Flower's Sump/Fuge Build

meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/60#post_3312189
Spray bars are nice, but if not properly designed being hole size and such, they are just extra material hanging on the tank. Not discouraging or putting spray bars down, but there is more of a science than drilling holes and putting a pump to it. Hole size angles of holes, spacing, and yes the dreaded thought of maintenance on them, because like anything they will clog to a degree and have reduced flow. Aestetics also comes into my mind as well on any design.
Alot of good ideas for you to mull over Flower!!!!!
You really can not see mine, and they pop off...run a brush in...and whalla......clean
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I have an idea that will still give flower the effect that she is after but will be better than the bars. I will get details later. But for flow inside the the tank is and always will be best achieved thought the use of power heads. Flower can I get a pic of the area where your spray bars hang over and inside your tank?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/80#post_3312195
I have an idea that will still give flower the effect that she is after but will be better than the bars. I will get details later. But for flow inside the the tank is and always will be best achieved thought the use of power heads. Flower can I get a pic of the area where your spray bars hang over and inside your tank?

 
I just woke up...I can't believe how long I slept, I usally only nap a couple of hours at a time.
 
Anyway..I can't get a good picture, it is hidden behind the intake tube of one of the canisters. Everything is so covered in coraline too..so this is the best picture I can get...It's just a thought, don't go to any trouble. It's just that when I do the turkey baster blaster...my rock is clear even in the back. The only thing that come off my rock is the sand my goby dumps on it.
 

 
I had it across the top for a long time and then got the idea to put it vertically to push water behind the rocks, so I have done that for almost a year. I use power heads pointed upward for surface agitation. I have two canisters and I could have had two all along..but just thought of it when I saw those black whatever they are called, 2Quills showed me.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
It's no trouble. Actually what I was hoping to see was the top of the tank where the bars actually hang over. I assume you have some type of acces hole cut in your canopy in order to hang those over your tank? But I was thinking earlier about this and would actually really love to see a picture, hopefully a full shot of the back of the canopy. I'm actually a little concerned that if there is no access back there for the overflow and the new return that you may end up having to do away with the canopy. Or at least untill you can find someone locally who can modify it. But we'll need to see a shot of the entire back of the canopy if it is at all possible.
 
Ugh, just got home from work after a long day, sit down to relax and now I have to go out on a call. Happy Days! Happy Days!
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

 
 
Oh the very back...There is nothing at all restricting the very back. The canopy only covers the font and sides. I even removed the hinged top so I could hang my lights on a pulley system.
 
Let’s see if I can even tell you all the junk I have hanging back there right now…

  • 4 tubes from the 2 canisters Intake and output

  • An ATO hose from the 10g under the stand

  • Another Hose from the makeshift tub for daily water changes, I don’t bother to remove it.
    A huge HOB skimmer
    I rigged hose clamps to hold my in tank refugium (the suction cups don’t hold)
 
 
With a sump I can do away with everything but the ATO hose and have just the overflow. It will be strange to not have so much clutter. Here are some pictures..Now don't laugh.
 
From the right hand side
 

 
From the left hand side

 
The very back...LOL I had no idea how bad it looks
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/80#post_3312327
You know you could probably run the ato hose in thru the sump too

 
Really??? I was kind of wendering.. it would just make sense to put the ATO hose to the sump. I mean, think about it. If the siphon breaks because a hole in the hose is supposed to stop a flood...but with an ATO it just keeps filling up with RO. Go ahead ask me why I know that..
 
When my skimmer leaks, I don't know it until my carpet is saturated enought to flow to the front and make the carpet squish in my toes, my ATO tank..Thank goodness is only 10g, so that's how much water is allowed to drain from my tank when there is a leak before I notice a drop in the water level. And because it's a 90g the 10g makes my SG drop to 1.024 from 1.026..the skimmer makes a very slow leak so it drops slow when it happens or I wouldn't have any live critters at all.
 
The last time it leaked at the cap where I tighten it. I have weak hands and didn't do it properly. Now I check and recheck when I clean the cup to try and make sure it is not leaking. The times it leaked before that it was at that little overflow nipple.. water was just bubbling out of it onto the floor overnight. I attached a little air hose and dangled it into the tank so if it does it again the water goes back where it belongs. Another time I was wet simming and didn't know it would do that...drain the tank so fast, thats how I got the idea of how to do water changes without removing my canopy..

 
Ah and then the microbubbles...For a long time I only ran the thing at night so I wouldn't have to look at it. That's why it always leaked at night.
 
Yes my skimmer has given me quite the adventure. I love Acrylic51 for making me a sump where I can put a skimmer.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Perfect pictures, Flower. Everything should work just fine with your canopy so that's good news. There sure is alot going on back there!

 
Yes, most people with sumps set their ATO to fill up in the sump. Evaporation will no longer effect the water level in your DT, instead the water level will drop in the sump, actually it will drop in the return chamber to be more specific. So people hook up their sensors inside ther return chamber of their sumps and run the hose to top off the water in the return chamber as well.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/80#post_3312399
Perfect pictures, Flower. Everything should work just fine with your canopy so that's good news. There sure is alot going on back there!

 
Yes, most people with sumps set their ATO to fill up in the sump. Evaporation will no longer effect the water level in your DT, instead the water level will drop in the sump, actually it will drop in the return chamber to be more specific. So people hook up their sensors inside ther return chamber of their sumps and run the hose to top off the water in the return chamber as well.

 
Under my stand will no longer hold the Top Off tank...So I need to be thinking of where to put that, or make another type of tank. Which is why I ws askng how to make a skinny one to sit behind the tank...as you can see, I put everything back there...LOL
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
You actually seem to have a lot of room behind the tank.....I bet you can find a taller...skinnier.....(kitchen type) trash can....slide it back there, and use that for you top off container
 
what do you use now?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/80#post_3312437

 
Under my stand will no longer hold the Top Off tank...So I need to be thinking of where to put that, or make another type of tank. Which is why I ws askng how to make a skinny one to sit behind the tank...as you can see, I put everything back there...LOL
Flower, how much water would you say that you use for top on a weekly basis?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/80#post_3312448
Flower, how much water would you say that you use for top on a weekly basis?

 
I use a 10g tank under the stand right now. I refill it every other day but it never is totally empty. On cooler days more water is evaporated, the tank is warm so that makes sense.
 
7.5 inches is not wide enough for any type of trash can. I was thinking of getting some thick plexiglas and create myself a container. I would want it to wrap around the tank so a small part of it would be where I could reach it to refill with my 3g jug. My RO unit is under my kitchen sink with a faucet ...Right now I fill the 3g with RO and pour it into the 10g under the stand.
 
I was thinking to make my container no wider than 7 inches with a small L out from a corner and make it like waist tall say 3.5 feet...surely if silicone can hold a fish tank together it can hold such a container together..it wouldn't be any different than these guys making a sump from acrylic.
I could have Home Depot cut it for me and I would just put it together. What do you think?
 
The only thing is the sump is lower than the top off tank...how would I break the siphon so the ATO will stop the water. If the pumps goes on and fills the sump..even when it goes off it would continue to dump water in... I have to figure that part out.
 
 
Oh well I'm off to work..I will check in tomorrow morning and see whats up...have a good night all.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I've been thinking on the the area for the ATO Flower!!!!!! What type of ATO are you currently running? Does your ATO work off of some type of float switch?
 
As far as silicone holding the plexi!!!!! Bad idea...It will never hold...Silicone will not bond well with plexi.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
The plexiglass stuff that they sell at Home Depot really isn't suitable for any kind of tank style construction unless you were to do a very small tank. Silicone doesn't actually bond to plexiglass/acrylic and that's why you don't see it used in acrylic aquariums...it doesn't hold like it does with glass. On acrylic aquariums they actually construct them using something similar to pvc cement which chemicaly bonds to pieces together. Believe it or not, the acrylic that is generally used for tank/aquarium style construction can be rather expensive depending on the thickness that is needed.
 
I do like your idea and think it would be cool to make a tank like that but I just don't know how practical it would be from a monitary stand point. I'm actually considering just using a water jug like the kind used on water dispensers/coolers for my ATO container. I'll probably just hook up one of those cheap $15 aqua lifter pumps for it. I'll run the small diameter airline tubing on it and one end will sit in the bottom of the jug and the output will clip onto my sump. The end in the jug will be below the end that's in the sump so there's no issue with backflow from syphon. But to be honest I don't even know if backflow would be an issue with using an aqua lifter pump even when it's turned off. I'll have to look into that some more just out of curriosity. Actually, maybe I'll get 2 jugs and when one is empty I'll swap it out with a full one with fresh R/O water from the R/O filter.
 
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Check this out, found it on walmarts website.
 
14.5" L x 7.25"W x 24.25"T
 
Aprox 10G capacity
 
$15
 
 
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