msmith56
05/01/2007, 06:18 AM
Hi,
I just made the mistake (for me anyway...) of purchasing a 120 gallon reef ready aquarium. I have never used the overflow boxes before and it was a challenge hooking all of this up. At first I made a huge mistake by hooking the 1 inch pvc pipe plumbing up to the return wrong using the wrong pvc product (I used primer instead of cement. :( ) I fired up the pump and lots of little drips quickly became apparent. I had to remove all on the plumping and start over. This time I used the right adhesive for the pvc and was for the most part successful at it. I then put water in the sump, primed the pump and tried again. The pump seems to be pumping more water out through the returns than the overflows are returning back to the sump. The pump is an Iwaki connected to 1 inch pvc plumbing. The overflows are connected via 1 inch plastic tubing through a T that then goes to the sump through a 1 inch bulkhead. I suspect this is part of my problem. I tried to make my own sump using a 30 gallon long aquarium and so far here are the problems I have experienced.
1) The pump seems to draw more water out of the tank than the overflows can provide back to the sump to maintain the water level in the sump. It will quickly remove all the water from the sump and start to draw air because of the water level. The level of water in the tank itself gets too close to the rim for my comfort and I have to shut the thing down to prevent it from over flowing the side of the tank :eek1:
2) I have connected both overflows to a T via 1 inch plastic tubing similar to the tubing used to run a air stone and I am running this directly into a bulkhead in the top of my sump. - If I run two lines through the same one inch tubing to two seperate bulkheads in the top of the sump will this eliminate my problem of the pump overpowering the overflow? I suspect that the water at the T is causing me this issue but I am not sure.
3) In my attempt to create my own sump using a 30 gallon aquarium I was told to use super glue and pvc pipe cut in half to make shelves to hold the eggcrate and filterfloss. I have not been very successful at making this work. The pieces do not seem to hold very well to the glass in the 30 gallon tank. Is there something else I should be using that would be much better or should I just buy a ready made sump and move on?
4) I seem to have a small leak near the pump at a joint where the pipe comes together. How can I fix this leak without tearing everything apart again? Is there something out there that will hold (plasic weld if there is such a thing?) I really do not want to tear this whole thing apart again.
I purchased this setup used and I currently have the live rock about 100 or more pounds in a rubber trash can with a heater and a powerhead. It has been in the can since Saturday. I don't want it to die off so I think I am doing the right thing in that regard. If I am not please tell me!!
Any help anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated. I think maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew..lol
I just made the mistake (for me anyway...) of purchasing a 120 gallon reef ready aquarium. I have never used the overflow boxes before and it was a challenge hooking all of this up. At first I made a huge mistake by hooking the 1 inch pvc pipe plumbing up to the return wrong using the wrong pvc product (I used primer instead of cement. :( ) I fired up the pump and lots of little drips quickly became apparent. I had to remove all on the plumping and start over. This time I used the right adhesive for the pvc and was for the most part successful at it. I then put water in the sump, primed the pump and tried again. The pump seems to be pumping more water out through the returns than the overflows are returning back to the sump. The pump is an Iwaki connected to 1 inch pvc plumbing. The overflows are connected via 1 inch plastic tubing through a T that then goes to the sump through a 1 inch bulkhead. I suspect this is part of my problem. I tried to make my own sump using a 30 gallon long aquarium and so far here are the problems I have experienced.
1) The pump seems to draw more water out of the tank than the overflows can provide back to the sump to maintain the water level in the sump. It will quickly remove all the water from the sump and start to draw air because of the water level. The level of water in the tank itself gets too close to the rim for my comfort and I have to shut the thing down to prevent it from over flowing the side of the tank :eek1:
2) I have connected both overflows to a T via 1 inch plastic tubing similar to the tubing used to run a air stone and I am running this directly into a bulkhead in the top of my sump. - If I run two lines through the same one inch tubing to two seperate bulkheads in the top of the sump will this eliminate my problem of the pump overpowering the overflow? I suspect that the water at the T is causing me this issue but I am not sure.
3) In my attempt to create my own sump using a 30 gallon aquarium I was told to use super glue and pvc pipe cut in half to make shelves to hold the eggcrate and filterfloss. I have not been very successful at making this work. The pieces do not seem to hold very well to the glass in the 30 gallon tank. Is there something else I should be using that would be much better or should I just buy a ready made sump and move on?
4) I seem to have a small leak near the pump at a joint where the pipe comes together. How can I fix this leak without tearing everything apart again? Is there something out there that will hold (plasic weld if there is such a thing?) I really do not want to tear this whole thing apart again.
I purchased this setup used and I currently have the live rock about 100 or more pounds in a rubber trash can with a heater and a powerhead. It has been in the can since Saturday. I don't want it to die off so I think I am doing the right thing in that regard. If I am not please tell me!!
Any help anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated. I think maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew..lol