Setting up First Sump: eShopps HoB + Jebao Pump

[tutmatt3]

Hey guys! So I picked up an eShopps R100 sump, as well as a few additional items to set up a sump on my 75g non drilled tampered glass tank. I'm getting ready to set it up all tomorrow, so feel free to chime in & let me know an of your opinions.

A couple questions I have for this set up are:
1) Should I hook up a float valve onto my return pump in the last chamber of the sump - in case my HOB loses siphon to avoid flooding the tank? This guy - http://autotopoff.com/Single/su.jpg - and can epoxy the mount to a tunze magnet I have lying around.
*My thinking for NOT doing it is - my return chamber will only house ~3gallons of water. My water level in the tank will be @ the bottom of the plastic lip, so the extra 1.5" I have to the top of the tank gives me ~5+ gallons worth of space. Even if my return pump pumps all that water in the last chamber of the sump, the tank still wouldn't overflow. ALSO - The jebao pump has a note that it will auto shut off after 2x minutes of use without water. Obviously that relies on the technology of it. Thoughts?

2) I saw many people replacing the sponge with a 'stockman'. Is that something worth investing time / energy into?

3) Is there anything I can do to help avoid losing siphon? I know proper height placement of the HOB is crucial, as well as the correct return flow, but for example would a ziptie around the utube help keep it in place & possibly avoid bubbles/air pockets?

4) I haven't decided on using PCV or tubing for the set up. Would I use pipe glue on the actual connection of the hose (below) to the overflow? or only on the custom pipe I would build. Planning on doing overflow in the middle, and 2x returns - 1 on each side.

Love any additional input you guys may have! Nervous for my first sump, but SUPER stoked to get rid of my HOB filters that clogged up so often, and instead easily replace socks =D
LMK what else I should pick up from the hardware store tomorrow

Btw - jebao was picked due to the ability to control flow speed. I have 2x jebao wavemakers & love those things.


Items below:
Sump:

HOB Overflow:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OCX4OI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pump: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SQX5CG0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2x of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018J3RHF0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hose from HOB to Sump: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001K5IF5G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How'd it go?

3) Is there anything I can do to help avoid losing siphon? I know proper height placement of the HOB is crucial, as well as the correct return flow, but for example would a ziptie around the utube help keep it in place & possibly avoid bubbles/air pocke

Don't sweat this too hard. Its actually pretty easy. And I haven lost siphon accidentally yet. After close to three years.


Once you get comfortable, you'll want to replace the soft tube inlet with pvc.

 

[tutmatt3]

How'd it go?


Don't sweat this too hard. Its actually pretty easy. And I haven lost siphon accidentally yet. After close to three years.


Once you get comfortable, you'll want to replace the soft tube inlet with pvc.

Its still going haha

Spent a majority of the day draining out 75% of the water so I can move the tank forward because the sump was one centimeter too big to get into the stand without using more of the open back area to angle it in
What a mission lol

Then a couple hardware store hopping trips in order to find the proper adapter to go from this pump to these return Jets but should hopefully have everything running today if all goes smooth

You never lost a siphon? What hob you have

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have the eshopps pf800.

Wow. Yea the things we do for reef. Lol.

 

[tutmatt3]

I have the eshopps pf800.

Wow. Yea the things we do for reef. Lol.

Hahaa yup!!!! Ugh lol
Yeah all my return tubing is soft clear vinyl as well. Figure its not the most optimal, but beats idk how many hours I would lose trying to glue piping and move stuff, etc.

All adapters inside water I use the zip Tire on the clamp even though they were on their pretty snug and on the return and I put metal hose, since those are the ones I really don't want losing connection

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Once you get the system plumbed, it'll get you time to look for the parts for the pvc. That's the big headache for me. I'm not a plumber.
It's exactly what I did.
The lock line to threaded fitting was the stupid hard part for some reason. I just couldn't find it at first and then naturally bought the wrong size. lol

 

[tutmatt3]

Once you get the system plumbed, it'll get you time to look for the parts for the pvc. That's the big headache for me. I'm not a plumber.
It's exactly what I did.
The lock line to threaded fitting was the stupid hard part for some reason. I just couldn't find it at first and then naturally bought the wrong size. lol

dang sounds like a headddacheee haha
>_>

 

[tutmatt3]

dang sounds like a headddacheee haha
>_>

Yeah yesterday, just trying to find an apater to go from 3/4 tubing to 5/8, T it off, etc, was such a mission. Literally HD > Lowes > HD > Lowes

So I can only imagine when I'm not dealing with flex tube lolol

 

[tutmatt3]

Once you get the system plumbed, it'll get you time to look for the parts for the pvc. That's the big headache for me. I'm not a plumber.
It's exactly what I did.
The lock line to threaded fitting was the stupid hard part for some reason. I just couldn't find it at first and then naturally bought the wrong size. lol

Did you build the silencer thing for yours? Or just using foam

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm using the foam. Def look at the silencer though.

 

[tutmatt3]

I'm using the foam. Def look at the silencer though.

Does yours happen to make toilet 'bubbling' type noises? I think it may have to do w/ the calmness of the water level raising & lowering as the waves hit, but I'm not too crazy for that noise.

 

[keddre]

The silencer is a game changer, however not necessary. If you don't mind redoing your plumbing, put a gate valve on your drain(s) to create a full siphon. Emphasis on gate valve, I have a ball valve on mine and it's the first thing I "regret". As far as losing a siphon, that's not really a problem. My neighborhood has way too many power outages and I haven't lost a siphon yet.

 

[tutmatt3]

The silencer is a game changer, however not necessary. If you don't mind redoing your plumbing, put a gate valve on your drain(s) to create a full siphon. Emphasis on gate valve, I have a ball valve on mine and it's the first thing I "regret". As far as losing a siphon, that's not really a problem. My neighborhood has way too many power outages and I haven't lost a siphon yet.

Cheers!! I'm going to HD right now to build the stockman.

Question, why do I need a gate valve if I could control the flow rate with my Jebao controller?

 

[keddre]

I have the 1800 gph venison, but my pump only does 1000 gph, so my drain line pulls in a bunch of air. By putting valves on the drains, I can restrict the incoming flow of water to match the pump and restrict the air flowing into my sump. In my case where it's open with no filter socks and a terrible baffle system, this helped to reduce micro bubbles and more noise. So it's more of a recommended than a necessity

 

[tutmatt3]

O

I have the 1800 gph venison, but my pump only does 1000 gph, so my drain line pulls in a bunch of air. By putting valves on the drains, I can restrict the incoming flow of water to match the pump and restrict the air flowing into my sump. In my case where it's open with no filter socks and a terrible baffle system, this helped to reduce micro bubbles and more noise. So it's more of a recommended than a necessity

Ohhhhh on the drain line! a got it

Ill give the silencer a test and see if i Neff to go that route as well!

 

[tutmatt3]

Alright, some updates and input for those looking for information and stumble upon this thread and my learnings

1) silencer wasn't necessary. I built one and indeed it did quiet it a little bit, but I still had quite a bit of gurgle that came every 5 Seconds as a water in the last chamber of the Overflow would fluctuate:
- this was actually caused by the 3-foot eshopps flex tube I have not being out of fully downward slope and had a slight s which the drain had to go downwards and slightly upwards and down again to hit my sump. That forced the Overflow to act similar to a toilet which required water pressure load in order to force any air bubbles in my big Flex tube. I simply removed the Bulkhead from my sump and put the tube directly into the filter sock hitting the sock on the side so it is quiet as ever and now there's no bubble noise

2) update, got my ato in the last chamber of the sump with the alarm float well above the level and which of the chamber will rise to when I go into feed mode. This also will work good in case God forbid there is reverse siphon and water starts going into the last chamber from the tank. I've tested plenty of times now and there should be no reverse siphon as long as my return jets are at the proper height

3) went into feed mode over 50 times as well as turned on and off the unit will tuning everything and not once did I lose siphon

4) just for fun I intentionally broke siphon in order to see how much my tank would fill up. The three years old gallons from my last chamber went into my tank and I still had about one inch or so left of room in the display. So I know worst case scenario my last chamber in the sump would go empty and my pump would run dry for 2 minutes until it turns off with its Auto turn off feature

5) skimmer bubbles??? Yes foam in the baffles definitely helps as well as on the outflow pipe but I also found raising the water level for that last chamber to be very beneficial and helping avoid these bubbles going to the tank. I do expect skimmer to return to normal functioning without bubbles over the next week or two

6) my sump is 15 inches tall and I thought using 12-inch socks would be better but quickly found out that is not the case. Only about 3 inches of the sock are in water therefore with clogged up really fast. 15 in socks are on their way to resolve the situation

7) leaky bulkhead! Apparently hand tighten to the max is not enough. I took the bulkhead apart and cleaned it with some rubbing alcohol and after hand tighten gave it an extra 1/3 turn with a wrench and things seem to be well now