Reef ready 75

[Shelby Weaver]

I got a new tank, it came with a sump. It has a weir in the middle with 2 holes drilled in the bottom. How on earth do I plumb this? I've never plumbed a tank before and this is my first salt tank and I really want to do it right. Please help!

 

[Jesterrace]

The plumbing can vary based on the setup. By the "weir in the middle" with holes in the bottom, I assume you are talking about what is called an overflow, which is where water drains and returns to/from the sump. Did the tank come with any of the plumbing pieces or are you starting from scratch? Generally the overflow has 2 pipes (bulkheads) with the one returning water to the tank sitting up higher than the one that drains down into the sump. You will need PVC piping, couplers, glue and a few other components depending on what all you are going to run in the sump. I would recommend taking a look at some videos on Youtube as they could show you better than someone could explain it on a forum.

 

[Reef-junky]

Are the holes the same size or is one smaller? In any case a Herbie overflow would be the way to go unless there is room to drill another hole in that case I would run a Bean Animal. If the tank doesn’t have them you would need bulkheads.

http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

 

[Shelby Weaver]

The holes are 1in and 3/4in. I've watched some videos now and it seems its plumbed for the durso but i want to do herbie. Any suggestions?

 

[jsker]

Congratulations on the new tank!! If I my suggest taking a picture of the tank and more to wrap their head around what need to be done.

 

[Reef-junky]

3/4” for the main drain and 1” for the emergency and the return over the top. Seems some people do it the other way but I’m not a fan of having a smaller emergency drain then the main drain. Doing it the other way depends on how high the level in the tank is, how big the return section in the sump is, and if your ato can empty into the sump plus how big it is. Not a fan of 1/2 a** it and then depending on other things to not overflow the DT.

 

[Shelby Weaver]

3/4” for the main drain and 1” for the emergency and the return over the top. Seems some people do it the other way but I’m not a fan of having a smaller emergency drain then the main drain. Doing it the other way depends on how high the level in the tank is, how big the return section in the sump is, and if your ato can empty into the sump plus how big it is. Not a fan of 1/2 a** it and then depending on other things to not overflow the DT.

That's what I'm going to go with. I've got my plumbing mocked up now just waiting to finish the stand and get it set up!

 

[Shelby Weaver]

Any recommendations on filter socks?

 

[Reef-junky]

Does your sump have a holder? The easiest set up to have is like this:

You can use the other style holder but changing the socks out will be a bit more of a pain. Something like this:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bm4-filter-sock-holder-with-el-s300-filter-sock-skimz.html

Another thing you could do is use a roller mat. I’ve also seen people use these and again you can save money and make your own.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/automatic-roller-mat-theiling-1.html

 

[Reef-junky]

What you want is felt like this:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-...-ring-1-e0f66d3186154abe76960f9e394c4621.html

I would change them out every two or three days. At least twice a week otherwise you can end up with problems. You can also make your own.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-filter-socks.162584/