Questions on Tank setup

JaredWaites · #1 11/01/2007, 08:29 AM

Well I have some questions I never really thought of before and had to deal with.

My tank has two overflow bulkheads, 1.5". So I planned on making some standpipes...one of the standpipes will flow into the sump...the other one, I wanted to know if I could feed a pump directly with it, to power my skimmer?

Also with so much air contact on my water, since my tank footprint is 48"x36", do you think I'll need a chiller with Dual 400Watt Halides supplemented with Dual Actinic VHO?

Thanks peeps

FishF00d · #2 11/01/2007, 08:53 AM

What are you going to keep in the tank and do you feel that 400's are necessary?

As far as feeding a pump I wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be a closed system since it will be pulling in air through the stand-pipe and I dont' know how the pump will react to that. Just have if feed the skimmer directly. That might mean you have to mod the skimmer though. I currently have both of my overflows feeding my ASM G3 Skimmer. I had to mod the skimmer and make the pump a recirculating pump and drill the side of the skimmer to have a place to put water into the skimmer.

60Cubed · #3 11/01/2007, 09:06 AM

You would still have to have a pump feeding the skimmer. So there would be no benefit to running the water directly to it. It's the same water reguardless of where it comes from. A lot of work for no benefit at all!!!!

FishF00d · #4 11/01/2007, 09:20 AM

I don't have a pump feeding my skimmer. I just have it recirculating the water in the skimmer. My overflows go directly into the skimmer. The pump mixes in the air with the water and thats about it.

drauka99 · #5 11/01/2007, 10:47 AM

Fish Food I have seen what your talking about doing alot - one thing you need to have is a tee before it goe into the skimmer and a valve below that so you can regulate how much water your puting into the skimmer

Redfish · #6 11/01/2007, 10:53 AM

Unless, of course, you are doing it correctly and controlling the flow to the skimmer via the sump return pump.

FishF00d · #7 11/01/2007, 11:03 AM

I have a monster return pump and I did T before going into the skimmer. I'm running a few other things off the return pump and at the time I didn't want to figure our what flow I had going where.

I'm thinking of downgrading my tank and would go with a major closed-looped system for flow and set up sump/skimmer/return to work as Phil suggested by having a return that is pushing the propper amount of water for the skimmer.

Redfish · #8 11/01/2007, 11:19 AM

There is really nothing wrong with running "other stuff" off of the return pump as long as the other stuff discharges back into the sump. You just don't want to have part of that concentrated pollutant from the overflow bypassing the skimmer.

JaredWaites · #9 11/01/2007, 11:23 AM

My skimmer is a venturi skimmer that needs to be ran with a pump I do believe.

JaredWaites · #10 11/01/2007, 11:26 AM

I guess it'll be like a little closed loop in the sump

I'll just have both overflows into the liverock/fuge area, and then I'll pull it from the return section...then the skimmer will do its thing and the water will return there and be sucked out by the return pump...you guys know what I mean?

See the other valved off part to the sump next to the suction for the pump? I think I can attach my skimmer pump here and have it do its thing and return the water next to the, suction for the tank...it would be pretty efficient this way I do believe...what do you guys think?

I plan on keeping SPS, LPS, and soft corals, possibly some clams in this tank...pretty much everything

Do you think I'll need a chiller? I'm thinking maybe on down the line I'll add one, if not, I'll setup something to chill it.

drauka99 · #11 11/01/2007, 12:49 PM

Why are you going with 400 watt MH, its been pretty well proven that you don't gasin much over 250s with 400s other than the power bill

Sorry I'm not visualizing what your saying about the skimmer

JaredWaites · #12 11/01/2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11096638#post11096638 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drauka99
Why are you going with 400 watt MH, its been pretty well proven that you don't gasin much over 250s with 400s other than the power bill

Sorry I'm not visualizing what your saying about the skimmer

Where have you heard that about 250's and 400's?

I don't believe that's been proved anywhere. It really depends on the needs of your tank and depth especially. I've done a lot of research on things, especially disease related in marine aquaria and I've never once heard of a 250 watt being just as good as a 400 watt, although I'm willing to reason and listen, I'd love to see some findings and research on the subject though if you can find some topics.

I already have the 400Watters anyway, and bulbs...power bill...I'm far from worried about that...I'm just concerned about getting it running and getting some colonies established and grown out.

Anyway back to the tank, do you see where the pump is getting suction from? Right next to it, is a stub with a ball valve, this is where the skimmer pump will suck from I think.

KADLETZ · #13 11/01/2007, 09:31 PM

the one on the bottom is yours. How tall is your skimmer?

60Cubed · #14 11/01/2007, 09:45 PM

Yes Drew, I know you can run water to a re-circulating skimmer using the return as the feed. But, he specified to run it to a feed pump for the skimmer. In his case it wouldn't do anything but cause more work to accomplish the same thing!

JaredWaites · #15 11/02/2007, 10:11 AM

My skimmer is no taller than 15 inches.

Its short and fat. Like 8" wide. I'm going to hook it up and meet you at the fish bucket and hook it up to your prop tank and see how it works with a Mag 700 on it.

60Cubed · #16 11/02/2007, 10:16 AM

Sounds like you have a becket style. They take a lot of pump to run properly. I have a mag 18 on mine. That is the min pump requirement. It should have a pressure rated pump!

JaredWaites · #17 11/03/2007, 08:27 AM

yeah I'm going to use a mag drive, but I don't know what the hell I need...its a DIY, but I saw it running efficiently on a 180 and pulling some nasty skimmate...

I just found it the other day in a pile of stuff I had and I hooked it up to a water hose and it worked, if it had some pressure on it, it would've been working good.

JaredWaites · #18 11/04/2007, 09:36 AM

The guy I got it from, I can't get in touch with either, so I have no idea what kinda pump he had running on it.

I'm just going to throw a Mag 7 on it, see what's up and probably upgrade to a bigger Mag. I can always restrict the flow coming out of the return side of the pump.

DrHank · #19 11/04/2007, 10:37 AM

If it's a Becket style, you're wasting your time with a MAG 9. I'm running a MAG 18 on mine and I agree with Lance that even with it, I should have gone bigger.

JaredWaites · #20 11/04/2007, 11:01 AM

Ok well I'll bring pictures of it to the meeting and show you Doc.

Mr James · #21 11/09/2007, 02:20 PM

Got any pics of this skimmer?? I used a GenX Mak4 on my MR-1 and a GenX PCX-55HD on my MR-2. I used a Mag12 on the MR-1 at first but found that it generated a lot of heat and the pressure pumps do so much better of a job pushing the water through.

Can't wait to post pics of my new skimmer in action. 18watts I believe!!