[scubadude]

Originally Posted by charlie

Top off unit?????????????????? How about a surge device!!!

well I was thinking about letting the solids settle out so they wouldnt get dumped into the tank....but still saturated into the water column

Wait a second...he can sell the coffemaker for sure now...we could design the toilet to be topoff, surge, and coffeemaker all in one. Course this requires someone to design with tenacity....hmmm that requires someone that has atleast put together a 300g

[SouthBayPhoto]

Originally Posted by scubadude

Funny too! The heck w/it I say sell the toilet! or use it as your top off unit

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!! That'll save me some money.

Okay, coffee maker is up for sale...what else?

Yes, the rest of the plumbing is fairly hidden. I mean, you can see it in the back of the tank if you walk to the side of the tank, but you can't see it "through" the tank. You only see the "up and over" return lines. If I paint those black, then you won't see anything in the tank (hypothetically speaking), but if you walk to the back of the tank (facing the kitchen), then you would see the rest of the white PVC...but then again, who cares about that? And I'll just :slap: anyone that tries to walk back there.

I'm hoping to have good growth all over, so I can see the differences in the pics. One of my friends at work asked me why I took a pic of the sump with just water in it. I started laughing. I said, "Hopefully you'll see why I did it later on."

[charlie]

Originally Posted by scubadude

well I was thinking about letting the solids settle out so they wouldnt get dumped into the tank....but still saturated into the water column

Wait a second...he can sell the coffemaker for sure now...we could design the toilet to be topoff, surge, and coffeemaker all in one. Course this requires someone to design with tenacity....hmmm that requires someone that has atleast put together a 300g

I have drank alot of bad coffee in my years, but I ain't gonna drink coffee made in a toilet bowl. No, not, never!!!!

[SouthBayPhoto]

Ya, ya...that's what they alllll say until it's, "Well...it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

[SouthBayPhoto]

You gotta be f'in' kidding me!!!!

I've called 17...yessss, SEVENTEEN friggin' stores to find Krylon Fusion in flat black and NO ONE has it.

This is one reason why I hate Las Vegas. No one here carries anything special or whatever. This totally sucks.

All anyone has is gloss black or gloss white. I'm almost thinkin' I'm just going to buy the gloss black and be done with it. Won't be exactly what I want, but I guess the returns will still blend in better than the white PVC does.

Man I'm so friggin' irritated!!!!!! There aren't enough mean/mad smileys to cover my anger right now!

[charlie]

Order it off the net and have them Fed Ex it.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Ya, I just might be doing that. Finally found a store that said they had it. I said the name again to verify. "Yup, we have it here, how many cans do you want?". I was like, cool. Of course it's NO WHERE NEAR my house, but it'll be worth the drive.

Drive alllllll the way there and ask the guy I was on the phone with for the Krylon Fusion. He goes in the back...comes back out and starts to say, "Oh, sorry, it's actually semi-gloss." I thought really quick...Fusion doesn't come in semi-gloss....

As just as I'm about to say that, he hands me two cans of REGULAR semi-gloss paint (not Fusion). :slap: I even said to him, "This doesn't say Fusion on it anywhere!". Response...."Oh, well it was in the spot the Fusion is supposed to be, so I thought it was it."

Ohhhhh, I was ticked!!!! I mean, come on...it's a simple friggin process. Someone asks you for something, you go and read the label to see if it's EXACTLY what they asked for.

So, I left for home pouting the entire drive. LOL

So, I'm here on Sunday night, no paint and nothing changed since last night. Daaaamn Sherwin-Williams!!!!!!

[SouthBayPhoto]

Except for the shiny aesthetics, is there any reason I wouldn't be able to use the gloss black (instead of flat black) Krylon Fusion paint on my return lines?

I just hate to do it and find out there was a reason not to use it (like coralline algae won't stick to the gloss black finish or something).

Thanks!

[charlie]

I would be more worried about what is in it!!!! I really don't know if it is safe or not.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Oh ya...here is an update. I added (no pic) a coupling to the 1 1/4" drain pipe that goes into the sump so that it clears the waterline a little bit better. I also placed fiberglass window screen on egg crate so that any little critters that are in the drain area won't go to the return area.

I was able to stop the system and move the sump to place the egg crate/screen combo in. HOWEVER...like an idiot, I ended up spilling a little water and some dripping from the above drain bulkhead put some water UNDER the sump and onto the wood stand. UGGGHHH! :slap:

I'm draining the entire system next weekend anyway since it's just freshwater and I did it as a "leak test" only. Then, I'll be able to remove the sump, wipe up the water and let it thoroughly dry prior to putting the sump back into place.

Full shot of the egg crate/screen setup in the sump:


Closer shot of the screen on the egg crate. Held on with "aquarium safe" 100% silicone around the entire edge:


Now I just have to figure out if I can use the "gloss black" Fusion paint to paint the return tubes. Either that or suck it up and try and order the flat black from somewhere and wait for it to come in. Did I mention that I'm not very good at waiting for stuff?

[SouthBayPhoto]

Originally Posted by charlie

I would be more worried about what is in it!!!! I really don't know if it is safe or not.

Charlie,

Supposedly there have been a few people here that have used the flat black Krylon Fusion paint in their tanks because it's made to stick to plastic/PVC/foam, etc...

I believe Samper has even used it in his. Now, I don't know if people have done it for "long term" and/or if there are any detrimental effects by using it a long time.

I just figured that if it was safe and I could "blend in" the PVC returns with the black background/overflow, that it would great. If not, then that's fine too. I definitely do not want to risk the health of any future fish/corals just to make it "look pretty".

[SouthBayPhoto]

Well, I'm at an impasse at the moment.

The height of the water line was getting me nervous. It was basically just under the plastic lip on the top part of the tank. I'm just not liking that too much. Maybe it's just me and that I'm paranoid?

So, I partially closed the ball valve that is in the return line and that lowers the water level. So, now the ball valve is partially closed, the waterline is down near the bottom part of the plastic strip at the top of the tank.

Is this a good thing or will it strain the MAG-12 too much? The bad thing is I'm reducing flow to the main tank, but I have a feeling I'll have to put extra powerheads inside anyway because even with the ball valve fully open, it doesn't feel like it's pushing a lot of water out the return tubes. Now it's even less since the ball valve is partially closed.

So....should I just reopen the ball valve all the way and deal with the waterline being right at the plastic lip of the plastic strip on top or keep the ball valve partially closed and keep the water level down to the bottom part of the plastic strip?

Maybe the MAG12 is too much pump for my setup? I got it with the tank and sump when I bought it, so that's why I figured I'd used it. I'm guessing that means I can't drain it fast enough for how much I'm pumping in. Sound about right?

I just don't want to burn up the pump or cause issues by partially closing the ball valve.

Any info would be appreciated.

[scubadude]

Originally Posted by SouthBayPhoto

So....should I just reopen the ball valve all the way?

Nah you'll be fine, how much is the ball valve throttled down? Is it 50% closed 40%? Either way as long as you are controlling the output of the mag through the output side of the pump, which you are (I dont see any plumbing on the input side of the pump, its just submerged in the sump) and not the input side of the pump then you are ok. Never throttle back a pump on the input side, always the output side

I have a dolphin 4500 on my 125g and its too much pump for the o-flows and the skimmer combined...but I had the pump layin around so I used it! I have a little over 50% of the ball valve throttled back. The good thing is If I ever want to tap into more flow I can....I just have to be creative with it.

[charlie]

Can you "T" the return line and put a ball valve on that, and return the excess to the sump. It sounds like you have to much return pump. I ran my 80 gallon with the return pump "T'd" for 4-5 years and didn't have any problems. I just don't like throttling the pump back. JMO

[SouthBayPhoto]

Rocky - I'm guessing it's around 50% closed right now. I just took a photo of it (see below) and guessing since a 1/4 turn is fully closed, that around an 1/8th of a turn (as it is now) is around 50% closed. I could open it to about 40% or so, but I think that would be about the max to get the height I want.

Charlie, I believe I have only one area (see crude photo below ) that I could split off from the return and put another ball valve on to return back to the sump. However, it would be pretty close to the return pump...would that be too close and would take too much water away from the actual return to the main tank? or would it be possible to run this "split line's" ball valve open at only like 20 to 30% or something so the majority of flow goes to the main?

Current setting of ball valve regulating water level in display:


Possible location of split T for excess return to sump:


I'd just have to figure out some sort of hanging clamp to hold this excess return line or set it on top of the divider of the sump. Only bad thing is, if I was going to hang a 24" light down there to light the sump/refugium, this is going to get in the way of that.

[Ratpack]

Originally Posted by SouthBayPhoto

Except for the shiny aesthetics, is there any reason I wouldn't be able to use the gloss black (instead of flat black) Krylon Fusion paint on my return lines?

I just hate to do it and find out there was a reason not to use it (like coralline algae won't stick to the gloss black finish or something).

Thanks!

I have heard of numerous people using the Krylon Fusion paint in their tanks. NO one that I remember said anything about flat, semi gloss or gloss as being a requirement. I am under the impression that any are safe. I will have to do a search and see what I can find. I sure hope the gloss is OK or I am back to building two more eductors for my return lines.

[charlie]

Was that going to be your refugium too? I don't think it would have much of an effect Mat. If you made it short enuf, you wouldn't need to hang it, it should supprt itself, I think!!

[SouthBayPhoto]

Tim - I believe the flat black was more of a preference. Just seemed to me like everyone stated that they used flat black and not gloss. Plus, someone mentioned that it was easier for the coralline algae to grow on the paint instead of the slick PVC. I figured that the gloss black might be slick like the PVC is, so that's why I was mentioning it. I still haven't decided what to do yet and wondering if I should just leave "well enough alone".

Charlie - Ya, I was thinkin' of putting some sand and LR in the sump. I'd probably just put it all around the drain pipe. I know the drain pipe is going to move some of the sand around, but I figured that after it did that, it would be okay. Is it not a good idea to put the LR and sand in the sump?

I even put up the screen/egg crate divider in case something ever came down the drain pipe and into the sump. This way it wouldn't get caught up in the return pump. I'm also just going to use my skimmer in it's HOB configuration and hang it on the side of the sump. This way it's in the corner and should be okay. The cool thing is, at this time (and when I had the ball valve completely open), I haven't had any micro bubbles return to the main tank.

Ya, I guess it's possible to make it very short and mount it so it's right next to the divider. This way the divider could also support it. It's just that the ball valve isn't really all that light. If I was just running the PVC pipe, I'd be fine with it...I'm just worried about the ball valve weighing it down.

[Ratpack]

Good deal. I really don't care if coraline grows on the gloss or not, I just want black to blend in with the background.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Tim - Me too...I figured since my background on the tank is black and it has black acrylic for the overflow (which both are kinda glossy actually), that I'd make the returns black to blend in. So, I might be painting them this weekend anyway; just with gloss black instead of flat black.