My reef-pi build freshwater style!

[Mikeneedsahobby]

I’m running a herbie on my salt tank. It’s mostly quiet. I run a small amount of water through the emergency so it stays stable.
I don’t know anything about the hob.

 

[Bigtrout]

Posted this question on the equipment forum as well. Comments say my plan is good.
Id love to drill the tank but I think with careful planning and perhaps a level sensor in the main tank thru reef-pi as a return pump shutoff will make the install carefree as it gets with HOB overflow

 

[Bigtrout]

Must have been a good boy, now I have a dcp-6500 return pump and a pf-1200 eshoppes hob overflow. Along with the 40 beeeder sump I built last fall I have all the major pieces to convert over to a sump. My 1" gate valve for tuning the herbie arrived yesterday.
Step one, put a nice 3/4 plywood floor in my stand. It was built with a big sump in mind so the 40b will fit right in, but with plumbimg in mind in going to add 3 inches of 2x4 onto the back so the sump can sit 3 inches farther back than the main tank. This makes all plumbing a straight shot down, avoiding unnecessary 90s.
Step 2. Go to the orange or blue big box and get a bunch of 1 inch pipe and fittings.
Step 3. Get rid of 2 canisters(saving the biomedia to seed the sump) keeping the big sun sun 304 in operation while I do the switchover.

Any plumbing advice?

 

[crusso1993]

I was MIA for a spell and recently came back. Missed a lot of updates/changes in reef pi.

Looks like you're moving right along with your tank and I'm sure everything is healthy!

I'm sure you're planning on using a regular union on the intake and gate valve union on the return. If not, you may want to add those as it makes taking everything apart for cleaning/changes down the road. Oh, and are you going with an over-the-rim return line?

 

[Bigtrout]

I was MIA for a spell and recently came back. Missed a lot of updates/changes in reef pi.

Looks like you're moving right along with your tank and I'm sure everything is healthy!

I'm sure you're planning on using a regular union on the intake and gate valve union on the return. If not, you may want to add those as it makes taking everything apart for cleaning/changes down the road. Oh, and are you going with an over-the-rim return line?

I have unions planned strategically. No stranger to running pipe only most of mine get wires in them. My drain and emergency drain will.be 1" because thats what the HOB overflow bulkheads are. Im running 1.25 for the pump return for the sake of efficiency. Im going over the rim and probably into a homemade 12" spray bar with large (3/8) holes to distribute the output enough that im not blowing plants and sand around. But if I can make it work may go single outlet. Putting a true union ball valve here as a shutoff.
My flow will be adjusted with dc pump speed and a gate valve on the herbie drain.

My plan is to measure and glue everything up and let the glue dry overnight then change out everything.

 

[Bigtrout]

Couldnt help myself...29 bux was too cheap so a wyze pan cam found its way into my house.
Id like to set it up so I can stream my aquarium!

Anybody know a way to get both my reef pi info and the wyze stream onto a web based dashboard?

 

[Ranjib]

Couldnt help myself...29 bux was too cheap so a wyze pan cam found its way into my house.
Id like to set it up so I can stream my aquarium!

Anybody know a way to get both my reef pi info and the wyze stream onto a web based dashboard?

Not easily, Wyze does not allow rtsp protocol, which is used by motion , the software reef-pi uses for streaming underneath

 

[Bigtrout]

Today may be the big day. Pending nothing else to do, im going to change my 3 canisters over to the 40 breeder sump!

 

[crusso1993]

Today may be the big day. Pending nothing else to do, im going to change my 3 canisters over to the 40 breeder sump!

Exciting happenings! Please take pictures as you go.

 

[Bigtrout]

Well, life got in the way yesterday. I did manage to get the overflow box put together.

Today wouldnt allow me enough time to do the switchover to sump but I was able to get one big important thing done. I was able to get a few additional framing members into the bottom of my stand. I added some framing so that the 40 breeder sits 3 inches back from the 75 gallon. This will allow me to eliminate using 90 bends to get into my sump with drains and return piping.

Then I cut my plywood floor, shimmed and leveled it so that the sump tank sits perfectly.
I had some vinyl tiles laying around so I covered the plywood with vinyl flooring. I wont bore anyone with the framing pics but here is a pic of the finished floor ready for sump install next saturday. Meanwhile now that I know exactly where the sump will sit. I can measure and build all my piping during the week and be ready for install next weekend.

 

[Ranjib]

Well, life got in the way yesterday. I did manage to get the overflow box put together.

Today wouldnt allow me enough time to do the switchover to sump but I was able to get one big important thing done. I was able to get a few additional framing members into the bottom of my stand. I added some framing so that the 40 breeder sits 3 inches back from the 75 gallon. This will allow me to eliminate using 90 bends to get into my sump with drains and return piping.

Then I cut my plywood floor, shimmed and leveled it so that the sump tank sits perfectly.
I had some vinyl tiles laying around so I covered the plywood with vinyl flooring. I wont bore anyone with the framing pics but here is a pic of the finished floor ready for sump install next saturday. Meanwhile now that I know exactly where the sump will sit. I can measure and build all my piping during the week and be ready for install next weekend.

It’s progressing slowly and steadily

 

[Bigtrout]

It’s progressing slowly and steadily

I cant wait...but i wanna do the switchover on the weekend so im home for a few days to watch everything.
It will be so nice to hide my heaters, ph probe and temp sensors. One temp sensor is going in the overflow box, and one in the sump. Maintenance will be much easier. Right now 2 sunsun 302's and a sunsun 304 are a pain to clean because in winter they have to be done in the tub.

So a bit about my sump:
Its a 40 breeder with a simple 3 chamber design.
Water will enter and flow thru a 3 inch thick 10ppi poret foam wall, then thru a 20ppi poret foam wall. These will offer mechanical filtration and support biological as well. These are easily removed for rinsing. After that water flows up thru a 4 inch channel and over into the middle section. I can place all the ceramic media from my canisters in mech bags in this channel.
The middle section is reserved for future use but may become a plant nursery growing emerged plants like lucky bamboo or something similar rooted in the water to use up nitrates.
Water then flows up thru a 3 inch channel and over into the return pump section. I will place an additional 10ppi block in the channel to trap anything from getting into the return section.

My plan is to have 500-600gph of flow thru the sump.

 

[Bigtrout]

Tomorrow is SUMP DAY!

Got my pvc all glued up...lots of unions!

My pf-1200 overflow will be set up like a herbie because it is dual drain. I will only use one u tube because im shooting for 500 gph give or take.
So there is a gate valve on one of the drains...the other is just an emergency drain.

My return will go up over the top and I put a full union ball valve on it just beacuse...shouldnt need it with a dc variable speed pump..

I have everything measured out, cut and glued except the last straight pieces into the sump. These have to be accurate. As I understand the herbie drain needs to be under the surface of sump by less than 1 inch and of course the return pump connection needs to be cut and measured accurately.

Note the blue rain or shine pvc glue is too frikin messy and sets too

fast to line stuff up...switched to regular clear pvc glue so i could get the 45 offsets straight.

Next up cut herbie standpipes for the overflow box.

Heres a pic of my plumbing. Its just hanging there to dry overnight...more pics once the sump goes in tomorrow.

 

[Bigtrout]

Look what was delivered today!!!

Such a thoughtful wife, I think I may keep her!. This is just in time for the new sump. Since I dont have to mix saltwater, I can just put in prime and fill...this will save me from lugging buckets and let me clean the sump too!

 

[Bigtrout]

SUMP DAY!!!

PROGRESS SO FAR:

I have removed all my canisters, shut down reef pi and cleared out underneath my stand

First up attach pipe hangers to the back of the stand. These snap tees fit perfect. Drilled them and countersunk the screwheads so they dont touch the pipe wall when its snapped in

Mounted my overflow box and over the rim return pipe and got everything into the hangers with unions where i can get to them under the stand

Test fitting my premade lower piping and measuring for the final straight pvc pieces to the return pump and the drains

This is getting exciting now! And a lil scary never ran a sump before!

 

[crusso1993]

SUMP DAY!!!

PROGRESS SO FAR:

I have removed all my canisters, shut down reef pi and cleared out underneath my stand

First up attach pipe hangers to the back of the stand. These snap tees fit perfect. Drilled them and countersunk the screwheads so they dont touch the pipe wall when its snapped in

Mounted my overflow box and over the rim return pipe and got everything into the hangers with unions where i can get to them under the stand

Test fitting my premade lower piping and measuring for the final straight pvc pieces to the return pump and the drains

This is getting exciting now! And a lil scary never ran a sump before!

Was thinking about you and how it was going this morning. Then BOOM! You post pics.

Coming along nicely!

 

[Bigtrout]

Was thinking about you and how it was going this morning. Then BOOM! You post pics.

Coming along nicely!

Just waiting for final connections pvc to dry enough to fill up the sump...

 

[Bigtrout]

Sump filled...testing stuff now...standpipe lengths...will emergency pipe handle all flow when herbie drain blocks. Etc. All i can say is wow why didnt I do a sump sooner.

 

[Bigtrout]

Woohoo took some standpipe tuning but....complete and utter silence...didnt realize how loud my 3 canisters really were. I couldnt get the herbie silent and tuned right on one U tube so put them both in...i am getting enough flow to push all bubbles thru both. Estimated flow at 65 percent by water levels over weirs around 700 gph. Which matched my foot ofnhead calculations on the pump curve.

Also tested and marked sump min and max water levels running and at rest.

Tested these failure points as well.
No leaks!
Herbie drain on hob blocks...emergency will handle it all.
One u tube blocks... one u tube will handle it but will be noisy when herbie goes outta tune.
Power failure.. can not overflow my sump
Full hob failure...max return chamber water level set so my display wont overflow.

Dont need any float switches cause dcp-6500 errors out when sucking air and shuts off!!!

Any other failure points i missed??

650 gph is very nice flow thru the tank...more than a sunsun 304 a sunsun 302 and a marineland c220 combined and in only pulling 26 watts!!!

Have to go out to dinner with my wife but confident I wont flood.

Tomorrow ill remount reef pi in the cabinet and make a strainer for the herbie drain and perhaps put eggcrate in the weir to keep fish out.
Also need to pull all my ceramic media from the canisters rinse and bag to throw in the sump in the upflow chamber after my poret wall.

 

[Bigtrout]

Lol with the wind overnight I had several power outtages. Nothing like a real world test on the new sump install!!!

The silence is golden and wife approved...no canisters humming. Today will be finalizing...heaters moved out of dusplay. Biomedia removed from canisters and put in sump. Mounting reef pi box again and relabeling equipment outlets and temp sensors.

And last but not least, putting 2 canisters on craigslist to sell, giving one away to neightbor kid who I help with his aquarium habit when I can. Money from the sale will be used to buy a spare return pump.