SC Aquariums Owners Thread

[postie1686]

Originally Posted by greaps

Looks great, really like the rocks cape, why type of rock is that?

Its the bulk reef suply "reef saver rock" i gluded it like that with the jurassic gel glue. thats 90 lbs of rock in the 150 gal tank

[POOLSCAPES]

Tank is looking realy nice.

[Mistersponge]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

Skimmer compartment is 10 1/4" x 10 1/4".

Is the herbie pretty quiet? Any chance you can show me your returns from the top? I'm thinking about running my return out the back too.

[Mistersponge]

Picked up everything to run a herbie in my 90, I'm planning on using the 1 inch as the siphon and running a 1/2 return around back and over the top. I'll probably be able to use the actual overflow return holes.

[OceanWolf]

Originally Posted by Mistersponge

Is the herbie pretty quiet? Any chance you can show me your returns from the top? I'm thinking about running my return out the back too.

My siphon is on normally would be a 1/2" line. But as you can see I glued a 3/4" pipe to the sump side. The overflow side is 1" piping. The bulkhead is 1/2" OD, whatever that is.

Herbie is very quiet. The only thing that I would change would be the true union ball gate. I can not adjust it to my liking.

I'll take a picture of my return, but basically I used a 3/4" line to go up. I have a 90 elbow and a 45 elbow to connect to the T. I used the stock loc lines with 1/2" adaptors. I also painted my return line to black. I could have used a BRS colored pvc I guess.

[Mistersponge]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

My siphon is on normally would be a 1/2" line. But as you can see I glued a 3/4" pipe to the sump side. The overflow side is 1" piping. The bulkhead is 1/2" OD, whatever that is.

Herbie is very quiet. The only thing that I would change would be the true union ball gate. I can not adjust it to my liking.

I'll take a picture of my return, but basically I used a 3/4" line to go up. I have a 90 elbow and a 45 elbow to connect to the T. I used the stock loc lines with 1/2" adaptors. I also painted my return line to black. I could have used a BRS colored pvc I guess.

Crap I've got everything glued in with the 1 inch as my main siphon and 1/2 as emergency and now I think I should have done it the other way. My return will be the same setup though.

[OceanWolf]

I used the original overhead holes for the loclines as you planned. It doesn't stick out too much due to the 45 elbow. I suggest to switch the drain and the emergency at one point. I glued 3/4 to the 1/2 bulkhead. In effect it pretty much equal to a 3/4 return. That change allowed me to use the full size of the bulkhead opening since the 1\2 pipe walls are not like limiting the opening.

[Mistersponge]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

I used the original overhead holes for the loclines as you planned. It doesn't stick out too much due to the 45 elbow. I suggest to switch the drain and the emergency at one point. I glued 3/4 to the 1/2 bulkhead. In effect it pretty much equal to a 3/4 return. That change allowed me to use the full size of the bulkhead opening since the 1\2 pipe walls are not like limiting the opening.

Very good idea. I cut everything out last night and ordered new bulkheads. I may actually enlarge the small hole for a 3/4 bulkhead. Sometimes being a perfectionist sucks.

[OceanWolf]

Originally Posted by Mistersponge

Very good idea. I cut everything out last night and ordered new bulkheads. I may actually enlarge the small hole for a 3/4 bulkhead. Sometimes being a perfectionist sucks.

That I agree.

Now I started to fiddle with my Reefangel controller. I am not used to losing this much water. Ato works well with my waterlevel expansion. That is the orange top pipe in the return compartment.

[wetWolger]

OceanWolf, I just noticed in your sump, have you considered putting the return pump in the center section?

That was my plan, I thought it was weird how there were two height dividers on the left and right. I was thinking I would split the overflow return so that it goes into both halfs, and have the return pump in the center. This wouldhe help keep the flow lower in the fuge area as well.

Thoughts? Any reason you choose to do it your way?

[OceanWolf]

Originally Posted by wetWolger

OceanWolf, I just noticed in your sump, have you considered putting the return pump in the center section?

That was my plan, I thought it was weird how there were two height dividers on the left and right. I was thinking I would split the overflow return so that it goes into both halfs, and have the return pump in the center. This wouldhe help keep the flow lower in the fuge area as well.

Thoughts? Any reason you choose to do it your way?

Good question.
I need a steady water level for my Skimmer, the left side of the sump provides that. I also needed a place to put my heater in since it didn't fit vertically it needs to go in horizontally. I prefer to have constant water level for that too.
That left the right most chamber for the return. My Ato, controlled by my Reefangel controller using a waterlevel sensor, turns on when the water level is 55% and shut off at 75% which is the same level as the baffles.

If I did it the way you have suggested I think it would work as long as you split your drain into two. In my case I can have filterpads where the water returns. My wife overfeeds the fish (I am not complaining as long as she is ok with my hobby), so it is good for me to have those pads to catch the excess food.

Oh, also as you can see I have sand in the middle, if I use the right side for fuge, sand would block the water flow. I just bought some amphipods for the center.

[GoGo98102]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

I used the original overhead holes for the loclines as you planned. It doesn't stick out too much due to the 45 elbow. I suggest to switch the drain and the emergency at one point. I glued 3/4 to the 1/2 bulkhead. In effect it pretty much equal to a 3/4 return. That change allowed me to use the full size of the bulkhead opening since the 1\2 pipe walls are not like limiting the opening.

Nice! This is what I did. I glued a 3/4" coupling to the bulkhead so I can attach/remove a 3/4" pipe to it. The hose that came with the tank fits the bulkhead perfectly.

[OceanWolf]

Cool. Don't forget to put a clamp on the hose. You would never know.

[GoGo98102]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

Cool. Don't forget to put a clamp on the hose. You would never know.

LOL for sure!!!

[Mistersponge]

I'll post some pics tonight when I start cutting pvc again, but I just enlarged the 1/2 hole to 3/4 with a diamond bit. That was pretty easy. I'm gonna have a full siphon 3/4 and a 1" backup. 3/4 plumbing up the back for return. Also might try to enlarge the stock locline holes for 3/4 locline.

[GoGo98102]

I am curious here- is anyone's pump here actually able to push enough water back in the DT to allow a full unrestricted siphon from a 3/4" pipe?

[Mistersponge]

I can't speak for the one that came with the tank, but I expect the eheim 1262 I bought to be able to.

[GoGo98102]

I have the DC 12000 and it couldn't keep up. You might be surprised. Please let us know once you are all hooked up. Thanks.

[OceanWolf]

My Eheim 1260 can not keep up

[mordibv]

Originally Posted by OceanWolf

I started to use the sump. 1260 is pretty quiet, but you can still hear the humming. I put some thin packaging foam under it, I will try other options. 4' headloss and the pump is on 90% and my 1/2' Herbie drain is 20% closed. These ball valves are hard to adjust. The valve on the drain is a $25 one, it acts the same with $6 one from Lowes. Flow is pretty nice, the overflow water level is low for my taste, I have falling water noise. If I fiddle with it, the emergency starts flowing. Stupid ball valve, can't fine tune it.

Next my sca302 skimmer will go in. I thought using my Aquamaxx hob-1 but it would be small.

HTH
Silicone pan holder's work well for noise reduction on r pumps n skimmers .

[GoGo98102]

I just discovered a bottleneck- the overflow. I opened up my siphon and cranked up the return pump. There was a loud slushy sound coming from the overflow. It turned out that the overflow was too small to handle such water volume that the water level inside was getting low. The drop distance between the DT water level and inside overflow level became too great. I had to turned down the return pump and restrict the siphon.

I did not see that coming.

[greaps]

Got my 50g setup tonight, does it need foam under it with the included stand?

[GoGo98102]

You don't "need" the foam but the foam does the following things-

1. If you have a tiny little bump/nail/imperfection/pebble on the stand surface, the foam will protect your hard flat glass bottom.
2. If your tank is not completely leveled, the foam will "self level" to a certain extend.
3. The outside bottom of your tank doesn't get scratched as easily.

[greaps]

Got my 50G system setup today and set it up stock. Its not silent, but the noise doesn't bother me or more importantly the wife. Setup was easy. It looks sharp. The 50g was bigger than I had imagined, I am very pleased with it.

Going LPS / Softie reef.

[Mistersponge]

Originally Posted by greaps

Got my 50G system setup today and set it up stock. Its not silent, but the noise doesn't bother me or more importantly the wife. Setup was easy. It looks sharp. The 50g was bigger than I had imagined, I am very pleased with it.

Going LPS / Softie reef.

Glad to hear you got it all set up. I ended up ditching the stock plumbing and going herbie so I'm just now aquascaping (which I hate doing)