# New 90 with overflow



## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I just got my new 90 gallon with overflow today, I'm going to start setting it up soon, thought is post some pics and update as I go along. I'm not sure what I'm going to put in it yet. I may rehouse my fronts, or rehouse my bumble bee and other mbuna male of unknown species.

Anyway on to the pics









Is it just me, or does this stand look kinda sketchy for handling 90 gallons? I've always bought the frame and covered with Mdf kind of stands.


































Here's the return tube... Crappy pic sorry









Not sure of the technical name but here's this thing, heh









29 gallon sump that I will probably reconfigure.









Well that's it for now


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks like a factory stand. Should work fine. You could always build another, that is what I did for my last reef ready tank, so that you can have more access underneath. I also made it so that it had a 10" ledge on the front so I could put goodies and buckets for when catching fish but I digress.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

^^^ I agree, it looks like a standard mfg.'d stand though the bottom looks to have a piece of plywood in it instead of the lauan normally seen. Does it appear damaged in any way?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Deeda said:


> ^^^ I agree, it looks like a standard mfg.'d stand though the bottom looks to have a piece of plywood in it instead of the lauan normally seen. Does it appear damaged in any way?


One of the panels on the right side is pushed in very slightly, less than a cm. Other than that it looks to be in very good condition.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Today I learned that the included 29 gallon sump cannot be taken in and out of the stand through the door openings. It will have to be through the top of the stand with the aquarium removed, so that makes the sump construction first priority.

I think I have decided on the rio 3100 for a return pump. Still going to research my other options.

Still in the process of researching sump designs.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Cleaned my stand pipe and return PVC. I had to scrape off the residual coralline life from them, I started using a green scouring pad, and ended up scraping them with a butter knife. Not sure if I want to scrape the overflow like that. Is their an easier way to remove that stuff?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

If there is no water in the aquarium, soaking paper towels with vinegar and applying them to the overflow should work.


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## Dawg2012 (May 10, 2012)

I bought stands with my new 125 and 180, and they look identical to yours. I was shocked at the construction - to think nearly a ton is going to sit on those board (not down inside) and everything will be okay. I do mechanical design for a living and I was shocked. But... I also understand forces and loads... and can see the logic. Was just really different than I expected. I'm still not happy about it LOL, but it is apparently a sound design as it's what the company that builds the tank sells - and they know what they're doing.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Deeda said:


> If there is no water in the aquarium, soaking paper towels with vinegar and applying them to the overflow should work.


thanks deeda, im gonna give that a shot, any idea to affixing to verticle surfaces? I dont have a lot of room in the room where the tank is, no place to lay it flat. im thinking ill clothes pin it to the top and figure out something to prop against it to keep contact.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Dawg2012 said:


> I bought stands with my new 125 and 180, and they look identical to yours. I was shocked at the construction - to think nearly a ton is going to sit on those board (not down inside) and everything will be okay. I do mechanical design for a living and I was shocked. But... I also understand forces and loads... and can see the logic. Was just really different than I expected. I'm still not happy about it LOL, but it is apparently a sound design as it's what the company that builds the tank sells - and they know what they're doing.


yeah i took a closer look at my 75 gallon stand and its the same construction, my 110 tall is the frame type covered with particle board. im sure thats because particle board cannot reliable support the weight


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Turns out the paper towel just clung to it, is one thick enough? How long do I leave it on? I'm gonna leave it on overnight and see what happens


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> Turns out the paper towel just clung to it, is one thick enough? How long do I leave it on? I'm gonna leave it on overnight and see what happens


Whenever I clean with vinegar i usually leave it on overnight.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

The clean up went so so, after looking into DIY 3d backgrounds I've decided that I'm going to cover it anyway so I'm not going to worry about the caked on stuff as its not that bad anyway.

I got my baffles cut the other day an unfortunately they were too wide, I didn't get the chance to go back and try to get them altered, and the place is closed on the week ends.

I'm currently running a leak test on the tank an sump, and everything is holding up so far.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I've got everything plumbed up temporarily to test things out. It required me to purchase a 3ft hose, and a 3/4 slip adapter as because my rio 3100 didn't come with one. I may leave it as is. Unless someone could tell me the benefit of plumbing with PVC.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Looking good, im in the process of doing a similar set up, looking at pumps, whats your impression of the Rio? is the flow adjustable at the pump? i dont see a valve on your return line is why i ask.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Pump itself isn't adjustable, while at the plumbing store I was devising ways of adding one, but decided to wait until after I had leak tested the tank.

I don't have much experience with overflows and returns, but my guess is that this pump might be pushing the limits of this overflow. And it is very noisy and bubbly on the sump side. Here's some pics


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Lol thats why im asking, i have no experience with them also, im still trying to figure it out maby it will be quieter when you get your filter material in there, what size is your overflow pipe?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

fusion said:


> Lol thats why im asking, i have no experience with them also, im still trying to figure it out maby it will be quieter when you get your filter material in there, what size is your overflow pipe?


i didnt measure it, my best guess is somewhere around 1-1.5"


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Looks like a 1" to me, if it is thats 600gal/hr max so at say 20"(dont know the height of your tank but mine is 20) its probably down to 350, maby 400, the rio 3100 puts out 500 gal/hr at 6ft head so im sure it will be enough, specs say it comes with flow controle so maby it can be adjusted.

I came up with all that above after a LOT of searching lol but i could be totaly wrong


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

yeah it did come with a flow control valve of some sort, but each end is two different sizes, the pump end is larger, and the exit side is slightly smaller which i couldn't find anything to fit on it, except the duck bill that came with it. so i deduced that flow control is only for use when its set up as a circulation pump. i could be wrong, but nonetheless. im not turning back now. :lol:

I've found this for flow control that im going to order.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/p ... catid=8016










after a little bit of searching i think im going to stick with the flexible tubing, i havent found anything to sway me towards pvc.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

I read that flexible tubing is better than pvc, quieter and dampens any vibration, you way further on with your build than i am so ill be watching your thread to get a better idea of what im doing lol

Good luck with it, looking great so far


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Trying to search for filter sponges has been a pain, the ones I've found don't list their ppi. Going to have to search some more. I am meow considering using a filter sock in the first chamber, it seems easier to swap out socks instead of digging out filter pads. Going to do a little more research first.

I am also intrigued about using a bio ball tower as the first chamber. Going to read more into that too.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

This is what iv come up with, excuse the drawing, very simple, most of the sumps iv seen (the bought type) seem to follow this basic idea

Excuse the drawing


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

The problem I see with That would be the bio balls being submerged up to the point of your highest baffle


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> The problem I see with That would be the bio balls being submerged up to the point of your highest baffle


Yes, its not to scale, the idea is to only have the water covering maby 1/3 of the bio balls, i still need to work on the water levels


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Went to home depot to pick up some supplies. I got a 2'x4'x1" styrofoam sheet,
a sheet of eggcrate
2"x4". 8 foot styrofoam board
24x48 .09 plexiglass 
1 can of drylok
Tube of silicone

I decided to change my sump plans and the pre cut glass baffles will no longer work. I opted to go with plexiglass because it's easier to work with. I got all of my baffles measured and cut and was able to get one side of one baffle siliconed in.









Silicone fail!!


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> I've got everything plumbed up temporarily to test things out. It required me to purchase a 3ft hose, and a 3/4 slip adapter as because my rio 3100 didn't come with one. I may leave it as is. Unless someone could tell me the benefit of plumbing with PVC.


I think the reason why ppl use PVC is that it comes in thicker widths.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Here is the design i settled on,









very similar to koteckn's
30 gallon sump build. I altered it to suspend the bio balls higher and keep them out of the water. The rio+ 3100 requires a pretty high water level to pump, around 4". I allowed for an extra 3" above that while still keeping the bio balls out of the water.

That gives about 2 gallons worth of evaporation before it will start sucking air.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> Here is the design i settled on,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Why is it important to keep the bioballs out of the water?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

clhinds78 said:


> Why is it important to keep the bioballs out of the water?


it may not be all that important, I've found arguments that it is, and arguments that it isn't. I've read that they are more efficient when trickles over and not submerged, and also read that it doesn't matter. I figured I'd go the trickle route, and toss in some ceramic media below it and also have a submerged media.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> clhinds78 said:
> 
> 
> > Why is it important to keep the bioballs out of the water?
> ...


Ok, gotcha. In my canister they, obviously, submerged and i think theyre working ok.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I finished the baffles today and learned a lot of important lessons.

1) cheap masking tape is no bueno. I masked off one baffle with cheap masking tape and it didn't want to let go!!! It ruined the seal and I had to go over it again. So it instantly got ugly

2) cutting open a tube of silicone works for a limited amount of time, and then it gets too funky. Even if you Saran wrap it. Peeling off yesterday's skin worked beautifully, but the wait time between baffles turned out to be too short for a good skin, and too long for it to remain in a good condition. So the first baffle is hideous

As long as its functional I'll be happy.










Stacked Tupperware made perfect spacers


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

OK, I am learning a lot from this thread. So...for all you who have set up sumps what is the purpose of the baffles and what do you make them out of?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Theres probably quite a few people that could do a better job explaining it. On here. Im a true rookie. But Very simply the baffles direct water flow through the sump.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Im a rookie also lol but here is my understanding of it

The baffles are there to seperate the different parts of the sump, so for example the water comes in to the first compartment, maby into a filter sock, it then goes under the first baffle(or over) into the next compartment, maby a sponge filter compartment, then under the next baffle into say the bio balls compartment, from there under the last baffle to the pump compartment where its pumped back to the tank.

Hope that makes sense


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I added some arrows to show how the spaces dictate the water flow.









Damnit I just realized I made the bio balls section 8" instead of 7". No wonder the input chamber ended up being under 4"


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

fusion said:


> Im a rookie also lol but here is my understanding of it
> 
> The baffles are there to seperate the different parts of the sump, so for example the water comes in to the first compartment, maby into a filter sock, it then goes under the first baffle(or over) into the next compartment, maby a sponge filter compartment, then under the next baffle into say the bio balls compartment, from there under the last baffle to the pump compartment where its pumped back to the tank.
> 
> Hope that makes sense


That was kinda long winded 

Think of baffles as the different baskets in a canister filter, they direct the water, thru the sump, cleaning and conditioning it

That was easier, even i understand that lol


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> I added some arrows to show how the spaces dictate the water flow.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OOPs is it gona mess it up or will it be ok? hope its ok.

Been meaning to ask, how many gals of bio balls will you end up with?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Nah itll be fine. I wanted to leave 4". So that I could add a filter sock mount it at a later time if I wanted too, but I'm sure I can easily mod it to mount when the time comes.

As for the bio balls I ordered 2 gallons worth.

That should make the cage roughly 5" high And leave about 2" above the cage to play around with.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

fusion said:


> fusion said:
> 
> 
> > Im a rookie also lol but here is my understanding of it
> ...


No, that was very helpful. That's pretty much what I thought they were. Aren't they usually made from two pieces of plexiglass?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Ah ok, from what iv been reading the general consensus is 1 gal of bio balls to 30 gals of tank water, you think 2 gals will be enough? im not saying your wrong, im just trying to finish the design on my sump and if i can get away with less bio balls i will lol


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I hope that 2 gallons is sufficient. I just went by what it said on the drssmith web site

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=14727

I'm gonna toss in some bio max or something similar in the space below, and maybe it will make up for any deficiencies


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Did a little work with egg crate. Started out using some wire cutters, and nail clippers. And sanding down edges. Eventually I opted for the hitting with screw driver and trimming with dremel method. Not sure if I'm going to go the full cage route, or stick with this. I don't really see the benefit to the full cage.

**** this thing is looking ugly. Aesthetics kind of went out the window with the silicone incident.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> darn this thing is looking ugly. Aesthetics kind of went out the window with the silicone incident.


That's why the sump goes in the tank stand, right?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Looks good to me :thumb:


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

Looks similar to mine... haha

Great work, Ill be following :thumb:


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Koteckn said:


> Looks similar to mine... haha
> 
> Great work, Ill be following :thumb:


It should, it's your design!


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Gluing my support legs on the bio ball baffle. I could have done a better job dremeling the slits for it, good thing gorilla glue expands.










I'm trying to decide if I like this thing that came with the tank. I'm thinking of plumbing a spray bar all the way to the other side of the tank. The precut hole will make it necessary to maybe use 2 45 degree bends? I'm not so sure I have enough room for that.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> I'm trying to decide if I like this thing that came with the tank. I'm thinking of plumbing a spray bar all the way to the other side of the tank. The precut hole will make it necessary to maybe use 2 45 degree bends? I'm not so sure I have enough room for that.


You should. ARe you wanting to angle the spraybar so that its higher than they overflow? A street eblow and standard 45 degree elbow might work.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I'm Trying to decide to use the existing cut out or cut a new one and plug the existing one somehow? I think I'd rather use the existing one than try to rig something to cover it.

Options 1:









Option 2:
Which involves widening the hole. And leaving some I need to cover










I'm also considering a 3rd option of trying to custom bend a PVC pipe


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

With a street elbow you should be able to use the original hole. Street elbows are narrower on one side so that they can fit inside an opening. Connect the street elbow to the outlet and then connect it to either another street elbow or a T connector for the spraybar.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I see where you're coming from. Here's what I envisioned for my spray bar. I may be way off base and it may not be practical but here was my idea of spray bar implementation.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)




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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> I see where you're coming from. Here's what I envisioned for my spray bar. I may be way off base and it may not be practical but here was my idea of spray bar implementation.


You could do it that way. How far would the spraybar be from the surface of the water?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Good question. I'm hoping it's a little submerged.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I got a pkg . It's a day early



















Drip plate template 










And done...










Had to test it out... Good news it flows good enough! And just in case anyone was wondering... Yes it's a horrible idea to only silicone one side of a baffle :/ one of these days I'll learn to have patience.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> Good question. I'm hoping it's a little submerged.


You want it pretty close to the surface of the water so that it creates agitation.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

That's a very good point. I didn't consider that. Thank you!


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Cut a new hole for my spray bar plumbing. Meow I just need to figure out a way to plug the hole










Here's how the bar sits. I'm not sure how I'm going to mount it. Maybe i'll incorporate something into the 3d background










I need to do some calculations on what size holes to drill and how many. I don't really have any idea where to start. Anyone wanna give me an idea?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

You should be able to plug it with a cap and pvc cement.


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## eutimio (Aug 22, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> Cut a new hole for my spray bar plumbing. Meow I just need to figure out a way to plug the hole
> Here's how the bar sits. I'm not sure how I'm going to mount it. Maybe i'll incorporate something into the 3d background
> I need to do some calculations on what size holes to drill and how many. I don't really have any idea where to start. Anyone wanna give me an idea?


How long is the spray bar?i made mine with 1/8" holes with 1.25" between them.My spray bar has 50 inches so depending on how many GPH your pump is gonna push you may drill more or less holes.*** got an FX5 hooked up to it and i get around 600GPH outflow through the spray bar and it does an impressive job on keeping the surface clean.Razorbackfan helped me into this;maybe you wanna ask him more questions in case you havent figured it out yet.Best of luck!


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

eutimio said:


> How long is the spray bar?i made mine with 1/8" holes with 1.25" between them.My spray bar has 50 inches so depending on how many GPH your pump is gonna push you may drill more or less holes.I've got an FX5 hooked up to it and i get around 600GPH outflow through the spray bar and it does an impressive job on keeping the surface clean.Razorbackfan helped me into this;maybe you wanna ask him more questions in case you havent figured it out yet.Best of luck!


Well I got bored while waiting for gorilla glue to dry, so I drilled 17 9/64 holes. I figured I had enough left over PVC to just give that a shot


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I started some work on my 3d background.













































I made the mistake of trying to cut of pieces in the beginning. Very slow and tedious work. Scraping with a knife turned out to be more effective.


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## matt-sheeran (Sep 10, 2012)

may seem like a stupid question but i've always wanted to know what an overflow does and whats the point of 1?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

There is a drain at the bottom of the overflow that allows water to flow into a sump and or wet dry filter. You can keep your heater, filters, etc under your stand. The water is then pumped back into the aquarium via a return line that also goes through the overflow. The height of the overflow box controls the water level in your tank. This also means that the water level in your tank stays constant. Water level changes through evaporation are only evident in the sump.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I am no styrofoam sculptor, I lack the patience and artistic ability. I threw in the towel on that style of background. While suffering from a artistic block I tested out the spray foam because I wasn't sure if it was sticky enough on it's own. Lightbulb moment.

I decided to do the whole background spray foam style. It seemed a little easier to me.










Laid some rock salt over for texture.










On my first couple of applications I think I may have put the salt on too early. As I caught on I waited 5 minutes. It worked a little better, and then 7 minutes seemed to work best. 









I laid down some wax paper to have some overlap over the seam. It was too late to do the same for the overflow box










Can #2.










Got it all done









Hosing it down to dissolve the salt










Finished product





































Obviously if I were to do it again, I'd skip the first experimental work on the tower, make the seam overlap on the tower as well, and lay down some more overhang structure. Also when making the overhangs I would build out more slowly, or maybe do them last so they can be vertical and rest on piles of salt.

Going to let it cure, and then drylok the whole thing. Hopefully not too much of the texture is lost.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Oh, and I'd lose the two square pieces of styrofoam I put on the tower.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Looks great

So dose the spray foam stick to the styro ok?

Why is some of it black and some white?(well yellow)


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

It is very sticky. No problems at all.

Short answer I was learning as I was going.

Long answer:

As for the yellow that was the first can that I intended to use to cover up the gaps in the tower, where the front face attaches to the side.

In playing with it I decided I liked how it worked out, and also read that you must use the whole can in a single use because it can seal itself up. When I went to buy more I found the pond and stone stuff.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Ah ok lol, i saw a thread on another forum where the guy used the spray foam on styro, when he was putting on the drylok, he sprinkled sand and small pebbles on his first few coats to get texture, just a thought for you, seems the drylok is kinda thick and will "fill in" small details.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Hmmm, well I have salt left, maybe I'll try a bit with the drylok.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

First coat of drylok done, I think I want to go darker. Any thoughts?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Maby some dark/light highlights, looking good though.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

fusion said:


> Maby some dark/light highlights, looking good though.












Good lookin out man! I like how it turned out. What do you think?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I like it!


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

> I like it!


+1


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## DIEGO M L R (Sep 21, 2012)

Very nice project, keek up with the photos... lol

cya!


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Thanks guys, yeah I probably should have put a pic heavy warning 

Here's another pic.

I was going to roll the dice and see if I could wedge the background without siliconing it to the glass. But I read some threads with that ending badly. So I siliconed it. Didn't really have a plan to apply pressure before applying so I improvised in a hurry


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Getting closer to fish and still looking good :thumb:


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Thanks, can't wait to get it going. Now I just restarted my curing clock though. What is it for GE 1 silicone? A week?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

I thought it was as soon as you cant smell that vinegar smell anymore but a week sounds good to me, just to be sure


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## Koteckn (May 16, 2012)

no, its normally 24hrs but I waited at least 48 just to be safe.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

My wife is gonna kill me... I went to my lfs today for some bulbs and walked out with another 90 gallon with an overflow. Well... I pick it up wed. I couldn't walk away. 275 bucks brand new


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

PaNiK said:


> My wife is gonna kill me... I went to my lfs today for some bulbs and walked out with another 90 gallon with an overflow. Well... I pick it up wed. I couldn't walk away. 275 bucks brand new


LMAO, iv been warned,NO MORE tanks, nice find for that price, whats the plan for this one?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I think im going to set it up for my burundis. they are in the 75 gallon, I was planning on adding a sump and overflow to that tank, so i think i'll just move them to this one. havent decided whether to keep the 75, or get rid of it.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I've got water in the tank!!!

now im trying to work through the problem of big ass bubbles from the return line blowing water all over my floor 

im looking things up right now on possible fixes... if anyone browsing through here wants to give me a shortcut, feel free


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

From your spraybar?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

oops my bad, I mean the drain valve to the sump. Maybe thats why I cant find anything in google


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

LMAO Is it sucking in air somewhere?


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I think I've narrowed down the problem. Why would someone do this?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Yep, that would do it, i guess they didnt like the Durso for some reason, strange


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

well their solution sucks! lol, i plug the holes with my fingers and the bubbles stop, so now i have to plug these holes somehow. more waiting time for silicone to cure i guess.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

i plugged the holes and i cant get this thing to run without burping and flushing at full flow. very annoying.

this has me puzzled:

Standpipe Air Hole

A very small, as small as I could make it (thickness of a toothpick), hole is drilled in the top of the End-Cap fitting. This allows some air to enter into the standpipe. This size air hole worked well for my setup, you will likely need to tinker with it. I would suggest starting with a 1/16 inch drill bit for the air hole in the End-Cap. If you find the water level in the chamber fluctuates quickly then the standpipe needs to suck in more air. Try a 5/64 inch drill bit to make the hole slightly larger - increasing the size if needed. Do not be surprised if you need to go as large as ¼ inch with the hole size. ****The lower the flow rate between display tank and sump the larger the hole size needed. ****

this doesnt make any sense to me. At low flow it works fine, but at full flow it fluctuates quickly. so is my hole size too small? or is it too big?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Sounds too small to me,Do as he says and drill another 1/16" hole and see how that works, this way you will have 2 x 1/16" holes and can plug 1 if needed, mess with it, easy to put another cap on if you mess it up.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

only it doesnt have a cap...


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Ah ok, is that an adjustable knob on top? if not drill it anyway, you can always plug it if that dont work


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

i wish, its just a nipple.

no dice, it fixed the fluctations, but still gurgles that a SOB. i may just try to build one from scratch. i think thats why the previous owner had the 3 big holes in it. from what *** seen it should not be necessary


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## somefish (Sep 2, 2012)

I think you need to plug the lower holes - The water is ONLY supposed to enter the bottom of the elbow , through the screen .
The standpipe is sized so the top of your cap IS about even with the top of the overflow, right ? If not , it should be .

Drill the top of the cap , just big enough to tightly stuff a piece of airline tubing in it . If you over drill , a little silicone sealant will fix it .
Put an AIR VALVE in the end of the piece of tubing - Adjust the air flow , until the water level in the overflow is about 1/2 way up the horizontal neck of the elbow .
The mouth of the elbow should always be submerged .

I've used Durso type stand pipes for many years , and you can tune them to be VERY quiet this way .
I just installed one in my new/used 90 w. corner overflow , and I have to put my ear up to the tank to hear it .
The only noise is a little gurgle , from the water flowing over the weir .

Tom


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Easy to build one, just remember use thin wall pipe if you can find it, i had use undersink pipe and fittings because all the others they had were sch 40


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## somefish (Sep 2, 2012)

fusion said:


> Easy to build one, just remember use thin wall pipe if you can find it, i had use undersink pipe and fittings because all the others they had were sch 40


A good source for the thin-wall pipe is IRRIGATION (lawn sprinkler) pipe - Just the thing :~)

Tom


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

Well it's partially cycled, I had to break down the 110 earlier than I thought, someone is coming to get it tomorrow. I think it turned out ok, not sure about the lace rock, I'll give it time and see if it grows on me.

My sump is full of media bags with my substrate from the 110, I plan on tossing the u4 in there once I don't need them anymore.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

What lights are you running? Looks really blue on camera.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

48in t8. 1 actinic and one 10k.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Thats a lot of rock but looking good :thumb:


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

fusion said:


> Thats a lot of rock but looking good :thumb:


A mbuna apartment complex 

Otherwise the tallness of the tank is a waste.

At least that's what I tell myself


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I'm starting to think the tank is a little too blue, can anyone give me some recommendations? Should I swap the 10K for something whiter? or keep the 10K and swap the actinic for for a 6500K or 50/50?


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## austings (May 12, 2012)

Actinic help grow algae dont they? Or am I backwards? I would personally switch the 10k for something whiter. Maybe a 14K?

I think 6500K makes it too yellow. I tried one and took it off about 10 minutes later. *** heard good things about 50/50 bulbs.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

PaNiK said:


> I'm starting to think the tank is a little too blue, can anyone give me some recommendations? Should I swap the 10K for something whiter? or keep the 10K and swap the actinic for for a 6500K or 50/50?


I would swap the actinic with a 50/50 bulb or even a powerglo.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

austings said:


> Actinic help grow algae dont they? Or am I backwards? I would personally switch the 10k for something whiter. Maybe a 14K?
> 
> I think 6500K makes it too yellow. I tried one and took it off about 10 minutes later. I've heard good things about 50/50 bulbs.


Correct....it can encourage algae growth. All the 50/50 bulbs I have used were 12000k. I think a powerglo is 18000k.


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