reedman
Well-known member
For a crawlspace I'd go for one of the Iwakis. The are rock solid and can deal with the back pressure. They are a little noisy, but in your case (the crawl space) it doesn't really matter.
Help me design my new 240gal setup!
- Thread starter Slickdonkey
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
Scooterman
Well-known member
I'm using these as examples because of the 20 foot head your talking about & still wanting 1,800gph to work with. Sequence also makes bigger pumps that will give you more GPH at 20FT head if necessary, I think they are the 1000 series, IWAKI can't do it & consume more power, something to look at.
Iwaki MD55RLT Water Pump (Japanese Motor)
Model: MD100RLT*
Inlet(MPT)/Outlet(MPT): 1"/1"
Flow Rate @ 4` Head: 2000 GPH
Max Head ft: 39.0
OR YOU CAN GO
Iwaki MD55RLT Water Pump (Japanese Motor)
Model: MD100RLT*
Inlet(MPT)/Outlet(MPT): 1"/1"
Flow Rate @ 4` Head: 2000 GPH
Max Head ft: 39.0
OR YOU CAN GO
- Minimal heat transfer
- Quiet operation
- Less watt draw than comparable mag drive pumps!
- Units are pre-wired with an 8ft cord and molded 115V plug.
- Housing is molded GLASS REINFORCED POLYPROPELENE
- Maximum Flow Rate: 2050gph
- Maximum Shut-Off Head: 37"
- Maximum Wattage: 366W
- Average Amperage/Wattage: 2.7A/310W @ 115V
- Inlet/Outlet: 1" FNPT / 3/4" FNPT
- Warranty: 3-year manufacturer`s warranty
Scooterman
Well-known member
You may need these to help out & figure what exactly you need.
http://reefcentral.com/calc/hlc.php
http://reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php
http://reefcentral.com/calc/sump.php
http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/TankSetupCalc.php?length=72&width=24&height=24&lbsRock=~&lbsSand=~&lbsStand=~
http://reefcentral.com/calc/hlc.php
http://reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php
http://reefcentral.com/calc/sump.php
http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/TankSetupCalc.php?length=72&width=24&height=24&lbsRock=~&lbsSand=~&lbsStand=~
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Thanks guys. What do you guys think about running my UV/chiller/chemical filter off the return pump? I'm thinking maybe another Hammerhead, with the added bonus that I could use the CL pump (also a Hammerhead) for a backup if it fails.
I also would like to push 300gph through my fuge.
The Hammerhead is appealing because it has a reasonable power draw and still pretty darn good output at these pressures. And it's cheaper than a lot of these others.
I also would like to push 300gph through my fuge.
The Hammerhead is appealing because it has a reasonable power draw and still pretty darn good output at these pressures. And it's cheaper than a lot of these others.
NeuroDoc
Well-known member
Slickdonkey said:
Is that 12ft calculated head or actual distance? It was my understanding that the assistance given to the pump from gravity (on return) reduces the head by ~50%.
Slickdonkey
Drink me
NeuroDoc said:
12ft is the actual distance.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Use the calculators to figure out your total head loss, these should help you determine what size pump you will need, take your time and do it right because it could make a big difference.
NeuroDoc
Well-known member
Scooterman said:
Here is an quote from ReefShow.com where they explain that for a closed loop the only head loss one needs to be worried about is the friction from the plumbing. I will keep looking for the source of the 50% I remember:
I am very interested in knowing if this is wrong or right, as I am beginning to think about how I will desing the CL on my new tank.
Last edited:
NeuroDoc
Well-known member
Oops,
re-read the previous page. Thought you were talking CL and not return from the sump. Sorry. I still recall reading about the 50% for gravity assistance. I will see if I can find that source.
edit: here is the source. Right here in our forums. I am so confused
It think the key may be the "through a filter" statement.
re-read the previous page. Thought you were talking CL and not return from the sump. Sorry. I still recall reading about the 50% for gravity assistance. I will see if I can find that source.
edit: here is the source. Right here in our forums. I am so confused
It think the key may be the "through a filter" statement.
Last edited:
Scooterman
Well-known member
On a CL you really don't need to consider head loss, it is usually so little it isn't worth worrying about, only on the open system, but that is good to read anyways. Unless for some reason you have a matrix of plumbing the frictional loss is very little to overcome, you'll get some loss but not much in a typical CL system.
NeuroDoc
Well-known member
Scooterman,
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the info.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Hey slick I was looking at your tank, man she is a beaut!
You better take lots of pictures as you progress! That will be awesome!
You better take lots of pictures as you progress! That will be awesome!
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Yeah, it's a real beauty all right. I've started taking pictures, will start posting them one of these days. It's the project that WILL NOT END!
The stand is especially nice craftsmanship (made by Travis, can't remember his userid here). I screwed up the Varathane finish but found a way to correct it and hope to be done with it this weekend.
The stand is especially nice craftsmanship (made by Travis, can't remember his userid here). I screwed up the Varathane finish but found a way to correct it and hope to be done with it this weekend.
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Birth of a monster
Ok, I'll post a few pictures to show you all how the project is progressing. If you missed the beginning of the thread, this project all began one day while I was bored at work and surfing around here trying to figure out how to get my 75 gallon fish-only tank back from the brink of neglect, when I saw this!
"Wow, that's pretty cool" I thought to myself. It's been my dream to have a massive tank since I saw my first 125 gallon tank when I was 12 years old. I remember thinking it was so massive and wondering how many goldfish I could fit in there. Well, 20 years later I find myself wondering the same thing, only I'm thinking clams and corals rather than goldfish!
"No way Tiffany will go for this," I think to myself. We have enough other things that have higher priority requiring our limited funding, such as a house, a two-year old, and another kid due in June. So I kind of mentioned it in passing before heading off to work the next morning, saying "hey, I saw this guy selling a beautiful 240 gallon tank for a great price locally". I was floored when she said "well, why don't you buy it then?"
And so I did. I guess it helps that she's a fish person too and maintains her own 55 gallon freshwater tank. "This is great," I think to myself, "I'll just buy a new skimmer and be good to go". Having never actually had a reef tank, rather only fish tanks, I didn't really know what I was getting into. I had no sump, no pumps, no adequate lighting, no powerheads for flow, bascally nothing other than a stale 5-year old can of stale fish flakes. Even the usefulness of that is questionable.
Here is a picture of my existing tank. The lights are out, so it's not a great picture. The new one will go along this same wall.
View attachment 11358
So I began a shopping spree on Amazon and purchased a ton of books to read on our upcoming vacation. I'd list them but they're far too numerous and I'm sure you all have seen most of them anyway.
After reading through some of these books I had more questions than answers, a lot of which you'll find in the first few pages of this thread. I began to panic, because this project needs to be done before the baby arrives at the end of June. There's not going to be any time for this stuff once that date rolls around, and I want to have everything up and running by then. Fortunately I was able to find a lot of answers here.
Well, while I was still thinking about all this, it was time for Travis and Ed to deliver the tank. For a few extra bucks Travis was nice enough to build the canopy for the stand, and he did a heck of a job. They delivered it straight to my garage. Looks like my car will be outside for awhile.
Here is a picture of the tank, stand, and canopy delivered to my garage.
View attachment 11359View attachment 11360
Ok, I'll post a few pictures to show you all how the project is progressing. If you missed the beginning of the thread, this project all began one day while I was bored at work and surfing around here trying to figure out how to get my 75 gallon fish-only tank back from the brink of neglect, when I saw this!
"Wow, that's pretty cool" I thought to myself. It's been my dream to have a massive tank since I saw my first 125 gallon tank when I was 12 years old. I remember thinking it was so massive and wondering how many goldfish I could fit in there. Well, 20 years later I find myself wondering the same thing, only I'm thinking clams and corals rather than goldfish!
"No way Tiffany will go for this," I think to myself. We have enough other things that have higher priority requiring our limited funding, such as a house, a two-year old, and another kid due in June. So I kind of mentioned it in passing before heading off to work the next morning, saying "hey, I saw this guy selling a beautiful 240 gallon tank for a great price locally". I was floored when she said "well, why don't you buy it then?"
And so I did. I guess it helps that she's a fish person too and maintains her own 55 gallon freshwater tank. "This is great," I think to myself, "I'll just buy a new skimmer and be good to go". Having never actually had a reef tank, rather only fish tanks, I didn't really know what I was getting into. I had no sump, no pumps, no adequate lighting, no powerheads for flow, bascally nothing other than a stale 5-year old can of stale fish flakes. Even the usefulness of that is questionable.
Here is a picture of my existing tank. The lights are out, so it's not a great picture. The new one will go along this same wall.
View attachment 11358
So I began a shopping spree on Amazon and purchased a ton of books to read on our upcoming vacation. I'd list them but they're far too numerous and I'm sure you all have seen most of them anyway.
After reading through some of these books I had more questions than answers, a lot of which you'll find in the first few pages of this thread. I began to panic, because this project needs to be done before the baby arrives at the end of June. There's not going to be any time for this stuff once that date rolls around, and I want to have everything up and running by then. Fortunately I was able to find a lot of answers here.
Well, while I was still thinking about all this, it was time for Travis and Ed to deliver the tank. For a few extra bucks Travis was nice enough to build the canopy for the stand, and he did a heck of a job. They delivered it straight to my garage. Looks like my car will be outside for awhile.
Here is a picture of the tank, stand, and canopy delivered to my garage.
View attachment 11359View attachment 11360
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Staining the stand
Now that the tank and stand had been delivered, I was anxious to do some hands-on work to get this project started. Step one is to move all my other unfinished projects off to the side.
It seemed that finishing the stand would be a good place to start. That way I can get the project underway while still figuring out my design and what I'm going to do with this thing that's now sitting in my garage where my car used to be.
So the next day I was off to the local hardware store. I like McLendon's here in Woodinville because they actually hire people who know something about their respective fields instead of teenagers who are just trying to get it on with the girl who drives the forklift. There's a time and a place for that and it's called Home Depot.
Now I'm not all that experienced with woodworking, but one thing I know about staining things is that it never comes out like the color on the piece of paper in the store. Luckily they sell little 35-cent packets of test colors to try out on your actual wood. I guess there's no such thing as a free sample anymore, eh? Anyway, here are some tests. You can see I've tested the stains on different types of scrap wood that are used on the stand.
View attachment 11361
Tiffany and I both liked the one on the right -- "Traditional Pecan". I don't know where they come up with these names, but we like the color.
View attachment 11362
Step one after giving the wood a light sanding was to coat it in Benite and let it dry for 24 hours. This is a wood conditioner that will help the stain go on more evenly and prevent "blotchiness", if that's even a word. Notice the respirator. I bought this for a fiberglass project last summer and is a necessity for working in an enclosed space with these kind of chemicals. You can't smell a thing -- wish I had one of these for when my brother eats Mexican food.
View attachment 11363
Now that the tank and stand had been delivered, I was anxious to do some hands-on work to get this project started. Step one is to move all my other unfinished projects off to the side.
It seemed that finishing the stand would be a good place to start. That way I can get the project underway while still figuring out my design and what I'm going to do with this thing that's now sitting in my garage where my car used to be.
So the next day I was off to the local hardware store. I like McLendon's here in Woodinville because they actually hire people who know something about their respective fields instead of teenagers who are just trying to get it on with the girl who drives the forklift. There's a time and a place for that and it's called Home Depot.
Now I'm not all that experienced with woodworking, but one thing I know about staining things is that it never comes out like the color on the piece of paper in the store. Luckily they sell little 35-cent packets of test colors to try out on your actual wood. I guess there's no such thing as a free sample anymore, eh? Anyway, here are some tests. You can see I've tested the stains on different types of scrap wood that are used on the stand.
View attachment 11361
Tiffany and I both liked the one on the right -- "Traditional Pecan". I don't know where they come up with these names, but we like the color.
View attachment 11362
Step one after giving the wood a light sanding was to coat it in Benite and let it dry for 24 hours. This is a wood conditioner that will help the stain go on more evenly and prevent "blotchiness", if that's even a word. Notice the respirator. I bought this for a fiberglass project last summer and is a necessity for working in an enclosed space with these kind of chemicals. You can't smell a thing -- wish I had one of these for when my brother eats Mexican food.
View attachment 11363
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Staining the stand, pt. 2
After the Benite coating, it was time to stain the stand. Basically just put it on, let it sit for half an hour or so, then wipe it off. I used an old Red Hook Brewery T-shirt that was way too small for my expanding gut, probably due to too much Red Hook beer. How ironic.
After everything had dried (about two hours), the color wasn't quite as dark as we had imagined. So I repeated the process and the results were much better this time. I love the rich orange-brown color.
View attachment 11364
After the Benite coating, it was time to stain the stand. Basically just put it on, let it sit for half an hour or so, then wipe it off. I used an old Red Hook Brewery T-shirt that was way too small for my expanding gut, probably due to too much Red Hook beer. How ironic.
After everything had dried (about two hours), the color wasn't quite as dark as we had imagined. So I repeated the process and the results were much better this time. I love the rich orange-brown color.
View attachment 11364
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Finishing the stand
So, what do you do with a gorgeously stained stand? You screw it all up, of course!
The intent was to use a polyurethane coating to protect the wood -- a good idea around saltwater. I had never worked with this before. It goes on as kind of a milky white color but dries into a clear semi-gloss finish in my case. The stuff I used is called Varathane.
View attachment 11366
So I put a coat on, milky white as it appears, but it never really dried clean. Instead I got a grayish blue mess that ruined the appearance of the stand when viewed from a certain angle. It wasn't as bad as it looks in this picture, you really have to get the angle just right, but suffice it to say I wasn't pleased.
View attachment 11365
WHAT HAPPENED?
I emailed Travis to find out what I did wrong, and he suggested it might have been temperature related. If it's too cold it won't dry properly. So I got out my microscope and read the directions closely (not standard procedure for me). Sure enough, it says to apply and let dry with a temperature > 55 degrees F. Which my unheated garage most certainly is not at this time of year, especially in the evening when most of my work was done.
Screwed by the details!
So, what do you do with a gorgeously stained stand? You screw it all up, of course!
The intent was to use a polyurethane coating to protect the wood -- a good idea around saltwater. I had never worked with this before. It goes on as kind of a milky white color but dries into a clear semi-gloss finish in my case. The stuff I used is called Varathane.
View attachment 11366
So I put a coat on, milky white as it appears, but it never really dried clean. Instead I got a grayish blue mess that ruined the appearance of the stand when viewed from a certain angle. It wasn't as bad as it looks in this picture, you really have to get the angle just right, but suffice it to say I wasn't pleased.
View attachment 11365
WHAT HAPPENED?
I emailed Travis to find out what I did wrong, and he suggested it might have been temperature related. If it's too cold it won't dry properly. So I got out my microscope and read the directions closely (not standard procedure for me). Sure enough, it says to apply and let dry with a temperature > 55 degrees F. Which my unheated garage most certainly is not at this time of year, especially in the evening when most of my work was done.
Screwed by the details!
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Fixing my mess
Well, according to Travis and the guy at the hardware store that I talked to, the best way to take off a coat of polyurethane is with some steel wool or a sander. I tried this for a little bit and realized it was going to take 20 hours and 20 trips to the chiropracter if I was to do this by hand. That's one of the disadvantages of an 8-foot long tank... everything takes twice as long.
So, I bought myself a nice air sander that should do the job nicely. The only problem with this particular model is that it was most likely intended for auto body work, which means it's hard to find sandpaper to fit it unless you go to an autobody shop.
But it did a good job of taking off the finish, although it took some of the stain with it. It was still a backbreaking job and one that needn't have been done if I had paid attention to the directions on the Varathane can.
I'll take a quick minute to show you my compressor setup. I bought this thing on a whim last year after I got an unexpected $600 gift card for Sears from my employer. Nice! Tiffany asked what the hell I would use an air compressor for, so I just said "to blow things". To tell you the truth I just thought they were cool and I'm sure I could find a use for it. I was right.
A year later and I have a pretty good selection of air tools. I like them because they're powerful, light, and relatively cheap because they have no motors. Now if only they had cordless ones!
View attachment 11367
It was a fun wiring project to set up a 240V outlet in my garage as well. It involved my father-in-law, a couple beers, and fiddling with a live electrical panel sitting right next to my garbage can full of mixed saltwater. I'm glad nothing bad happened.
One thing I discovered about air compressors is that with the bigger ones like I got, you can't just plug in a tool and go. You need a regulator because the compressor is rated to put out more air than the tool can handle. Also, it's a good idea to run most air tools with an inline lubricator to keep the tools oiled. So I plumbed my garage with galvanized pipe to provide two air drops in a convenient location. Both have an air filter to keep condensation out of the tools, but only the top one has an inline lubricator. The bottom one I use for filling my tires (I'd rather not have oil in my tires) or using a blowgun to get rid of sawdust.
View attachment 11368
Since I already had the 240V hookup for the compressor, when I got a tablesaw for my birthday I picked out a 240V Grizzly model. This thing is awesome. The first time I started it up I was terrified I was going to be sucked in like a jet engine. This thing would take your hand off and not even slow down. I also got the table extension -- the thing is 7 feet long and will handle some pretty big pieces of wood.
View attachment 11369
Hmm, look at that salt creep on the floor. I'll be glad to get my garbage cans set up in the crawlspace.
Ok, I seem to have gotten off topic here but I thought some of you might enjoy seeing my garage setup.
Well, according to Travis and the guy at the hardware store that I talked to, the best way to take off a coat of polyurethane is with some steel wool or a sander. I tried this for a little bit and realized it was going to take 20 hours and 20 trips to the chiropracter if I was to do this by hand. That's one of the disadvantages of an 8-foot long tank... everything takes twice as long.
So, I bought myself a nice air sander that should do the job nicely. The only problem with this particular model is that it was most likely intended for auto body work, which means it's hard to find sandpaper to fit it unless you go to an autobody shop.
But it did a good job of taking off the finish, although it took some of the stain with it. It was still a backbreaking job and one that needn't have been done if I had paid attention to the directions on the Varathane can.
I'll take a quick minute to show you my compressor setup. I bought this thing on a whim last year after I got an unexpected $600 gift card for Sears from my employer. Nice! Tiffany asked what the hell I would use an air compressor for, so I just said "to blow things". To tell you the truth I just thought they were cool and I'm sure I could find a use for it. I was right.
A year later and I have a pretty good selection of air tools. I like them because they're powerful, light, and relatively cheap because they have no motors. Now if only they had cordless ones!
View attachment 11367
It was a fun wiring project to set up a 240V outlet in my garage as well. It involved my father-in-law, a couple beers, and fiddling with a live electrical panel sitting right next to my garbage can full of mixed saltwater. I'm glad nothing bad happened.
One thing I discovered about air compressors is that with the bigger ones like I got, you can't just plug in a tool and go. You need a regulator because the compressor is rated to put out more air than the tool can handle. Also, it's a good idea to run most air tools with an inline lubricator to keep the tools oiled. So I plumbed my garage with galvanized pipe to provide two air drops in a convenient location. Both have an air filter to keep condensation out of the tools, but only the top one has an inline lubricator. The bottom one I use for filling my tires (I'd rather not have oil in my tires) or using a blowgun to get rid of sawdust.
View attachment 11368
Since I already had the 240V hookup for the compressor, when I got a tablesaw for my birthday I picked out a 240V Grizzly model. This thing is awesome. The first time I started it up I was terrified I was going to be sucked in like a jet engine. This thing would take your hand off and not even slow down. I also got the table extension -- the thing is 7 feet long and will handle some pretty big pieces of wood.
View attachment 11369
Hmm, look at that salt creep on the floor. I'll be glad to get my garbage cans set up in the crawlspace.
Ok, I seem to have gotten off topic here but I thought some of you might enjoy seeing my garage setup.
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Fixing the Varathane
After the previous fiasco, my next coat of Varathane went well because I used a SPACE HEATER in my garage. The coat dried nice and smooth. I've attached a picture of the canopy to demonstrate. Notice behind it, the front of the stand hasn't yet been fixed at this stage. You can see the difference. Looks great, huh?! :razz:
View attachment 11370
After the previous fiasco, my next coat of Varathane went well because I used a SPACE HEATER in my garage. The coat dried nice and smooth. I've attached a picture of the canopy to demonstrate. Notice behind it, the front of the stand hasn't yet been fixed at this stage. You can see the difference. Looks great, huh?! :razz:
View attachment 11370
Slickdonkey
Drink me
Coating the inside of the canopy
Ok, I'm getting sleepy and I'm running out of pictures, so here's one more.
I began to wonder whether I should have coated the inside of the canopy with something, because it's going to be over saltwater with four hot metal halide bulbs and some VHOs inside. That probably isn't a great environment for long-lasting freshness, if you know what I mean.
Both Ed and Travis suggested coating the inside with a white marine epoxy. This would protect the wood from the harsh environment and help reflect light as well! What a good idea. I bought a quart of white glossy EasyPoxy (figured the glossy would shine more light) which I found at my local West Marine. This is a boating supply store for all you land-locked reefers.
View attachment 11371
Once again Home Depot let me down, as they only had a one gallon container of green marine epoxy. Huh? I've had it said to me that Home Depot has lots of everything that they do have, but not much of anything, if you get my drift.
Here's a picture of the canopy coated with this goop. The picture is kind of dark, but the canopy is really shiny I think this will work nicely.
View attachment 11372
Ok, I'm getting sleepy and I'm running out of pictures, so here's one more.
I began to wonder whether I should have coated the inside of the canopy with something, because it's going to be over saltwater with four hot metal halide bulbs and some VHOs inside. That probably isn't a great environment for long-lasting freshness, if you know what I mean.
Both Ed and Travis suggested coating the inside with a white marine epoxy. This would protect the wood from the harsh environment and help reflect light as well! What a good idea. I bought a quart of white glossy EasyPoxy (figured the glossy would shine more light) which I found at my local West Marine. This is a boating supply store for all you land-locked reefers.
View attachment 11371
Once again Home Depot let me down, as they only had a one gallon container of green marine epoxy. Huh? I've had it said to me that Home Depot has lots of everything that they do have, but not much of anything, if you get my drift.
Here's a picture of the canopy coated with this goop. The picture is kind of dark, but the canopy is really shiny
I think this will work nicely.View attachment 11372
