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For me, it's about access to the bulkheads. If you have to get at them from under the tank... then internal is better. If you have space behind the tank, then external is easier to work with.
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For me, it's about access to the bulkheads. If you have to get at them from under the tank... then internal is better. If you have space behind the tank, then external is easier to work with.
Space behind as in no wall behind right? Yeah it's going to be against a wall with no fish room behind. Maybe I should have a foot or so gap so I can get in there if I need to?
Just remember if you have to snorkel to calculate for the displaced water by your body hanging in the tank. Otherwise the surge will hit your floor and furniture!
I built two 16' x 3' x 4' acrylic tanks for a customer and maintained them for over a year until I could hand off to a local fish store. I was able to walk across the top of the tanks for maintenance and used an assistant to help spot the areas needed for cleaning. I only got in the tanks as we built the live rock scape and the filled it. Never wanted to take the risk of actually swimming in the tanks so we used the over head cat walk approach. HQI metal halide lights at the time had ability to manually raise the lights for cleaning. You could not get the proper thickness of acrylic in the Northwest for these tanks today. 2" thick panels is what the engineering called for at the time so the water depth was actually 42" or so. 1.5"tops and bottom panels.
Just curious how thick was the face and end panels? And the top and bottom panels for the acrylic? I would not put a glass tank that size in my home....ever! Number one I can build any acrylic I want! #2 I have seen several glass tanks let go in front of me... (no I did not build them).
Awesome build you have going. Have you considered floor drains and catch basins just in case?
Just go a couple feet more in each direction and buy a scuba tankI was planning on investing in some grabber tools and step stools... I'm 6'2 so figured I'd be able to get at least halfway before donning a snorkel... Also, it will help that I will be able to access from both sides since it will be between rooms was my thought.
1. UV can be plumbed outside the sump, you will need a big one and might just have it lying down like a torpedo next to the sump for easy maintenance.
There should be plenty of space to do that underneath or even to either side as it will be enclosed. Would it basically just need a feed pump from the sump and return line back to the sump return chamber?
2. make sure to install anti siphon check valves on your returns. Also, like Lemon said - have a plan for the sump to suck up the water when your return pump goes off. If that involves dumping the water down a drain... make sure that you have a plan to replace that water quickly and safely.
Maybe running a drain line outside would be best? I do not think I can put a drain in the floor since it is the concrete foundation slab.
3. yes... I would put a bubble trap on both sides of the return chamber of your sump
I thought the bubble tower traps are supposed to go on your drain lines from the overflow?
4. I like your thought process for mechanical filtration. There is another reefer that made a sand filter somehow to strain the water and clarify it... without actually removing stuff from the tank. Right now... with roller mats, my nitrates and phos are too low. I am diverting some of the flow to filter socks - and not changing them. I am not familiar with using a bubble tower (other than a skimmer).
Yes I figured a removable sleeve of rock rubble that has to be rinsed every now and again would be less maintenance than filter socks/roller mats if designed right.
5. Do you have room for a skimmer??
Yes, the plan is to install one of the big Reef Octopus skimmers.
Just go a couple feet more in each direction and buy a scuba tank
One thing I might add is how thick is your glass? When I was looking at thick acrylic for a 10' x 4' x 4' tank most maxed out at 1" and I was looking at 1.5" acrylic minimum and one source saying 2". Tried to read through and see if thickness was mentioned but didn't see it.
1. UV can be plumbed outside the sump, you will need a big one and might just have it lying down like a torpedo next to the sump for easy maintenance.
There should be plenty of space to do that underneath or even to either side as it will be enclosed. Would it basically just need a feed pump from the sump and return line back to the sump return chamber?
Yes, that is all you need. Mine is 70 inches long, making sure you can pull the bulb out without making a mess is the tricky part.
2. make sure to install anti siphon check valves on your returns. Also, like Lemon said - have a plan for the sump to suck up the water when your return pump goes off. If that involves dumping the water down a drain... make sure that you have a plan to replace that water quickly and safely.
Maybe running a drain line outside would be best? I do not think I can put a drain in the floor since it is the concrete foundation slab.
A tray and drain outside to save the house is a good plan. Just don't rely on it to handle unattended pump shut downs or skimmer overflows. See the demise of Steve Weast's tank.
3. yes... I would put a bubble trap on both sides of the return chamber of your sump
I thought the bubble tower traps are supposed to go on your drain lines from the overflow?
I was talking about the baffles... you have a three baffle bubble trap between your refugium and the pump chamber in your sump... but just one baffle on the other side... between the equipment section of your sump and the pump chamber.
4. I like your thought process for mechanical filtration. There is another reefer that made a sand filter somehow to strain the water and clarify it... without actually removing stuff from the tank. Right now... with roller mats, my nitrates and phos are too low. I am diverting some of the flow to filter socks - and not changing them. I am not familiar with using a bubble tower (other than a skimmer).
Yes I figured a removable sleeve of rock rubble that has to be rinsed every now and again would be less maintenance than filter socks/roller mats if designed right.
5. Do you have room for a skimmer??
Yes, the plan is to install one of the big Reef Octopus skimmers.