75G + 75G DIY Build

[Grey Legion]

Howdy Folks,

Well after a LONG break from FW fish keeping, I decided to dive back into the hobby, this time starting a SW tank. I'll clarfiy from the start, this is a basement build and NOT a show tank. This is my "trial & error" time before I move onto a "show" tank on the main floor. While I will say I am a "experienced" FW guy that has kept SW in the past, I am by no means experienced with SW long term.

Here is what I already have available to me

4 - 75G tanks (undrilled)
2x4's to build stand to house 5 75G tanks ( still have 1 FW tank going)
6 bulb HO T5 fixture (bulbs unknown but were off a successful SW tank)
2 Koralia 850 w/ wave maker
Glass for sump baffles
4 stage 50GPD RO/DI unit

Here is what I am confused with

What level of flow should be required
(Planning on keeping softies and LPS)
What size holes to drill in tank(s)
(what type of overflow should I make, I was thinking bean animal?)
What size internal overflow box I should get
Where to find good DIY sump idea's/plans

I am not sure what skimmer I will get, and will most likely start without one, I am guessing this will have a factor on how I build the sump baffles?

Ok, so there is my first round of questions, any advise would be great.
If you require more information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks

[uncleL]

Welcome to SALTWATER & Reef Central! Have you done your research? Please read the stickies Within Reach Central. Please read read read it will save you money in the long run. At the moment I'm running 3 systems without a sump. 90g, 29g & 20g deep sandbed and lots of liverock.

[Grey Legion]

Thanks for the welcome.

Like with any hobby one can "over research" that is why I am asking for input based on my post, hopefully from people with similiar setups. I'm in no rush, but would like to make continual progress in baby steps.

[BigEZ77]

I over research constantly, that's the fun in it! And the incredible need for patience, and the non stop need for more money

Seriously though, UncleL is right, read read read, that's what I do all the time. For items like flow I don't think anyone could tell you exactly what to set it at. Watch some vids at Youtube, when you have your powerhead set up, try to get similar results once you have a coral in there. Liveaquaria helps with flow requirements, coral placement, etc. But I would think seeing it in YT videos helps more. For sump, holes, etc., that's likely something someone here could help you with.

PS. Skimmer should be one of your most important considerations, and the sooner the better once you start stocking.

[Grey Legion]

watched 100's of hours of video's, read many many many articles before coming here to seek actual advise...

ah well, back to youtube I guess...

[RocketEngineer]

The typical flow within the display is around 40X per hour. So for a 75g display you are looking at 3000gph+ supplied by the power heads and the return.

Going any smaller than 3/4" is really restrictive and if its a drain I would never go smaller than 1". BeanAnimal all the way if possible. The longer the internal overflow box, the more surface water you pull into the sump which removes the oil slick more effectively. You do not want teeth as they only serve to reduce surface skimming which is the whole point of an overflow box to begin with.

I've built two sumps and both follow a very basic design. Since I use a glass tank I use glass baffles and quality silicone. Four baffles give me a skimmer section with bubble trap, a center return, and a tall refugium. I've never seen the point of the more complicated ones myself but to each their own.

I would look at getting a used skimmer. I personally like my Avast Marine CS1 because the smokey acrylic body doesn't grow algae despite being near my refugium. Since I'm into DIY, I bought the kit and put it together. Their new design looks interesting. Check them out as one option.

[Grey Legion]

Thanks for the info RocketEngineer, Great Info

For the sump I agree simple is best. The design I am thinking of is best represented in this image below.



If you see any "flaws" or area's to be aware of, please feel free to comment.

I really like the Avast Marine line of products, the ability to build it myself will help calm my DIY bug for sure. I think the pegleg 180 will suit my need very well and allow for upgrading with the swabbie in the future.

I will be going 1" for drain for sure and trying to allow for the largest (longest) internal overflow I can find to increase surface area.

Now I just need to figure out the whole "bean animal" set up and I am ready to proceed on to my next stage of research.

I may buy the skimmer before I even build my stand, this way i can ensure I have good access and clearance for cleaning & maintenance.

Keep the information flowing

[RocketEngineer]

Buying the skimmer before building the stand is an excellent idea. Too many people make their stands short and then can't get the skimmer out for cleaning. If something is difficult to do, you are less likely to do it.

The only flaw I see with that sump design boils down to using the center section as a refugium is very limiting. My sump is set up with the return pump in the middle with the refugium on the end opposite the skimmer. This means my refugium baffle can be really tall (1" under the plastic trim in my case) without impacting the water height the skimmer sits in. The design in that picture forces the refugium to be fairly shallow and therefore a smaller volume.

The Bean Animal setup is really easy to understand. Three drain pipes, each serving a very specific function. The first is a full siphon where the pipe is totally full of water and the flow through the siphon is controlled by a gate valve right above the sump. This handles ~95% of the drain flow. Next is the air/water pipe commonly called a Durso which runs just a trickle of water down the inside of the second pipe with lots of air. This pipe handles the last 5% of the flow and because it has air in it, it will self adjust to any variations in flow as things get clogged over time. The third pipe is a DRY emergency drain that will make a lot of noise when in use to alert you of a problem with the other two. Does that all make sense?

[Grey Legion]

Thank you for the explanantion on the Bean Animal setup, very clear and understandable. I agree the more I think of it the more I like the idea of building the stand after I get the sump, the way I see it should be the largest piece of equipment in my sump.

Thank you for the feedback on the sump design, the image selected is not 100% accurate to my design ideas, but It was a clear image to show the basics.

If you have any images that will demonstrate your feedback better, please share them