Check out my Custom internal filter for this 92 bowfront!
- Thread starter Tobe71
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OP
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Tobe71
Active Member
It's been a really fun project.
The tricky part at the beginning was figuring out how large to make the rear compartment/filter. I did the math to see what percentage of overall volume the filter was for my existing JBJ nanocube. That was easy. Then to figure out the math for the volume of a quarter of a cylinder and then the volume of a triangular column and getting the ratio right was a little tricky....
It worked out that I needed about 14-15% of the total volume to be "filter". That equated to about 11.5" out from the back corner, which was great because I wanted the display area to remain as deep (from front to back) as possible... I also wanted to be able to fit my Sanders protein skimmer in the back corner...
I got a sheet of acrylic from Home Depot and a couple or Sterlite containers for the nesting "filter baskets". I cut the sheet to the appropriate size and trimmed the Sterlite containers to the proper dimensions. The smaller "basket" has holes cut in the bottom to allow water that has passed through the foam blocks to continue into the next chamber which can be used for other media. From there the water overflows into the pump chamber...
I just eye balled the Sterlite containers for size and, as luck would have it, these "nesting baskets" left just enough room to slide in my Sanders Protein skimmer between them and the corner that I had laying around from 20 years ago! (To access the pumps below, I simply slide out the Skimmer)
I used a surface skimmer attachment from my nano-cube as a template to cut the grooves in the top of the acrylic sheet for my surface skimming over flow...
The only "issue" is that I had to turn the Eheim 5000s way down so they wouldn't over power the "overflow" I carved into the back wall. The water level in the main viewing area was too high and it was causing some water to "wick" up under the edge of the top plastic frame and drizzle down the front glass at a corner... I finally got it dialed in by turning the pumps down and cutting deeper grooves into the overflow.... (cutting the deeper grooves with my Dremel after the tank was filled proved a bit hazardous, but I survived!)
With the return pumps turned down, I don't have the quite the flow I'd like so I'm adding a Jebao WP25 to the 2 existing Hydor 1500s and 2 nano hydors all on wavemakers hidden in the aquascaping... The Jebao should be here this week!
I think that and the photos just about cover it. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions...
And I know I have a ton of live rock, but I collected most of it myself off of Bali in 2006 and just couldn't part with it...
I'll take some pics of the refugium I built and the gadgets underneath soon. Home made refugium (in a 15 gallon tank - it's all I could fir underneath) a super slick reefbulders.com fuge light, Vertex Libra dosing system and vessels, etc)....
Thanks for the support!
The tricky part at the beginning was figuring out how large to make the rear compartment/filter. I did the math to see what percentage of overall volume the filter was for my existing JBJ nanocube. That was easy. Then to figure out the math for the volume of a quarter of a cylinder and then the volume of a triangular column and getting the ratio right was a little tricky....
It worked out that I needed about 14-15% of the total volume to be "filter". That equated to about 11.5" out from the back corner, which was great because I wanted the display area to remain as deep (from front to back) as possible... I also wanted to be able to fit my Sanders protein skimmer in the back corner...
I got a sheet of acrylic from Home Depot and a couple or Sterlite containers for the nesting "filter baskets". I cut the sheet to the appropriate size and trimmed the Sterlite containers to the proper dimensions. The smaller "basket" has holes cut in the bottom to allow water that has passed through the foam blocks to continue into the next chamber which can be used for other media. From there the water overflows into the pump chamber...
I just eye balled the Sterlite containers for size and, as luck would have it, these "nesting baskets" left just enough room to slide in my Sanders Protein skimmer between them and the corner that I had laying around from 20 years ago! (To access the pumps below, I simply slide out the Skimmer)
I used a surface skimmer attachment from my nano-cube as a template to cut the grooves in the top of the acrylic sheet for my surface skimming over flow...
The only "issue" is that I had to turn the Eheim 5000s way down so they wouldn't over power the "overflow" I carved into the back wall. The water level in the main viewing area was too high and it was causing some water to "wick" up under the edge of the top plastic frame and drizzle down the front glass at a corner... I finally got it dialed in by turning the pumps down and cutting deeper grooves into the overflow.... (cutting the deeper grooves with my Dremel after the tank was filled proved a bit hazardous, but I survived!)
With the return pumps turned down, I don't have the quite the flow I'd like so I'm adding a Jebao WP25 to the 2 existing Hydor 1500s and 2 nano hydors all on wavemakers hidden in the aquascaping... The Jebao should be here this week!
I think that and the photos just about cover it. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions...
And I know I have a ton of live rock, but I collected most of it myself off of Bali in 2006 and just couldn't part with it...
I'll take some pics of the refugium I built and the gadgets underneath soon. Home made refugium (in a 15 gallon tank - it's all I could fir underneath) a super slick reefbulders.com fuge light, Vertex Libra dosing system and vessels, etc)....
Thanks for the support!
Love it!! Beautiful tank too! 
Ron Reefman
Lets Go Snorkeling!
Reef Squad
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
MAC of SW Florida
That's part of why I love this hobby too. I have fun with fish and coral, I snorkel a lot so I get to see stuff and do a little collecting for the tanks, I learn almost every day, I get to work on DIY projects and I get to meet lots of nice people in our local club and online too. Actually, I think the learning is as much fun as anything. I've learned SO much about light, leds and corals's use of light in the last year I even surprise myself! :wink:
BTW, pretty nice looking tank. Keep up the good work.
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OP
OP
Tobe71
Active Member
Thanks guys. I need to look into what kind of local fish clubs are around. Never done that before....And I'm hoping to finally get scuba certified within the next year...
I got the tubing run and the refugium positioned under the tank tonight... The Reef builders Fuge light and Miracle Mud should be here any day!
I got the tubing run and the refugium positioned under the tank tonight... The Reef builders Fuge light and Miracle Mud should be here any day!
Mattiejay6
Valuable Member
Way to be innovative.. I really like it.. Good DIY.. Good job! The tank looks amazing!
mfinn
likes zoanthids
In one picture you have, there are 3 pumps, with one attached to a clear hose that goes outside the tank.
Where does that go?
Where does that go?
OP
OP
Tobe71
Active Member
That piece wasn't yet cut to size. It feeds the Sanders Protein Skimmer (I'm running it with it's Venturi, not with an air pump).
I'm using an Eheim Compact + 2000 to run the skimmer and two Eheim Compact + 5000s on a wave maker as the return pumps...
Thanks for looking!
