I've read this entire thread. At least twice. Decided I would give mine a try, but there is a big difference in my plan to what other folks are doing.
My plan does not entail a sump. Rather, I am going to use this as a siphon and refill system to do water changes...meaning, I want the siphon to break when the aquarium is drained to, say 50%. I'm also inputting the PVC that will refill the tanks into the vent.
Here's a You Tube video of how the siphon and refilling works. I'll explain how it works, step by step, below the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5riDUpMSBM
SCENARIO ONE: AQUARIUM IS FULL AND READY FOR A WATER CHANGE
1. The bottom drain valve is closed. The top refill valve is closed. Water is present in the PVC inside and outside the aquarium, between the valves.
2. To start the siphon, you open the bottom drain valve, and the siphon begins.
3. The tank drains to the bottom of the 90 degree elbow inside the aquarium. The siphon is broken at that point.
4. The drain valve is then closed.
SCENARIO TWO: AQUARIUM HAS BEEN DRAINED AND READY TO BE FILLED
1. The bottom drain valve is closed. The top refill valve is open. The pump which is stored in the other room is turned on via remote control.
2. The water fills until you either shut off the top refill valve, turn off the pump, or your tank starts overflowing.
3. In filling the tank in this method, the PVC between the top refill valve and the bottom drain valve is filled with water (as well as the aquarium). This is how the system is primed.
4. When the aquarium is full, the top refill drain is closed.
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IF the system ever lost a sufficient amount of water in the PVC outside of the aquarium, all you have to do is suck some air out, which will bring water up and over the aquarium into the down spout area. I will have to install some sort of check valve with a flexible tube into that tall vent piece, below the top fill valve, in order to suck air out of the system and bring the water into the PVC.
My plan does not entail a sump. Rather, I am going to use this as a siphon and refill system to do water changes...meaning, I want the siphon to break when the aquarium is drained to, say 50%. I'm also inputting the PVC that will refill the tanks into the vent.
Here's a You Tube video of how the siphon and refilling works. I'll explain how it works, step by step, below the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5riDUpMSBM
SCENARIO ONE: AQUARIUM IS FULL AND READY FOR A WATER CHANGE
1. The bottom drain valve is closed. The top refill valve is closed. Water is present in the PVC inside and outside the aquarium, between the valves.
2. To start the siphon, you open the bottom drain valve, and the siphon begins.
3. The tank drains to the bottom of the 90 degree elbow inside the aquarium. The siphon is broken at that point.
4. The drain valve is then closed.
SCENARIO TWO: AQUARIUM HAS BEEN DRAINED AND READY TO BE FILLED
1. The bottom drain valve is closed. The top refill valve is open. The pump which is stored in the other room is turned on via remote control.
2. The water fills until you either shut off the top refill valve, turn off the pump, or your tank starts overflowing.
3. In filling the tank in this method, the PVC between the top refill valve and the bottom drain valve is filled with water (as well as the aquarium). This is how the system is primed.
4. When the aquarium is full, the top refill drain is closed.
---------------------------------------------------------
IF the system ever lost a sufficient amount of water in the PVC outside of the aquarium, all you have to do is suck some air out, which will bring water up and over the aquarium into the down spout area. I will have to install some sort of check valve with a flexible tube into that tall vent piece, below the top fill valve, in order to suck air out of the system and bring the water into the PVC.
