400 gallon project

[kaboom]

I'd really like to see your close loop design, anyway you can post some diagrams/photos? Or perhaps describe the layout, # of intake/outlet, position and gph per outlet. Really admire your setup!

[untamed]

Originally Posted by kaboom

I'd really like to see your close loop design, anyway you can post some diagrams/photos? Or perhaps describe the layout, # of intake/outlet, position and gph per outlet. Really admire your setup!

As the Dart is rated at 3600gph with 0 head, I expect I'm pretty close to 3000gph through each CL depending on friction loss. 2" pipe to the pump, 1.5" output from the pump, 4x1" outlets from the 4-way.

You might refer to page 2 of this thread for more detail, including pictures of the pumps, 4-ways and back intakes/outlets.

Here's a flow diagram of the 2 closed loops. This is a top view, so you can see the position of the tank bottom outlets. Red/Green fire together, then purple/brown. The one grey line coming straight down from the right loop is actually at tank drain. Arrows show direction of flow through the loop..NOT the direction of water in the tank or the direction that the outlets point. Little triangles are union ball valves.



As the 4-ways rotate, the 2 back wall outlets all fire at the same time, then the tank bottom outlets fire. This pushes water forward and generally downward, then upward and back toward the overflows. The idea is to create a "rolling effect". It would have worked even better if I had placed the "red" outlets closer to the front of the tank, but I couldn't stand to look at them there.

This also has the effect of blowing the sand/detritus toward the front of the tank...which will keep stuff out from under the rockwork and up front where I can see it and clean it out.

[justinl]

seriously?! thank you so much, I would definitely appreciate some mantids! Actually I owe ticketyboo one. He reserved one for me even though he was looking to get one himself... so now he gets first dibs on anything i find.

lol yeah RC, that's me alright. RC is the best source for reliable mantis info. Dr. Roy is my hero. I felt that after taking so much info from there, I figured i should give back to the community... or something, lol.

[demon666]

hell id take a few mantises off your hands as well... .if youd be willing to ship them to edmonton

[untamed]

Yes... I have Nitrate at a level of at least 10ppm. Isn't that wonderful?!! Yes, it means that my cycle has completed. I'll double check on ammonia/nitrite tomorrow, but I don't think I'll find any.

Two loads of Live Rock, some fish and I'll have the start of a decent aquarium instead of just a big construction project...and...well...a bit of a nitrate hangover...

[untamed]

I got tired of removing the skimmer cup every time it got full....so I put this little modification on yesterday. A little 1/4 inch line with a valve on the end so that whenever the cup looks a little full, I can drain it without shutting down the skimmer.

I'll put one other bulkhead in as an emergency overflow. Emergency overflow will just fall back into the tank. If the cup gets too full, the skimmer starts percolating like a coffee maker.

[Norstar]

Brilliant!!!

[ensquire]

[quote=untamed;242243]I got tired of removing the skimmer cup every time it got full....so I put this little modification on yesterday. A little 1/4 inch line with a valve on the end so that whenever the cup looks a little full, I can drain it without shutting down the skimmer.

I'll put one other bulkhead in as an emergency overflow. Emergency overflow will just fall back into the tank. If the cup gets too full, the skimmer starts percolating like a coffee maker.




Enjoyed your journal immensely and it was very informative. You have a beautiful tank and basement setup. Congratulations
Where can I get one of these fitting, I need one in the worst way and of course Yellowknife would never have anything like this.
This would do the same thing for me, drain skimmer,one with a 90 degree elbow would be better but I could make this work.