Plumbing Help Please!

[keydiver]

Ok I just scored on a rimless 40g starfire tank on craigslist. so it is what i'll be using for my new discus planted setup upgrade. My question is the plumbing. It has 3 pre-drilled bulkheads, 2 of which are overflows to the sides, and the one in the middle which is for the return.

I'm planning on using C02 injection, so i don't want a sump with lots of splashing or gurgling, so my question is, what are my options for plumbing this thing? Is there away to hook a canister filter to it, or should I try a submerged sump with just media in it? Any designs or advice is greatly appreciated
TIA

 

[ziggy2]

Just get plastic plugs and use a canister if you are going to use Co2.

 

[jcardona1]

You can most definitely use a sump, if you do it right. Check out the thread I posted here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/130344-sumps-bad-co2-myth.html

 

[keydiver]

I get the basic design, but how would I be able to modify the herbie design to fit my situation? Could I use the middle bulkhead as my return, and then one side as the main siphon, and the other as the emergency overflow?

Is it completely necessary to put false walls around my bulkheads, or could I just use the standpipes that my tank came with?

I'm starting to understand it better, just want to make sure I know how to plumb this.

 

[jcardona1]

Yeah that's what I would do; two lines for the Herbie, and one for return. If you don't mind seeing a bare pipe sticking up, then no, an overflow box isn't needed. The box gives you more surface skimming...

 

[keydiver]

Yeah that's what I would do; two lines for the Herbie, and one for return. If you don't mind seeing a bare pipe sticking up, then no, an overflow box isn't needed. The box gives you more surface skimming...

Is it ok if the main drain and emergency drain are the same diameter?
So then I would just be filling the water level above the main drains so that no air gets in, then just leaving some room in the sump in case the power goes out, in which case the water above the drains would just be transported to the sump, correct? Should I leave the return lower then the drains so it doesn't cause surface agitation?

Please correct me if i'm wrong

 

[jcardona1]

Yeah, most of the time the two lines will be the same size, no need for one to be larger. You could try using two vertical standpipes, the emergency would be slightly taller than the main drain, right before the rim of the tank. That would give you some surface skimming.

Or, you could put a downward facing elbow on the main drain. In either case, when the pump goes out, water will drain to the sump until it passes the main drain, so you need to be sure you have enough room down there.

Returns, doesn't really matter. You could add some 45 or 90 degree elbows and point them up or down as you like. I like having plenty of surface agitation on co2 injected tanks. More surface agitation means more dissolved o2 in the water which means you can keep co2 at a higher ppm w/o having a negative affect on the fish.

 

[keydiver]

Yeah, most of the time the two lines will be the same size, no need for one to be larger. You could try using two vertical standpipes, the emergency would be slightly taller than the main drain, right before the rim of the tank. That would give you some surface skimming.

Or, you could put a downward facing elbow on the main drain. In either case, when the pump goes out, water will drain to the sump until it passes the main drain, so you need to be sure you have enough room down there.

Returns, doesn't really matter. You could add some 45 or 90 degree elbows and point them up or down as you like. I like having plenty of surface agitation on co2 injected tanks. More surface agitation means more dissolved o2 in the water which means you can keep co2 at a higher ppm w/o having a negative affect on the fish.

Alright sounds good, so that's what i'll do then. Does that mean that the water level in the sump would lower instead of the main tank's water level? Basically what i'm doing is just restricting the flow to the sump so that the water level is staying above the main drain preventing air from getting in, right? Do I need to have any flow restriction other then on the main drain? I will be using vertical standpipes with strainers and no overflows.