How should I plumb.

[John A!10]

So I’m setting up my 29 gallon tank I was wondering, how should I plumb it. Should I drill the holes on the bottom or the side for the overflow? What is a good budget overflow Box. What is everything I will need? PVC, tubing all the adapters, check valve, etc.

 

[Crabs McJones]

The Eshopps Eclipse overflows are a great choice as they com with the overflow, bulkheads, and the drillbit to drill the overflow. The smallest they make is the S which is 600 gallons per hour max.
Being a smaller tank I doubt the glass is tempered, but just to be safe always double check

 

[Goodair]

Definitely make sure you can drill the glass before buying anything. I agree with the eshopps eclipse S and all you would need is 1" pvc, a gate valve and how many fittings would depends on where your sump is in retrospect with the overflow box. This is for your overflow.

As for return, you would need more pieces.

 

[John A!10]

The Eshopps Eclipse overflows are a great choice as they com with the overflow, bulkheads, and the drillbit to drill the overflow. The smallest they make is the S which is 600 gallons per hour max.
Being a smaller tank I doubt the glass is tempered, but just to be safe always double check

Yeah I was leaning towards that one. I read that the gaskets leak and I should probably buy different ones. What budget return pump would you recommend.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Yeah I was leaning towards that one. I read that the gaskets leak and I should probably buy different ones. What budget return pump would you recommend.

The gaskets leak if you put them in the configuration that they recommend. The configuration I recommend is Internal box, gasket, glass, gasket, external box, nut.
Check out the Sicce line of return pumps. Great quiet reliable pumps. I personally use the 4.0 (You'll want to go much smaller though )

 

[John A!10]

This is a standard 29 gallon aqueous rectangular tank. Do you know if you can drill those.

 

[Crabs McJones]

This is a standard 29 gallon aqueous rectangular tank. Do you know if you can drill those.

Technically you can. According to the website the 29 gallon is not tempered. http://aqueonproducts.cvt.int.central.com/assets/011/19107.pdf However, they do have a disclaimer on their site "
Due to glass availability, Central Aquatics may temporarily substitute regular or non-tempered glass panels with tempered glass panels. Anytime a glass substitution is made, a sticker will be adhered to the aquarium bottom as a precaution to the end user.

Please Note: Any aquarium that has been altered in any way (i.e. - drilled, attempted to be drilled, the center brace removed) by an individual outside of Central Aquatics, will deem the warranty null and void. "

Best way is to check yourself with a laptop and pair of polarized sunglasses.

 

[John A!10]

The gaskets leak if you put them in the configuration that they recommend. The configuration I recommend is Internal box, gasket, glass, gasket, external box, nut.
Check out the Sicce line of return pumps. Great quiet reliable pumps. I personally use the 4.0 (You'll want to go much smaller though )

I have heard of those pumps would you recommend 2.0 or 3.0. I know innapropraite reefer uses a jebao dc pump. Have you heard anything about those.

 

[John A!10]

Technically you can. According to the website the 29 gallon is not tempered. http://aqueonproducts.cvt.int.central.com/assets/011/19107.pdf However, they do have a disclaimer on their site "
Due to glass availability, Central Aquatics may temporarily substitute regular or non-tempered glass panels with tempered glass panels. Anytime a glass substitution is made, a sticker will be adhered to the aquarium bottom as a precaution to the end user.

Please Note: Any aquarium that has been altered in any way (i.e. - drilled, attempted to be drilled, the center brace removed) by an individual outside of Central Aquatics, will deem the warranty null and void. "

Best way is to check yourself with a laptop and pair of polarized sunglasses. [/QUOTE
I tried the trick, do you know if this works with green polarized glasses. They were turning purple no stripes.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I have heard of those pumps would you recommend 2.0 or 3.0. I know innapropraite reefer uses a jebao dc pump. Have you heard anything about those.

Depended on how much turnover you want, on a 29 gallon i'd go for the 1.5 or the 2.0. They can both be turned down if needed. I've never personally used a Jebao product, but they're economically priced, but from my reading, don't last very long.

 

[Crabs McJones]

As long as the sunglasses are polarized you're good to go!

 

[John A!10]

Technically you can. According to the website the 29 gallon is not tempered. http://aqueonproducts.cvt.int.central.com/assets/011/19107.pdf However, they do have a disclaimer on their site "
Due to glass availability, Central Aquatics may temporarily substitute regular or non-tempered glass panels with tempered glass panels. Anytime a glass substitution is made, a sticker will be adhered to the aquarium bottom as a precaution to the end user.

Please Note: Any aquarium that has been altered in any way (i.e. - drilled, attempted to be drilled, the center brace removed) by an individual outside of Central Aquatics, will deem the warranty null and void. "

Best way is to check yourself with a laptop and pair of polarized sunglasses. [/QUOTE
I checked it and it’s not tempered

 

[John A!10]

Depended on how much turnover you want, on a 29 gallon i'd go for the 1.5 or the 2.0. They can both be turned down if needed. I've never personally used a Jebao product, but they're economically priced, but from my reading, don't last very long.

So basically for the return I would need mor pvc and a check valve. Also does the syncra attach directly to PVC or do I need a hose.

 

[Crabs McJones]

So basically for the return I would need mor pvc and a check valve. Also does the syncra attach directly to PVC or do I need a hose.

The best way would be to use a short section of silicone hose, that way vibrations are absorbed by the hose.

 

[Goodair]

Do you plan on having the return go over the rim of the tank, or drilled?

 

[John A!10]

Do you plan on having the return go over the rim of the tank, or drilled?

I’m most likely going to drill a hole and attach a bulkhead and loc line return to the other side. Is that correct.

 

[Goodair]

I’m most likely going to drill a hole and attach a bulkhead and loc line return to the other side. Is that correct.

It's preference, its more work upfront, but comes out looking better. You can have your screen top as a full rectangle piece aswell, which looks better.
You just need to make sure its at the proper height where your sump can hold excess water incase the checkvalve fauls.
Here are some (not all) things to plan for when doing your plumbing:
1.What space do you have available to fit a sump.
2. You should consider a auto top off, and if you do, what size resevoir.
3. Do you want to add any equiptment, skimmer, uv, reactors, refugium etc. Some of these aren't necessary, it depends in what you plan in the stocking to be, even longterm planning.

 

[John A!10]

It's preference, its more work upfront, but comes out looking better. You can have your screen top as a full rectangle piece aswell, which looks better.
You just need to make sure its at the proper height where your sump can hold excess water incase the checkvalve fauls.
Here are some (not all) things to plan for when doing your plumbing:
1.What space do you have available to fit a sump.
2. You should consider a auto top off, and if you do, what size resevoir.
3. Do you want to add any equiptment, skimmer, uv, reactors, refugium etc. Some of these aren't necessary, it depends in what you plan in the stocking to be, even longterm planning.

For now I’m only planning, on doing skimmer refugium and filter socks. Maybe later I’ll add a reactor(I’ll leave space. It might be an exterior reactor). Since I’m low on budget for now I’m going to use a glass lid to prevent evaporation. In the future I want to add an auto top off. Isn’t it possible to make an auto top off with gravity like many Red Sea reef tanks. Where there is the little floatie, and when it lowers water goes down with gravity. I want to focus the money now on the sump (good skimmer, decent plumbing, and decent pump) to get it started, then I’ll add higher quality lights when it’s all ready for coral.

 

[Goodair]

No experience with the gravity fed top off, but I wouldn't trust an upsidedown float valve to hold the water. If anything blocks it, it will get stuck and dump the whole resevoir. If you got something like 5 gallons in the resevoir, and it all dumps into a small tank, thats gonna have a an impact on the salinity.

You can save money with the sump by buying a used tank and get some glass/acrylic baffles cut at a hardware store.

You can make a lid pretty cheap with a screen kit from a hardware store and some mesh from online or a reptile store.

 

[John A!10]

No experience with the gravity fed top off, but I wouldn't trust an upsidedown float valve to hold the water. If anything blocks it, it will get stuck and dump the whole resevoir. If you got something like 5 gallons in the resevoir, and it all dumps into a small tank, thats gonna have a an impact on the salinity.

You can save money with the sump by buying a used tank and get some glass/acrylic baffles cut at a hardware store.

You can make a lid pretty cheap with a screen kit from a hardware store and some mesh from online or a reptile store.

I already have a glass lid should I use that one. I also have a 10 gallon tank think that would be good enough for sump.