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simple yet tech 10


der1311

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I've been planning my dream 20 gallon for a few months now, only to realize my new apartment only allows up to 10 gallons. So back to the drawing board(ms paint board?)

 

Any way my new idea is this. Take a regular 10 gallon. Cut a 6 inch pvc pipe in half and silicone them to both back sides for overflows. But im not goin to have a sump. just 2 overflows.

 

to get water back out, on one end have a pump goin into an Aqua C Remora skimmer, emptying into display.

 

on the other side, an mj 900 or 1200 running threw the middle of the pvc wall to a hydor flow.

 

the reason for the overflows is to add a fuge and place to hide all my probes(AC Jr.) and heater.

one overflow(one with skimmer) will be the fuge. the other will house probes and heater.

 

 

heres some pics

 

untitled.jpg

 

taco23.jpg

 

one question i have is about ATO. will one or both overflows have a stable waterlevel to place a float switch?

 

thanks for any help and thanks for looking.

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one question i have is about ATO. will one or both overflows have a stable waterlevel to place a float switch?

 

At first look I would think that the levels in both overflows would drop together as water evaps. However, with different pumps on each side (one on remora, one on hydor) your flow rates out of each chamber will be different. I may be wrong, but I think that the chamber with the MJ9/12 w/Hydor will empty faster and will show the evap loss.

 

It may be more effective to build a false wall instead of the 2 overflows. You'd have more room for your fuge, and you'd only need 2 chambers, really. Your fuge, then the skimmer and return pump in the next section. As long as you use an ATO to keep the return chamber's level constant your skimmer and heater will do fine there.

 

Or, you could do one overflow, drill for a bulkhead, and place a 5.5gal tank behind the 10 for sump/fuge (space allowing). Again, you'd only need 2 chambers, and you could plumb the return over the rim of the 10. Yes, that's more than 10 gallons, bout will you land lord really know what he's looking at? Just tell him "Oh that's just the filter, it's still only a 10 gallon tank"

 

.02

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chaostactics

Word of caution on that hydor it cuts back on flow A LOT! Use at least double the size power head that you think you want

 

Word of caution on that hydor it cuts back on flow A LOT! Use at least double the size power head that you think you want

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At first look I would think that the levels in both overflows would drop together as water evaps. However, with different pumps on each side (one on remora, one on hydor) your flow rates out of each chamber will be different. I may be wrong, but I think that the chamber with the MJ9/12 w/Hydor will empty faster and will show the evap loss.

 

It may be more effective to build a false wall instead of the 2 overflows. You'd have more room for your fuge, and you'd only need 2 chambers, really. Your fuge, then the skimmer and return pump in the next section. As long as you use an ATO to keep the return chamber's level constant your skimmer and heater will do fine there.

 

Or, you could do one overflow, drill for a bulkhead, and place a 5.5gal tank behind the 10 for sump/fuge (space allowing). Again, you'd only need 2 chambers, and you could plumb the return over the rim of the 10. Yes, that's more than 10 gallons, bout will you land lord really know what he's looking at? Just tell him "Oh that's just the filter, it's still only a 10 gallon tank"

 

.02

 

False wall would hafta be acrylic. I've delt with glass to acrylic before, black acylic is hard to get, and the seal doesnt last over the years. It will eventually fail and I really dont want to lessin the depth. as for drilling and adding the 5 behind, its a possibility. Went to menards and could only get 4 in pvc pipe so its really tight looking so i'll hafta think about modifying things.

 

But like the title says, I want it to be as simple as possible. everything would be in the tank and nothing will be outside the overflows so I dont have equitment uglying things up. I'll give it a shot with the 4 inch pvc but I'm thinkin I need the 6 inch. hmmmm...

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lol my old doorm rooms had the 10gallon rule, i got a 20L and told then it was a 10 long, same demintions as a 10gallon just twice as long. they never said anything about it, other than how cool all the fish and corals were.

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Serigrapher83

I did the same type of set-up in a 10g a few years ago. I ended up having to drill a few holes lower in the overflow tube to keep from running it dry due to evaporation. This helped equalize the level inside the overflow tube. I had the HOB draw from inside of the tube and it could suck it dry in the span of a single work day. The lower hole definitely helped.

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I hacked away at some pvc with a dremel and this is what I've got.

 

Just testing to see if it will even work.

 

DSCN0791.jpg

 

DSCN0788.jpg

 

DSCN0786.jpg

 

I still need to make a few adjustments with the overflow grate thing and drill a hole for the hydor flo but the idea will work. I'm not too worried about evap. because I will be using an ATO. I will also paint the pvc and back. Hopefully I'll have water in it in a week or 2. Then I need to make the canopy.

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I like the PVC in the corners. It looks very clean and simple. If you end up needing 6" pipe try a local irrigation store. Sometimes they have scrap pieces laying around.

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If that size PVC doesn't work you can get one of the plastic mailboxes for like $7 at your local home improvement warehouse. They're easily cut with a sharp box cutter. They're also already black...

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If that size PVC doesn't work you can get one of the plastic mailboxes for like $7 at your local home improvement warehouse. They're easily cut with a sharp box cutter. They're also already black...

 

Good Idea!

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Painted the back and Pvc last week and this is what it looks like.

 

painted5.jpg

 

painted.jpg

 

painted1.jpg

 

painted2.jpg

 

painted3.jpg

 

painted4.jpg

 

Still havent siliconed the pvc yet. I tried ordered some black silicone but accidentally got clear instead. Not sure if I should just re-order or just use the clear. Other than that I still need to start on a canopy which will house a 70mh and 36 watt actinic CP. I will also make a ballast housing and mod my AC Jr. into it somehow.

 

Soon I plan on selling all I have in my frag tank so I can buy the aqua C remora so be looking for frags at the end of the month.

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Well I decided to order the black silicone and it just arrived today. I just finished siliconing the pvc in place, and did a horrible job, silicone everywhere. o well. heres some pics of it drying.

 

siliconed3.jpg

 

siliconed2.jpg

 

siliconed1.jpg

 

siliconed.jpg

 

 

It'll be a while before I'll be in my hometown(where I will be living starting August) so I will start the cycle then. Also, I decided to cut the hydor flo out of the equation. It just cut flow back too much no matter how big of powerhead I used. Instead I will be using a MJ900 goin straight threw the overflow.

 

Now for the canopy.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just set the tank up a few days ago in my new apartment. Its cycling right now with some mature live rock from my 29 gal. Hope to get down there again in a week to see how things are goin. (left it in my girlfriends care)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well I didn't get time to make a canopy, so i had to resort to chopping my old 29 canopy, and yes, I know it looks horrid.(just took skill saw to it) Started to add coral and move stuff around. Don't have everything in yet, haven't even had time to install the AC Jr. or buy an Aqua C remora skimmer. heres some pics

 

DSCN0951.jpg

 

DSCN0948.jpg

 

DSCN0952.jpg

 

DSCN0958.jpg

 

DSCN0961.jpg

 

DSCN0962.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well got the AC Jr. up and running, but the up button no longer works so I'll hafta call the company or something to fix that, but now it just looks like all I have to do is add the ATO and AquaC remora and I'll be finished. Once I have time, I shall start a thread for the tank and the stuffs inside.

 

But for the design, I'm calling it a success. Great surface skimming and great flow.

 

thanks for looking

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