Sumps

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Im trying to total everything up for the sump, and I found a mag-drive supreme 12 1200gph pump, is this the mag 12 you guys were talking about? Is it an internal or external pump?
 
Hey SWT.... for a cheaper approach....

Use a 20 gallon long for sump... $25 in petsmart or petco.
Personally, I use a 10 gallon... $9 at walmart.

Buy some acrylic or glass from Home Depot... pre-cut... and do the baffles yourself... Its fun, you will learn a lot with doing it yourself.

If you want acrylic, then Im sure REEFAN or BIGT can help you. They work with acrylic like wonders. They also build tanks made of acrylics...

Skimmer.... now thats a thing that you need to invest in...
Im using Euroreef 6-1. And this is a needlewheel technology. You can also try REEFAN because he is building this like a champ and he is using becket system... you can check this thread. Dang is selling one and it is made my REEFAN. What is becket skimmer? You can do a search or another thread here.
Also you can buy refurbished models of euroreef with a big big discounts from the new ones...here They are the same company but the selling/retail side of it.

Usually, with Euroreef, they have prices that includes the pump. Also check the used section. People keeps coming and going with this hobby and they sell they stuff cheap. And patience for waiting is a virtue.

With regards to RO/DI. I think this is the most important thing that you can add to your equipments. A lot of people crashed their tanks because of using tap water specially during the case of emergencies that they need to replenish their water immediately.

If you dont have one and you've been using tap water, then I guess that is fine....BUT, PLEASE AT LEAST BUY A TDS METER, just to know where you are... the reading should be at least below 15 (they said). My tap water here in Renton/Fairwood is 40.... Water that you can buy from GLACIER at Safeway, Albertsons or Fred Meyers are at 17 (the last time i checked), which is 35 cents per gallon. It costs only $1.75 per 5 gallon of water and I think this is a viable solution if you dont want to buy RO/DI yet.

Also, another overlooked equipment that is very IMPORTANT!!!!....
Buy a REFRACTOMETER. less than $50 dollars and you can have one. Very precised (if calibrated properly) compared to those glass or plastic ones. I know because I used those glass ones... A BIG MISTAKE ON MY PART... :(

Hope this helps.
 
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Thanks cesar, nick is gonna give me a site for a really cheap ro/di unit, and that will be my 1st purchase. TDS monitor, what is that? Same with the refractometer?
 
WOW, I loves that site that they are selling the euro reefs for cheap!!! Thanks alot cesar this will save me alot of money!!!! The beckett skimmers I still dont understand, and I read that thread and they use the beckett nozzel instead of bioballs in the sump? Can I make the euro reef a beckett? Thanks for the euro reef site, it will help out alot. It might take me a few months to get all the money thats needed for the ES 5-2 or 5-3, so will they make more and get more in? I would be greatful if you can find a site that sells the CPR CS102 Overflow Box for less than $99.00, because I need to save as much money as possible :D
Btw, do those euro reefs come with the pump?
 
Ohh!!! Refractometer is and hydrometer! Am I right? I have a plastic instant ocean one ;) Ceasar could I fit an ES 5-2 or an ES 5-3 into a 10gal?
 
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alright hers the big post,

heres what you need,

1. FI-CS150 get it from this site http://captivereefs.com/captivereefs/detailcat.asp?CatID=fi&SubCatID=fi-ob#

this is going to be your overflow box, you will put this one one side of you tank it will sit in your tank under the water and draw water from the tank to the sump, its worth the money $113

2. an aqualifter pump as mentioned before i dont haev a site try marinedepot.com $20, this is to make sure you keep siphon and dont allow air bubbles to get trapped in the overflwo box and break the siphion, YOU NEED THIS!

3. then plumbing material either ahrd of flex will work, this is how you will connect the overflow box to the sump area about 20 bucks with all the connections and misc stuff, USE hard plumbing from the overflow to the sump and then use flew for the return pump! MAKE SURE YOU USE 1" PVC FROM THE OVERFLOW TO THE SUMP AND THE 3/4" FLEX TUBING FORM THE RETURN PUMP TO THE MAIN TANK! IF NOT YOU WILL HAVE PROBLEMS! YOU ALSOP NEED PVC GLUE AND PRIMER! TO GLUE TO PVC TOGETHER AND GET SOME 90S TOO AND DO NOT NOT USE THE PVC GLUE OR PRIMER ON THE FLEX! USE CLAMPS!

4. the sump, measure the area you haev under your tank then go to like walmart or some sotre liek that and buy a cheap tank that will fit under you main tank taek a tape meaure with you! i woudl get a 20 long if you can fit it!
like 20 bucks

5. then if you get a GLASS tank you NEED glass baffles so go to the local hardware and have them cut some glass for you, i will help you later on this and draw you a pic and everything when it comes time, bbut this will cost liek 10-15 bucks

6. then some LR but i mean CURED LR from a LFS to put in the sump area that is designed for that, get some egg crate and put it under the LR so it wont crakc the galss. this will cost like 100 bucks for like 15 pounds!

7. then you need a skimmer i dont know how you are getting a skimmer that cheap get a euro-reef rs5-3 BUT , measure the height you have under you cabinet. get this from http://www.premiumaquatics.com

this will cost like 250 shipped, heres a link to the skimmer , http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...OD&Product_Code=EURO-ES5-3&Category_Code=EURO get a new one dont get a knock off or anythig like that,

8. ok now a return pump, get a mag drive pump from http://www.premiumaquatics.com too, get a mag 9.5 or 12 depending on what you are keeping if you want SPS go wiht mag 12 if you want LPS or softies go mag 9.5, the mag 9.5 is 70 bucks and the mag 12 is 102 bucks heres the link, http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=MAG.

9. then some more flex tubing, use flex its eaier to use on the return pump, just get it aput it in boiling water to make it flexible and the way you want, and then plumb it up to the main tank, use some 90s to dirrect the flow into the main tank.

10. you also need a clamp to hold the flex on the mag pump get it form http://www.premiumaquatics.com too under the plubimg sectino get a 1 inch clamp.

11. you need metal clamps for where you connect 90s to the flex, the flex tuing will slide over the 90s and then put a clamp from the hardware and use a screwdriver to tighten it.

12. you need AQUARIUM SILCONE! to glue the baffles in place! get it form LFS!!!!

ok so this is how it work the overflow brings water into the sump, then you will haev the first compartment for the LR then you will make another compartment for the skimmer and then one more for the return pump it will be submerged! you will have 2 baffles, and you can throw a bag of carbon if you want in the first section where the lines from the overflow drop down to help with micro bubbles, you want the pulmbing to drop do and then make an "L" type shape with some 90s and drill a bunch of holes in it like 30 or so and put it like 3/4" or 1/2" under the water! then the water will flow over a baffle into a section where your skimmer is, your skimmer comes with a pump that is submerged, you NEED to clean it once a week! and ONLY once week! then the water will flow over the last baffle intot he section where the return pump is! the return pump will take water back up to the main tank, use flex tubing for this, split it into 2 lines with a tee peice and use clamps on all the connections then bring it up to the tank, use 90s to hook it on to the tank then another 90 to direct the flow into the tank!

thats it in a nutshell i will design your sump for you later after you get it all!

oh yeah then the RO/DI, go to ebay type in aqua safe in the search function, get the 75 gpd one! and get the booster pump for 60 bucks and the TDS meter for 25 bucks! the RO/DI unit will cost like 50 bucks i think!

and just some advice, befor eyou ask a question do some research on RC about it, look at some pics and dig deeped, then post a more specific question ratehr than a general one. you need to figure some things out. DID you ever read those links i gave you on the last thread? you need to take advice from people and read careful and answetr the questions they ask you ratehr than asking more, people get mad then the wont answer your post anymore, i have to admit i was pretty mad i typed all that out, and you didnt even acknowledge my post or questions i asked you, if you continue to do this no one will help you. sorry if thats mean, but trust me i know,

now you nee dot work on these basic principles,

1. water quality, read that linki post, you need to start off with good water a RO/DI unit, and then not overfeed or add to much at once or have a high bio-load. test often! and CHECK you calcium and alk! you need to boost those up!

check out the new to the hooby forum at RC it will help you alot! all of us started there at some point!

2. movement, you need movement in the tank! like powerheads!

3. skimmer, get a GOOD skimmer like euro-reef

4. lights, you need good lights for what you want to keep if you want SPS go with MH if you want LPS or softies go with VHOs or t5s

5. maintence, you need to help you tank with water chanegs on a weekly basis atleast 10-15% of you total water volume, so like 10 gallons will be good for you!

6. and most of all research anything befor eyou put it in your tank! take the time to do it, then ask specific quesitons, not so generalized liek you have been doing.

i think thats it maybe tomorrow i will psot some pics i am too tired right now! i will post some tomorrow to help you understand!

so it will be like 500-600 total!, listne do it right and you will not be sorry and your reef will love you for it!

i hope this helps and sorry if i sounded mean at the end, but you haev to realize if someone takes the time to help you and you blow them off and ask more questions, why woudl that person ever help you again?

so if you haev questions as me, but respond to my questions!

anyway have a good night, and i will post pics tomorrow some time!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Nick
 
2. an aqualifter pump as mentioned before i dont haev a site try marinedepot.com $20, this is to make sure you keep siphon and dont allow air bubbles to get trapped in the overflwo box and break the siphion, YOU NEED THIS!

I will be the voice of disent. I disagree. With a simple overflow, you are working with physics, something that is a constant and will not fail as long as no snails, macroalgae, etc... get in the tube. Use an aqualifter, this has the potential to fail because you are bringing electricity into the field of play, and electricity is not 100% certain. If your overflow is working as it should, bubbles that move through the tube, flow out and eventually find the water surface in overflow...

Of course, that is the beauty of the hobby, everyone has their own opinion...
 
spend the extra 10 bucks and get the bigger one! trust me i had problems with mie becasue i didnot get a big enough one!

also trust me onthis you need to use a pump! the bubbles do not leave on there own! i owned one for my 70 and if i didnt haev the powerhea don or the powerhead wasnt cleaned oftened i was in trouble!

thanks!

Nick
 
Ok, ill get the 150 Overflow, but wont I have to get a 1500gph mag also to even it out? Why not flex on both? Heres a pic of the baffle system that I drew
 
Just a thought on your drawing, you might want to move the skimmer as far away from the return pump as possible. Less bubbles in the main tank.
 
got it :D Another question, for the plumbing, do I need to get anything special ordered, or just regular PVC and flex pipe? I also saw this overflow, what is with it? I mean the center thing, http://www.reefsanctuary.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/3689/sort/1/cat/all/page/1
for the return, does it need to be returned to the over flow? Or can I just put a spray bar on the end and have some suction cups on it? I dont get why I cant use flex for the intake?
 
ok first i mean pump as in you need to hook a pump up to the nipple on your CPR overflow to make sure all the air bubbles get sucked out! the aqualifter will work great for this!

2nd the overflow will only drain as much water as your reutrn pump can pump, so if you get that mag 12 at lets say 5 feet fo head it pushes 800gph your overflow will drain 800gph, they will be in equlibrium (bio term you should know that one!) anyway you want to haev that extra cushion so just get the bigger overflow!

3rd you want the baffles to go ALL th way accross and water to go OVER NOT AROUND THE BAFFLES. do you get that?

90s are used for plumbing go to the hardware and look in the plumbing section! they look like an "L" or a 90 degree angel they will make the plumbing go 90 degrees,

heres a link that shows you the 90 i was tlaking about and the Tee i was tlaking about further down the page!

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_plumbing_parts_fittings_1.asp?CartId=

i mean hook 3 90s up in series to get water in your tank from the pump! when you get eveyrhting i will draw a digram for you.

any more questions let me know!

Nick
 
DO NOT return the plumbing from the return pumo to the overflow that would defeat the purpose of the overflow and sump you would be return the same water to the sump to go through filtration!

have the overflow one the left side and then split the return pipe into 2 lines using a tee and then use 90s to get the water in the tank! the 90s will hang on the tank.

i will post pics tomorrow so you have see!

Nick
 

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