Need Advice on my Future DIY Wet/Dry
- Thread starter arkmann
- Start date
My head hight is also 5', I just checked it right now. Tank will be a datnoid and pleco tank. It is not drilled so a diy overflow will have to suffice. Do you still recommend the same pvc diameter? I assume you will because it is similar to yours. What would be the ideal turnover or gph should I shoot for in a 100 gallon tank?
I will probably use the foams because I will modify the conventional diy sump that are showed in the diys. I am also thinking of using quilt batting on the last baffle to filter the water against debris as much as possible.
By the way, how much does a sheet of glass run? I will probably drop by Home Depot tomorrow to check it out as well.
dmopar74;1585921; said:
I will probably use the foams because I will modify the conventional diy sump that are showed in the diys. I am also thinking of using quilt batting on the last baffle to filter the water against debris as much as possible.
By the way, how much does a sheet of glass run? I will probably drop by Home Depot tomorrow to check it out as well.
Nic said:
dmopar74;1585854; said:
you are correct on the overflow size being determined by the gph you are trying to run. sorry its been a bit since I researched it. as to why my overflow looses prime, that is because I made some diy stand pipes to stop all the noise. with two of them at an 1 1/4 and only a 3/4 inch return pipe, that causes the water to drain out of the over flow box faster than the pump can return it. to fix the problem I put a ball valve on each one and partially closed it. the ball valves also allow me to cut the water of for sump cleaning. If your confused on the stand pipes click here for a pic.
I also went with bigger drain pipes to allow for anything getting clogged in them. the bigger pipe is less likely to get clogged...lol
hope this makes it clearer.
arkmann there is a gph calculator on here somewhere but its late and im headed to bed...lol
oh and glass for that small of a tank shouldn't cost that much, maybe $20 but you have to get it at lowes or a local hardware store like ace, as home depot does not cut glass. also be careful the glass will likely still be razor sharp on the edges.
oh and glass for that small of a tank shouldn't cost that much, maybe $20 but you have to get it at lowes or a local hardware store like ace, as home depot does not cut glass. also be careful the glass will likely still be razor sharp on the edges.
I think I might use 1.25" pipes instead of 1". That diameter would give me 910 gph which is 19 times turnover rate. Do you think that/s a little bit too much?
Here's the link for the calculator:
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/modules.php?name=Overflow_Drain_Calculator
Here's the link for the calculator:
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/modules.php?name=Overflow_Drain_Calculator
arkmann;1587424; said:
As I stated before, go by the outlet of the pump you buy, it will only flow as much as the smallest restriction, which in your case would likely be the outlet of the pump. Also I may be wrong, but if I'm not mistaken if you enlarge the outlet by too much it actually slows the flow down as it is trying to fill the extra space. it may even cause excess pump wear. as for the over flow I would go slightly larger than the intake just to make sure that if it does suck in something like a fish that you still get some flow to the pump. also that flow may be too much, I would contact one of the admins like oddball he should know better on what you should be aiming for. Don't know if this makes sense to you but it does to me...lol
For the input pipes (the one inside the tank), that's where the 1.5" pvc pipes will be used. On the outlet, from the pump (inside the wet/dry), I will just use clear hose and clamp it down. Like you said, I will get a hose slightly larger than the "outtake hole" of the pump.
I think I am mixing up the terms here. I thought overflow means the whole contraption that is placed in the tank that has a siphon right? What do you mean when you said "I would go slightly larger then the intake"? Did you mean a lager "hole" for the water to come in the overflow?
I think I am mixing up the terms here. I thought overflow means the whole contraption that is placed in the tank that has a siphon right? What do you mean when you said "I would go slightly larger then the intake"? Did you mean a lager "hole" for the water to come in the overflow?
Ok you are correct in a sense, outlet is the water exiting the tank with a siphon, that is all the piping including the diy overflow all the way to where the water exits to the sump. The return or inlet as i was refering to is all the pipe connected to the pump that put the water back in the tank. What I was saying is that I would make the outlet or overflow bigger than the return. also I you can use clear hose but the clamp im not sure about. Seems to me that pvc would be much sturdier and once the glue dries is completely fish safe.
your better off running 2 1" overflows, that way you can run up to 1200gph(a huge overkill), and always have the added safety that if one fails the other will still work. id still stick to 600gph though on a 100g.
