[Aquariust]

Just sold my new 125 RR, and I'm buying a 150 AGA (not RR). The dimensions are 72 x 28 Tall x 18 deep. BTW, please I don't want to hear I should buy a bigger tank! And, 150 is big to me

The tank is not drilled. My LFS is drilling it for me.

Question #1 - What size holes should I have him drill? I was thinking of the same size AGA drills on their reef ready tanks. 1.5" and 1.75" in each corner. Should I go bigger?

Question #2 - I'm planning on using a 55G as my sump/refuge, and I don't want 2000GPH running through it. Any ideas on plumbing it so I can get the most out of the tank? Ie, closed loop, 2 pumps, 1 pump, etc...

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Since the tank is not drilled, the options are limitless!

[scubadude]

I would draw up either a cad drawing on your computer or get some graph paper and a ruler and a pencil circle gyro use each box as 1-3" each and map out your holes.....I would definately go with 1.5" bulkheads thats what your pumps gonna be ready for plumb size where ever you have to use turns make them sweeps or long sweeps as they have less drag. Hard plumb most of it except near outlets of pump have some flex pipe for vibration absorption. Use a mousepad underneath the pumps if need be too for vibration absorption. Definately get the bulkheads first and send them to the guy who is building your tank. If you are doing an Overflow tube yourself then I would explain it as well as give specs and diagram drawing to the manufacturer. As far as your closed loop goes you should have at least 2 inlets. Use unions where you want to dissasemble/reassemble w/out having to cut piping. Also use Ballvalves before every dissasembly area. Oh and as far as your sump, you can get some glass pieces cut from the glass shop and install some baffles in your glass tank (its easy) all you need is some nail polishe remover (cleaner) and some food grade silicone. then rinse the tank rell well! HTH

[Ninong]

Those holes are for AGA 3/4" and 1" bulkheads. If you want larger, like say 1" and 1.5" bulkheads, then have the holes drilled larger. Just make sure you decide in advance which brand of bulkhead fittings you will be using. For example, the ones that are sold by Plumbing Supply.com require a 1-5/8" hole for the 3/4" bulkhead, a 1-7/8" hole for the 1" bulkhead, and a 2-9/16" hole for the 1.5" bulkhead.

If you go with two 1" drains and two 3/4" returns, which is the standard AGA & Oceanic setup, you will max out somewhere around 1700gph total flow throw the drains. That may be plenty enough for your purposes if you intend to also have a separate closed loop, but if you wanted more flow than that, you might want to consider two 1.5" drains and two 1" returns.

Ninong

[golfish]

I though we went through this over at RC Dont you think you would be happier with a standard 150 gal tank, 24"x24"x60", a wider tank makes a much better reef..... its a stand issue, correct?

Here's what I would do. Drill the tank for one 1.5" bulkhead with a center overflow. Make the overflow 6"x6".... The Stockman standpipe will fit very nice in there. Use something like a Mag 9 or 12 for sump return and the AM3000 on a closed loop with a couple Sea swirls....

You don't need to turn over the tank that many times in the sump....5-10 times is more then enough. I bet I'm only turn mine over 6-7 time an hour. I don't have a refugium and really don't see a need for it, yet. Maybe later........

You don't need to drill the tank for a closed loop (1.5" U-tube works great) but it does look better. If you want to see a good closed loop setup, look at Scubadudes. He did a great job on his closed loop. Its first class.....


Mark

[Aquariust]

Thanks guys!

Mark I haven't been getting too many hits over at RC, so I thought I'd try my luck over here. I will be emailing a few people, including you when the time comes

I've been reading my arse off lately, trying to understand. The problem is there's not too much info out there about hi tech systems.

Scuba nice tank but there's no good pics of your plumbing setup.

Yes Mark, my problem (well not really a problem) is the stand is built. I love the stand. I love the 150!!! I only wish I had 24" depth, but I can live with 18".

Having a center overflow is not possible. I already thought about it! They have to be in the corners.

Another problem is my huge sump (55G 48x22x12 deep). There is room under there, but with the pump, RO, and CA Reactor are also in there space might be tight.

My thoughts are either running a single ampmaster as planned. All this will be running through the sump/ref. I'm not sure how a ref would do w/ 2K GPH running through it.

Or, I could run a 10G w/ baffles in it w/ a T3 or 4 or Quiet One on a closed loop. Then a another quiet one on an open loop with the 55G sump and ref.

I'm trying to be energy effecient (and cost efficent) here as well. A single ampmaster only uses about an amp. Two quiet ones is about 1.5 amps or so. All the pumps combined cannot be more than the cost of the ampmaster total please ($260).

Also, IMO the ampmaster would hold up better than the Quiet Ones. There's also going to be 4 maxi jets 1200's in the tank as well.

Can you have too much current in the tank? I have 2 1200's in my 55 and it's OK. I add a third and the corals look like they're gonna blow off the rocks! Am I going overboard here?

Thanks for all the help!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Aquariust
Thanks guys!

Scuba nice tank but there's no good pics of your plumbing setup.


Can you have too much current in the tank? I have 2 1200's in my 55 and it's OK. I add a third and the corals look like they're gonna blow off the rocks! Am I going overboard here?

Thanks for all the help!

FWIW heres a few pics of my plumbing setup


This is a pic of the two 1.5" screw on strainers that I bought for a couple buxs a piece I figured 5" DSB and put the straines midway between top of SB and top of water line. The two intakes feed a AM3000 to 2 - 1" SS's, and now the Chiller is plumbed inline with it....I will try to post some pics of my chiller plumbing in another post


And here you can see the overflow box which has a 1.5" Bulkhead with 2" suppy "Stockman DIY" standpipe.


And here is what it looked like after plumbing it all


I put extenders on the outputs of the SS's so i could extend the flow deeper into the water, I also hard plumbed them but with unions for disconnects.

I think I may have more pics sumwheres if this doesnt help :P

[naser]

yea put the closed loop in now.. i learned that the hard way.. mine is hanging into the tank.. i tried to run everything off one pump... skimmer return and flow.. i now have a mag7 for return. a mag18 for skimmer. and a ampmaster for my closed loop.

[scubadude]

heres sum of the sump

[Aquariust]

Originally posted by naser
yea put the closed loop in now.. i learned that the hard way.. mine is hanging into the tank.. i tried to run everything off one pump... skimmer return and flow.. i now have a mag7 for return. a mag18 for skimmer. and a ampmaster for my closed loop.

Naser what size tank is yours?

Scuba thanks for the pics. Very nice tank! What size is it?

Are you worried about the force at which those bulkheads in the back pull? I would think they would've been hidden in the corners? What are you using for sump return?

From what I can make out, the water is pulled in in the 2 bulkheads on the back, which runs somewhere? I'm guessing to an AM3K, and back to the Sea Swirls. I am not adding sea swirls btw. What is happening when the water is sucked down the back. Where does it go, and how is it plumbed? Thanks for the info!

The pics help, but if you have more I'd love to see them

Thanks!

[scubadude]

My tank is a 224gal w/a 55gal refugium/sump

Im not worried about the force of the intakes....I drilled some holes to end of them too, I Have plenty of fish they swim by there all the time and so do snails and none of them get stuck (knock on wood) the sump return is a Dolphin AM2100 I Have a pic sumwhere of the back ....just cant find it right now. but if you look in the last photo I posted you can see behind the 55gal sump refugium and you can see the other AM plumbed, which would be to the left of my foot

[Aquariust]

could you explain what' going on in words?

TY!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Aquariust
could you explain what' going on in words?

TY!

You mean w/my closed loop? Ok here....I found a pic of behind so you can see the plumbing....also check out my new thread in the main reef discussion forum....I have some pics how the chiller is plumbed

[naser]

my tank is a 125.... i never got it drilled for a closed loop witch i hate. search my name and there is tons of pics of me setting it up.

[Aquariust]

Naser a few ?'s:

Do you have a refuigum set up? Or a DSB?

I'm wondering what that much flow will do to the tank. Does yours seem like too much?

Scuba thanks for the extra pic. Any pics of the pipes coming out of the wall on the other side? Do you have a sump it pours into to get rid of bubbles? Does it make bubbles the way yours is setup?

Thanks Guys!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Aquariust

Any pics of the pipes coming out of the wall on the other side? Do you have a sump it pours into to get rid of bubbles? Does it make bubbles the way yours is setup?

Thanks Guys!

Heres a pic of the pipes coming out the other side of the wall plumbed through my chiller.



This is kinda the design principle that I worked on



Actually I have 3 baffles on my new sump/refugium there are some bubbles but not enough to cause problems and they are barely in the refugium....but in the first section before the first baffle there is alot of bubbles but thats just a input area for the skimmer neway.

[golfish]

That's good stuff Scubadude

[naser]

i have neither a dsb or a refuguim.. just one big skimmer..

[naser]

another shot of my messy cabinet.

[naser]

last one of the other side.

[Aquariust]

OK guys thanks for the help! I think I'm gonna stay w/ my original plan of a single ampmaster 3K on an open loop through the sump/fuge. Hopefully the xenia and macros in the fuge like that much flow

I don't see a need to run a closed loop, since I will have 4 maxi jet 1200's on a wavemaker in the tank as well.

I'm wondering if I even need the AM3K? Maybe the 2100? We'll see I guess. I think the 3K uses less amps than the 2100. Their site is abit confusing.

I'll be making a cad drawling or something to show the design, to see if it will work.

Thanks Guys!