Is your sump glass? Silicone does not adhere to plexiglass very well. If you have a glass sump you are better off using glass plates if possible. If your sump is made from acrylic you will want to go a different route. You can use plexiglass baffles in a glass tank but you may need to use A LOT of silicone and will want to add some reinforcement.
Pictures of those valves? If those are the regular ball valves, good luck. Those get deposits on them on the inside and they can be really hard to turn. Better to use good True Union ball valves.
Hello,
@Fin here are some pics of how I have the sump set with the new pads. Here are some pictures of the valves that I currently have installed. One moves just fine the other moves about a 1/4 turn. But then will go back, straight up and down. Most have said it’s the salt Crete and that if I move it back and forth it will break it free.
Biggest problems is honestly I don’t have the strength to break it loose on my own. So can I place like a screw driver between the notches on the red handle for more leverage. I’m just worried I may break the piping and or the ball valve itself. I was told that brass ball valves are the best but usually run about 160-200 each. But, didn’t think I could use them on a saltwater tank.
I also have found there is no way I can modify my sump. I can’t tske it out so there goes that idea. I have as going to add more glass baffles so I could add more fiber pads. However, I can’t make the space any smaller because my 2x300 watt heaters won’t fit. They are already at an angle and I have two uv sterilizers also in there.
With this limited sump I can only place a phosphate pad and carbon pad with a micro fiber pad behind those two. Then a second microfiber pad that will sit in the sump baffle before the return pumps. I was going to place one down in that chamber but the returns usually suck it under them. Not sure if I can place a pad all the way in there and then another on top. But if I can the return pumps would be sitting directly on top of them. Plus I can’t filter too much more because I am between 2-5ppm on nitrates and .025 on phosphates.
The water is crystal clear but I have found that keeping these pads in place has also helped reduce the cyano when I had some. I normally use the turkey squirter and knock it loose then it gets filtered into the socks. If it makes it out then the other pads catch it. With this setup I find myself having to spray them weekly and usually replaced once a month or every 6 weeks.
I use to have some really nice hang on the back canister filters that could do micro filter and or carbon. Wish I had both of them back because I would add them in to polish the water more.
@JoshH lol trying being me, let’s see I left that 20cc of morphine where again lol (never done that but lost my car Keys way too many times.
@crusso1993 not sure I added pics not sure I know the difference lol.
@Sarah24! Yeah, those are the ones I figured you had. Mineral deposits form on the inside of those and interfere with the ball rotating inside. As mentioned above DO NOT USE BRASS. Brass is an alloy which contains COPPER. If you can't move your sump, then I wouldn't worry about that valve.
Use gate valves like shown above to make fine adjustments to your flow rate, like tuning a siphon drain on a Bean Animal style overflow. A good quality Tru-Union valve allows for quick opening and closing, which the gate valve doesn't do. It takes numerous turns to shut flow off completely. No something you want if you need to shut off in a hurry. A good tru-union valve can also be easily removed from the system and comes apart for deep cleaning. I would suggest you use these on the big tank where you need to be able to shut off the flow. Use gate valves where you need to adjust flow rate, like from a manifold to adjust flow through reactors, or tuning a siphon drain. Bulk Reef Supply Cepex Valves
It just seems like you should be able to get a 40B out from under a 240 gallon tank. Personally, I would move toward media reactors and not add anything.
Hello,
@Fin I’m thinking the same as you on my 40 breeder. The problem is they have support braves that’s holding the main tank. I don’t think I can remove any of these long enough to move the tank out.
When I installed it, the only way we could get it in was through the top of the stand. Even then the top support brace we had to remove. Even if I undo the plumbing, drain the tank (sump) I would have to remove an entire side panel to do so. Those panels are also what supports the main support brace of the 240. The are not attached such as a panel or a wood fence. If they are notched to fit between the upper and lower support beams. So taking these out would critically compromise its integrity.
With that it have to be micro filter pads, filter socks, and what ever media I need. With that said I will have it where I can slide any sump out the side on my new one once I’m to that point. I will have to Make do with what I have and just improve that design. Didn’t realize how long some 300 watt heaters are. Even now one is at an angle in order for it to fit in there. But this gives me the chance to be more creative .
