Diy wet dry

[ottbry]

Okay, so I've got a ninety gallon aquarium and I want to build a wet dry system for it. I want to put it in a 20 gallon long, but I'm a bit worried that it won't be big enough. I did a bit of math, and it looks like if the pump stops, nine gallons will drain out of the tank, so I would only be able to have it about half full. Will that be enough to run a pump and skimmer and heater and so on?

 

[slice]

Why a wet/dry? Why not a standard sump with refugium chamber?
Assuming you have an overflow, if the return pump fails, the most water that will drain is to the level of the overflow which the sump is designed to handle in the event of pump failure.
I'm an HOB guy, but there are many folks here who can talk about proper sump design ad nauseum. Use the search function for "sump" and find many successful designs.
Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[snakeblitz33]

A standard 90g has at most three, maybe four gallons of water drained into the sump when the return is off. You should be fine.
A wet/dry is easy to make. Buy yourself a food grade trash can. Put a bulkhead in the bottom if you arent going to set it in the sump or if you are, cut some holes in the bottom and bottom sides. Fill the container up with all kinds of media - ceramic rings, crushed coral, bioballs, fishing line, sponges. But, always put the mechanical filtration pads on top to keep the rest of your media relatively clean. Put your overflow hose into the top and you got yourself a wet/dry.
Basically what is does is provide mechanical filtration and helps break down ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. Depending on how big it is, they are able to safely keep a good amount of fish from dying.
I only recommend wet/dry filters on fish only or fish only with live systems. I dont like them on reef systems, personally, because of the maintenance and the build up of nitrates over a prriod of time without that maintenance.

 

[ottbry]

Well, I'm going with wet dry because I've already got this. http://imgur.com/bRlIp.jpg
I got it with my aquarium for a pretty good deal. I was hoping to stay away from the trash can kind of set up, just for aesthetics. I was kind of thinking about putting a refugium chamber in the set up. Would that make it more reef friendly? I don't really want reef right away, but I want to keep that possibility open. Also, what would the ceramic rings and fishing line do? I've got ceramic media in my freshwater tank, but I don't really understand why.

 

[snakeblitz33]

.... You did say diy.
If you already had a wet dry unit, why were you asking about how to build one?
Fishing line and ceramic media holds bacteria to help break down waste. The more porous the media is, the more bacteria it can hold.

 

[ottbry]

Well, I was more interested in the rest of it. Sorry, I should've specified that a bit better. I was going to title the thread DIY sump, but I wasn't sure if the whole thing was called a sump or. If that was just the part with the return pump and whatnot. But really I just want to do what's best for my expensive fish, so I'm just making completely sure that I have everything as right as I can get it before I start. But yeah, we've established that I probably only need a few gallons of extra space, but how deep should I try to get the water to be in the return to accomodate the skimmer and heater?

 

[snakeblitz33]

I'm sorry - I didn't want to come off as mean!!! I was just wondering why it was titled DIY when you already had one. But, it's all ok.
Skimmers usually have a proper operating depth. You will have to consult your operation manual or contact the company that produced your skimmer.
Submersible heaters can be operated as long as they are underwater.
Return pumps should be at minimum covered with water enough that the return pump doesn't suck in air.
When you get your tank set up and your pump running and everything, mark the water line in the sump. Then, turn off your return pump and let your tank drain. Then mark that line. Measure that distance with a ruler - and then measure from the top of the sump +2" and mark that line. You now have your minimum fill and maximum fill lines in your sump. You will know never to go over that line when you are topping off your sump.

 

[ottbry]

Cool! I haven't gotten a skimmer yet, so I can just get one to suit my needs. I like the sound of the setup you suggested, but is there anything I can do about the excess of nitrate? Also, would it work if I put a little refugium in it?

 

[snakeblitz33]

The only way to limit nitrate build up in a system is to keep the system clean. Not running a wet/dry is probably going to be the best choice. OR, you will have to keep it cleaned out at every scheduled water change.
I would personally let the overflow go into some kind of mechanical filter that you change regularly. Then have the water enter a skimmer chamber and refugium without sand and then get returned to the display tank in the third chamber.
AS A SIDE NOTE
My computer is really a'snog up. It's not wanting to type what I am trying to say. A vings O mm having some kind of performace issues or someseit' secause it's not letting me type. It's getting frustrating because A nype fast, and I have to slow down and gca the thing catch up and then go back and change it every single time is screws up. I guess I am going to cali nc e mydat since my dang computer is acting up.

 

[beaslbob]

FWIW I made a wet/dry from a wastbasket with 4 squares (up/down/left/right) cut out of the bottom so 1" or so of the center cross remained. Then added a plastic window screen.
I filled it with crushed oyster shells with another screen near the top, some lava landscape rocks, and a small plasic tupperware container to spread out the water draining from the display.
I them placed it under my overflow so the pvc was a straight shot and on one end of my sump which was a $5 plastic storage container. The pump was in line with the pvc for it on the other end of the sump/refugium.
I also put some overfow holes at the top.
So the water drained to the top of the wastbasket, out the bottom into the refugium.
Every 6 months or so water would start flowing out the overflow holes and I would remove the top screen with the lava rocks and rinse it out.
Every year or so I would take out the entire wastbasket and rinse the oyster shells. Replace them and add some for what had been lost in the rinsing.
Oyster shells cost like $8 for 40 pounds from local feed and seed type stores.
although my calcium did rise with the shells, alk slowly dropped so eventually I wound up using the diy two part anyway.
Even with that the system ran for 6 years or so and (with an extensive in tank refugium with macro algaes) nitrates and phosphates were unmeasurealbe with tap water and no water changes.
Fish and corals lasted for years. With the exception of that more delicate sps type corals.
my .02

 

[ottbry]

Okay, I'm liking the ideas that I'm getting here, but I'm really persnickity about appearance, so I'll probably take things that I like and put them in an aquarium instead of a trash can or tub. But yeah, here's what I've got worked out so far. http://imgur.com/F3DPs. It's really rough because I haven't decided what size aquarium I'm going to go with, and I'm just lazy. Ideally, ill go with a 29, but I'll settle for a 20 long. Also, in the refugium part, I'm not sure what I should put in there, so I still need to work on that. Also, on the drawing I made, the thing labeled wet dry filter is the thing that I posted a picture of earlier. I'm not sure what its called on its own, so yeah.

 

[beaslbob]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ottbry http:///t/392448/diy-wet-dry#post_3485196
Okay, I'm liking the ideas that I'm getting here, but I'm really persnickity about appearance, so I'll probably take things that I like and put them in an aquarium instead of a trash can or tub. But yeah, here's what I've got worked out so far. http://imgur.com/F3DPs. It's really rough because I haven't decided what size aquarium I'm going to go with, and I'm just lazy. Ideally, ill go with a 29, but I'll settle for a 20 long. Also, in the refugium part, I'm not sure what I should put in there, so I still need to work on that. Also, on the drawing I made, the thing labeled wet dry filter is the thing that I posted a picture of earlier. I'm not sure what its called on its own, so yeah.
I would use chaetomopia (chaeto) macro algae in the refugium area.
But would also use two plastic storage tubs, A 20-30 for a refugium and a smaller one for the sump.
But that's just my .
.02

 

[ottbry]

Okay, I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do as far ad filtration goes, but now I've got an overflow question. Okay, I've got a store bought overflow box that is going to drain into my filter. It's going to have a 25 ish inch drop to the top of the wet dry tower thing, plus another 25 ish inches to the bottom. Then, the filter is going to be in two parts with a pvc overflow in between. It can have a maximum of like, one foot of drop. So, what I'm wondering is if the difference in drops is going to affect the gph rate of either. The store bought one is set, but I can still change the diameter of the other, so yeah. Also, to have everything go right, I have to have everything with the same to keep the system going right, don't i?

 

[snakeblitz33]

I would love it if you would make a new thread about your overflow question!

 

[ottbry]

Okay, I've worked out a new design. http://imgur.com/kBFRr There it is. I've included the main tank and stuff into this diagram, and a lot of the important dimensions are correct. I really liked the sound of the two chamber thing that beaslbob suggested, but I'm really picky so instead of tubs, i went with a ten gallon that I have laying around and a twenty gallon that my friend had laying around. So, I've got those, and my wet dry tower thing sits four inches down into the twenty, I think I'll have it drain into its own chamber, but then it goes to the refugium, which including the proposed wet dry chamber, would be about fifteen gallons. then it goes through a pvc overflow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DFk4bnIxEg&feature=related) to the ten gallon sump, which I think will only have about seven gallons in it, with the protein skimmer, heater, and return pump. This all gives me about nine gallons of spare room in case the tank drains, which should be about double what I need. So, How does all this look to your trained eyes?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Won't work.
You would have to drill the 20g to let it drain into the 10g. An overflow won't work in this situation.

 

[ottbry]

Oh, why is that?

 

[ottbry]

Also, as far as drilling goes, where would be a good place to go? And would a twenty gallon high be able to be drilled? I looked on the tank and it didn't say it was tempered, but I looked online and got mixed results.

 

[yannifish]

Just out of curiosity, what factors are determining the size of your sump? Having a larger sump wont hurt anything. It would just give you more water volume which equals more stability.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ottbry http:///t/392448/diy-wet-dry#post_3485393
Oh, why is that?
There is only a four inch difference between the height of the 20g tank and the height of the 10g tank. That's not enough to operate an external overflow properly, especially a sump. You need it to be drilled so that there is nothing in the way of being drained. Using just the 20g as a sump should be just enough for your needs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ottbry http:///t/392448/diy-wet-dry#post_3485394
Also, as far as drilling goes, where would be a good place to go? And would a twenty gallon high be able to be drilled? I looked on the tank and it didn't say it was tempered, but I looked online and got mixed results.
Usually, any glass shop should be able to drill a tank professionally - although they do not warranty their work most of the time. Another place to look is live fish stores - some of the better live fish stores will drill glass tanks. As far as I know - a 20g can be drilled on any of the four sides of the tank but not on the bottom glass.