29g DIY Drilled Nano...

[MacnReef]

Okay, so the tank is just being started buy hey, I figure I can at least start a journal and document it the whole way through. First, I had the 29 from and older set up...it looked like this...



But like an idiot I upgraded to a 90 then I upgraded to a 180. I had some issues in the past few weeks, personal and problems with the tank and cost to run it so I decided to tear down my 180.

So anyway, onto my 29. I found a few threads on RC about drilling tanks with rotozips so my wife bought me one for Christmas and I went to work the other night. The first tank I tried to drill, I used just a dremel and it was a 7g minibow, but that cracked. Now I was a little scared to drill my 29 but decided, what the heck, I need to tear down my 180 and I need a tank to put some stuff in. So I took out my never before used rotozip and went to town. It took me all of about 7 mins to cut out the slot and I just went slow and kept water on the bit to keep it cool.

Here is what it looked liked after I drilled it...


Then I tried like crazy to find some local black acrylic but couldn't so I was going to order it online but with shipping and everything, it was going to get expensive. So I called one last plastic store in my area and wouldn't you know it, they had a piece. I went down and picked it up, cut to fit. I drew out the teeth and used a jigsaw to cut out the teeth then used my rotozip with a plastic bit to clean out the teeth. Here is what it now looks like siliconed to the back of the aquarium...


I picked up a 10g aquarium that I am going to use as a sump. After work today or sometime this weekend I am going to run down to a glass shop and get the box made for the external overflow and the glass for the baffles in the sump. I am also going to pick up a mag9.5 for my return with a SCWD. I think this will provide enough flow since I am moving away from sps and doing more lps.

So what'cha think?

Mike

[ChloroPhil]

I think it's awesome Mike!

FYI, a Mag 9.5 still creates a lot of flow when run through a SCWD. I've got one in my 20H and it's pushing a good amount of water causing a decent racket in my sump. It also makes some rattling noises like there's a piece of sand or whatnot in the impeller chamber even though there isn't (I took it apart to find out). There's a rubber valve in the main chamber that I think is used for directional control in the chamber itself. When water's pushed through the impeller chamber it flutters against the plastic, like air across your vocal chords. For the cost of the 9.5 you could probably get a 5 and 3 and hook one up as a closed loop.

Best,
Phil

[MacnReef]

Yeah, I had a Mag9.5 on the 29 when I had it running last year, never had any problems with it. I will probably just stick with that pump and SCWD...although, I do like the closed loop idea.

Mike

[doody]

I'm gonna run a 9.5 on mine as well. I'm gonna run it through a squirt., but I'm gonna add a tee in the return to divert water to a fuge that will overflow back to the sump. I'll also have one going to a spray bar.

[impur]

Nice job Mike, you are doing EXACTLY the same setup as i plan on. What size overflow box are you making? Size drain? Gonna have a fuge?

I plan to have 2 drains, one for backup. The backup will still drain but much slower so i'm going to have that drain into a ~5gal fuge, which will be above the sump and drain directly into the sump with a mag9.5 return to a scwd. I have a genx 2400 i could use if the mag is loud or too much flow.

[MacnReef]

doody...I had an item from OM but it was okay, if the price was lower, I would have given it a great.

impur...Thanx! I plan on a 11"x10"x5" box. Two 1" drains, one will be a little higher for back up. No fuge just a EuroReef ES or RS 5-2. I would run the mag9.5, chloro has the first complaint I have heard, as I ran the 9.5 for a long time and I have friends that run them with no problem.

Mike

[impur]

Hmm scary. I am doing an 11x10x5 too with two 1" drains. We are gonna have twin tanks!

[MacnReef]

Thats cool!!!!

Do you have any pictures of yours? I am finishing up my sump now and I will try to get the overflow box taken care of tomorrow. I just have a lot going on this weekend because I am tearing down the 180.

Mike

[impur]

I just started cutting it last night, i posted a few pics in that other thread started by 8_BALL. I'll take some more when i'm done and probably do a log like you have going here

[MacnReef]

Cool. Last baffle is going in the sump. I set up my JBJ nano-cube so that my fish and corals have a place to live for a few days.

Mike

[doody]

For those running the 9.5, do you have sand beds?

[MacnReef]

Yes, I had a sand bed.

Well here is the sump all finished, just need a skimmer and to plumb the returns. Once everyone leaves today from getting the stuff out of my 180, I am going to make a run to get the glass for the overflow.



Mike

[rjg]

Mike,

It is looking good.. Can you go into some detail about cutting the back as I am considering doing a 20L or 40 Breeder setup and this looks great...

[MacnReef]

Yeah, I sure can. Just get two tools and two bits to do this. First a dremel and a ball point diamond bit. This is what you use to drill a hole or at least what I used. Then use a rotozip with a ceramic wall tile bit and cut it out. Pretty simple really, just go slow and keep putting water on it. The tile bit goes through glass like butta.

Mike

[rjg]

Mike,

Thats pretty cool... So you have the overflow box on the outside of the tank instead of it taking up space in the tank.. How did you cut the slots in the black acrylic, they look very even...

[MacnReef]

Exactly, in small tanks where space is a premium this helps. I used a jigsaw and my rotozip with a plastic bit to cut the teeth...very easy. Also, when you buy acrylic it has this brown paper on it, so you can draw out the teeth on it with a pencil or whatever and cut 'em out.

Mike

[doody]

You can use the dremel for the whole thing
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=271539

[MacnReef]

you sure can but a rotozip spins at a faster rpm and cuts through it quicker.

mike

[MacnReef]

Well, I got a little progress...here is the overflow box.





Now I just need to let the bottom finish drying then onto the tank it goes. Then of course water test.

Mike

[cich1]

very nice work, i'm planning the same type project, what thickness glass are you using 3/16-1/4? had you considered using acrylic rather than glass?

[yessongs]

Very nice. I use a mag 9.5 external on a closed loop, and a external QuietOne 3000 780GPH for the return from my mud filter, its on a 25gal and still some dead spots. I made an internal overflow box with a durso, i really like yours, but i dont have the room behind the tank for that.

[MacnReef]

cich...I am using 1/4" glass. Acrylic doesn't bond as well to silicone as glass does so I decided to use glass.

yes...well its how you use the flow, more than how much you have. I think if you lay out your plumbing properly, the you don't need two pumps. I had my 29 set up in the past and had plenty of flow with my mag9.5.

Mike

[yessongs]

1st let me correct myself, i used a 9.5 on a closed loop. Now its a Mag 5. It was a grow out tank at the time for SPS when i had my 100gal. Now its a zoo tank.
There is 0 head loss with a closed loop, as opposed to using it as a return pump -20% flow from the SCWD.
Also i found too much flow from my return pump was not good, It went through the mud filter too fast, now the macro algae grows much faster with around 450GPH going through it then almost 800GPH ( throttled back the return pump) And with just two returns its hard to get the whole tank, and enough movement on the water surface. Thats what my return pump mostly handles is the water surface and less movement through a 9 gal mud filter.

Mike, are you going to use bulkheads and loc-line for the returns?
Also how much water does that last chamber hold with the mag in it? From the pic it looks like its taking up a lot of real estate.

[impur]

Overflow box looks good Mike! I used 1/8" glass on mine and drilled for 1 1/4" drains. Did the leak test last night and one of my bulkheads leaks so i gotta find a larger washer for it tonight. When do you plan on having yours up and running?

[MacnReef]

Yeah, I understand how a closed loop works, I used to run one on my 180. I ran the exact same thing on the 29 last year, same size sump with same size section in sump for Mag9.5. Plus, I don't run two returns, I run two main returns but split them with a Y in the tank, so the flow is high, low and all around.

impur...thanx. I chose 1/4" because it holds better and is a little easier to drill. Too bad your leaked, hopefully you will get it fixed today. I drilled holes for 1" drains but I am using 1-1/4" to 1" reducers on the inside of the overflow, sort of like a durso, so the hole has more coverage. I think mine will be up and running in a few weeks. I am going to get my skimmer in the next week and the tank will be plumbed by then. I don't know about the lights yet, so that is what I will be waiting on. What lights did you go with?

Mike