon to prevent a flood. Also doesn't give much circulation in the fuge. Anthony Calfo says the more tumbling of the plants the better

 

[nanshaw2001]

So if I make sure the siphon is solidly in place I'm okay? Should I add a power head for the fuge? I've got my chaeto coming! The mandarin is eating the live brine! As always, thanks Mike!!!

 

[burning2nd]

heya.... just wanna point out some stuff that i think i saw...

mike.. you are looking to make a sump/ add more volume to your tank?
that picture setup could end up with a leak/overflow. and will be prone to it.

they make overflows that hang on the back.. and have a pump to restart the siphon.

the cheato can float in your tank till you get that all figured out...

live brine dont really have any nutritional value

 

[atavus]

So if I make sure the siphon is solidly in place I'm okay? Should I add a power head for the fuge? I've got my chaeto coming! The mandarin is eating the live brine! As always, thanks Mike!!!

You're risking a flood and this is going to be a PITA. You can loose the siphon due to:
- bubbles in the tube
- the tube moving (you bumping it, water movement, fish, snails)
- evaporation
- water changes

The last one is the PITA. Each water change will probably kill the siphon (unless the tube is really, really long) as the water level drops below it. So every week you'll need to recreate the siphon.

You can get rid of the last three problems by putting a water tight box with an open top around each side of the siphon. That should keep the tube in place and the ends under water.

 

[nanshaw2001]

I'm glad it's at least eating the brine until I can get the copepods here. Okay....sounds like I DON'T have a plan. Can someone give me SIMPLE plumbing instructions. I can move the 15 if needed. Thanks all! nancy

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Need to have the 15 below the display and draining into it through some type of overflow box and a small pump in the sump pumping it back up to the display. Around and around it goes.

 

[atavus]

The overflow box can be bought online or at a LFS, they're somewhere from $30-150 depending on a bunch of factors. Or its a small project with acrylic. You'll need a tube from the overflow output to the sump and back from the pump in the sump to the tank. The overflow needs to be able to handle more than the pump, but it's fine to use a 650 GPH overflow with a 100GPH pump, the overflow will only do 100GPH. The tubes can either be normal PVC or flex pvc (a bit easier). You can use some kinds of the vinyl tubing but I don't remember what kind, some will disintegrate in salt water.

 

[burning2nd]

do not have to be directly under ... simpley put the return of the sump must be below the main tank

my very simple setup
doesnt really get any simpler then this...
flawless for 2+years thur power failures

drain is on the left return pump small mag5 on the right...

the first picture is the overflow... and the black tube going down.. the thing on the top that looks like a pump is a aqua lifter... that thing keeps the shipon all the time...

(you can hear it when you turn the sump off. slurping trying to start the water flow)

it does have to be primed the very first time.. (simply add water in the rear chamber)

the return line... from the mag 5
in the early days i had it all rigged

do it nice..(this is not) make it secure and steady the nozzle (this picture is litterly the first 30seconds of my sumps life) needs to be OUT OF the water.. or very close to the surface..

you can kinda see it here (i cant understand why outta like the 1000 something pictures of my tank i have on photobucket i dont have a shot of the left top corrner of my tank)

anyway
im useing Loc Line i have the nozzle about a 1/4 under the water... just enough to not slurp but makes a little whirlpool sometimes..

this is so when the power shuts off... the water sucks back down that tube a little (my tank drops about 1/2" down and my sump fills up almost to the top of the right most baffle...(well far from the top of the sump)

 

[nanshaw2001]

Ya'll are just awesome. Not really sure I get this but my husband will, he's a contractor. He's had to go a couple of states over just to find work. Will put him to it when he returns!!!!

 

[burning2nd]

you could put the tank to the side on a table.. of you could move it a few feet away... as long as you can run the tube
i used soft flex tube... others use PVc i will use pvc for my next tank but for then and there it was a few trips to the store and done in one day