first time sump / wet-dry questions

browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
Okie dokie...I am not a total newbie, but this will be my first delving into sumps and/or wet/dry filters.
I got a ridiculous deal on a 150 (though it may only be 120...either way...I think I got a heck of a deal), with stand, with wet/dry filter/sump, with protein skimmer, and an ocean clear system for $250. Now...I have NO experience with plumbing a fish tank whatsoever, so in looking at the stuff that came with the tank, I find myself turning things different directions, trying to see what fits where and I am thinking that if I ask questions, I could get answers that will be MUCH more worthwhile than my thoughts...
I will post better pictures of the stuff that came with the tank tomorrow, but my first question deals with the sump/wet/dry filter....
It has a tenecor sticker on it...there are three pictures (first, side view, second top, third Ocean Clear system) along with a picture of my tank build foreman...
Also, the tank is tempered, so it obviously isn't drilled. It came with one over the back overflow box, I am pretty sure that there are two returns coming from the Ocean Clear system, should I get another return overflow or leave it at one?



 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Best thing to do is lay it all out and take pics that way because it's hard to tell what's what. Start with the wet/dry where do you want it to sit? Most hobbyists put them under the tank in the stand. Then look at the best place to put the over flow box more then likely in the corner of the tank closest to the wet/dry. you should have a flexible tube that will run from the bottom of the overflow box down into the wet/dry. Or if you don't have that flex tube you am have to use PVC pipe. The ocean clear is a canister filter that uses a micron filter pad for more filtration outside of the wet/dry. So get thos pics up so we can help you get it all set up.
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
I will post pictures when I get home after school (someone has to educate the youth of America....no... really, someone does)

In general, the sump/wet-dry (picture 1) will be going in one corner of the stand with a shelf built on the opposite side of the stand for the Ocean Clear system (picture 3)...there is currently a pipe in the middle of the stand but there were no parts to connect the sump/wet-dry to the Ocean Clear...I will post pictures when I get home (I am confusing myself writing this, I can only imagine what I am doing to someone that hasn't seen the set-up yet)...thanks in advance for any and all help...it is GREATLY appreciated
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
Here are some new pictures...the pipe that I thought was running across the middle is actually much closer to the Ocean Clear side of the stand than the sump/wet-dry side. The pictures show the inside of the stand from 2 different angles, the back of the stand (though it really doesn't show much as there is a large portion that is blocked by the wood), the protein skimmer/sander/ozonreactor??? lid, and the protein skimmer (I can't for the life of me figure out how this thing goes together...), a picture of the overflow box, and a full picture of the stand (along with my co-workers...shih tzu, sheltie puppy, and my wife's siamese kitty...I swear, we run a freakin' zoo!!!)




 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
the skimmer looks to be pretty old....notice the W. Germany marking on it??? May be time to invest in a nice "new" skimmer, at least one that was built before I was born!!!
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
Congrats on the deal. As someone who has messed around with my tank, and looked at other's tank here is what I recommend. Set up all the hardware how you want it, the location and the flow of water, and hook it up the way you want it hooked up. Put aside all of the plumbing and other junk that came with it.
The one thing that seems to be missing in the pump(s). Do you have one? Once the water goes down in the bottom of your stand it has to get back up somehow.
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
yeah...that is the only thing that wasn't included in the deal. what type of flow (gph) should I be looking for to return to the 150?
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by Scotts
http:///forum/post/3149212
Congrats on the deal. As someone who has messed around with my tank, and looked at other's tank here is what I recommend. Set up all the hardware how you want it, the location and the flow of water, and hook it up the way you want it hooked up. Put aside all of the plumbing and other junk that came with it.
The one thing that seems to be missing in the pump(s). Do you have one? Once the water goes down in the bottom of your stand it has to get back up somehow.
I have to agree here this looks like a puzzle with no picture...Just remember you are making a complete circle out of the tank down into the wet/dry and so on.
 
trouble93

trouble93

Member
Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/3149240
yeah...that is the only thing that wasn't included in the deal. what type of flow (gph) should I be looking for to return to the 150?
That over flow box looks to be 600gph or maybe 700gph I could wrong a mag 7 or 9.5 will work.
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
that makes sense...just how to do it...

I am sure that I will need some sort of pump to start the process to get the water from the tank to the sump, then either a flexible hose or PVC down to the sump, more PVC to the Ocean Clear filter and then a pump to get it from the Ocean Clear back up to the tank through either PVC or a flexible hose.....sounds simple enough, but not having done any sort of plumbing before in my life, especially dealing with something that has so many things that could feasibly go wrong...I am a little nervous.
Perhaps I will ask my LFS guy what he thinks...or better yet, if I can bribe him with a case or two of beer to help me set things up...oh, in a perfect world!!!
CALLING ALL EXPERIENCED AQUARISTS IN THE CANTON OHIO AREA!!!!!
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
I wish I had the time to completely walk you though this, but then again you are probably a Browns fan so I feel a little ashamed helping you as much as I have.
But then you are an animal level so you take the good with the bad.
This may be a stupid idea but I am going to throw it out there. On Craigs list if you look for skimmer in your area there is someone who is selling a complete set up for a 125 for 5 bills. Now we all know how rich teachers are so it is no problem for you to swing the money. But what us poor people are looking at is that a skimmer will probably cost you $200 or more for a tank that size. A pump is probably another hundred or so. The other set up may actually be a better deal in the long run, not sure if yours has lights or not. Then you could sell this set up for $250.
Either way you go yes you are right. The water will pull the pump out of your wet/dry and send it back up to your tank. The water will then go from your tank into the overflow and back to your wet/dry. Not sure where you would get the water to go through your canister filter there. You might want to do a closed loop system that sucks water out of your tank, through the filter and back into your tank. This is really to get your turnover rate higher in your tank and reduce the number of powerheads needed. This would also need another pump if you did that.
The wet/dry that you have I would not really consider a true wet/dry. They generally use bio balls in them. It looks like the previous owner ditched the bioballs and used the shell of the wet/dry as a sump, and put the skimmer in the sump. Many skimmers are designed to only be used in a sump as the water basically just flows out of them.
Your head spinning yet?
Scott
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
OUCH...that was painful!!! As if the Browns S.U.C.K.I.N.G. wasn't bad enough (with a bunch of Steeler fan children in my room, bringing in their Steeler fan parents in for conferences)...now I have to get harassed on a SW message board about it...but, I guess I will dish it IF the Browns ever get things figured out, so I better take it now so that I can say that I lived through the hard times (can they get much harder???)...
Now on to the aquarium...I am thinking that I will call the guy that sold me the tank and ask him to send a drawing with his wife to work to give to my wife on how he worked things (didn't want to do this, wanted to try things on my own...but I would also like this tank to be up by the time the Browns return to relevance).
The ONLY reason that we got this tank was for the price...otherwise, I would be in a 55 gallon tank until we move from our current location...I couldn't pass this deal up! If it takes me several months to get it going, I guess I will just have to live with it and piece things together over time...but I want to do this tank right (much the opposite of how I started my 55...do a search to find out how stupid I was...won't make that mistake again!!!).
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
and tell your kid that if they keep making that face, it will stick like that!!!
(obviously I am being sarcastic, no ill will towards your kid...even though you are probably brainwashing the poor thing into being a Steeler fan)
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
OK cool so time is not really a factor. In that case you can find a pump and skimmer used. So that will cost in half. I bought my ASM G2 for about $100. If you want to set this tank up now what I would recommend is to forget the canister filter for now. Especially if you are going to move in a bit. You could set it up and keep it lightly stocked so that would reduce the need for a skimmer and/or the cannister.
If you set it up what you would need would be a hose running from the bottom of the overflow into your wet/dry. So the water flows from your tank, into your overflow and down into your wet/dry. Then the outlet of the wet/dry (the big hole in the bottom) Connects straight into your pump. The outlet of your pump goes up and back into your tank. It is pretty simple and really nothing to be scared of. Just keep your water levels so if the power goes out the water does not siphon back down and cause a flood. The easy way to do this is to have the pipe from your pump go up and into your tank and just stop barely below the level of the water. That way if the power goes out the water may siphon back down a little bit, but as soon as air reaches the pipe the siphon will stop.
BTW here is a picture of my old set up when I used my 55 as a sump below my 125.
 
browniebuck

browniebuck

Active Member
Looking to order a pump...looking at a Mag Drive 700. Is this enough (700 gph) for a 150 gallon tank or should I go to the 950?
I talked with the previous owner of the tank and he offered to help with set-up, which is a huge relief for me (favorite beer...cold and open, I can probably find that somewhere)....but I have to buy all of the stuff needed to get started before I can have him come over to help.
 
tonysi

tonysi

Member
I would go with the 950 just to compensate for the distance of tubing.-gph at 4 feet is like 800.
 
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