Jake's 10gal w/ Sump

[chickendude10]

So I decided to take the plunge and go into nano reefing. I decided to go with a standard 10gal and a 10gal sump for system stability and all the extra benefits.

 

Since pictures are worth alot more than words, here goes...

 

I bought some cheap drills off ebay and started for it. I was lucky enough to not crack the tank.

 

I drilled two holes on the back panel center and put in the bulkheads. I originally put a thin piece of plastic but realized it wasn't helping much so I added 1/4 plastic behind the glass for extra support.

 

Built the overflow on the back center

 

I couldn't find a stand that would be small enough to make the 10 on top look decent while still fit another 10 in the bottom so I custom build one.

 

 

My sump is extremelly simple. I'll probably need more baffles.

 

Now all the various plumbing. I think I overdid myself.

 

 

 

I was originally going to go with a SCWD and two returns but I think that will have to come later. One return will do for now.

 

My drain is the herbie method with the top being solely an emerbency drain. The reason for the two valves before the sump is I heard that you want 5x turnover in the sump and I am running about 250-300 gph through the drain so I thought I might have to split up the flow.

 

I am not sure about the lighting yet, probably going to go with T5.

 

Please give any feedback before I get to the cycle!

[Mischeif Nite]

Great DIY skills......nice job!

[zhubbell]

Nice - looks like some of my early tanks....

If you really like the DIY stuff, get into acrylic, I love working with acrylic, and I've built many many many tanks now, and if you have any questions, let me know, I can give you some advice on the matter....

[kthehun89]

Very nice and clean! keep it up

[121a]

Very nice, though you should have bought some black plexi for the overflow. i had a clear one and it got pretty disgusting inside and i could not clean it. None the less very nice.

[chickendude10]

Thanks for the replies and comments so far!

 

Very nice, though you should have bought some black plexi for the overflow. i had a clear one and it got pretty disgusting inside and i could not clean it. None the less very nice.

I was thinking about that. I was hoping coraline would cover it up in time.

 

Here is a shot of the tank and stand. Not much to look at yet.Its sort of a mock up (notice the doors are taped on and not fully painted)

 

Does anyone know if I should add a baffle before the fuge part of the sump (the big area in the middle)? I don't really have a place to run things like Chemi-pure and filter floss.

 

And any suggestions on what lighting I should go with? That is the thing that has been stumping me for the longest time! I am so tempted with the fishneedit lights but know that I will probably pay for it in the long run.

[BKtomodachi]

Wow, that looks excellent!

 

I would avoid the fishneedit lights if you are serious about wanting to keep whatever you want eventually.

There are some MH options you could look into that are not too bad. The only problem is under 24", the t5HO options get a bit more limited.

 

Hope that helps a bit.

[HankB]

... I was lucky enough to not crack the tank. ...

 

Very nice looking work. I set up a 10g QT tank and then found another 10g tank in my basement. It would be too bad if some salt spilled in there and water and ... (And if SWMBO is reading this - I'm not doing ANYTHING!)

 

Anyway, cracking can be a problem later. Do you have any strain relief on the connections to the tank? IIRC it was in Mr Fosi's thread that he said the tank cracked after he installed the plumbing because the glass could not take the forces. If you haven't already thought about that, yuo might want to.

 

-hank

[chickendude10]

I would avoid the fishneedit lights if you are serious about wanting to keep whatever you want eventually.

There are some MH options you could look into that are not too bad. The only problem is under 24", the t5HO options get a bit more limited.

 

Thanks so much BKtomodachi for the good advice! I am trying to stay away from metal halide if possible because the air here in the west is SO dry and evap has already been a problem in simple water testing. I was also looking to the Nova line of T5's but I don't know their quality...

 

 

Anyway, cracking can be a problem later. Do you have any strain relief on the connections to the tank? IIRC it was in Mr Fosi's thread that he said the tank cracked after he installed the plumbing because the glass could not take the forces. If you haven't already thought about that, yuo might want to.

 

Thanks Hank! I put those plastic supports to help spread the weight accross the back glass. I also put alittle silicone between the plastic and the glass to have a little cushioning. Plus I am trying to support most of the weight of the plumbing by the stand. Crossing my fingers this helps!!

[chickendude10]

Well I added some baffles in the sump/fuge so I had a convenient place to run stuff like carbon, filter floss, etc. And I put some eggcrate on the main baffle seperating the pump and fuge so chaeto won't get in there.

 

The grate is removable in case I want to put lr rubble under it or for cleaning

 

A little diagram to show the water flow.

[aquascaper08]

pardon my ignorance, but how did you put together the pieces int he sump and what are they made of. did you use accrilic and glue? Want to try to build one but don't know alot about it. Thanks

[chickendude10]

I just used acrylic from lowes and silicon. I've heard that it isn't the best solution, and glass would be better than the plastic but for my purposes the acrylic was easier. Just cut it with a tablesaw.

[chickendude10]

Well I finally got my light in...

 

I know I'm weak but I gave in and went with the fishneedit lights. (4x24). I figured hey, all I want to keep are softies and LSP and this light will be fine. Plus, I kind of liked the fact that it didn't have fans (retarded, I know) becuase I want the tank as quiet as possible. I guess we'll see how long the ballasts hold out...

 

Here is a shot of the tank and stand and light. (sorry its blurry)

 

Light on

 

This is when it hit the fan..

 

So I went out and bought 15 lbs of live rock from the LFS and some arag-alive fiji pink sand and 20 gallons of SW. I put 5 gal into the top tank and noticed there was a steady leak into the overflow from the bottom. This would flood the sump if the power ever went out! So I had to empty the tank and I put all the live rock into the sump tank to try to prevent as much die-off as possible. This is what it looks like.

 

Was that a smart thing to do? Do I need a light over it?

 

Anyway so becuase I did a weak silicone job I have to re-do it and wait 24hrs for the silicone cure. Ugh! I'm so impatient. Oh well, I'm glad I found the leak now when it's easier to fix than a few weeks down the road.

[chickendude10]

After all this time of building, I FINALLY get to cycle my tank!

I added 15lbs of live rock to the display and 20lbs of arag-alive figi pink, mostly in the display but some in the fuge too. I got the rock from my LFS and it is basically cured, so I'm not planning on any hitchikers. My test kits are still coming in the mail so I'm not sure where my levels are, but hopefully they are progressing! Here are some pics of the aquascaping.

 

 

Here is a front shot. It really isn't quite this blue in person.

 

 

Shot from the left

 

 

And my fuge

 

 

What do you guys (and gals) think?

[Secondgen]

Very nice tank build chickendude10. I really like your media rack/bubble tower for the tank to drain into. I think I might have to add something like that to my own sump. Keep up the good work.

[chickendude10]

Thanks so much secondgen!! The rack has been working great. I am running some filter pad in it now and it has cleaned up the water great.

 

My only problem now is with the one return (about 270 gph) it is hard to get good flow around the whole tank instead of tons of flow in one area and none in the rest!

[dtfleming]

Just add a powerhead to the opposite side or add a second return on the other side.

[chickendude10]

Hey dtfleming, that's a good idea. Maybe I'll split up the return, one from each side instead of just the one...

 

 

 

 

So I finally got my API test kits which I thought would help me know what is going on inside my tank. But now I'm more confused than before!

 

Ammonia-0

Nitrite-0

Nitrate->10

PH-7.8

Phos-0

SG-1.020

 

So I know my PH and SG are low, so I'm working on raising those. But what's up with the first three? I assumed since it has been about 3.5 days since the beginning of the cycle, I would have a raise in ammonia or nitrite. I am confused as to whether I just had a small cycle (used cured LR and 100%LS) or if it just hasn't started?

[gulfsurfer101]

What type of return pump are you using, what's the GPH rating and how did you configure the flowrate to match what's going in your sump to what going in your main tank. I would like to start something like this for my ten gallon is why I'm asking.

[chickendude10]

Thanks for asking gulfsurfer! I'm running a rio 2100 pump rated at 695 gph at zero head. I am pumping up about 4 feet and according to reefcentral's hl calc I'm pumping about 300 gph. I don't have anything slowing down the pump, only a valve on the drain to match the output of the pump.

 

Only things I would do different would be to have two returns, maybe even through a SCWD and a gate valve on the drain instead of a ball valve. Good luck!

[gulfsurfer101]

Alright, thanks for the info, I'm still in the middle of my build but I'm gonna keep following you progress on this one.

[dopamine]

hey, what is a SCWD and a gate valve

[chickendude10]

Dopamine:

 

SCWD=Switching Current Water Director found here. The water from the pump goes in one end and it switches between two outlets.

 

Gate valve=Same function as a ball valve, except it uses a screw to control flow so it is easier to make small adjustments. Think of a valve for a garden hose.

[dopamine]

gotcha, I went off and read about the SCWD, seems like some koralias would be easier. does the SCWD make THAT much of a difference?

 

so you would recommend a gate valve? I didnt know the ball valve was that touchy or not that accurate.

[CONSTANTNE]

Looks good! Nice job.

 

Quick question, Is there a reason your drain from the display tank isnt submerged in the water?