29g BC HQI w/ sump [Re Made Overflow and Plumbing]

Here is the best critique I can give you. For the top 180 I would try to shorten the piece of pvc that goes between the two 90's so that they touch. For the water exit section, you have the T fitting with a piece going straight down to drain you need to change all that. It should come down from the top 180 then make a 180 degree bend and then the T should be right on top of the 2nd 90. The goal is to have 3 180 degree turns. The two bottom ones pool water in them and hold water in the "up and over section" so that you dont lose your siphon, the way you have it you will not have a restarting siphon. Try that and let me know if it works.

 

Lol, just got back from Ace Hardware and picked up a few clamps(I hope they won't corrode in SW) another 3/4" PVC tube and a few fittings so I can run my vinyl tubing from the PVC to the drain without having to work the PVC in funky angles underneath the cabinet. Here is a more recent photo of what I think you have suggested. Do the size of the holes in the cap matter?



Was considering adding a valve somewhere to shut on and off but realistically I won't need it and it could only lead to problems IMO so no valve, just got some clamps and what not to tighting up the vinyl tubing around the pump and around the return head

Edit: Notice I shortened the pieces like you suggested

 

Okay so after sticking this thing in a bucket of SW it drains a little (had to suck on the cap and ended getting a mouthful of SW) But the draining is super slow and stops and starts here and there if I move the piping around. It's such a slow flow and the volume of water being "over flowed" is very minimal. Do I need to shorten the 3rd straight piece? If you count the "drain" tube as the 1st straight piece, the pipe with what going up is the 2nd straight piece so the 3rd would be the water draining back down. Is that piece too long?

(I'm still spitting out the taste of salt water, it pretty much went all the way down my mouth X_X)

 

I used vinyl tubing to run mine to the sump also. The changes you made look correct to me. From the pictures your straight pipes look long I would test to see it fits in the back chamber if you haven't. Mine rests the top 180 on the back lip of the chamber and the bottom 180 does not touch bottom. I have swallowed a lot of salt water starting mine. The hole size I don't think is a huge deal but I would start very small. Mine is tiny. I keep my vertical breather pipe about the same height as the top 180 like yours is. You may have to get more air out of the system for it to flew better. You can do this maybe how I do by having the outlet under water and the inlet under water and sucking water via the vent. It might not flow great until its all sealed because air in the line will slow and eventually stop it.

 

Okay so I will shorten some of the pieces but I don't understand why I'm getting a tiny stream flowing and not a lot more flow

 

Let me know if you have anymore questions I hope we can get yours functioning 100 percent

 

I think I got it all worked out, it doesn't seem to matter whether there is a cap on with holes or just off completely the flow is the same, when i put a closed cap the flow slows then stops. But it seems to be working pretty well, I shortened a few pieces (both the intake and the first straight piece that brings the water up and out of the tank). Looks like I just have to clean out these pipes, do a few more test runs and glue this stuff together!

Tomorrow I'm getting 24oz of Fiji mud and 20lb of aragonite also a new hydror 200w heater so I can have everything in my sump that I want and a new heater so i know things are running properly, aqueon products are crappy and not very reliable lol

So you think I should start running this now and see what I think then tomorrow just shut it off for a few days to get the mud and sand settled?

I'm going to post about how thick each layer of mud and sand is recommended. I know DSB tanks usually do not have mud, but I don't think if you're using mud you do not want a DSB. maybe just a thin layer to cover up the mud so it doesn't splash around or something. I don't know

Anyway here's another pic of the DIY overflow draining SW from one bucket to another pretty rapidly.

 

Glad to hear it seems to be working. The cap with the vent hole should work the same as without, the purpose of it is noise reduction. Some people who have built these had some slight plumbing noise which mine did the first week so I put the cap on during that time to stop noise and as the plumbing got some slime coating there is no more noise. My flow has also slowed down a lot I dont think my return pump is going to make it too much longer. As for cementing everything together, I didnt see if you said you had or not but I would definitely put it in the biocube and make sure everything fits before you cement it if you havent yet. Then give it a good test run if you want just keep a eye on it for a little while to make sure there is no failure. I would simulate a few power outages on it too by stopping your return pump and making sure it restarts ok.

 

Haven't cemented it yet, had to ease my mind after my classes and work. I need to drill a few holes and add water to the fuge before i really take it to the next level. also still dont have sand and i hope i do not over work my hydror 320 pump by putting it a few feet away.

says the "head" or w.e on that pump is 75' which i doubt lol

 

Hope it all works out. Keep me informed.