Need to find some more room....

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Rich

New Member
Having just bought myself a skimmer and a powerhead, I'm finding that the tank is rapidly filling up inside...combine those with the power filter, heater, I'm not going to have room for any livestock!!

I have a little tank sitting here doing nothing....14"x8"x8", which I reckon would make an ideal sump to put all the equipment in....BUT.
I can't put it under the tank[room restrictions]so it will have to go behind the main tank. No worries there, I can simply silicone the two together and support the smaller tank from underneath, but what's the best way to get the water from the main tank over the back wall and into the sump...and back again ? I don't want to drill them, so I'm relying on a simple syphon or a pump ?

Rich

Just realised that if I mount the skimmer in the smaller tank, I'd need to shorten the skimmer by 1"....would that be OK ?

 
Phischy

Phischy

New Member
Are they glass (did I miss that?)? Drilling is the easiest way to insure reliablity and no overflows. Else you'll have to rely on a siphon into the sump and then a return pump from there. If you lose power and the siphon is broken you could be in trouble, but you could solve that by hooking the pump upto a float switch (to turn the pump off if water gets too low in sump). I've drilled my tanks and it gravity feeds through an overflow into my sump and then I return pump up which also is my water flow. It's sure fire unless something blocks my overflow but my fish aren't big enough.

I'd drill but to each their own. Just remember the more simple the setup is, the more reliable it'll be.
 
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incysor

New Member
The only reliable way to do it would be with an overflow from the display tank to the sump, and a return pump from the sump to the display.
Using two pumps is begging for a flood. One will die, or slow down due to buildup, and gradually, or quickly depending on the situation you'll have a flood.

I'd drill the back of the display if possible, just because it tends to look a bit cleaner and take up less room, but really it's whatever's easiest for you. If I'm understanding corrrectly the smaller sump tank is a bit shorter than the display, so you wouldn't need to drill it.

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Rich

New Member
Yea...I thought you'd all say drill the display tank. I reckon that's got to be the answer...unless I can figure out a way to stretch glass!!

Thanks guys...off to the local glass merchants I go.

Rich
 
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incysor

New Member
Rich said:
Yea...I thought you'd all say drill the display tank. I reckon that's got to be the answer...unless I can figure out a way to stretch glass!!

Thanks guys...off to the local glass merchants I go.

Rich
Click to expand...
You don't really have to drill it. You can use a standard overflow box, with a U-tube. Some people don't care much for them, but other than maybe taking up more space than you'd like inside the tank I think they work fine.

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Sugar Magnolia

Sugar Magnolia

New Member
Wow...really? A few of the members over at CF use them and are quite happy with them.

I'll creep back into my corner and shut up now. :oops:
 
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Rich

New Member
OK...change of direction slightly. My powerhead is rated at 1000 litres per hour, probably a bit over the top as it is ? If I attach a T-piece to the exhaust, effectivily splitting the output direction two ways, would this be OK you think ?

Rich
 
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incysor

New Member
Rich said:
OK...change of direction slightly. My powerhead is rated at 1000 litres per hour, probably a bit over the top as it is ? If I attach a T-piece to the exhaust, effectivily splitting the output direction two ways, would this be OK you think ?

Rich
Click to expand...
If my converstion is correct 1000lph comes out to 265 US gph. That really isn't a lot of flow, for tank your size. I think it's a bit underpowered even with out factoring in a small amount of head pressure with going from the sump up to the return point. I wouldn't split it unless you go with a larger return pump.

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Rich

New Member
Got that...thank you sir, for your help. A large scotch is called for now whilst I digest all this information...:shock:

Rich
 
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incysor

New Member
Sugar Magnolia said:
Wow...really? A few of the members over at CF use them and are quite happy with them.

I'll creep back into my corner and shut up now. :oops:
Click to expand...
Don't feel bad at all...Many folks have been told by other people or their LFS that these things are more advanced, quieter, etc... I've steered clear of them because the design doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't mean that lots of folks use them without problems.

CPR's big selling point on these is that, with their additional air-lift pump, (which you have to have), the overflow will start back up in the event of a power outage. They contend there's some sort of issue with normal U-tube overflows losing siphon when there's an outtage.

The fact is that most U-tube type overflows will NOT lose siphon in the event of an outtage if they're used correctly and there isn't a large bubble in the tube when the outtage occurs. CPR's by their design lose siphon EVERY time there's an outtage, which isn't a problem if your air-lift pump comes back on when everything else does and re-starts the siphon. However many people have found that the pumps don't re-start the siphon effectively if at all. As for them being quieter, they may be. I've seen more threads about how do I silence my U-tube overflow than ones with CPR overflows, but I have seen the same question asked about these. The numbers could be explained becasue the CPRs are quieter, or it could be simply that more people have the U-tube variety.

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