First MONSTER tank...first sump...advice needed!

[Abyss]

I'm close to ordering my new tank.

It will be 108" x 28" (h) x 27" (w).

I will be setting up a sump for this tank.

My plan was a single weir with 2x 55mm outflow pipes. And one 32mm return. Durso config. Supplemented with wavemakers for movement in the tank.

I also plan to include a drilled hole NOT behind a weir for water changes. This would have a standpipe up to the desired water change level, and would be controlled by a ball valve underneath the tank (2x for safety) to allow the water to flow when I want to initiate a change - is this a good idea? This is something important to me.

The tank will be totally plumbed into the house supply/drains for water changes, with new water coming direct from the mixer taps, through a filter for de-chlorination.

I can have any config I want, but the tank will be up against a wall at the back so pipes need to come out the side or the bottom. Would prefer bottom.

Tank will be in living area, so noise a concern.

What would you do, and what advice would you offer? Thanks!

 

[jaws7777]

Sub'd

 

[fishguy306]

If noise is a concern look up a bean style overflow. It has three pipes instead of two. One is a full siphon, one is a trickle and one stays dry. If set up properly it is dead quiet and makes no noise. A durso will make sucking noises unless it is hardly flowing any water at all.

As for the drain for water changes, many people do this. Just be sure to be careful, double ball valves are a good idea. Especially if it is on the bottom you don't want to wake up one morning to a drained tank.

 

[ragin_cajun]

I'm with Matt. The KING of silent drains is the Beanimal. It has 3 drains. A close second is the Herbie style--it has 2 drains. Durso is old school, I've seen videos on youtube of guys getting them to run dead silent, too. Problem is, I don't know how much/little they flow when air is restricted to them like that. A Durso is not a siphon drain, so it might be much less than needed -- I just don't know.

I run a Herbie overflow, and it's silent as a grave with 4000 GPH of water moving up to the tank and back down to the sump. It's great, but it DID require some adjustment in the beginning to get it running smooth. Now, I don't think I've adjusted it in 6 months.

A Beanimal is totally automatic, so you just never adjust it. It's better, it just requires so many drain pipes, you almost have to run a coast-to-coast overflow box.

This is a lot to think through, I advise you start from the very beginning, and build a design in a step-wise fashion.
1. Decide what you want your turnover rate and pump output to be for your tank. The max you think you could ever want it to be -- generally 10 X turnover rate is a good target.
2. What type of drain style? Beanimal, Herbie, Durso with an E-Drain.
3. From those 2 decisions, you know what to tell the custom tank shop to put in your tank for overflow boxes--2 rectangular boxes along back wall, 2 corner overflows, 1 big overflow box in the middle back wall, coast-to-coast--and number of drains. 2 pair of drains in 2 rectangular boxes for a Herbie? 3 very big drains for a Beanimal?
4. Pick your pumps, and size your sump accordingly. submersible or external pumps, sump size to accommodate water in your plumbing, etc.

 

[DN328]

Since you are open to it, I do (PVC) plumbing under tank. Considering you tank height go with the tallest tank stand to maximize space for ease of plumbing and future maintenance.
I assume tank stand width and length will be that of your tank.

I have a closed loop circulation, and T off for quick drains using the pump as well. I have a ball valve to open up and have a hose quick connect to connect a hose. You will have drip/auto change so most likely will rely on that.

edit: Also, If I didn't have a peninsula, I would definitely consider coast to coast. You then can explore where and how you want the drains in the likely two corners behind the weir.

 

[markstrimaran]

You will like the drain pipe for water changeing. My tank is set up, plumbed into house water. I use 55 gallon drums to declorinate with.
It's great for multi tasking.

 

[ragin_cajun]

If I had it to do over again, I'd have done a coast-to-coast on mine, too.

 

[ragin_cajun]

Also, on the Acrylic vs Glass debate. i went with acrylic because it's a big tank, and i trust acrylic more than glass for big tanks -- not to bust.

Some don't. BUT, one drawback to acrylic that might have swung my decision had I known about it was Pleco's. I wanted some Royal Pleco's, and I almost put them in my acrylic tank which would have been a disaster from what I hear.

If I'd known I couldn't put Royal's in an acrylic tank, I might well have gotten a glass tank, maybe a smaller glass tank (210 or 240), something like that.

You may not care, I don't know, just throwing it out there.

 

[duanes]

I agree with PVC, if you plumb it right it works great, can easily be configured if you want to change things, and the cost compared to clear vinyl is about half, with no worries about rusting or loosening hose clamps.
I also like PVC valves, beside being reliable and inexpensive, and you can get replacements at any home center.
I also ran water changes directly to my garden with PVC, and had a direct PVC water line from a tap to my sumps for replacement water, I could do 300 gal water changes in a few moments that way.

 

[Abyss]

Wow! Thanks for this wealth of advice guys. Really appreciate it.

As it is my first sump, I do need that kind of guidance, so I think Beanimal looks like it might be the way to go. I think I need to consider carefully the weir set up. Instead of a coast to coast, along the back. Would a front to back weir work well? (it's 27") I will be building the stand/tank surround myself and could simply place a piece of plaster board in front of the back to front weir part. I think I'd rather do that than all the way along the back. It's just that I think 27" isn't too wide if I wanted to keep some of the larger fish, and wouldn't want to take too much of that away with a coast to coast. Thinking about ease of access too. Of course, 2 weirs is an option as mentioned as well.

Ragin - the glass vs acrylic debate is dead to me unfortunately. In the UK, acrylic just doesn't seem readily available for a tank this size, unless you build yourself (which I would never risk, lol). Manufacturers say my tank is too big or too small. The ones I have found to do it are quoting £3000+ for a tank this size. Whilst glass is £650+.