When you get bored......

[Vancouver Reefer]

oooooh lastlight i like your thinking!!! Put a cover over overflow so no light will get in aswell and its super dark!!!


I like it!!!

[lastlight]

exactly. I was going to make a cover for mine actually but got lazy!

And I know you're bevelling and polishing all your glass. My sexy sense is tingling.

[Vancouver Reefer]

But of course!!!! If its rimless its got to be sexy!!!

I got my inspiration from this guy:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1288059



Oh and i forgot...Starfire glass of course!!!!

[Vancouver Reefer]

Software just blows me away with what it can do now-a-days!!!











Enjoy!!


VR

[Froggie]

A few suggestions that come to mind,

1) Add a valve to the pump suction piping upstream of the union. Otherwise when you pull the pump for maintenance all of the water from the center (feed) chamber and piping will drain out.

2) Move the drain line closest to the bubble trap to the right so it's beside the other drain line. You're limiting your choice of skimmers should you wish to upgrade by having to fit it between those lines.

3) Replace the 90° elbow on the pump discharge with a 45°. You've gone through the effort of putting them everywhere else. Might as well do it where it can make a difference (negligible as it may be).

4) Lower the shelf the pump is on, assuming this is to scale it looks tight. Why make maintenance even less enjoyable? Downside is the additional head loss.

5) As a general comment; I think you're going to find it a real pain to balance the flow in your manifold with that much static head. It'll be fiddly.

6) I'd look for alternatives to the SCWD. I ran one myself for a time and found significant head loss and on one occasion had it stop alternating.

7) M'thinks you may find yourself with too little flow. Especially if you're keeping SPS and the like. This is based on the elevation difference and that (assuming it's all drawn to scale) because you're using a SCWD the largest that pump discharge line can be is 1" as that's the biggest inlet size they offer.

8) The way you have your discharge line crossing your drain lines you won't be able to push your sump stand right up against the wall. Not sure if you consider having a gap behind it a pain or not.

9) Double check your sump freeboard against the volume of water that will be in the drain and discharge lines in the case of a power failure. Keep in mind that as designed the water level in the tank will drop to the invert (bottom) of the lines coming from the SCWD. (Then add a bit for safety)

10) Consider that if you want to install an automatic top off unit the float sensor needs to be mounted in the pump feed (middle) chamber.

That's all off the top of my head. I'll followup if I think of any extras...

[Vancouver Reefer]

Hi Froggie,

When i do the build i will make sure the drain lines are closer so i can use a sock if needed.

I like the idea of the valve for shutting off the centre chamber is a good i dea and one i forgot. Most of this is not to scale. it was just done as more of an idea to put down on paper as a starting point.

I will use a 45 on the pump output, i just couldnt fit in the angle after drawing all the pump etc. Lazy i know lol.

The SQWD might be changed as i hear alot of people are not liking the reliablilty of them and the head loss and flow will be looked at closely once i get to see exactly where this will be installed.

As for the freespace, that will be closely designed in as it will be a major design point on any aquarium.

The top off is already incorporated into Aquatroller

[shimmy]

Originally Posted by Lance

Looks great. Very functional set up.
Personally I would use gate valves instead of ball valves. I know they are more expensive but are so much easier to tweak flow rates.

Im not trying to start any arguments over this, just making a comment.
Gate valves are not designed to be used as a throttling valve they are designed to be a 100% open or 100% closed, if you are looking for a valve that is designed to be throttling us a globe valve.
Now I am new to SW fish tanks but I do have a good idea of affects of flow through valves and I do know that when you use a gate valve you with wash out the seat on the valve then it becomes very difficult or impossible to get isolation.

[elitesurfer]

That looks so realistic and your journal website is too good. Props to you!!

[Froggie]

Originally Posted by shimmy

Gate valves are not designed to be used as a throttling valve they are designed to be a 100% open or 100% closed, if you are looking for a valve that is designed to be throttling us a globe valve.
Now I am new to SW fish tanks but I do have a good idea of affects of flow through valves and I do know that when you use a gate valve you with wash out the seat on the valve then it becomes very difficult or impossible to get isolation.

I'd say you're absolutely correct in your comment regarding gate valves.
I think that one of the reasons that the hobby has taken to using them for this application is that small diameter CPVC globe valves are a specialty item. They're high cost and generally unavailable (IPEX doesn't even list them on their website). The same can be said for butterflys and they've some additional real estate requirements.

In all actuality ball valves have better throttling characteristics than gates... but try fine tuning a stiff plastic quarter turn ball valve.

[shimmy]

Originally Posted by Froggie

I'd say you're absolutely correct in your comment regarding gate valves.
I think that one of the reasons that the hobby has taken to using them for this application is that small diameter CPVC globe valves are a specialty item. They're high cost and generally unavailable (IPEX doesn't even list them on their website). The same can be said for butterflys and they've some additional real estate requirements.

In all actuality ball valves have better throttling characteristics than gates... but try fine tuning a stiff plastic quarter turn ball valve.

Yes glob vales are a special item to be found but not impossible and not cheap. I just personally know that nothing can make your day feel like the worst you ever had when you cant isolate a pump because a decision that was easier at the time.
For cost I would recommend the ball valves and put the extra time in to set them just perfect.
By no means im I saying its wrong or cant be done to use gate valves to throttle, but with that said I feel little remorse for people that take the easier at the time approach to projects that should have a little more energy put into them.