A 40 breeder bulid by Xytrix

[Screename_116]

I'm selling a Quiet One 3000.

[SPS20]

You can see what a penductor looks like here:

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/p...products_id=137

[Xytrix01]

Sorry for those of you who may be following this thread, (Glen...) I've just been going hardcore trying to get a job to support this project, (and maybe to pay rent and food... maybe...) so I haven't really done anything update worthy recently. The good news is that I have an interview tomorrow! Hopefully once i get hired and then paid, i can pick up some lumber and a hole saw, and really get rolling on this project.

 

What does everyone think of the external overflow idea? I'm liking it because it gets even more space in the tank. I've just never worked with glass before, so that part has me a little nervous.

[AdriftQuasar]

The external overflow doesn't seem like a bad idea, but an internal just seems so much easier to me.

 

Why do you have your sump-returns coming over the top? Personally, I would drill a couple more holes in the glass, I think it would look neater that way.

[Xytrix01]

Well the plan is for this tank to have a canopy, hiding the overhead plumbing, and reducing the number of holes i need to drill. The way i look at the more holes you drill in a pane of glass, the more failure points you create. I've done my last two tanks with over the top returns, and it has worked out well. I didn't even have a canopy on the 10gal, and i really didn't mind seeing the pipes. Better than powerheads in the display IMHO.

[hxcaquaman]

did you get the job??? I've been doing some job hunting myself.... to support my Habits.. damn reef addiction.

 

nothing better than twice the pay and of course 3 times the coral

[glennr1978]

The diagram looks good. I would angle the penductors so that they shoot water across the tank rather than straight at the front glass.

 

Did you get your job?

[Xytrix01]

IDK,my interview isn't till 10am tomorow! I'll let you all know though! I sure hope this one works out, I've been job hunting for 2 months now. Its really starting to get old, and so is having no $$$. Keep you fingers crossed!

[nanoty]

IDK,my interview isn't till 10am tomorow! I'll let you all know though! I sure hope this one works out, I've been job hunting for 2 months now. Its really starting to get old, and so is having no $$$. Keep you fingers crossed!

 

 

Good luck.

[glennr1978]

IDK,my interview isn't till 10am tomorow! I'll let you all know though! I sure hope this one works out, I've been job hunting for 2 months now. Its really starting to get old, and so is having no $$$. Keep you fingers crossed!

 

10am.....go to bed man!! I blew an interview for a pretty good job a while back because I was up really late the night before. I wasn't on nr.com though, I was at work!!

[Xytrix01]

Yeah, i really need to... I'm just finishing a few things, then i'm out. Should be able to be in bed by midnight. Thats a good 8 hours or so, better than i normally do! The interview is with a towing company. It's not the best job in the world, but it would be something, and honestly i'll take anything right now... besides, then i'd get to drive a big shiny truck for $20 an hour with benefits. Sounds like fun to me. Wish me luck!

[Xytrix01]

Well, i got through phase one of the interview! Tomorrow morning, they're going to stick me in a truck with one of their senior drivers, and see how i do. If i do ok at it, then they hire me!!! YAY!!! Looks like i may be able to fund this project after all!

[Mudfish]

How do you cut the back edge of the tank, to make the external overflow?

[Xytrix01]

How do you cut the back edge of the tank, to make the external overflow?

How i've heard it done is like this:

 

First you measure out and mark how long the overflow must be.

Then, using a razor blade, separate the silicone from the black trim.

Get your dremmel with cutoff wheel and saw through the black trim piece.

Measure out and mark the depth of the cut in the glass, make sure that it is level!

Using the dremmel with a diamond coated sanding drum, proceed to grind away the section of glass to be removed. Keep cool with the garden hose.

Build overflow box

Drink a beer

Enjoy life

 

That's my plan anyways. I don't figure that I'll be taking too much glass off the top edge, so it should work. If not, i may just take it to a glass shop to have it cut. I'd rather not do that though.

[Xytrix01]

So I got my job!!! I start my training on Monday at 8am. Sounds like there's good money in it, so after i get trained and work for a bit, i should be able to break ground on the new tank.

 

YAY!!!!!!!!!

[nanoty]

So I got my job!!! I start my training on Monday at 8am. Sounds like there's good money in it, so after i get trained and work for a bit, i should be able to break ground on the new tank.

 

YAY!!!!!!!!!

 

 

WTG! One of these days I'll get out of school and get a real freaking job so I can make some money.

[bdare]

I have a 600 gph Eheim as my return pump. I started with 900 gph but it was a bit too much. I love the pump I have now. Originally I had the return from the sump split with a SCWD but it gave me too many problems. At the moment it's just tee'd off. In the future I'd LOVE to add another OM squirt but it's hard to justify the funds.

 

I'm with you on not drilling the returns. That's how I did my tank and I'm very happy with how it came out. I think this will give you more flexibiliity in the long run. If they're not in the glass you can always move them if you want to.

 

What kind of lighting are you going with?

 

The reason the guy you saw with 2 drains in a single overflow is having trouble with noise is because it becomes IMPOSSIBLE to tune if the pipes are EXACTLY the same height. Water won't flow down them at the same rate so you'll either get a gurgle or a slurp from one or the other.

 

I also like the idea of the external overflow I was just WAAAAY too nervous about cutting that much glass on the back of the tank. For some reason drilling a hole and attaching a box just seemed safer.

[Xytrix01]

Hey, i'll do a full reply tomorow. I got to get to bed, as i have a meeting at 6am.

OUCH!

[Xytrix01]

I have a 600 gph Eheim as my return pump. I started with 900 gph but it was a bit too much. I love the pump I have now. Originally I had the return from the sump split with a SCWD but it gave me too many problems. At the moment it's just tee'd off. In the future I'd LOVE to add another OM squirt but it's hard to justify the funds.

 

I'm with you on not drilling the returns. That's how I did my tank and I'm very happy with how it came out. I think this will give you more flexibiliity in the long run. If they're not in the glass you can always move them if you want to.

 

What kind of lighting are you going with?

 

The reason the guy you saw with 2 drains in a single overflow is having trouble with noise is because it becomes IMPOSSIBLE to tune if the pipes are EXACTLY the same height. Water won't flow down them at the same rate so you'll either get a gurgle or a slurp from one or the other.

 

I also like the idea of the external overflow I was just WAAAAY too nervous about cutting that much glass on the back of the tank. For some reason drilling a hole and attaching a box just seemed safer.

 

Alright, Now i have some time to reply. I love my new job, but man is it wearing me out every day.

 

I'm going to switch out return pumps for sure. I think i want to do an internal return pump this time around just for the sake of simplicity. This of course means that I'm going to need something that it not only fairly quiet, but also doesn't put off a ton of heat. What model pump are you running? I'll probably end up with a smaller quiet one or an eheim if i can afford it.

 

The returns over the back of the tank have served me well, so i really see no reason to do anything different.

 

For lighting, I'm thinking that I'd like to do dual 150w metal halides, around the 14k range, and possibly some VHO for actinic supplement. I'll probably be building a DIY fixture to hold the lights because i know i can do it a lot cheaper than buying something.

 

I understand why the guy was getting slurping on the dursos, exactly as you say, because they're going to be impossible to tune at the same height. I'm not planning on using any standpipe at all in the overflow box, just using screened bulkheads at the bottom with a gate valve to regulate the flow. There is a separate emergency drain toward the top to save me from overflow should something happen to the primary drain.

 

I'm not to worried about grinding out the back section of the tank there so much. On my 10 gallon i didn't have the right size hole saw, so i just drilled the size i had, and used the dremmel bit to grind it out to the right size. It is fairly easy actually.

 

I get paid on the fifth, and i'm not sure how much will be left over after paying bills and stuff, but if i can swing it, I'm going to try and get some lumber to start building the stand. We'll see!

[nanoty]

Just FYI I'm running 14k Phoenix in my 2 150w MHs over my 40 and I love it. Quite a bit of blue but that is what I wanted, don't see myself needing actinics.

[glennr1978]

I think you may already know, but I'm runnging a QO2200 for my return ($45). And it works well for me.

 

Grinding away glass on a 10g isn't the same as a 40g. 10g's are paper thin so you can grind through them pretty easily. Your 40g is quite a bit thicker so be careful and go SLOW!!

[bdare]

I would seriously reconsider your drain. First if yo put it on the bottom the water falling over the lip of your overflow box will have a long way to fall and will be extreemly loud. Second, I also would not reccomend controlling the flow with a valve. Others have tried this and it's lead to disaster. I wish I could find the thead cause I just read one this week where a guy had a crash because of it! I KNOW!!! TOTM!

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/totm/index.php

 

The Tank Crash of 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I returned home from work one day and went to look at my tank and my heart dropped to the floor. The tank was pure white and so thick you could not see ½” into the tank. Long story short, I had been using a ball valve on my overflow drain to keep it quiet (NEVER DO THIS!!!!). Either calcium buildup or a foreign object caused enough restriction that it slowed the water flow to the point where the tank began to slowly overflow. My auto-top off at the time was a float switch in the sump that was hooked to my kalkwasser reactor. There was no fail safe in place. By the time I had got home, my tank had lost around 25-30 gallons of water, all of which was replaced with supersaturated milky kalkwasser. The end result was a complete loss of all of my sps corals. Most of the fish, clams, and softies survived.This image was taken just before that sad day.

[Xytrix01]

I had taken this into account, and thats why there is going to be a completely separate emergency drain who's sole purpose is to take the flow in the event of a clog on the main line. I forget who first mentioned this system, but i believe it's called the Herbie method. You have a naked bulkhead at the bottom of your overflow, and a gate valve at the bottom. You start the system with the valve all the way open. Obviously this is going to make a lot of noise due to the falling water and suction noises. You then slowly close the valve until water just starts to flow down the emergency drain located at the top of the overflow. This should allow lwss than an inch for the water to fall into the overflow. You open the valve back up just slightly, so the water level is just below the emergency drain, and your overflow should be tuned.

 

The great part about this system is the redundant drain lines. Even if you were to completely close the lower gate valve, the water would still be able to flow down the emergency line into the sump. Because there is nothing controlling the air in the emergency line, you will get loud gurgles and sucking noises too, letting you know that something is wrong.

 

The normal drain line should be nearly silent, as there is no way for air to enter the line.

 

Here's the thread on it over at RC

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=344892

[Xytrix01]

Here, mayhaps these pictures will help to clarify the workings of things. I removed all but the drain lines, so it isn't as confusing.

 

 

I made the overflow box clear too:

 

 

The line exiting the bottom of the box will have the gate valve on it to control the water level in the box. The line that exits the side of the overflow box runs open all the way down to the sump.

[Xytrix01]

Well, looks like progress has halted once again... I broke the clutch on my jeep, so now i gotta buy parts for that. I hate it when things like that happen. Hopefully next month i might be able to get started on this...