questions about my 125g tank (pics)

sjm1978 · 09/28/2006, 02:40 PM

i have a 125g Lee-Mar tank i bought it Dec of 2005 for african cichlids. i now am hooked on saltwater tanks since i got my 24g aquapod. so i want to make the 125g a saltwater tank it has been empty for 2 months now. my questions are is i didnt have overflows put in it i had the back glass drilled. so there is one 1 1/2" drain in the middle and two 3/4" returns one on each side. i was thinking of using the drain thats on it for a closed loop system feed but i would have to reduce its size down so it can hook to my mag18 pump. then i was thinking of buying two CPR overflows and put one on each side and a sump that would support both of the overflows. the reason i was thinking of doing it this was is because i dont think the 1 1/5" drain it has will be enough GPH for a saltwater tank or would it? heres some pics of the tank please let me know what you guys think i should do. also does anyone know it the tank can be drilled more? i asked martin tropical if it could be since thats where i bought it from and he said that Lee-Mar temper's the glass after they drill them is this true? if its not true i was thinking of drilling the bottom and put two overflows in.

i put a styro black rock backround it when i first set the tank up.

heres the drain and returns

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 03:05 PM

SJM... Did you see my thread just above yours... I think we need to get together and brain storm.....

sjm1978 · 09/28/2006, 03:10 PM

yea i saw yours i really would like to know what to do. i dont want to have to buy a whole new tank. i dont mind using overflow hang-on's but i would like know what to do.

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 03:17 PM

I don't have any serious answers for you, but just a "keep in mind" kind of thing. You said that if you use the already drilled holes for your closed loop you would have to reduce down to fit your mag 18 pump..... well "keep in mind" that if you read the pump booklet, it will suggest that you keep the size of the pipe doubled as far as you can before you reduce down. Also try and minimize the number of 90's you put in. Those cut the flow down by sooooo much. I just learned this plumbing info for mysel on my 33 gal cube closed loop system. I have a mag 950 on it and it's not quite enough flow. The book recommends that if you're pumping up less than 4' (I think that's what it was) and you want 3/4" fittings... to double the size of the pipes anywhere and everywhere you can especially immediately out of the pump itself, then reduce back down to the 3/4" at the last minute. I just did this and it did make a difference. I had really bad flow with just 3/4" all the way through, now I have decent flow, but I'll still need a Seio near the bottom for decent flow. Just something to keep in mind when it comes to plumbing. I'm going to keep an eye on your thread in case someone has good ideas for you that I can snag.

sjm1978 · 09/28/2006, 03:21 PM

janetglon do you have any pic of how you plumbed your closed loop? you can post them on this thread.

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 03:23 PM

I have about a million pics of how it looked before I increased to 1.5", I'll go snap some new ones and post in a few.

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 03:48 PM

Top middle is sump drain, Top left and right are closed loop drains, middle bottom is sump return, bottom left and right are closed loop returns. I tried different angles, but they all ended up looking the same to me. I hope this helps.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0004.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0003.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0002.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0001.jpg

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 03:51 PM

I ordered a new tall sump for it that's supposed to be here today. I'm hoping that helps with some of the water splashing noise. This certainly isn't the quietest design ever, but overall I like it. It's not my design, I can't take credit for it, but it does work for us.

sjm1978 · 09/28/2006, 04:51 PM

thanks for the pics i get how to do it know. what size did you use for the drain to the pump is it 1 1/2" and what size is the return?

janetglon · 09/28/2006, 04:54 PM

The sizes of the following are all different, so which are you wondering, actual drilled hole size, bulkhead size, or pvc drain/return line? I can get you all of them, but if you're just curious about one in particular, then I'll measure that for you.

sjm1978 · 09/28/2006, 05:34 PM

the pvc drain/return line for the closed loop

09/28/2006, 02:40 PM	#1
sjm1978 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 1,184	questions about my 125g tank (pics) i have a 125g Lee-Mar tank i bought it Dec of 2005 for african cichlids. i now am hooked on saltwater tanks since i got my 24g aquapod. so i want to make the 125g a saltwater tank it has been empty for 2 months now. my questions are is i didnt have overflows put in it i had the back glass drilled. so there is one 1 1/2" drain in the middle and two 3/4" returns one on each side. i was thinking of using the drain thats on it for a closed loop system feed but i would have to reduce its size down so it can hook to my mag18 pump. then i was thinking of buying two CPR overflows and put one on each side and a sump that would support both of the overflows. the reason i was thinking of doing it this was is because i dont think the 1 1/5" drain it has will be enough GPH for a saltwater tank or would it? heres some pics of the tank please let me know what you guys think i should do. also does anyone know it the tank can be drilled more? i asked martin tropical if it could be since thats where i bought it from and he said that Lee-Mar temper's the glass after they drill them is this true? if its not true i was thinking of drilling the bottom and put two overflows in. i put a styro black rock backround it when i first set the tank up. heres the drain and returns Last edited by sjm1978; 09/28/2006 at 03:06 PM.

09/28/2006, 03:05 PM	#2
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	SJM... Did you see my thread just above yours... I think we need to get together and brain storm..... __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 03:10 PM	#3
sjm1978 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 1,184	yea i saw yours i really would like to know what to do. i dont want to have to buy a whole new tank. i dont mind using overflow hang-on's but i would like know what to do. __________________ Obsession Florida Ricordea's New Obsession SPS ------------------------------------------------------ Steven Current Tank Info: in the process of looking for a new tank

09/28/2006, 03:17 PM	#4
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	I don't have any serious answers for you, but just a "keep in mind" kind of thing. You said that if you use the already drilled holes for your closed loop you would have to reduce down to fit your mag 18 pump..... well "keep in mind" that if you read the pump booklet, it will suggest that you keep the size of the pipe doubled as far as you can before you reduce down. Also try and minimize the number of 90's you put in. Those cut the flow down by sooooo much. I just learned this plumbing info for mysel on my 33 gal cube closed loop system. I have a mag 950 on it and it's not quite enough flow. The book recommends that if you're pumping up less than 4' (I think that's what it was) and you want 3/4" fittings... to double the size of the pipes anywhere and everywhere you can especially immediately out of the pump itself, then reduce back down to the 3/4" at the last minute. I just did this and it did make a difference. I had really bad flow with just 3/4" all the way through, now I have decent flow, but I'll still need a Seio near the bottom for decent flow. Just something to keep in mind when it comes to plumbing. I'm going to keep an eye on your thread in case someone has good ideas for you that I can snag. __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 03:23 PM	#6
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	I have about a million pics of how it looked before I increased to 1.5", I'll go snap some new ones and post in a few. __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 03:21 PM	#5
sjm1978 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 1,184	janetglon do you have any pic of how you plumbed your closed loop? you can post them on this thread.

09/28/2006, 03:48 PM	#7
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	Top middle is sump drain, Top left and right are closed loop drains, middle bottom is sump return, bottom left and right are closed loop returns. I tried different angles, but they all ended up looking the same to me. I hope this helps. http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0004.jpg http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0003.jpg http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0002.jpg http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...h/DSC_0001.jpg __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 03:51 PM	#8
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	I ordered a new tall sump for it that's supposed to be here today. I'm hoping that helps with some of the water splashing noise. This certainly isn't the quietest design ever, but overall I like it. It's not my design, I can't take credit for it, but it does work for us. __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 04:51 PM	#9
sjm1978 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 1,184	thanks for the pics i get how to do it know. what size did you use for the drain to the pump is it 1 1/2" and what size is the return?

09/28/2006, 04:54 PM	#10
janetglon Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 364	The sizes of the following are all different, so which are you wondering, actual drilled hole size, bulkhead size, or pvc drain/return line? I can get you all of them, but if you're just curious about one in particular, then I'll measure that for you. __________________ You can own an aquarium, but a reef owns you! Current Tank Info: 2 - 10 Gal, 33 Gal Cube, 46 bowfront

09/28/2006, 05:34 PM	#11
sjm1978 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 1,184	the pvc drain/return line for the closed loop __________________ Obsession Florida Ricordea's New Obsession SPS ------------------------------------------------------ Steven Current Tank Info: in the process of looking for a new tank