300 gal reef re-do

[pcostanzo]

Bart- Thats the way I have it now returning to the display. Actually I just disconnected it yesterday to start re-plumbing (I was inspired after seeing your plumbing picture again.) The Chiller takes a more reduced flow to work efficiently. I can dial it back to under 1000gph and keep the 2 return lines as high as possible to maximize flow back in the display. The sump and tank should exchange enough to keep them both the same temp. I can monitor both and make any adjustments.

Jonathan- Thanks. Thats the way I will start and we'll see how many bubbles make it. Once the macro grows in, that should help. Also I will drain it through fiber cloth, that should help. I just ordered that washable stuff from Aquatic Ecosystems.

[pcostanzo]

UPS guy came

[thirschmann]

congrats.. now for the fun part.

[pcostanzo]

Here's the real fun part. Since I am a cabinetmaker, I decided to make my 180gal sump from wood. I've seen this many times and years ago I built a utility sink like this. I had the wood and equipment, a friend down the street from me is a boat builder so I got some West Systems epoxy from him. I will topcoat the inside with "fish safe" epoxy I ordered from Aquatic Eco-systems. Here it is before the epoxy and fiberglass cloth goes on.

Wood for sump and new sump stand



Built and sanded. Ready for Fiberglass





I will have only 1 baffle in the front to separate the skimmer area



I left the rest open. I am going to forget about the sand bed and fill with live rock and macro

[NexDog]

Close ups of the pillars please.

Good luck with this.

[cbui2]

great updates, thats a sweet saftey speed cut you have there. what size on your sump?

[pcostanzo]

Here you go Nexdog. Sorry about the glare. The live rock is attached to pvc with zip ties. Then anything visible was covered with Thorite to blend into the rock.

[pcostanzo]

Thanks Bart. The sump is 96x24x18. Oh, thats a Powermatic in the back. It saves a lot of time when you have to cut down 20-30 sheets of plywood for a project.

[cbui2]

thats a sweet size sump, could you give us some details on the sump?

[erics3000]

Man that is a sweet sump...What type of plywood did you use?

[sanosuke]

sweet setup. May I ask where did you get those valves and flex pvc from?

[pcostanzo]

Thanks guys

Sanosuke- The plumbing parts are from www.savko.com Those are the sch 80 valves and bulkheads.

Eric- Its 3/4 birch. I have a ton of this stocked in my shop for cabinets.

Bart- The sump is 96x24x18. The skimmer section is 24" before the baffle. The large 72" section will hold live rock and macro. So far I cut the sheets down to size, glued all seems with construction adhesive and screwed with 2" deck screws every 3". I reinforced the seam with 2x2 glued and screwed from the bottom and side. I filled the exterior screw holes with epoxy. Today I will start to fiberglass. I will post photos later on.

[pcostanzo]

Well, I started to fiberglass. Here is what I used.





Laying down the fiberglass



Finished fiberglass

[pcostanzo]

Here is what I'll use for the top coat

[pcostanzo]

"HAZ_MAT" packaging. $50 can of paint, $41 shipping. Didn't really know that at the time I ordered.

[thirschmann]

Looks like great progress. Any idea when your going to get some water into that monster?

[pcostanzo]

I'm shooting for 1 more month. Curing another 100lbs of live rock for the fuge, need to build the new stand for the sump, new light rack. And the plumbing.

[pcostanzo]

While we're on the subject of plumbing, let me throw this out there for some opinions. I only have 2-1" bulkheads for my drain and 2-3/4" bulkheads for my returns. It drains about 1200 gph which was fine for my old pump. Now I will run a Hammerhead and even with the head pressure I'm sure I can return more that that. I'm more than a little scared about the idea of being under my tank and trying to re-drill a larger hole. What do you guys think about using both the 1" and 3/4" as drains then run a return along the outside and across the top?

[jnarowe]

uh...you are going to have a problem Paul. Can you post a pic of the tank overflow system again so I can check it out? I run a Hammerhead and have two 2" and one 1.5" drain on my overflow. That is more then enough, but you have to plan for clogs too. A lot of crap gets lodged in the intake screens.

At the very minimum I would install a float switch just above the water line that will cut off your return pump if the tank starts to overfill.

[cbui2]

sump looks fantastic Paul, you will have to make 4 durso

[pcostanzo]

Thanks Bart

Here you go Jonathan









Here is the plan



If I had to I can still drill it for a 2" drain if that is the best solution. Also if its too much flow I can always return some directly into the sump. The chiller is also going to be taking up about 1000gph flow, and my tank is 8 feet above the pump for added head pressure.

[thirschmann]

Not sure how well they work but I found an add on for aqualogic chillers that shut down the power to the chiller if it detects no flow in the plumbing to the chiller, I think its called a flow switch. You could put one on your drain pipe and if water stops flowing through it, the return pump could be shut off. I believe they come in a 1.5" model.

here's a link
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...up_to_1_1_2HP_(FS_1.5_230)_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Chillers_Accessories~vendor~.html

Could be wrong, just a suggestion.

[jnarowe]

That's not a bad idea either Tom, although a bit more expensive.

And Paul, I return some flow to my sump as well to keep both sumps near level and to provide a prime if needed, but there is no way IMO that you can run a Hammerhead through that overfow.

It may be size-distorted in the picture, or you may have more than one of them, which would of course negate my comments. But seriously, the overflow itself looks to be too small to handle that much flow, regardless of how big a drain you squeeze into it.

OK...I think I see two in your drawing...you may be OK there. Even with 1000gph going to the chiller and 500gph going to the Ca reactor, you are still playing with about 4000gph minus whatever head pressure you will be combatting.

If you haven't already, check these links:

Head Loss Calculator

Drain/Overflow Size calculator

And then figure in extra for clogs...

[pcostanzo]

Yes, there are 2 of them. A total of 36" of overflow. If I put 2-2" drains that should be about 2400 gph. Chiller 1000 gph plus Ca, maybe carbon or phosban. With my head pressure, I might be OK.

[jnarowe]

plus being able to bleed off into the sump. Still tight IMO, but you won't know until you try it. Should be fun. I recommend Crater Lake or 3 Olives straight up before you light that baby off!