MAIN PG REVIEW GET THE BOOK CRITICS SURVEY MY TALK GUESTBOOK THE AUTHOR

Components

Drip plate Construction and Flow Rate

Where should the output of the skimmer go? Right now there's only one water "area" in the sump. do I need to separate the areas of the sump into clean and dirty sections? I don't know where to put the prefilter, or really how to construct it (materials, etc.).

what material should I use for the drip plate?

well depending on exactly what you are using for a sump i.e.: a trickle filter already has a driplate and basically you would want to fashion one like that. If you use a fish tank for a sump you will have to make a driplate out of Plexiglas. Basically its a square or rectangular box with hole in the bottom and sides and ideally with a small strip as a anti splash guard.

Do I need to line it with some sort of filter material?

No looking at the diagram, the vertical pcs under the driplate are pcs of PVC used as legs to support a piece of eggcrate material (lighting diffuser in suspended ceilings)The prefilter material is supported by the eggcrate and the driplate sits on top of the PFM One of my adamant recommendations is to frequently change and or clean the PFM (weekly) The material I find to work well and affordable is the Marineland cut to fit its like 1/2 in thick and blue in color cost approx $4 for a piece 24x24 this can be cut to the exact size of your sump dimensions so all water has to go through This would also be known as a mechanical filter

How difficult is plexiglass to work with?

Plexi is VERY easy to work with once you can get comfortable with it. One of the MAIN things is to get the rite adhesive. This is found at good suppliers ie yellow pages plastic/sheets/rods/tubing. Once you get a good supplier you are all set. The glues range from instant set ---- to -----s l o w --- set. Instant is good to line up pcs and the slow is good for building up and a permanent bond. I will try and dig up something about adhesives and plexi for you with your order. The glue is VERY inexpensive $3 will but a lifetime supply of one kind. If you plan to use instant set make sure you get the applicator .59 this is a small bottle with a needle tip that applies the water consistency product. If you have trouble finding the product Modern Plastics in CT will ship to you there 800# is on my site.

What exactly is the "eggcrate" material?

Eggcrate is a plastic grid like material sold in 2x4 ft sheets white is very common black is more difficult to locate. This material is a.k.a. lighting diffuser used in light covers in suspended ceilings.

Where do I get it?

White can be found at any home improvement center black is found only at specialized plastic supplier. Modern in CT has it and will ship. White = $5 ea. Black = $8 ea.

Is it bad to prefilter before going into the skimmer?

Not "bad" but possibly less desirable not detrimental though.

Also -- instead of holding the prefilter up with PVC, I am going to glue it to the corner of the sump a couple of inches above water level.

Uh hmmmm I don’t know if that’s a good idea? You want to have everything removable so when you perform maintenance it all comes apart easily. I don’t want to appear dogmatic ;-) but I would try to implement the PVC stands, with eggcrate/ prefilter/driplate, its very inexpensive you can even use the common white in the sump.

I really just want to force the water to flow through the prefilter material.

Not forcing, solely by gravity. the water gets collected in this DP and then *drips* through evenly depending on your holes.As the drip holes are fairly even this disperses the water evenly through the PF Material. What will REALLY make a difference is your flow rate obviously the higher the FR more burden will be on the DP Give me an idea of your pump GPH I should then be able to give you a ballpark estimated size or the DP

Also, what are the advantages of placing the prefilter AFTER the skimmer?

IMO a good skimmer will be able to handle the bulk of waste. Then the PF filters out any remaining particles. It sound contradictory PF after should be FF (final filter) but having the PF before tends to get crudded up and could seriously restrict flow

Why do you sandwich the pre-filter material in-between egg-crate and the drip-plate? Why not just put it in the actual drip-plate box? I couldn't find it in your book.

The purpose of the DP is to evenly disperse the flowing water over and thru the PF material

I'm using a Rio2500 connected to an ETS Reef Devil, and another Rio 2500 pumping water back up to the tank via 5/8" tubing.

Is that the recommended pump? That is a submersible rite? I'm not a big fan of submersibles ;-) you see in the book, but I'm sure it will work. Even with the Rio which supposed to put out 700GPH I think you will need a fairly sizable DP Say like min. 10x10 or better yet 1/3 of the top of sump. When you use a good size DP, the water/air/gas/ exchange is better in relation to its size. IMO bigger=better, of course up to a point. I really don’t think it matters on your end how big this DP has to be,not like your constricted by a small size sump that "has to work". One of the most common mistakes I observe by hobbyists is skimping, going small, and "making everything fit" I hate that! Also being excessively cheap gets up my dander too... ;-) I'm the first one who likes to be frugal, BUT when coming to size and setup I like a lot of free flow of water that keeps everything highly oxygenated (a seriously overlooked concept) To give you an idea of my system, of course I'm not suggesting this is the only way, just to give you an idea. on my 200 24x24x84 uses a 24x24x24 sump=45gallons I have

If the noise is coming from the drain pipe from the tank you may have to install a vent covered with a small piece of sponge as a muffler. If you mean noise in the sump... some eggcrate placed diagonally under the drip plate will minimize the sound acting as a baffle. This may give a basic idea of location of vent . The cap can be some sponge cut to fit over the pipe

My sump is filled with millions of bubbles, and they are being returned to my main tank! How can I make it stop?

If you have the return from the skimmer.. going onto the dripplate.. then thru the prefilter material, that will eliminate any bubbles.

Usually this is a problem when the return from the skimmer is in the same area <intake> for the return to the tank.This is one of the main reasons for setting up the /skimmer/sump/clean/dirty side as I do.

On the other hand I am aware that nothing is in stone and individual circumstances can dictate straying from a particular method. Doing that you will need other modifications such as a block of foam, some floss material to trap the bubbles, or plexi walls <mini dams> to act as settling chambers for the bubbles. The foam or floss can lead to problems with the trap becoming biologically active and trapping waste as well, unless you give it the same attention as I recommend to the prefilter.

Have you solved your problem with the air intake of the skimmer? What is usually suggested is to make a muffler ;-) out of some small tupperware or rubbermaid products with small 1/4 in holes in it and filled with floss material connected with flexible vinyl tubing. Use a threaded X insert fitting the size of your tubing. Or Just run a long enough hose to an area where the sound wont be noticed. (as much)<g>


Tank System Hardware

Tanks Now we look at the hardware of the “average modern reef system”. The main components are The tank, tap water purification, lighting, skimmer, and the sump. My own personal recommendation for a tank is a 55 gallon. I observe allot of people under the impression that a “mini-reef” is a way to cut costs. Actually a mini-reef will cost more when you break down the cost per gallon and IMO a MR is much more difficult to maintain. This is because a tank of this size will be substantially more affected by bio-load, the surrounding temp, and additives such as kalkwasser, strontium and iodine. So I would suggest to think well and plan out the costs when considering a MR unless you are absolutely convinced that you really want a tank of that size.

I also try and stay away from tall tanks for reasons such as placement of liverock, using a tall tank usually means having to “stack” the rock which will turn nice rock into base rock if lighting doesn’t get to the surface of the rock. I recommend looking for a tank with a large bottom ratio compared to gallons. The more bottom you have the better and easier it will be to place the rock. Again a 55 is a nice, inexpensive, good size tank to start with and will give you an impressive display of a reef. Starting off with a decent size such as a 55 will give you enough room to be flexible and you will find such components such as lighting to be standard sizes and not that much more expensive than for a smaller tank i.e.: bulbs, ballasts etc.

Tank Building / Sizes / Considerations

I was replying about my tank size (48Lx24Wx22H)I'm limited to a 4ft wide area

I calculate that to be 109 gal completely filled 48x24x22=25344 divide by 231=109gal

length and found this style,is it alright?I used your bottom sq ft formula and came up with almost 10.

sounds close to a "factory" 90 Ok, you bring up a very good point... my intention was for the common range of tank size A hypothetical 8ft x 8ft x 1ft would give you allot of bottom area but lighting it would be very difficult! Ill have to reword that in the revised edition. So what I'm saying is that its not really an "ideal" size although it will work if thats what you have and plan to be there for a while It may not be a good investment if you have to move to another area where you could have a longer tank

What do you recommend? I also sent off for some manuals about making acrylic tanks Is there any drawbacks to acrylic versus glass I have read that it scratches but you can buff out (same article said glass would scratch)just an idea

Yes despite what anyone says acrylic scratches MUCH more easily than glass! Another problem is when coralline algae grows on it, it is very difficult to remove and takes ALLOT more work to clean than glass

(from the acrylic prices around here I could build one (120)for about $140-150 versus 275 for same glass from local dealer.

So your talking about building an all glass aquarium? That could be difficult! or a glass vs plexi front with a wood tank? In that case I would definitely go with glass.

Last question where and how low would I drill my overflow for a 120gal of this dimension?

that depends on the size of overflow If you used 1 1/2in 3 inches to the center is good its helpful to calculate the gallons per in so when the power goes off you know how much water drains out

depending how fussy you are about how it looks will determine how detailed the construction is. On my EST I didn’t cut the joining plates in a circle they are square and work fine also I cut the holes for the risers with a regular jig saw. The columns sit ON TOP of the plexi so it doesn’t have to be an EXACT circle cut. Of course unless you want a "factory" look

TANK SIZE I Want to construct my own tank. External measurements are 48"X36"X36".

This works out to be 269 gallons or 48x36x36=62208 divide by 231=269gall IMO this is not a good size to build for the following reasons

What thickness of glass and type required?

I have built tanks up to 30" tall with 1/2" plate glass fronts and epoxy coated plywood 300 gallon and a few 200 gall.

IME you would need at least 5/8"glass and its quite expensive get some quotes first on the glass and you will see what I mean. If you were to use plexi I would think 3/4" also very pricey

What is the requirements for the base that will be three feet tall to hold up over two tons? (4"X4" or what)

I think 4x6 would be better If you plan to invest your time and money on this type of project,I would recommend to re-think the idea to a more practical size (long term,maintenance,display and possible resale value)I would be interested in the cost of materials glass or plexi if you do the project as you plan. My 200 is 24x24x84 I used 1/2"plate glass front 3/4" marine plywood coated with 5 layers of premium epoxy for the stand it uses 4x6 and spans the full 7 ft

What size of plate glass would you recommend with tank height of 24". 24 by what?? tall wide??length... > It will have a 3" plywood frame to brace it against. I use oak 3/4 x 3 with doweled corners I think the plywood may not be as strong or look good, after all its going to cost a considerable amount to make why not do it 1/2 way decent? So, only an unsupported span of 18". I would need the actual sizes My tank is 24x24x84 I use 1/2" plate glass I have went as high as 30 " with1/2" I understand there is a BIG difference in cost between 1/4 and 1/2" for example my 24x84x1/2" was $180 And thats about as cheap as I could find

The tank is 48" long X 30"wide X 24" tall. It's made of 3/4 plywood. I modeled it after the one on GARF's home page. Yes I have made 3 plywood/epoxy tanks they work well.

I checked some production made tanks today and the 100 gallon tank (similar length and height) was made with 3/8" glass. The 3/8" should be ok one thing though.. a center brace is a good idea at the 24" or 1/2 way across the 48" front as in factory tanks. I have a brace on mine and would recommend it. I'm not sure how garf does it I did see their site and pretty much How I do it.

I think that's what I'll use. I'm going to compare the price's of glass versus acrylic (same thickness) though. I will probably go with the acrylic if the price is close. I'm pretty sure the acrylic is allot cheaper. I wouldn't use it though, unless its just for a grow out tank and not for good looks as it tends to scratch and coralline is a REAL pain to remove from it


I just set up a new tank 80 gallons with rock 50 pounds so far, glass bottom, sea clone venturi style skimmer a whisper 3, whisper 4, and a magnum 350. OK you will be getting rid of the whispers and magnums In fact you can take them out rite now Do you have a sump? What kind of pumps for the skimmer 1 or 2 you should have 2 one to feed the skimmer 1 for a return to the tank IMO you ideally want a turnover of 6X per hour with the pumps ea.

For lights I have 6, 36" bulbs.

which do you have?

Grey Plastic-Nylon Insert Fittings

Those are nylon insert fittings and very useful,inexpensive and safe.The insert fitting ideally relys on a hose clamp so using them @ 100lb pressure as in a home water supply might be risky but for a tank they are great. Or you may be talking about gray plastic electrical conduit which I have also used in my tank for different purposes.

UV Sterilizers

Do you have a UV filter in your tank filter system? I put one in 3 years ago and have never had any problems since then.

IMO UV "sterilizers" have no practical benefit in the reef, they can and will kill off micro and macro organisms that are desirable in the tank. A hobbyist can rely of the assumed safety net of a UVS and overlook/underestimate the importance of desirable practices i.e. purchasing fish and livestock from a reputable, known dealer. Minimizing stress (low stocking rates) quarantine, cleaner shrimp etc.
MAIN PG Your tools Awesome Links! Your tanks Your survey Order Now