Sump / Fuge take 2

Hey boys and girls ... This is my second atempt at a sump. the first try craped out on me because of pour choice of materials and didnt have the budget to do what i really wanted. Now everything seems to be working ok, still need to tweak with the ball valves from the overflow and the return pump. but once i got that going good im all set.;D The only thing im gonna change is the return pump, its an old pump from a berlin skimmer. so here are some pics. please comment and add your input.

thanks

Marc.

 

Make sure you fiqure out some way to brace or support the plumbing and bulkhead so you don't bumb it and crack the tank. It would be real easy to as is.

 

very nice work

 

What you see on the pictures is just a test setup that i did in the kitchen to see if everything was working. The tank will be placed in the living room up against a wall and the plumbing will be braced on the stand for as little movement as possible.

There are still some small things left, like the air intake on the overflow (wich is held and sealed right now with some tuck tape) will be replaced by a real cap. I still have to get a flow valve for my return line so if the power goes out there isnt a siphon that brings all the water back into the sump.

So if you see anything else let me know.

Marc.

 

Im still looking at different pumps for the return. Something around the 400 to 500 GPH mark. Maybe lower.... Any advice?

Thanks

Marc.

 

Not sure what you want to do with that Tee and the valve with the MIP x barbed fitting in it ? But you need to add a valve below the tee if you want to divert water through the barbed fitting..

Should need no tweaking at all as the water in the sump can only flow up to the tank no faster then it can leave the tank for the sump. Only adjustment I see you can make would be through the barbed 90 fitting but only after you add some type of a valve lower then the tee that supplies it..

Also you might want to add a section to the tee at the drilled overflow and just drill a 1/8 in. hole in the center and make sure anything below the floodrim of the tank is glued It will leak if it ever gets airlocked at the sump or a fish or snail ever stopped it up.. Water seeks its on level..

Get a mag 5 or 7 for it.. looks to be about a 30 gal ? hrd to say with no size reference near the tank.. a mag 5 to about 40 gal a mag 7 from a 55 up to 75 gal and a 9 for a 90 gallon tank.. good solid quiet pumps worth every penny

 

its actualy a 10 gal sump for a 20 gal tank so the mag wouldn't do because of the overheating, we already try it with a mag 7 and within 2 minutes the water was already at 100 degres and going up...

 

If a 7 mag 7 heated up 25 gals of water to about 100F from lets say 78 to 80 f with in about 2 mins or a few hrs even then there was a problem with amp draw on the circuit or the pump had a bad winding or was severally restricted somewhere.. I run a mag 9 on a 45 flat back hex with 10 gal sump in total about 38 gals of water with 2 175 M/H and a 96 watt P/C for actinic and its never heated up like that. I run a fan for the lights but when off the water stays right at 77 to 78 F. Might want to check the load on the branch circuit..

 

The mag 7 heated up the water cause i had to restrict its flow so much cause it was just too much for the size of the tank and fuge.

The tee is for water changes, i can close up a little the valve for the return and open up the barbed valve to let some water out in a bucket...

One of my problems is that the pump (its adjustable) will produce more flow than what the overflo can handle wich is to much anyways so i have to adjust it for it to supply enough flow but not too much.

Like my girlfriend (acenia) said its a 20 high with a 10 gal sump. I would like a pump with around 300 GPH at 3 1/2 feet of head.