tank setup, please help

saltyfish

saltyfish

Member
Hi all I just got my new tank its a 75gal acrylic nuveu. I bought it used but its in good condition. What I need help with is Figuring out how to set it up using all the stuff that I want to have in it. It was used as freshwater with a canester filter and a Heater that looking like a canester filter. He gave me the heater but wouldn't let go of the filter. They were connected to the tank by 4 tubes that were drilled into the bottom of the tank. Then he used a UGF without the tubes running up the back of the tank. (Didn't need it)
So the type of tank I want to set up is of course saltwater. I want to have a fish-only tank to start then graduate to a reef-tank. I want a biological filtration system (BFS) usein LR and LS along with eather a wet/dry or and protine skimmer or both. I'm going to use a sump (not sure if it will be a refeuam as well at this point) So I can keep my tank free of cluter in the back and so I can have more water volume. I'm planing on stocking my tank with comunity tank fish types ect. Thats about all I know for right now about what I'm planing to do.
So to get back to the question concerning these tubes. I mean if i use them can i not have LS ? If I didn't have LS and used CC instead would I not get a good BFS? I was thinking that mabe i could Take a large piece of PVC cut .25 in higher then the level of the substrate and put that over the holes so i could use them. I would then hide the holes out of view with LR or something like that. Or is that too much work on an idea that may not work at all? I'm trying to brainstorm on this because I know I'm going to be useing a over flow to use the sump. It would be nice to use one of these tubes because there soo hidden and there already there.
IF anyone any ideas on how to do this or on aditional equipment I may have over looked please let me know.
Aaron
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
professer21
Sounds to me that you have an acrylic tank with 4 holes drilled in the bottom.
This would be considered somewhat "reef-ready"
Not sure what these tubes are you speak of, but it sounds like the guy had the UGF hooked up to maybe 2 of them, and was using the others for a heater and canister filter of some sort.
That's what I imagine from your post.
Are you planning to use these drilled holes with fittings and use an internal overflow ?
That's what I'd do.
You'll need to install vertical lengths of PVC pipe up from these holes/fittings up to where the water level will be in the tank.
These overflows will drain the "top surface" water down to the sump.
In the sump, a return pump can pump water back up through the other hole(s), again with PVC piping as the return.
There are a lot of different ways to plumb this stuff up, but it seems to me you'll need some more pipe and fittings.
Then it's just a matter of selecting the right return pump and sump based upon how much water your want to move, and how much water you'll be limited to with the size of your overflow drains.
Live deep sandbed with a ton of live rock - with that water circualtion set up - would be one rock'n tank in my opinion.
Any way you can post some more pics here, not as an attachement - but post them for us to see ?
 
saltyfish

saltyfish

Member
Thanks boomer5 I always value your advice. That is the idea I was leaning towards but I'm not really fond of it being smack-dap
in the middle of my tank. Is there a way that I can bring the tubes to the back of the tank by eather useing a soft tube to the back wall then up or somthiing like that ? Or at least the two that I would use for a drainage down to the sump. that way I'm only hiding two tubes vs four. Then the other thing is why is this an ideal setup for a reef tank with the holes in the bottom? and I don't know how to post a pic so it show like a message. Just an atachment... How do you do it?
 
melbournefl

melbournefl

Member
Good Morning! Well having a pre-drilled tank is ideal for a reef setup normally but .... having the hole dead center might not be the best placement LOL you could install a bulkhead fitting, an elbow and flexible PVC to move the return most anyplace you'd like. Aquatic Eco-Systems sells flexible black pvc for a reasonable price, I could only find white flex at my local DIY sources. Good luck and enjoy!
Later, Paul
 
new

new

Member
i agree with melbourne, angle the pipes in the bottom of the tank to where ever you want them to go, then just bury the pipes in the sand, if they are a bit to high just add a bit more dead sand or build rock structure over them, they should go under the sand easily though if it is going to be a DSB.
 
saltyfish

saltyfish

Member
Thats exsactly what I was wanting to do ... move it to the back wall. But I'm new and I don't even know what a bulkhead is. could someone please post or email me some ideas or plans on what kind of materials I will need to do that.
noraa777@surfbest.net
Aaron
 
melbournefl

melbournefl

Member
Hey there Professor and welcome to the wonderful world of saltwater, second only to professional football in armchair quarterbacking :) I'm going to make some assumptions here, these "holes" in the bottom of the tank are just that, holes. If that's the case, carefully measure each one and post the size of each, I'll locate bulkheads and post an address and part numbers for you. Essentially, a bulkhead fitting is an adapter that fits in the hole and allows you to connect PVC pipes/fittings to both sides and still maintain a watertight seal. You can find them for $30 or $5, on a small to medium tank most of the inexpensive ones will probably work just fine! Also, if the holes are in the bottom of the tank then you will obviously have to make a matching "open" area in your stand to allow the plumbing to exit to your sump for eventual return to your tank.
More later,
Paul
 
saltyfish

saltyfish

Member
no they are not just holes they have I guess a bulkhead on them right now with hose attached but the bulkheads have a hose attachment on the outside bottom but not on the inside. Basicly I can't securly attach a hose on the inside of the tank. There is no

[hr]
to attach a hose. There is a pic of my tank on this thread already if you want to look. I tryed to post it as a message but it come out as an atachment. Never the less its there. If you want I can email you the pic but of course I need your email.
 
njdiver

njdiver

Member
Professor,
As Boomer said for your "overflow" you will want to make sure that the pipes you attach to the holes run up to the water line of your tank. If your going to put in live rock, they should be easy enough to hide.
But... a side not on the pipes you use as a return into the tank (from the sump / pump) You don't have to bring these all the way to the water line if you don't want, and by having a mid level return can help with water movement. BUT you will want to make sure to go to the local hardware store and get whats called a Check Valve to put on those return lines. Its basically a one way valve so water can move from the sump to the tank, but not the other way. This way if you loose power you won't empty the tank into the sump.
-Scott
 
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