Crazy_Jake Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Hello everyone! First post here so be easy on me. I'm setting up my 29 BC, just bought it last week. I live at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks Alaska so I kind of got raped on the price, $550 with stand. 35 lbs LR at $10 a pound = additional $350. I'm currently cycling with only LR (no LS yet), took out the Bioballs, I have no rubble in the back. Plans are to add a Sapphire skimmer in chamber 2, upgrade to 150 MH from nanocustoms, sump/fuge with ATO, and Sapphire media reactor. To make this happen I have to have a failproof overflow and do not want to use the skimmer box (too bulky/unsightly for my taste). I have seen plans for the DIY PVC overflow but I am lost. If I run the Sapphire in chamber 2, the water level has to be at a certain height for proper operation, correct? I know that the downtake (not the right term I'm sure) would be in chamber 1 before the skimmer and the return in chamber 2 after the skimmer. What I'm most confused about is the height of the "downtake" and return pipes within the chambers. Also, in previous tanks I've had with the overflow boxes, the water level only dropped in my sump with evap, is this still the case? What messes me up is how the water drops below surface level in chamber 2 and how that affects things. Thanks for any help. Link to comment
JPotter Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hello everyone! First post here so be easy on me. I'm setting up my 29 BC, just bought it last week. I live at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks Alaska so I kind of got raped on the price, $550 with stand. 35 lbs LR at $10 a pound = additional $350. I'm currently cycling with only LR (no LS yet), took out the Bioballs, I have no rubble in the back. Plans are to add a Sapphire skimmer in chamber 2, upgrade to 150 MH from nanocustoms, sump/fuge with ATO, and Sapphire media reactor. To make this happen I have to have a failproof overflow and do not want to use the skimmer box (too bulky/unsightly for my taste). I have seen plans for the DIY PVC overflow but I am lost. If I run the Sapphire in chamber 2, the water level has to be at a certain height for proper operation, correct? I know that the downtake (not the right term I'm sure) would be in chamber 1 before the skimmer and the return in chamber 2 after the skimmer. What I'm most confused about is the height of the "downtake" and return pipes within the chambers. Also, in previous tanks I've had with the overflow boxes, the water level only dropped in my sump with evap, is this still the case? What messes me up is how the water drops below surface level in chamber 2 and how that affects things. Thanks for any help. I am fairly new to ref tanks and have absolutely no idea how the mechanics of the thing works. Yesterday I got a tunze ATO system but the folks at the shop that I purchased it said they didn't know where to put it in the BC29 (even though they sell them). I am thinking it should go in the 3rd chamber where the return pump for the tank is as that seems to be the level that drops first. I have a BC skimmer in chamber 1, charcol and live rock in the larger middle chamber and my heater and pump in the last chamber. If I put floats there I will move the heater to the middle chamber. How exactly can you add a refugium to the BC29? Link to comment
Nosey Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Im looking to make a overflow myself, but i'm unsure what your talking about, do you have a link, or Pic's..... JPotter, I have a BC 29g with a skimmer, and the same ATO as you do, check out my links in my sig block, I think it's in #1, but there is also good info about it in a recap that I did on #2 with pic's of what i did. If you have any questions after that just PM, or add to the post! + I'm running a Fug, it's all in my posts! click on " Visit My BioCube 29g #2" or #1 V Link to comment
Crazy_Jake Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Im looking to make a overflow myself, but i'm unsure what your talking about, do you have a link, or Pic's..... JPotter, I have a BC 29g with a skimmer, and the same ATO as you do, check out my links in my sig block, I think it's in #1, but there is also good info about it in a recap that I did on #2 with pic's of what i did. If you have any questions after that just PM, or add to the post! + I'm running a Fug, it's all in my posts! click on " Visit My BioCube 29g #2" or #1 V I don't have any pics but if you google it they are out there. It does the same thing as the overflow boxes, just less space. It looks alot cleaner IMO and doesn't have to be so far out from the wall. The only thing that I guess can happen is that for some reason they lose siphon and your return pump keeps pumping from your sump and overflows the main tank onto your living room floor. Link to comment
Crazy_Jake Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 The following is the explanation from Kalamata regarding the diagram: "This is a simple overflow system that can be made in a few hours and by the way that is design there is not worries about breaking the siphon unless you completely empty your aquarium. The inlet is as close as possible to the bottom of the fishtank and the water level is control by the hight of the T on the outlet on my system the water level is about 2 inches above the drainage of the T. I did seal the intake and then drilled small holes on it to avoid sucking the smallest fish on the tank and since I used a 1 1/2 PVC pipe for mine to be able to keep up with the pump, I reduce the outlet from 1 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch ar the sump. To be able to quite the system I reduce the top of the T to about 3/8 of an inch and it work beautifull and no water noise. I have tried others that I found online but all the other designs fail because the got to the point that will suck air into the system and will break the siphon. I was not able to sleep through the night getting up 4 or 5 time to check on the tank for overflowing signs, but since I built this one I have no concerns at all and sleep all night." One question I have is what happens if the return pump quits with the inlet so close to the bottom? Won't it drain all the water out of the main tank? Also, I'm not sure I understand how he made it quiet by adding a different size pipe. Link to comment
Nosey Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Maybe I’m using wrong terminology. I’m looking for something to prevent my tank from overflowing if my ATO system fails because of the stop float. Then my pump stays on in turn filling my tank up past the top, and overflowing into the living room. I’m not looking to make a return line for a sump, or anything like that, but I’m just looking to set something up so that when I’m out of town, I don’t come back to a small lake in my place. I’m thinking the worse case scenario that my cheep float sensor getting stuck in the down position. Link to comment
Crazy_Jake Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Here are some pics: Link to comment
Crazy_Jake Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 So apparently, the siphon will only flow as fast as the return pump, unless your return pump is to much flow and the PVC can't keep up for the given diameter. I know that the intake would go in chamber 1, and the return would be in chamber 2 after the skimmer. What confuses me is that with the skimmer, I have to use the max/min levels (can't fill back chambers all the way to the top), so I think that the retun pump in chamber 3 would have to be a faster flow than the fuge return pump or the back chambers would overflow. But, if that is the case, would the extra flow from the return pump in chamber 3 cause more water to flow into the overflow intake and flood the sump? As you can see I'm having trouble visualizing this. Link to comment
reefone Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 in a sump skimmer and drain line go in the first chamber and water level is controlled by the baffle height. u may have to set the first chamber up so the water level is higher for the skimmer and the next ones lower to handle any back flow when power is cut. http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html Link to comment
Crazy_Jake Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 in a sump skimmer and drain line go in the first chamber and water level is controlled by the baffle height. u may have to set the first chamber up so the water level is higher for the skimmer and the next ones lower to handle any back flow when power is cut. http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html Appreciate the feedback reefone. However I think I'm more confused now. Link to comment
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