180 filtration project

[Toby_H]

Awesome drilling job!
　
Don't sweat it though, you're not the first one to break a tank. Just be glad you did it to an empty one I forgot to square up a DIY stand once and cracked a 75 gal from top left corner to bottom right. It sounded like a shot gun going off in the fish room followed by a mini tsunami flooding the room. Everything except the tank and my ego survived…
　
　
But back to your new acrylic sump!
　
So is this one tank going to be the entire sump or are you still going for the double container sump idea?
　
I do not like the idea of baffles ever going all the way to the top. If something clogs or goofs up I want the water to be able to spill over the baffle without spilling out of the sump… at least until both sides of the baffle fills up…
　
If it’s practical to trim an inch or so off the baffle that goes all the way to the top then sure, do that… if not then just drill a few holes in it. Your handy with a drill aren’t ya (lol, sorry, I had to )
　
I have to know if this is the only container… and if not what will the other container be… before I offer much. Chances are I’m going to recommend you keep what you have and add a couple of baffles though. If you have a big chunk of 1.5” coarse sponge then it makes sense to have two baffles 1.25~1.5” (depending on how coarse) apart allowing that sponge to be placed between baffles.
　
　
Seriously, sorry your drilling experience didn’t go so well. I’ve yet to put drill to glass myself and reading this makes it less likely I will any time soon. It looks like that acrylic sump will work well for you and be much easier to work with. I think it opened your options up pretty nicely.

 

[HULON]

Awesome drilling job!
　
Don't sweat it though, you're not the first one to break a tank. Just be glad you did it to an empty one I forgot to square up a DIY stand once and cracked a 75 gal from top left corner to bottom right. It sounded like a shot gun going off in the fish room followed by a mini tsunami flooding the room. Everything except the tank and my ego survived…
　
　
But back to your new acrylic sump!
　
So is this one tank going to be the entire sump or are you still going for the double container sump idea?
　
I do not like the idea of baffles ever going all the way to the top. If something clogs or goofs up I want the water to be able to spill over the baffle without spilling out of the sump… at least until both sides of the baffle fills up…
　
If it’s practical to trim an inch or so off the baffle that goes all the way to the top then sure, do that… if not then just drill a few holes in it. Your handy with a drill aren’t ya (lol, sorry, I had to )
　
I have to know if this is the only container… and if not what will the other container be… before I offer much. Chances are I’m going to recommend you keep what you have and add a couple of baffles though. If you have a big chunk of 1.5” coarse sponge then it makes sense to have two baffles 1.25~1.5” (depending on how coarse) apart allowing that sponge to be placed between baffles.
　
　
Seriously, sorry your drilling experience didn’t go so well. I’ve yet to put drill to glass myself and reading this makes it less likely I will any time soon. It looks like that acrylic sump will work well for you and be much easier to work with. I think it opened your options up pretty nicely.

Toby i am still going to do two.The first being the tote .I am thinking now on the tote setting up trays were the water comes from tank almost like a trickle set up for all the mechanical sponge and fiber.then putting laying ceramics in the rest.And ya after that humbling yet pretty darn funny drilling experiancethat is why i went and got acrylic.The reason i have to drill is i only have 24 inches of hight under the stand.So i can't raise the tote and have access too it like in your design.I have drilled the tote 4 inches down from the top with a 2 and a half inch bulk head.If you think that will not work let me know.I was so pist i had to laugh!!!!!I gotto tell ya i wouldAt me too!!Toby or do you think i should use the whole tote as the refugium and use the sump for all the filtration?

 

[cockroach]

Bad luck with the drill.

Want to see this completed.

 

[Toby_H]

it is easier to put baffles in the solid walled acrylic tank.... so for that reason alone I think it would be easier to make the acrylic tank the filter and the tote the refugium...

But besides being easier to install baffles, I don't think it really matters which is which...

 

[HULON]

it is easier to put baffles in the solid walled acrylic tank.... so for that reason alone I think it would be easier to make the acrylic tank the filter and the tote the refugium...

But besides being easier to install baffles, I don't think it really matters which is which...

Ok toby i will put the baffles in today let dry overnite and do a test run on it tommorow in the garage!!I will takes pics of it running and you can let me know what you think.

 

[HULON]

toby i am just going to silicone in place in case i ever want to move them!

 

[Toby_H]

toby i am just going to silicone in place in case i ever want to move them!

That should work fine... You would not want to silicone acryic/plastic exterrior walls in place... but the interrior walls or baffles will not be dealing with nearly the pressure the external walls would. So they will be fine siliconed in place...


So looking at th epic in the post above...

Water will enter the acrylic sump from the aquarium... first landing in the large section on the left where the stickers are... under the leftmost clear baffle... up through some sponge type media... over the first blue baffle... down through some sponge type media... under the second clear baffle.. up through some sponge type media... over the second blue baffle... into the right most section...


Then the side wall on the right end will be drilled and fitted with a bulkhead fitting... where water will exit the section on the right through the bulkhead fitting and flow into the refugium...


If that's not what you planned on doing... then that's what I suggest you do


Just a thought... I would still drill a couple of holes in the every top of the leftmost clear baffle. This is to allow water to bypass the sponge/s in the event that they clog up to the point the first (leftmost) chamber overflows. This will keep the overflowing water in the sump and off the living room floor...


When you plan/design the refugium, make sure you plan out how you are going to keep the plant matter out of the pump.

 

[HULON]

That should work fine... You would not want to silicone acryic/plastic exterrior walls in place... but the interrior walls or baffles will not be dealing with nearly the pressure the external walls would. So they will be fine siliconed in place...


So looking at th epic in the post above...

Water will enter the acrylic sump from the aquarium... first landing in the large section on the left where the stickers are... under the leftmost clear baffle... up through some sponge type media... over the first blue baffle... down through some sponge type media... under the second clear baffle.. up through some sponge type media... over the second blue baffle... into the right most section...


Then the side wall on the right end will be drilled and fitted with a bulkhead fitting... where water will exit the section on the right through the bulkhead fitting and flow into the refugium...


If that's not what you planned on doing... then that's what I suggest you do


Just a thought... I would still drill a couple of holes in the every top of the leftmost clear baffle. This is to allow water to bypass the sponge/s in the event that they clog up to the point the first (leftmost) chamber overflows. This will keep the overflowing water in the sump and off the living room floor...


When you plan/design the refugium, make sure you plan out how you are going to keep the plant matter out of the pump.

Ok toby will doo!!!!

 

[Toby_H]

FYI - for my suggestions and advice I am charging you dinner drinks and a place to crash if/when I pass through your town next And naturally we'll tinker with your tank after dinner

 

[HULON]

Well heck ya i'd feed and put you up.And definatly tinker with the tanks!!!So check out the picks .I have some obvious fine tunining.I guess one night was not long enough for the silicone it started giving way so i cut a couple pieces of pvc to hold it while i mess with everything.Then redo it.Also 1 one inch bulkhead was not enough going from one sump to the other do i put another to get better drainage.But all in all i theink it will work really well!!Any advive on anything you see in the pics Toby?Thats a bunch of foam!!!!!