New Build ~ 600 Gallon

[JK47]

Looking good. When you plumb the ultima do you have to plumb a drain line in to backwash it? Can that same line empty the tank for a water change?

Plumbing them always seems so complicated

Yes I am hard lining the backwash lines. They exit through a wall in the garage, directly to the gutter downspout. I still have to finish plumbing that line. It is just a mirror image of the line already in place because they have to be separated from the drip exit.

I will have four Ultima's plumbed to the same exit line so I will be building an exit manifold with flapper style check valves. I am really excited to build that. It is going to be awesome and modular. I love building complicated plumbing. It is relaxing for me.



The line dedicated to the backwash is 1.5". I may regret going that large when it comes time to drain but it's easier to valve back than to increase diameter, after the fact.



The top line is temporarily capped is the backwash line. The bottom (currently running) is for the sump pump to drain the drip system waste water.



The storage bins to the right of the tank are where i hid the equipment for the drip (I do not have a drain in the garage). The same concept would work in a basement etc... The plugin you see in the pic is for the sump pump that pumps out the waste water from the drip system. All tanks drain to this setup. I also have three terminals designed for draining/vacuuming. Basically a mini utility sinks per tank.

The sump pump is in the bottom bin. The storage containers above are for food storage, Prime, hoses, clean filter socks etc... A nice way to hide equipment and still be functional without wasting vertical storage.



Hopefully this explains where my head regarding the design for backwash plumbing. It is a complicated design but pretty sweet IMO.

I have my drain line on my Ultima 1000 plumbed directly into my house main drain. I placed a pool sight tube along the pvc, so I can get a better view of how dirty the water is coming out of the filter. The little sight glass on the filter is fairly small and it can get pretty hard to see exactly how clear or unclear the water is while backflushing the filter. You only need one drain line. The rotating valve head on the Ultima will determine what "mode" you're in, ie. Backwash, Recirculate, Waste, Rinse, Closed, Filter, etc. So, if you want to just drain your tank for a water change, you can rotate the handle to Waste and fire your pump back on and it'll bypass your media.

That is a great idea!!! Thank you very much for that! When I get to the backwash manifold I will incorporate clear hardline into that. Any links to where you got yours from? I really like that idea.

 

[JK47]

This build looks awesome.

Although I'm confused, with those returns wouldn't it cause a back siphon as you have the sump so isn't closed loop? Or is the sump being ran separate to ultimate?

Sorry if I missed something?!

Thank you J! The sump is ran independently from the closed loop. Think of it as adding a canister to a tank with a sump. A canister is a closed loop by definition. These just happen to be some big ass canisters lol

 

[JK47]

Sump is run separately.

Curious how your flow works out and if the outputs on the sides help push debris to the intakes. I like the idea of intakes on the bottom without outputs along the top. The output push water against the opposite glass and down causing flow directly to the intakes. There was another tank build like that which it seemed to work perfect for. They never have to do siphoning of the ground.

I am equally curious to be quite honest. I was concerned about this as well and didn't want all this planning for nothing if I hated the flow. Two oversize pumps and a fully adjustable system seemed like the best approach to that problem. Worst case if the Ultima's aren't enough I have that sump to fall back on and close any gaps filtration wise. Cross your fingers, we're about to find out soon...

 

[JK47]

I have some down time today waiting for people to come help me lift the tank. Using this time to build some soft line returns while I still have easy access. I mocked up some returns to be able to point flow where I want. This is mainly to control shimmer from the LED's and provide surface agitation.



I'll drill some 3/4" holes to keep these returns from being knocked out of the tank. Again rays + loose equipment = failure



This mornings project: This 110 gallon is a QT/hospital tank. I am going to scavenge the equipment for this build so I need to get rid of the fish and tear this down. The pump is a Laguna 2400 and will be the pump for the sump. The 40 watt UV may or may not go on this tank. I don't typically run UV, we'll see.

The tank itself is the new biological sump for the 500 gallon/330 gallon combo. The mechanical sump is another 60 gallon acrylic. That's a different thread though

 

[nzafi]

JK47 I think you will have plenty of flow, its a matter of whether it pushes in the direction you want. The build I was referring to is actually Albertaan's. His tank was 1000g though and he used 2 Ultima II 2000s and then 1 biowave. Initial design had a sump but he got rid of it. He ended up with 12,000gph (12x turnover). Not sure on the gph for your sump but it looks like you will be around the same 12x turnover with your tank.

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ass-aquarium-1000-gallons-for-dummies.529038/

 

[Def Leppard Hysteria]

That is a great idea!!! Thank you very much for that! When I get to the backwash manifold I will incorporate clear hardline into that. Any links to where you got yours from? I really like that idea.

Well...this is the exact part I bought, although I paid less than what they want for it now on Amazon. I considered going clear PVC, but minimum purchase lengths and shipping made it a pretty even price with the sight glass.

https://www.amazon.com/Hayward-SP1072S-2-Inch-Line-Backwash/dp/B0032GB6B6

The link above will at least get you the part number, if you want to check some other sites. I am thankful I installed it every time I backwash the filter. Priceless little piece, IMHO.

 

[DIDYSIS]

man your long winded. And just a bit crazy, Oh well me like the project and dedication to the work. lol

 

[JK47]

Well...this is the exact part I bought, although I paid less than what they want for it now on Amazon. I considered going clear PVC, but minimum purchase lengths and shipping made it a pretty even price with the sight glass.

https://www.amazon.com/Hayward-SP1072S-2-Inch-Line-Backwash/dp/B0032GB6B6

The link above will at least get you the part number, if you want to check some other sites. I am thankful I installed it every time I backwash the filter. Priceless little piece, IMHO.

Thank you. Just ordered

 

[JK47]

man your long winded. And just a bit crazy, Oh well me like the project and dedication to the work. lol

LOL! Yeah.. Go go gadget attention span. Thanks bro. I'm a fan of your work as well. How's your back from all that sanding?

 

[JK47]

Got the stand and tank all cleaned off and aligned.



Tank is on the stand finally. Please forgive the dirty acrylic. I don't wash it until its wet to avoid scratches.