two displays, 3 surges, 2 sumps, 2 refugiums (or how to flood a basement?)

[Dolf]

Well, Like the title says, the plan is for two displays (a 180 that is currently going) and a 70 that is cycling with some live rock. There is a 75 Gal refugium that will sit under it and a 65 Gal for grass that will sit off to the side. Two 55 gal sumps plumbed together will let the water level increase and decrease as the three 33 gal surge tanks fill. There will be a 10 Gal somewhere that will house an algal turf scrubber. I will post pictures as I take them (yah, I should upload the ones from today...) I was not going to do pictures origionally because I worry that while it is half finished (or a masterpiece in progress as I want to call it) that it will look ugly. Well, anyhow, I decided that being as most people on this board don't do DSB's, ATS's surges etc that I would put up some pictures.

As of now the 180 is running, the 70 is cycling, two of the surges are drilled and tested (one Bourneman and one Carlson device) the 75 gal has been resealed and one of the 55's is getting the silicone stripped. Right now the only thing that I have on the computer is the plan that I did in paint before modifications. You will get the idea, anyhow.

[golf nut]

You do carry flood insurance don't you?

[subman]

wow that is a maze of plumbing I can't wait to see some real Pics!

[Delphinus]

Wow .. can't wait to see this unfold. My old tank has a new lease of life! I love it! :)

[lobsterboy]

danny when can i come over to see this masterpiece in progress :lol:

its going to be insane, when its up and running.

more pics would be nice:mrgreen:

[Dolf]

Well, by demand, here is the start.
Borneman surge after test
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3044.jpg
Carlson during surge (see the water overflowing?)
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3048.jpg

By those pictures can you tell why my neighbours love me? I brought in my 16 000 lb excavator last year to spread 5 yards of topsoil. Yeah, I could have done it by hand- but it was more fun with a machine. The neighbours, of course, loved me for it...


The right side of the 180 as it appeared a couple of months back (since changed)
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_2970.jpg
And the left side
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_2940.jpg
Now for the 75 gal (during resealing) Thanks for the experience Delphinus... Now just one more 55 gal to do and I'm golden.
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3041.jpg
And the old silicone
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3042.jpg
You have to love the old sticky tile from the 70's

[Delphinus]

Thanks for the experience Delphinus...
Sorry man.. :redface:

The surge looks freakin' AWESOME! I can't wait to see what it's like when it's set up in the tank for real.. :cool:

[lastlight]

I really have regrets about not being able to do a surge! I wanted one for my failed 400g but it just doesn't work in the livingroom with open top. Wish you were my neighbor. If I saw anyone next to me playing with tanks in the yard I'd be over bugging them in no time!

Can't wait to see some videos of those in action. Nice work.

[golf nut]

What size pump are you planning to fill the surge devices with?

Are you using any electronic controls or will they simply "fire when ready" ?

[Dolf]

Sorry man.. :redface:


No problem- you told me it had a small leak and I think it was free; it was my choice to do this- it is actually no where near as bad a job as I thought it would be. Actually, the 55 is from another member who gave me a tank last week because it leaked- and I already know what I am getting into. You can't beat a free tank if you just put in a couple of hours work...

If I were to do the whole thing over I think I would post a “wanted to buy: leaking tanks” ad and set up the system for nothing (or near to it...)

What size pump are you planning to fill the surge devices with?

Are you using any electronic controls or will they simply "fire when ready" ?
The surges are very simple- the one “fires” when a float lifts a toilet flapper- the other one is a siphon that goes off just after the water level covers the top. No electronics- nothing to go wrong (though they will each have an overflow in case the flapper becomes stuck or the siphon fails to start.) As for pumps; right now I have a little giant 3 (thanks again to Delphinus; I think I bought his old system...) a Sedra 7000 and a Sedra 5000 as well as an (ocean runner?) 2500 or 3500 left over from my last set up. I may get a larger pump to return to all of the surges in the day and have them go off more often and then hook up a smaller pump to two of the surges for the night time for relative calm. Or???

I really have regrets about not being able to do a surge! I wanted one for my failed 400g but it just doesn't work in the livingroom with open top. Wish you were my neighbor. If I saw anyone next to me playing with tanks in the yard I'd be over bugging them in no time!

Can't wait to see some videos of those in action. Nice work.
Thanks: It would be interesting to have somebody else around who plays with saltwater. I don't know about video- I had a hard enough time figuring out posting pictures and have no video camera (the camera is a SLR- no video function.)

Sure a surge would work for the tank in the living room. Just drill holes in the roof, put a couple of hundred of gallons of water in the attic, pray it does not leak, drill holes in the floor to a sump in the basement, and then run massive pumps to lift the water to the surges. All done; problem solved. You know, perhaps that would not be a good idea...

[golf nut]

Which pump did you use to test the surges with? or was it from a household feed?

[Dolf]

So far it was just the hose... I need to finish building the stand so that the tanks are off the ground and then run a hose to the pumps tosee if they fill fast enough to "flush." I think the LG will, and hopefully the Sedra as well (then if nothing else they can be my "night" pumps and I will buy a dart or the likes for the day... it is all experimental. I will let you know if a day or two how they turned out.

[golf nut]

Filling fast enough was one of my concerns,and of course having a substantial safety overflow, how often did it surge using standard water pressure?

[Dolf]

Sorry Mr.OM;
I did not time it- but just around 2:00 ( the tap was not on full. The stand is now built, so very soon I will know what it needs to "flush." I am going to run the surges pumping straight from my display tank for the first tests. I still need to do a lot of plumbing before it is actually "done."

Pictures of the stand for two of the surges (the celing in the basement is lower than I would like.)
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3126.jpg
http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt295/dolf11/IMG_3127.jpg

[golf nut]

I would seriously oversize the overflows in the DT, when either of those surges kick in they will become siphons and dump very quickly a 2" siphon will be too much for a standard 1 1/2 drain even if you have two of them, unless there is a ton of room in the display to handle the new volume of water rushing in.

[AndyL]

Sweet someone else who plays with surges :) I noticed my carlson surge required a overhaul once I added salt to the mix - worth keeping in mind...

If you want - I've got a 65g (36x18x24) sitting around the side of the house that has a cracked corner on the bottom - yours for the price of picking it up :) If free/repairs required is still enticing you...

Cant wait to see how yours works

[golf nut]

Any updates, love to see this thing in action.

[Blom]

+1 on seeing this is action.

Also maybe a post name change, "How to flood a basement all while draining a bank account".

Good luck.