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Taking a sump. Back in five minutes...

Love a good close up of each section of the sump with an overview of all of it. Been running a fair few weeks so would be good

Right then. So as previously discussed the original design had two outflows:

upload_2019-11-19_10-14-15.jpeg


You’ll just have to use your imagination @Chris Tinker and erase one of the outlets. However this is pretty much the setup around the back as it is now. One difference would be that of the two intakes in the overflow box, you cut a piece of PVC pipe and use this as a stand pipe/overflow (for obvious reasons it must be cut to the maximum height you would want the display to be at before the overflow comes into use).

upload_2019-11-19_10-25-0.jpeg


You can run this like a herbie overflow but from experience this isn’t worth it. With the lid on you a) can’t hear it if you adjust the ball valve correctly and b) the drop of the water causes minimal gassing off and the lid (not on in this pic) seals the unit up reasonably well.
 
The aqualifter pump then starts the siphon for the overflow box (airline and direction of flow represented by my terrible drawing on this image):

upload_2019-11-19_10-55-15.jpeg


The ball valve for the overflow is then set fully open, then it’s a matter of adjusting the main intake ball valve to your desired rate matched with your return pump:

upload_2019-11-19_11-30-38.jpeg


upload_2019-11-19_11-31-29.jpeg
 
The actual filtration is simple:

upload_2019-11-19_11-35-14.jpeg


Water goes through sponges in the top box, through the drip plate (lots of holes drilled in the box to disperse water evenly), over the K1 media which is the primary source of filtration, then through the gap bottom right to travel across the heater and finally to the return pump.
 
Looking forward to seeing how this turns out with that much light and if you get any diatoms/gsa on the rocks or if you manage to keep it at bay and not clean the rocks much

All looks very healthy and a great wee experiment

The other component to your query @Kalum is everyone is quick to attribute success to a system, an aquascape, design, piece of equipment or whatever. But honestly it’s the aquarist and what they habitually do that is a large determinant of success in high tech from everything I’ve seen:

upload_2019-11-19_12-19-43.jpeg


You want a clean carpet, you gotta clean it. Doesn’t mean you have to make it difficult though. The Ecco filter in the pic is stuffed with old off cuts of filter floss and I vacuum the tank and sump mid-week. This takes minutes using an old filter like this that anyone can pick up second hand. Removes a massive amount of detritus without a lengthy water change every few days.

A tank like this running with the accelerator pedal smashed so far down it’s in the engine block will produce a lot of waste. “The plants will sort it out” mentality is gonna bite you in the ass pretty much immediately with 200 - 300 PAR to all four corners :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tank is getting fully loaded soon, fish are on their way. That will be the interesting change.
 
Right then. So as previously discussed the original design had two outflows:

View attachment 129180

You’ll just have to use your imagination @Chris Tinker and erase one of the outlets. However this is pretty much the setup around the back as it is now. One difference would be that of the two intakes in the overflow box, you cut a piece of PVC pipe and use this as a stand pipe/overflow (for obvious reasons it must be cut to the maximum height you would want the display to be at before the overflow comes into use).

View attachment 129181

You can run this like a herbie overflow but from experience this isn’t worth it. With the lid on you a) can’t hear it if you adjust the ball valve correctly and b) the drop of the water causes minimal gassing off and the lid (not on in this pic) seals the unit up reasonably well.
Amazing shot from behind.

I am eventully moving my tank and might do this from a side panel. Huge inspiration from this shot
 
The other component to your query @Kalum is everyone is quick to attribute success to a system, an aquascape, design, piece of equipment or whatever. But honestly it’s the aquarist and what they habitually do that is a large determinant of success in high tech from everything I’ve seen:

View attachment 129196

You want a clean carpet, you gotta clean it. Doesn’t mean you have to make it difficult though. The Ecco filter in the pic is stuffed with old off cuts of filter floss and I vacuum the tank and sump mid-week. This takes minutes using an old filter like this that anyone can pick up second hand. Removes a massive amount of detritus without a lengthy water change every few days.

A tank like this running with the accelerator pedal smashed so far down it’s in the engine block will produce a lot of waste. “The plants will sort it out” mentality is gonna bite you in the ass pretty much immediately with 200 - 300 PAR to all four corners :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tank is getting fully loaded soon, fish are on their way. That will be the interesting change.

Thats genius!!! Using a simple canister to clean the tank without doing a water change... this right here needs a reward!
 
@Geoffrey Rea couldn't agree more and keeping on top of the basics of keeping the tank clean in general will see you succeed more times than not and is the first thing to slip with most (including myself in the past and learning the hard way!), the more you push the limits the more you need to do to keep it on track

great wee idea with the aquarium version of a handheld dyson, work smarter not harder to keep yourself sane and enjoying it

that pic with the 2 lights is just insane :lol:
 
Why would you want to use 2 outlets? :angelic:

To avoid sand storms :lol:

But to be fair @Andrew Butler with the pump sizing on this system one outlet disperses the water out quite nicely, but an even lower lph would be fine. On your footprint for your internal inbuilt filter 900 I can’t see it being too big an issue. The random flow generator to go on the end of the loc-line could be the way forward for designing out too much direct flow.
 
the more you push the limits the more you need to do to keep it on track

In a period of just over a year I ran three Dennerle 55l tanks that on a rota I would try to total every 30 days. Obviously no livestock.

Co2 off/on/off, filter off for a week, powerhead blasting stems, light on max from start up, toxic levels of dosing....

It’s surprisingly difficult and things bounce back. The only thing that was really unforgivable was a large build up of detritus and a lack of surface agitation. Robs all of the remaining oxygen and at a tipping point, collapses the system.

People don’t necessarily think of it this way but not doing proper, regular maintenance is pushing the limits.
 
Hi Geoffrey , sorry I have not been following your thread in detail but I notice in one of the pictures you have your C02 in front of your return pump.
Great idea and something I have been doing for many years, the only difference is I use a cut down plastic bottle...
C3359097-2DBB-4B1D-8EF7-6238C181D1D3.jpeg
 
Snap @foxfish and thanks for sharing.

Been through several iterations of this but with a vitamin bottle where the neck fit in the pump. I removed it as it could potentially move and fall out without being noticed. Can’t afford any alteration of Co2 with the amount of light running and messing with the planting a lot.

Using the bazooka style diffuser the pump pulls in pretty much all of the Co2 which for now is good enough. I think if I were to up my game I would build a reactor.... next project maybe
 
Hi Geoffrey , sorry I have not been following your thread in detail but I notice in one of the pictures you have your C02 in front of your return pump.
Great idea and something I have been doing for many years, the only difference is I use a cut down plastic bottle...
View attachment 129200

Question: I tried that and in order to get the CO2 bubbles everywhere in the tank, i had to up the return pumps flow, and ended up with the water coming into the sump at a high speed creating a lot of O2 bubbles. Doesn't that remove the CO2?
 
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