Hello everyone. I've been a lurker for awhile and just joined up today. I have a unique situation and was wondering if I could ask a couple questions..
I have been in the aquarium game for about a year, but I've always used a freshwater tank with a canister filter. I recently found a deal on facebook marketplace that I couldn't turn down.. so, first thing I had to rent a u-haul van to get the equipment home. I got a 180 gallon tank, a 40 gallon breeder sump and a decent stand to hold it all, and the entire deal only set me back $190.00 (minus the van fee).
This tank is a reef ready tank that has all the holes on the back piece of glass. There are three holes just left of middle for the overflow and two more holes on the far ends of the back for returns. I have been watching many youtube videos and reading a lot on this forum about how to set up the overflow and sump. It's pretty obvious how to do the return, but the overflow has me scratching my head a little bit. I still plan to use this big tank for freshwater, and it is going to be a mega-mansion for my two diamondback terrapin turtles. Being as though the tank is 3 feet tall, I figured that I could keep about 2/3rds of the tank full, and still be able to keep a basking area inside the tank (just a dry landing spot with heat lamp and UVB bulb).
The main question I have, is all the videos and info that I've read shows the siphon system right at where the bulk heads go through the tank. Am I going to run into any issues if I come into the tank from the bulkhead and run PVC downward so that I leave the top 1/3rd or maybe a little less empty? All the systems I've seen come in the bulkhead and do a 90 degree elbow and are cut off right there. Am I going to have issues if I were to run say 6-9" down from the bulkhead? So technically the water would be pulled UP to the bulkhead, then through the glass and down to the sump. I didn't see any examples of that (rightfully so, most times the overflow is set to have a full tank).
Any tips, tricks, or advice and I would be extremely grateful.
Thank you.
Chris
Pine Island, Minnesota
I have been in the aquarium game for about a year, but I've always used a freshwater tank with a canister filter. I recently found a deal on facebook marketplace that I couldn't turn down.. so, first thing I had to rent a u-haul van to get the equipment home. I got a 180 gallon tank, a 40 gallon breeder sump and a decent stand to hold it all, and the entire deal only set me back $190.00 (minus the van fee).
This tank is a reef ready tank that has all the holes on the back piece of glass. There are three holes just left of middle for the overflow and two more holes on the far ends of the back for returns. I have been watching many youtube videos and reading a lot on this forum about how to set up the overflow and sump. It's pretty obvious how to do the return, but the overflow has me scratching my head a little bit. I still plan to use this big tank for freshwater, and it is going to be a mega-mansion for my two diamondback terrapin turtles. Being as though the tank is 3 feet tall, I figured that I could keep about 2/3rds of the tank full, and still be able to keep a basking area inside the tank (just a dry landing spot with heat lamp and UVB bulb).
The main question I have, is all the videos and info that I've read shows the siphon system right at where the bulk heads go through the tank. Am I going to run into any issues if I come into the tank from the bulkhead and run PVC downward so that I leave the top 1/3rd or maybe a little less empty? All the systems I've seen come in the bulkhead and do a 90 degree elbow and are cut off right there. Am I going to have issues if I were to run say 6-9" down from the bulkhead? So technically the water would be pulled UP to the bulkhead, then through the glass and down to the sump. I didn't see any examples of that (rightfully so, most times the overflow is set to have a full tank).
Any tips, tricks, or advice and I would be extremely grateful.
Thank you.
Chris
Pine Island, Minnesota
