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View Full Version : True sump/fuge added to Nanocube 12DX


phurst
12/12/2007, 09:37 AM
I've been thinking about this project for a while now.

I have a 12 gallon nanocube on my desk at work. It has been remarkably stable and trouble free for the 4 months it has been up, but I couldn't help wanting to be able to use some of the same technology I use on my 120 at home on my nano. I know, there are a number of nano skimmers available, and more coming out all the time, and you can run carbon or phosban or whatever passively in the filter chambers. You can even turn a chamber into a fuge if you want.

But, I thought to myself, what if I could use a skimmer and a phosban reactor or two, have a larger space for cheato, a DSB, more space for LR, a way to cool without employing a nano chiller, increased flow in the display, an easy way to ATO AND increased system volume.

The natural answer was, add a 15 gallon sump/fuge to your 12 gallon nano :p

I was stuc at work last night rebuilding my laptop, so I figured I'd take on this project at the same time. Although I have never drilled a tank before, nor done any kind of aquaria related DIY, I figured this wasn't exactly rocket science, so I got to work.

I had already ordered and recieved these bulkheads from Drs Foster & Smith in black,

http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20051201202044/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Categoryimages/larger/lg_18983_32771i.jpg

and a diamond hole saw from eBay. I already had all the other supplies I needed around the house.

I started making up the water to fill the sump, and got ready to start drilling. The sump is a standard 15 gallon glass tank, with one baffle in the center. The top of the baffle has a strip of egg crate across it to keep stray bits of cheato out of the return section. The fuge section is on the left, with 6" of oolitic aragonite. Ultimately there will be some cheato from home in that section, although only the sand is in there currently. The right chamber houses the Mag 2 I'm using as a return, and will eventually house the phosban reactors, a Remora Pro HOB skimmer and several pounds of LR. I wanted to keep the LR out of the fuge side so it would be easier to remove the detritus that will inevitably collect around it. I'll be using the stock fluorescent light that came with the 15 gallon tank for now. if it proves to be inadiquite, I can always use something else down the road.

Here is the sump in it's current configuration:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/HPIM3871.jpg

To drill the tank, I drained about half the water from the display, and all of the water from the rear section of the tank. I drilled the drain line first. I situated it in the 3rd chamber in the rear, so I could still take advantage of water flowing through the rear chambers in case I needed them for carbon or what have you. There's also some LR rubble back there in the 1st chamber, and I wanted water to continue to flow through it. I had never drilled a tank before, but i had always heard getting started was the hardest part, as the bit has a tendency to wander. I used this bit,

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/ff8d_1.jpg

which has a pilot bit in it, and it was a piece of cake. The bit never wandered at all, and the drain hole was drilled in about 5 minutes. I used a spray bottle full of water to spray down the bit and glass to keep them cool. I made an external durso out of some 1/2" PVC and a 1" PVC tee with a reducer and hose barb to connect it to the 1/2" tubing I'm using as a drain line.

Next was the return line. In order to avoid having to modify the nanocube further, I made sure to line up the bulkhead with the hole in the rear wall of the DT where the stock return was. I drilled the hole, fitted the bulkhead, inserted the 90 degree elbow hose barb on the outside to connect the return tubing, and inserted a short length of PVC on the inside of the bulkhead. Into this short lenght of PVC, I inserted a bit of tubing to connect the return bulkhead to the stock return hole in th rear wall of the DT. Not only did this allow me to not have to drill a larger hole in the rear wall, but the reduced diamiter of the tubing increases the velocity of the return flow as it enters the tank. here's a shot of the 3rd chamber. You can see the drain and return lines.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/HPIM3872.jpg

Here's a crappy shot of the back of the tank with the bulkheads and durso in place:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/PIC-0015.jpg

Here is the back of the tank plumbed and running.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/HPIM3870.jpg

Don't ask why I have a ball valve on the drain line. I just happened to have 2, so I used them. the durso is not quite done yet. It's functional, but a bit gurgley. I just have to fiddle with it a bit.

So far, I have been very pleased. I have more than doubled the water volume of the system, i have plenty of room for additional gear, a DSB, room for more rock and cheato, more freedom in skimmer choice, better flow in the DT, and maybe best of all, the temp has dropped from 82 to 77. I actualy plugged my heater in for the first time. With the drop in temp, I'm not at all worried about adding pumps for the skimmer and phosban reactors, and I can probably add a nano stream or somthing similar to the DT if I ever need more flow.

Ancillary to the benefits to the system, I feel like I actually accomplished something.

Next up will be the cheato, LR, skimmer, phosban reactor(s), an ATO and probably a float switch in the rear section of the tank controlling the return pump. In the event somthing clogs the drain, I'd rather not have 10 gallons of water on my office floor.

REDDAWG43
12/12/2007, 10:01 AM
Awesome....I am definately following this thread.
Good Work...

Capt_Cully
12/12/2007, 11:02 AM
I love it. I've got an AP 24 that I'm planning on doing the same thing with. I want it for the benefit of putting a refugium with small return area underneath in stand. Also the return from there will be additional flow to display. I have the MJ1200 mod already so that will hopefully be all I need for display flow.

Now that you've commited. Anything you would have done differently?

phurst
12/12/2007, 11:10 AM
Well, I haven't lived with it for very long, but I think I would have gone with 3/4" or maybe 1" bulkheads instead of 1/2". It's perfectly adequate, and when i ordered the bulkheads, I was planing on having the return flow back into the rear chamber, and leaving the MaxiJet in place for flow in the DT. Since the Mag is now providing circulation, I kinda wish I had set it up to use a Mag 5 with larger diameter tubing and bulkheads. Other than that, it seems great so far.

Eklikewhoa
12/12/2007, 11:27 AM
Sweet set up!

I think there is suppose to be a hole drilled on the top of the durso to purge air.

phurst
12/12/2007, 12:15 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11369224#post11369224 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eklikewhoa
Sweet set up!

I think there is suppose to be a hole drilled on the top of the durso to purge air.

Thanks.

Yes, there is supposed to be a hole. I have a couple of different caps to play around with, but so far, it's considerably louder with a hole drilled in it.

Capt_Cully
12/12/2007, 03:41 PM
Thanks! Nice to see someone I can steal ideas from.

racksteris
12/12/2007, 07:45 PM
Nice work..

Rosseau
12/12/2007, 07:58 PM
Looks good. Does your durso keep everything silent with such a small diameter drain line?

Is the Mag 2's return flow reduced at all?

EDIT - I re-read your posts and have a better idea yet am still wondering how loud this thing is and if the durso has helped you out.

phurst
12/13/2007, 08:37 AM
I didn't even try it without the durso. I have removed the cap and just have it resting on top of the pipe, so the tiniest bit of air can get in. I can still hear a faint gurgle, but it's very quiet. It's less tan 3 feet from me on my desk, and unless the room is very quiet, I can't hear it. It's considerably quieter than my 120 at home.

The Mag is running wide open, BUT, it's running through 2 90 degree elbows, and has the sponge prefilter on until I'm finished fiddling around with the sump. There's still slightly more flow than there was with the stock MJ 600 in there.



On a separate note, since i added the sump, probably 90+% of what little algae was growing in the tank has completely disappeared. Not that I'm complaining....

levischilz
12/13/2007, 02:40 PM
Well dont feel too bad because im about to post in the other channel on help to reduce my Mag5. I have a 25g display with a 20g sump and a mag 5 running through 2 90's and the prefilter and i have a 3/4" drain all pvc and it can not keep up with the mag5. So now i have to figure out how to enlarge the hole to fit a 1" drain if that will even fix the problem or I have to figure out how to slow the mag5 enough. When I close the ball valve on my mag5 it makes bad noises ..... soo.. I wish I would have got a mag3 now lol

phurst
12/13/2007, 07:43 PM
When you dial it back with the ball valve, is it vibrating, or just making a bad noise in general? Can you insulate it if it's just vibrating?

phurst
03/06/2009, 02:34 PM
Bump for Andy.

Jadams
03/06/2009, 03:57 PM
got any new pics? How has it been working for you?? Very cool DIY work!

phurst
03/06/2009, 04:03 PM
I ended up giving the tank and all the gear away to a local reefer when i had to move offices about a year ago. I'm about to help a friend do the same to his 12. That's why I bumped the thread.

I do miss it, but i actually get work done now :)

Jadams
03/06/2009, 04:17 PM
hahaha...I know what you mean. I've had 2 "desk tanks" in the past and I NEVER did anything at work except look at it... :D

Desk tanks are the best because everyone who walks by says something and it gives you an excuss to stop working and chat about it... :lmao:

phurst
03/06/2009, 04:58 PM
Yeah, I had an endless stream of people stopping by for no reason at all.

sethdunne
03/06/2009, 09:41 PM
Wow you make it look easy. I've been considering doing the same with my Nanocube but haven't built up the courage to drill it especially without completely emptying it!

louie07
03/06/2009, 10:54 PM
im amazed how few people actually do this, because you could do something like this in a weekend... good job.... helps show people it can be done, and how

Fsurocks99
03/07/2009, 08:00 AM
Wow, great job phurst. This is exactly what i want to do with my biocube 14. My plans are exactly the same but instead of a 15gal, I'm using a 20gal. Glad to see it worked out.

phurst
03/08/2009, 10:32 AM
LOL, yeah, if I can do it, anyone can :)

Tyr
08/26/2010, 04:58 PM
Phurst, You answered all of my questions- very nice job. Thanks.

Now, to build up the courage and drill a perfectly good and fully stocked tank...........

phurst
08/26/2010, 05:28 PM
Glad to hear it. Let me know how it goes.

dublo8
08/26/2010, 07:45 PM
Phurst can you post a pic or a diagram of the sump baffles pretty please. I have a 10g with a 10g sump that is currently in the process of being built. and want to check out your layout. thanks in advance.
everything looks good keep up the good work!

phurst
08/26/2010, 09:53 PM
Kinda rough, but it's the general idea. Drain into the fuge on the left, with cheato and rock, return pump on the right, with a single baffle set. The red line is egg crate, to keep the cheato out of the return section.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/pearsonhurst/Sump-1.jpg