Newbie Marine Advice Please

[dips]

Hi Everyone,

My names dips and i am trying to set up a marine tank. We used to have a tropical but wanted a change so decided to fit a marine tank in the wall . I have some things which i have bought already which are :

Tank 4ft(bow front tank 260litre)
Sump (which needs work)
flowjets x2
aqua ray
the usual normal lights
plumbing mostly done already
and some other bits and bobs.

The main thing i need help with at the moment is my sump tank...I have been adviced by a friend to use an up and over type but the one i have is different and have been told to re-design it. Here is what it looks like:

How do i divide this sump? Its roughly 1 metre in length, approx 15inches high and 15inches deep.

Also can anyone advice me on which pump would be best for this sump and tank i have.


Many thankss

 

[john.o]

Hi
And welcome to the salty side

The sump set up you have there is designed as an old trickle filter with bio balls, with the return pump been located outside the sump

Now I would recommend a redesign with a Deep Sand Bed or miracle mud refuge.
If you could please provide the following info then we will be able to help you out with the redesign...

What set up is in your main tank for the down flow? Twin stand pipe single ect + size of bulk head {a photo would be good }
Skimmer make model
Phosphate reactor?
Calcium reactor ect ?
And any info on any other equipment you are going to use

john,0

 

[dips]

Hi John...

Right bassicaly i have a skimmer but been told not to use it, it came with the tank and it is a Red Sea Prizm Energizer. Does that need changing?
i havent got any phosphate reactor or calcium reactor.

It would be so helpful if you could provide me some information on which things i need next and how much they will cost.

The tank has two new bulk heads put in by me using marine silicone (water tite hopefuly will check it) and pipes will run down the back from where the bulk heads are under the floor boards traveling approx 2 meters before reaching the sump tank on the other side (to be placed in a cabinet near the stairs).

I have attached the images of the tank, bulk heads, and pipes running into under the floor boards. it will have two pipes a return and over flow if im correct

Also with the sump if this trickle style is old how is the best way to set up a up and over sump. I can get glass cut that is not a problem and use marine silicone.

Thanks

Dips

 

[john.o]

Ok here is a basic 6inch Deep Sand Bed sump the chamber sizes will all depend on what skimmer and return pump you decide to go with.
The idea is the water flows down the down pipe into a filter sock then it goes into the skimmer before over flowing into the DSB chamber {the piece of glass at a angle is just to deflect the flow so that it does not disturb the sand bed.
The water then flows over the top of the DSB and under the flow plate {this forces the water to flow low down {normally a 2 inch gap between the bottom of the flow plat and the top of the sand bed} it then over flows into the bubble trap {a 1 inch gap is the norm from side to side and a 2inch gap at the bottom} the last piece of glass should be taken off this drawing

 

[john.o]

As for equipment there are so many different ways a marine tank can be set up.
urm the basics …..

Lights
Light Timer’s
Salt Mix
Reverse Osmosis filter for makeup water or even better an RO/DI (deionization) filter.
refractometer
2 Five Gallon Buckets (clean and for fish tank only use)
Sump
Protein Skimmer
Heater
Phosphate reactor
Thermometer
Return pump
Power heads (multiple)
UV unit
Algae Scraper / cleaning equipment
Quarantine Tank
Test Kits (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, iodine)

 

[dips]

Right brilliant thanks john ill have a word with my dad whos helping me with this a lil and hopefuly get the sump designed out. For a 260litre tank is there any particluar pump i need thats powerful enough.

Dips

 

[john.o]

Which pump or pumps are we talking about return pump or pumps for flow in the tank

I would say for flow some think like the koralia 3 power heads x2, they give a good wide flow and are low on energy costs and are relatively cheap with a good reputation £35 - £40 each
Or at the other end of the price scale you have the likes of the vortech mp 40 or 1x tunze 6055 coupled with a 7091 controller and 1x 6025 but your taking £300 +

For the return look at some think like a oceanrunner 3500 or 6500 / Eheim compact 300 or 5000 from £65 to £100 which one will depend on how high of a head height the pump will have to push the return water + how far away is the sump from the tank

 

[dips]

I have flow jets x 2 alredy and they are apparently good loll got them in the deal when i bought the tank just the return pump id need to buy next. did all the plumbing today. well i got 80% done. I need to buy some stop valves and add them to the pipes. next is to finish the plumbing thats left and then get the sump tank sorted out with a decent return pump.


dips

 

[john.o]

Cool you will have to start a journal {with lots of pics, we like pics over here on the salty side }
What size bulk heads do you have for the down flow and return?
And what type of system are you using in the weir, Duso? ken stockman? Other?

 

[dips]

ehhhh i duno which is which to be honest john so i duno what weir im using. The bulk heads host a 25mm pipe.

 

[john.o]

ehhhh i duno which is which to be honest john so i duno what weir im using. The bulk heads host a 25mm pipe.

25mm

O h no I honestly don’t think 1x 25mm down flow pipe will be big enough to handle the flow, the norm is 40mm pipe + for the down flow and 25mm for the return. The return will be under pressure from the return pump where’s the down flow is just like a plug hole really and it also pulls air down the pipe work with it so there is very little chance it will work
Sorry to tell you m8t but I guess it’s best to find out now and not when the tanks full of water.
Could you not have the two 25mm pipes as returns and perhaps get a bigger hole drilled in the tank in the opposite corner for the down flow.

 

[dips]

basicaly i have a 25mm pipes out going out of the tank to a thick flexi pipe 25/34 then again. Same as the Return its the flexi 25/34 to the 25mm hard pipe. My tanks capicity is 260ltrs mmmm. The marine fish shop supplied me with these...

 

[john.o]

How’s this coming along?
Have you got any updates?
John,o

 

[dips]

How’s this coming along?
Have you got any updates?
John,o

well john just been busy with work at the moment. got the pumbing mostly done and cleaned the tank from the inside proper and good. Im trying to find stop valves but the pipe i have are not available from any plumbing shop. They are german and were bought from a marine fish shop. Might have to go back there. Tried the local plumping shops nothing.

 

[john.o]

http/www.coralculture.co.uk/shop/index.php?cPath=157

There you go m8t take a look on that site and see if what you need is on there
I think that the grey pipe work used for aquariums is metric and the other stuff in the pluming shops imperial or vice a versa, can never remember which is which but anyhow I guess it’s just another way for the aquatic shops to charge twice much for a fitting