Frag Tank Filter Sump Running- sort of!

[budsreef]

Thanks to flyingarmy for the 20L sump tank and a lot of help from bobz I have my filter tank for the frag tank running. Bob picked up the tank from Mark Friday night and then came over Saturday to help me get things together. We first had to finish building a stand to hold both tanks and once we got it upstairs in my office we moved the frag tank onto it. Later I cleaned out the sump and put it all together.

The one issue that I know I need to resolve is the size of the u-tube in the overflow box. I think I need a 3/4" or 1" ID tube since the return pump I'm using isn't strong enough to keep up with the overflow box. Specifically, it's not strong enough to pull any and all bubbles through the tube and as they begin to collect they become large enough to break the syphon. I've temporarilly worked around this by running a 5/8" ID flex tube up through the u-tube and am using it for the syphon. Unfortunately it kinks a little at the top so I have the opposite problem of over-running the overflow box which after a while empties the return chamber.

Here's what it looks like!
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[haninja]

Nice. Are these ashtrays?

 

[flyingarmy]

Nice sump....wonder where you picked up such a superb quality product from? Looks great! Nice touch with the ashtrays! Better served as frag holders than butt holders!

 

[budsreef]

haninja;68294 wrote: Nice. Are these ashtrays?

That's what they are. I think my wife found them for me at Party City.

 

[jetchris]

looks nice , what kind of light setup is that, and good idea with the ashtrays

 

[budsreef]

chrisjet;68311 wrote: looks nice , what kind of light setup is that, and good idea with the ashtrays

Thanks, the light on the frag tank is a 30" Orbit with 65W dual actinic and dual daylight bulbs from Current. I think I saw the ashtray idea originally at Cap Bay!

 

[budsreef]

I made a u-tube out of 5/8" tubing last night and it runs without bubbles with the pump at the lowest setting. I didn't have enough nerve to let it run while I wasn't here to watch it so I turned it off before going to the meeting and didn't turn it on again untill this morning. Next I'll try to move the pump to its highest setting, but the 5/8" may not be big enough for that. If not I have a 1" piece I'll bend into a u-tube and then maybe try a 3/4" to get it running optimally.

 

[purplegorilla]

Bud, I do have a diamond glass drill that I bought off ebay and never used..It is good for 3/4 bulk fitting. You can use that to drill the tank.

 

[budsreef]

Thanks, that's really tempting but I'm already way out of my comfort zone. I keep having visions of water running all over the floor of my office. The next tank I do will be drilled though.

 

[FutureInterest]

Looks great Bud! What are you going to growing in there mostly? Zoas?

 

[budsreef]

Thanks! Mostly softies. Right now I have zoas, mushrooms, ricordia, pompom and pulsing xenia, kenya tree and a couple of yellow polyps. It's all things that I can keep in my 24G AP and 12G Eclipse.

 

[flyingarmy]

Bud..

One thing you can do to increase your overflow and reduce nitrates is remove the sponge in your overflow box. Unless you are like clockwork in cleaning the sponge, not a great idea to use one. It will also increase your overflow to your sump. I used one for a while and it typically clogged slowly and even stopped the flow to the sump at one point. Just a suggestion! Looking great by the way!

 

[budsreef]

flyingarmy;68693 wrote: Bud..

One thing you can do to increase your overflow and reduce nitrates is remove the sponge in your overflow box. Unless you are like clockwork in cleaning the sponge, not a great idea to use one. It will also increase your overflow to your sump. I used one for a while and it typically clogged slowly and even stopped the flow to the sump at one point. Just a suggestion! Looking great by the way!

Thanks Mark! Not nearly as nice as yours but hopefully it will be functional. Since I took out the 1.25" u-tube and replaced it with a 5/8" one I've lowered the max flow significantly anyway. Right now I'm trying to find a balance between the pump I'm using and the right size u-tube to match to keep the bubbles from collecting in the tube. If I take out the filter sponge should I put a filter sock on the end of the tube in the sump?

 

[flyingarmy]

You don't have to, especially since its jsut a frag tank. Nothing is free swiming that can get sucked into the overflow so you should be ok.