I've observed many different setups here and elsewhere and I've been planning my project for over a month. Already, I've dropped about a hundred bones into PVC fittings and pipe and I'm ready to barf from the amount of detail I've come to realize I would pour into this. I tried to counter every problem I foresaw before it manifested but alas, after drilling the first hole in the base during a mock up with what I was SURE was going to be final, I returned to sketchup where I've been testing designs and looked at a photo I'd taken of my work so far and yup... Facepalm. I pulled the trigger too soon in my excitement in being so close. I had even wondered what I was planning on using those two extra valves for before I drilled dammit...
Well, now that the base has extra holes in it, I figured I'd come here for damage control and ask you pros for your input. My setup is very simple, my tank small, my stand impossibly smaller. I'm trying to make the most of what I have and my justification for overbuilding this silly 55 gallon is that it's practice for the tank I want someday. The setup for the last few years has been a Rena Filstar XP-M (Formerly XP2). That's an upgrade from the HOB filter that came with this tank. My fish have become too large to meet the requirements of this system and I'm trying to overengineer it so when I get the big tank, I can give this one to my family and they won't have near the headache I've had with it and anything they need to do to it is a matter of turning a few valves and rinsing some filter elements.
So, here's my progress so far:
The angles are difficult to work with. PVC only comes in 45 and 90 degree connections and in a hexagon, all angles are 60 degrees. So, like I said, I went back to SketchUp and started doodling and I dunno which way is up. The setup will be mirrored on the right side for the return lines.
Here's what I've drawn:
Thing that (I think) I need is the bypass valve so when I'm vacuuming the gravel (to be hooked up to the accessory line), after I've removed the filter for cleaning, waste water comes only from the accessory line and goes only to the drain. And I'm pretty sure I need the valves to and from the tank so I'm not pulling vacuum from those lines with the drain running. When it's all said and done, I'd like to have the gravel vac coiled up on the left and a short coiled garden-type hose (type found on boats) stored on the right.
So any pointers, comments, suggestions, or gripes? I still have to figure out how to pull off some of the angles in here and I have a few days till I will be working on this again and I'd love to learn from any mistakes anyone else has already made or just plain take your advise.
Well, now that the base has extra holes in it, I figured I'd come here for damage control and ask you pros for your input. My setup is very simple, my tank small, my stand impossibly smaller. I'm trying to make the most of what I have and my justification for overbuilding this silly 55 gallon is that it's practice for the tank I want someday. The setup for the last few years has been a Rena Filstar XP-M (Formerly XP2). That's an upgrade from the HOB filter that came with this tank. My fish have become too large to meet the requirements of this system and I'm trying to overengineer it so when I get the big tank, I can give this one to my family and they won't have near the headache I've had with it and anything they need to do to it is a matter of turning a few valves and rinsing some filter elements.
So, here's my progress so far:
The angles are difficult to work with. PVC only comes in 45 and 90 degree connections and in a hexagon, all angles are 60 degrees. So, like I said, I went back to SketchUp and started doodling and I dunno which way is up. The setup will be mirrored on the right side for the return lines.
Here's what I've drawn:
Thing that (I think) I need is the bypass valve so when I'm vacuuming the gravel (to be hooked up to the accessory line), after I've removed the filter for cleaning, waste water comes only from the accessory line and goes only to the drain. And I'm pretty sure I need the valves to and from the tank so I'm not pulling vacuum from those lines with the drain running. When it's all said and done, I'd like to have the gravel vac coiled up on the left and a short coiled garden-type hose (type found on boats) stored on the right.
So any pointers, comments, suggestions, or gripes? I still have to figure out how to pull off some of the angles in here and I have a few days till I will be working on this again and I'd love to learn from any mistakes anyone else has already made or just plain take your advise.
