113 replies to this topic

[Otty]

This is what my basement looked like before I started on this project. A flush mount tank has always been a dream and it is finally coming true. You can see my current 55 gal running on the stairway landing.

[Otty]

I went with a Ocean Motion 4 way valve and this is the proposal of plumbing that I came up with to make sure I could keep flow at the other ond of the tank.



Here is some more progress of the wall and stand.

[Otty]

I picked this tank up from a owner that had it running but was tired of messing with it so the tank had went through some rough times. Slime algae death of inverts, etc...so when I got this home I bleached EVERYTHING!


This was part of the 120lbs of LR it had and it was nasty!




That is not Coralline algae for some of you that are wondering.....

[Otty]

While I was drilling and cleaning the tank I took the LR and nuked it because I was not having that crap in my tank. I soaked the LR for 3 days in 50/50 bleach in a 30 gal trash can. I then rinsed the rock and soaked it in water for another 3 days. I then drained it and soaked another 3 days in backing soad and RO/DI water. It is now base rock but at least I have my LR from my 55 to seed everything.



After I drilled the tank i masked everything up and painted the end wall black so it would match the black acrylic I made the OF out of.

[Otty]

After I finally got the tank in the wall when all the muscle showed up I had to get a pic of the kids playing. Nice looking fish....

[Otty]

This is what the plumbing ended up looking like after about Rev 4 on the books...




I wanted to keep the end of it LOC-LINE so I would have some adjustment if I need it.

[Otty]

Here is some pics of under the tank. My new sump will be in the closet next to the tank when I find a 75 to 125 gal tank to make it out of. I had to re-due the plumbing off the pumps because I spaced it and put the check valves side ways. Must be my early 20's haunting me...
I made this system with a backup in case a pump quit while I was gone because I like to take off on the scooter for some long hauls sometimes. If one of the pumps should quit the other one will keep water moving until I make it home and can fix the situation. Some people think it's silly and a waste of a pump but I call it INSURANCE!

[Otty]

It took 3 long days to fill the tank up with only a 100 gpd RO/DI unit that really put out about 60 gpd with the water temp we have here in Indiana. I took the rock and epoxied it together so that I could put in some nice caves.

[Otty]

Finally the almost finished tank. I have a shop light in the header to just give a little light for pics. I am currently working on the light canopy and will post some progress when it is done.




I stacked the rock on the end so that none of the LOC-LINE could be seen without really looking for it.




It is pushing about 4,200 gph give or take a few with head pressure in all but I have a great CCW flow back to the OF to keep the water moving.

[bstoner]

Wow nice build thread.

Curious if you epoxied the rock around the loc-line what do you do if it needs serviced?

I do like how you see absolutely no plumbing or wiring at all. Cant wait to see it stocked.

[Otty]

Wow nice build thread.

Curious if you epoxied the rock around the loc-line what do you do if it needs serviced?

I do like how you see absolutely no plumbing or wiring at all. Cant wait to see it stocked.

The rock that is sitting directly over the Loc-Line is not epoxied in case I need to get in there. All of the caves and uprights are. I was afraid of a turbo snail knocking things over, funny how strong those little guys are...

[BigReef]

Looks like a very well designed system! I might have to steal your plumbing idea (running the pipes under the sand to the opposite end)

The only thing that scares me is the intakes for your closed loop/O.M are drawing from your overflows. It looks like your overflow is only about 12 inches long and about 6 inches wide. I don't know what pumps you have for your closed loop/returns but even if they only do 1000 gph each, you'd need 30 inches of overflow. It looks like you've only got 24 inches.
http://www.reefcentr...mp;drain=Submit

I'm guessing that your overflow is not going to be able to keep up.

Not trying to be a nay sayer, just trying to help a fellow reefer avoid any problems down the road!

Thanks
Tim

[bstoner]

I was wondering about that too but he seems to have it up and running now? How is it working Otty?

[Otty]

Looks like a very well designed system! I might have to steal your plumbing idea (running the pipes under the sand to the opposite end)

The only thing that scares me is the intakes for your closed loop/O.M are drawing from your overflows. It looks like your overflow is only about 12 inches long and about 6 inches wide. I don't know what pumps you have for your closed loop/returns but even if they only do 1000 gph each, you'd need 30 inches of overflow. It looks like you've only got 24 inches.
http://www.reefcentr...mp;drain=Submit

I'm guessing that your overflow is not going to be able to keep up.

Not trying to be a nay sayer, just trying to help a fellow reefer avoid any problems down the road!

Thanks
Tim

Must be something wrong with the calculator you are using because I have right at 24" and I run 2-4MDQX-SC Little Giants (1080gph at 6')and 1 Mag 18 (1150gph at 6') and I have no problems with starvation of water in the OF with 2-1 1/4" Durso standpipes. I put both intakes to the CL in there so that no large particles were pick up in the tank and get lodged in the OM Valve. Don't care to take that thing apart all the time to clean it.
The only time I have a hickup is at feeding time. I shut all the pumps off to feed and if I turn them all on at the same time the OM will start picking up bubbles before the sump fills the OF to the correct heigth. They never starve for water the just start picking up bubbles from the water falling. All I do is turn on the sump first and let it fill the OF then hit the pumps for the OM, that way I don't have micro-bubbles in the tank. I use all 45 degree angles instead of 90's in my OF for my turns to help with flow.

Also you have to remember I used eggcrate at the top of the OF so that I didn't have to calculate teeth width for gph flow. That is something at your link is probably not allowing for...really don't know because it has been running fine for 23 days now... :?

[BigReef]

As long as it works thats all that matters!

[Otty]

It almost makes me wonder that it may be because I am only running 2 gravity feed drains and the other 2 are being pulled from pumps because the sump will only do about 1000 to 1150 gph by itself. You got me wondering now....will have to do some math myself on the matter and match it to the calculator on Reef Central.
Thanks for the info...

[SJGreene]

Otty,

Check this out for a possible line on your new sump:


http://www.reefcentr...hreadid=1083137

[Otty]

Otty,

Check this out for a possible line on your new sump:


http://www.reefcentr...hreadid=1083137

Thanks a bunch, I posted and gave him my e-mail. Hope it's not gone!

[Otty]

Well I got the MH's wired in and had to turn them on for about 15 minutes to just stand back and gaze. 8) My 55's PC lights looks like a 15 watt bulb now. :? That 15 minutes was worth the last 3 months of work.......

[SJGreene]

Very nice :!:

Your patience is amazing!

I can't wait to see how this tank looks once you have your sand and livestock in there.