Ideas on what can be staged remotely / wish list

scooters reef · 08/05/2016, 11:29 AM

Time for another random question while trying to make all my plans for the new tank

Seems when I resolve one decision a later one forces that to be changed, lol. Anyway, DT will be a 300g 96x30x24. Still working on decisions even just for overflow and such. The garage is about 15ft away and everything will have to go up and through the attic.

Anyway, I want as much as possible in the garage. I really miss my last in-wall with it's own room, so I'm also feeling like I'm missing a lot and will likely only get one shot without a major hassle down the road. I'll need dedicated electrical for both the tank and the equipment in the garage and my electrician is more than happy to pull tubing I need through the wall at the same time.

So, what should I be sure is pulled even for future use? So far I know I will need two tubes for auto water changes from a saltwater reservoir, one line for ATO from an RO reservoir. I'll need the cable to connect an Apex to an EB4 in the garage. I won't be purchasing a calcium reactor right off, but to have it ready I would want the Co2 tank in the garage. For that run is there a specific tubing I should get for that?

Also, the ATO would be via a Kalk reactor. I had planned the reactor itself under the stand but is there any reason that couldn't also be in the garage? Would the ATO line plug up over time running it that far?

What else can I squeeze into the garage instead of valuable stand space? Maybe getting rid of more junk under the cabinet will help with sump decisions

mikeatjac · 08/05/2016, 12:20 PM

Why not move everything out to the garage but the tank?

scooters reef · 08/05/2016, 12:30 PM

Well, I'd like as much as possible out there. Part of the kitchen in the way and only having the attic option to route things limits it

gus6464 · 08/05/2016, 05:36 PM

If you move everything but the display to the garage all you really need to route is the plumbing and of course have a strong enough pump that move the water. When I moved to our new house I got the chance to put everything in the garage but the display and honestly it was the best thing I could have ever done. I have a Stenner for auto water change and masterflex for CA reactor and they are loud but I never hear them inside.

Vinny Kreyling · 08/05/2016, 06:06 PM

CA reactor generally use the same tubing as an RO unit EITHER 1/4 or 3/8 inch so pick the one you want & check its connections. From my tank I used 1/4" silicone tubing for the CO2

WLachnit · 08/05/2016, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gus6464

If you move everything but the display to the garage all you really need to route is the plumbing and of course have a strong enough pump that move the water. When I moved to our new house I got the chance to put everything in the garage but the display and honestly it was the best thing I could have ever done. I have a Stenner for auto water change and masterflex for CA reactor and they are loud but I never hear them inside.

Assuming that your display tank had an overflow, how did you drain the display into your sump (assuming you had a sump)? I would think that there would be a risk with a horizontal drain and having air potentially trapped in the drain?

I had been wanting to do this, but after a lot of homework, I learned that it was risky.

gus6464 · 08/05/2016, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WLachnit

Assuming that your display tank had an overflow, how did you drain the display into your sump (assuming you had a sump)? I would think that there would be a risk with a horizontal drain and having air potentially trapped in the drain?

I had been wanting to do this, but after a lot of homework, I learned that it was risky.

Don't know what you mean by this. At the end of the day having a sump underneath your tank or in another room is no different. The water still has to travel through the PVC.

When you run the sump to another room you don't put it at the same height as the display tank. You still put it lower to the ground so gravity can do it's thing. As for air trapped whenever you stop siphon and restart air will be present but it will eventually all get out of the pipe. If you want some ideas look up the BRS videos on their 160. Their sump is on the wall behind the display on the floor basically. You just cut come holes through the wall big enough to fit the PVC and that's pretty much it.

I am in the middle of redoing my tank but here is a picture of the drainage on the old one.

Then this is what my sump looks like on the other side.

Then top of sump stand with all electronics nowhere near sump. This also helps with keeping your apex and whatever always looking brand spanking new since it's nowhere near saltwater.

WLachnit · 08/05/2016, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gus6464

Don't know what you mean by this. At the end of the day having a sump underneath your tank or in another room is no different. The water still has to travel through the PVC.

When you run the sump to another room you don't put it at the same height as the display tank. You still put it lower to the ground so gravity can do it's thing. As for air trapped whenever you stop siphon and restart air will be present but it will eventually all get out of the pipe. If you want some ideas look up the BRS videos on their 160. Their sump is on the wall behind the display on the floor basically. You just cut come holes through the wall big enough to fit the PVC and that's pretty much it.

I am in the middle of redoing my tank but here is a picture of the drainage on the old one.

Then this is what my sump looks like on the other side.

Then top of sump stand with all electronics nowhere near sump. This also helps with keeping your apex and whatever always looking brand spanking new since it's nowhere near saltwater.

For some reason, I can't see your pics. Anyway, yes, ...it's no problem when the sump is just on the other side of the wall in your fish room, but based on the OP's original question, his garage is 15' away with a kitchen in the middle of it. Unless I am missing something, I don't see how you could plumb to a sump.

scooters reef · 08/06/2016, 05:17 AM

No, you had it correct, the kitchen is in the middle of it

My previous tank, and house, I was lucky and had a 200 g I built in-wall. No cabinet space issues and also didn't have to think on what I "could" move

fishguy306 · 08/06/2016, 07:57 AM

Long runs to the sump aren't an issue if you set it up properly, like was done here-

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2477486

That said with you wanting to go up into the attic I don't see any way of plumbing a sump like that. Only option I could see is putting the sump in the attic and pumping it up then gravity feeding the return back down to the tank. Not exactly what you had in mind, nor do I think I'd want my sump in the attic even if it were easily accessible.

Sorry, I haven't been much help answering your question, mostly just showing long runs are doable.

scooters reef · 08/06/2016, 08:11 AM

My wife would have a stroke with a sump over the living room for sure, lol. Yep, sump will be in cabinet. The garage floor is lower than the living room but we're on slab so running under the kitchen isn't an option either. I'm pretty much out of ideas what to prep for to have any additional tubing pulled for possible future use.

If my wife would be ok using a dining room wall though I could plumb a sump in the garage

It will be viewed much more in the living room though and she spends hours just watching to see what crawls out of the rock so the living room it will be. Being in FL I'd need a good size chiller if the sump was in the garage as well.

n2585722 · 08/06/2016, 06:45 PM

My tank is 35ft from my garage. I have my topoff and fresh salt water stored in the garage. I ran 2 conduits from the wall box in the room by the tank through the attic to a wall box in the garage. I ran 3 1/4" tubes in one conduit for top off and water change. I ran 2 1/4" tubes and the buss cable for the comtroller in the other conduit. Those 2 tubes are meant for CO2 and air but are not in use at the moment. The pumps for water change and top off are also in the garage. The pump that drains the water from the sump actually pull the water to the pump in the garage then pumps it another 20ft through the attic down the wall to the kitchen sink drain. I have a check valve in this line.

scooters reef · 08/07/2016, 04:00 AM

I didn't have a line for air in my list

What are you using for pumps for your ATO and water change? I'm planning a dual head, dual controller Stenner for water change so I can balance them accurately but undecided on the ATO pump still. Also, do you use kalk as part of your ATO and if so is that also in the garage?

n2585722 · 08/07/2016, 07:26 AM

I have the Archon for a controller so I use DP1 pump modules for ATO and water change. The pumps are peristaltic pumps so Stenners sould work just fine. I do not use Kalk at this time. I do have 2 power bars in the garage to power other pumps and heaters but I have not installed any heater as of yet. The temp has not been an issue as slow as the water change and top off run. The water change pumps run for 45 minutes each time three times a day. I go through about 5 gallons in a three day period for the water changes.

08/05/2016, 11:29 AM	#1
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	Ideas on what can be staged remotely / wish list Time for another random question while trying to make all my plans for the new tank Seems when I resolve one decision a later one forces that to be changed, lol. Anyway, DT will be a 300g 96x30x24. Still working on decisions even just for overflow and such. The garage is about 15ft away and everything will have to go up and through the attic. Anyway, I want as much as possible in the garage. I really miss my last in-wall with it's own room, so I'm also feeling like I'm missing a lot and will likely only get one shot without a major hassle down the road. I'll need dedicated electrical for both the tank and the equipment in the garage and my electrician is more than happy to pull tubing I need through the wall at the same time. So, what should I be sure is pulled even for future use? So far I know I will need two tubes for auto water changes from a saltwater reservoir, one line for ATO from an RO reservoir. I'll need the cable to connect an Apex to an EB4 in the garage. I won't be purchasing a calcium reactor right off, but to have it ready I would want the Co2 tank in the garage. For that run is there a specific tubing I should get for that? Also, the ATO would be via a Kalk reactor. I had planned the reactor itself under the stand but is there any reason that couldn't also be in the garage? Would the ATO line plug up over time running it that far? What else can I squeeze into the garage instead of valuable stand space? Maybe getting rid of more junk under the cabinet will help with sump decisions

08/05/2016, 06:06 PM	#5
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	CA reactor generally use the same tubing as an RO unit EITHER 1/4 or 3/8 inch so pick the one you want & check its connections. From my tank I used 1/4" silicone tubing for the CO2 __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

08/05/2016, 12:20 PM	#2
mikeatjac Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 2,433	Why not move everything out to the garage but the tank?

08/05/2016, 12:30 PM	#3
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	Well, I'd like as much as possible out there. Part of the kitchen in the way and only having the attic option to route things limits it

08/05/2016, 05:36 PM	#4
gus6464 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,079	If you move everything but the display to the garage all you really need to route is the plumbing and of course have a strong enough pump that move the water. When I moved to our new house I got the chance to put everything in the garage but the display and honestly it was the best thing I could have ever done. I have a Stenner for auto water change and masterflex for CA reactor and they are loud but I never hear them inside.

08/06/2016, 05:17 AM	#9
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	No, you had it correct, the kitchen is in the middle of it My previous tank, and house, I was lucky and had a 200 g I built in-wall. No cabinet space issues and also didn't have to think on what I "could" move

08/06/2016, 07:57 AM	#10
fishguy306 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago, Illinois Posts: 306	Long runs to the sump aren't an issue if you set it up properly, like was done here- http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2477486 That said with you wanting to go up into the attic I don't see any way of plumbing a sump like that. Only option I could see is putting the sump in the attic and pumping it up then gravity feeding the return back down to the tank. Not exactly what you had in mind, nor do I think I'd want my sump in the attic even if it were easily accessible. Sorry, I haven't been much help answering your question, mostly just showing long runs are doable.

08/06/2016, 08:11 AM	#11
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	My wife would have a stroke with a sump over the living room for sure, lol. Yep, sump will be in cabinet. The garage floor is lower than the living room but we're on slab so running under the kitchen isn't an option either. I'm pretty much out of ideas what to prep for to have any additional tubing pulled for possible future use. If my wife would be ok using a dining room wall though I could plumb a sump in the garage It will be viewed much more in the living room though and she spends hours just watching to see what crawls out of the rock so the living room it will be. Being in FL I'd need a good size chiller if the sump was in the garage as well.

08/06/2016, 06:45 PM	#12
n2585722 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Cedar Park, Tx Posts: 1,072	My tank is 35ft from my garage. I have my topoff and fresh salt water stored in the garage. I ran 2 conduits from the wall box in the room by the tank through the attic to a wall box in the garage. I ran 3 1/4" tubes in one conduit for top off and water change. I ran 2 1/4" tubes and the buss cable for the comtroller in the other conduit. Those 2 tubes are meant for CO2 and air but are not in use at the moment. The pumps for water change and top off are also in the garage. The pump that drains the water from the sump actually pull the water to the pump in the garage then pumps it another 20ft through the attic down the wall to the kitchen sink drain. I have a check valve in this line.

08/07/2016, 04:00 AM	#13
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	I didn't have a line for air in my list What are you using for pumps for your ATO and water change? I'm planning a dual head, dual controller Stenner for water change so I can balance them accurately but undecided on the ATO pump still. Also, do you use kalk as part of your ATO and if so is that also in the garage?

08/07/2016, 07:26 AM	#14
n2585722 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Cedar Park, Tx Posts: 1,072	I have the Archon for a controller so I use DP1 pump modules for ATO and water change. The pumps are peristaltic pumps so Stenners sould work just fine. I do not use Kalk at this time. I do have 2 power bars in the garage to power other pumps and heaters but I have not installed any heater as of yet. The temp has not been an issue as slow as the water change and top off run. The water change pumps run for 45 minutes each time three times a day. I go through about 5 gallons in a three day period for the water changes.