17.1 Mr Aqua Bedroom Tank w/Planar Overflow

DurocShark · Oct 11, 2015

Cut the notches and peeled off the paper. I thought I had some glue somewhere, but can't find it. So can't glue the cap on until I get some next week.

Unnecessary for getting it started though.

I can fill it and roll...

I'm debating whether I care if there are partitions in the sump. Since I'm not doing a refugium, there's no reason I can think of that I would need them.

dorky · Oct 11, 2015

nice i like the idea keep up wit the the progress

Fin · Oct 11, 2015

Now that's different. Can't really make out what all is going on from the pictures. Not sure how the return will be set up. Following to see how this works out.

DurocShark · Oct 11, 2015

Fin said:
Now that's different. Can't really make out what all is going on from the pictures. Not sure how the return will be set up. Following to see how this works out.

3 sections... Left is the overflow. Center is emergency overflow. Right is return. I use the term "planar" because the gap between the glass that the water flows down is only 3/32". So the water forms a flat sheet down the overflow into the weir. That weir is on the bottom (the dogleg section) with the 3 bulkheads.

Does that help any?

I just added some more pipe to the emergency overflow. That trickle that goes down it makes a heck of a racket. So I extended down below the water line in the sump like the primary. Blessed silence.

melypr1985 · Oct 11, 2015

I would think the only reason to make any partitions in your sump would be to trap bubbles from the skimmer. Are you running a skimmer? If so then it may be prudent to at least create a bubble trap for that. Just a thought

DurocShark · Oct 11, 2015

Good point. I do want a skimmer. Hmmm...

Anyway, there's salt water in there and it's running.

DurocShark · Oct 12, 2015

Bah. Getting surge flushing on the overflow. I was hoping a full siphon would take care of this, guess not. I'll have to raise the output above the water level.

DurocShark · Oct 12, 2015

The flushing wasn't from the main overflow. It was being caused by the emergency overflow. When I put the end deep in the water, the trickle would build up slowly then flush, causing water level changes in the tank, causing the main overflow to flush as well. I raised the emergency to just at the water level and everything is better.

clownfitch · Oct 12, 2015

Man I would want my sump to be able to handle the volume of the DT in the event that the silicone fails or glass cracks on the over flow. Very innovative idea though. Good luck!

DurocShark · Oct 12, 2015

clownfitch said:
Man I would want my sump to be able to handle the volume of the DT in the event that the silicone fails or glass cracks on the over flow. Very innovative idea though. Good luck!

Thanks.

Look at it this way... Our tanks (the glass ones anyway) have been held together with silicone for many decades now. If silicone was going to be a problem, we would still be using steel framed tanks. The glass I used is far thicker than the tank glass. I have so little weight on the glass around the bulkheads due to the thick glass holding up the weight of the tank water that the tank is now LESS likely to fail due to glass cracking.

I'm not worried about the construction of the tank at all.

Fin · Oct 12, 2015

I guess I still haven't figured out the return. There doesn't appear to be any plumbing, other than the PVC underneath the tank. Does the return water just rise up from the bottom bulkhead and overflow back into the tank from inside the overflow?

DurocShark · Oct 12, 2015

Yep.

Fin · Oct 12, 2015

I think it is a pretty neat design. Following along to watch it come to life.

melypr1985 · Oct 12, 2015

DurocShark said:
Yep.

OOOHHHH! I get it now!!

DurocShark · Nov 7, 2015

Terrible picture, but reinforced the stand and mounted my DJ switch.

DurocShark · Nov 24, 2015

Finally started the cycle:

DurocShark · Nov 30, 2015

I just can't get the stupid ball valve to be precise enough to make this silent. I think I'm going to need to buy a gate valve online. I can't find any local. I even tried my favorite fish store who has a whole giant rack of plumbing parts.

DurocShark · Jan 3, 2016

Man, I haven't updated this in a while...

Replaced the ball valve with a gate valve. Did the ghost feeding thing, and there's no ammonia or nitrite, and nitrate was at 5ppm. Did a 50% water change last week, and today added the first resident: