75gal Wet Dry Sketch for 240gal tank...looks ok?

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NOLAGT

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2007
2,347
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Louisiana
Got a 240 (8'x2'x2') on the way...will be setup with Africans. Drilled with two 1 1/2" drain holes and two 1" return holes. For the sump im using a 75 gal (48x18x21). I was going to use some thick Plexi for the dividers and drip plate, eggcrate for the sponge shelf and bio-ball shelf. Each 1 1/2" drain will go into the first chamber. First sponge to pre-filter (not in the overflow chamber of the tank). Filter pad to help keep the bio balls clean. Bio-Ball chamber is 14" tall 18" deep and 20" wide giving me 21.81 gal of area. So lets say 21 gal. Bio-Balls claim 35gal of fresh filtration per gallon of balls. So I am guessing 735gal of Bio filtration. Last sponge to help with bubbles. The return pump im looking at is a reeflo dart...starts out at 3600gph and im hoping to get 2000 out of it to turn the tank over 8 times. I will also run a canister and UGJ system on the tank.

So how does all the mesurments look?

Did I figure the Bio-Balls right?

What size holes on the drip plate and how far apart for the gph and size of the plate???

Do I have enough room on the tops of the dividers in case some sponges/filter pads get clogged....I do not want to over flow the sump.

Thanks for the input...

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Verbosity;2217586; said:
You could get some of that plastic peg board. That's cheaper and already drilled for you. You could use that above the bio material.

Ahhh I didn't know they had that...very good...drilling holes like that is no fun!
 
Verbosity;2218288; said:
It comes in 2'x4' sections and cost around $11.

Just send me what you don't use of it :)

I just might do that...I will only need 18x20 :D
 
Good luck with it, sounds like a good plan. I would be afraid of the chamber only being 2 inches from the top. Make sure you get plastic peg board haha.
 
I am glad to find out about the plastic pegboard now rather than after I drill all those holes...I will definetly do the pegboard lol!

As for the chambers being close to the top...that was one thing I was unsure off too. The way I was thinking about it is this....if the first sponge gets clogged enough to slow the water passing it would have 1"x18" to overflow into the next chamber. That next one goes into the bio chamber and if that filter pad on there got clogged it would also have the 1"x18" to over flow. I guess the question is IF one or both of those sponges/pads got clogged all the way would 2000gph be able to bypass the whole filter via those 1x18" areas.

So can anyone calcualte how much water a area of 1"x18" can flow?? Would that be a safe way to check those measurments??
 
I used this calculator to check the room for power outage. http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/sump.php

According to that I need 19.9 gal for tank overflow. My chambers are going to use some silent drains so the water will not drop much in there. So lets say 25 to be safe. On my sump useing the bio chamber and the pump return section its 36"x18"x15" deep on top of water already in the sump. Thats about 42 gal so I think im good there.

Bio-Balls or pot scrubbies...take cost out of it. What has more bio area?
 
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