Closed Loop for a 40 Breeder

[Anonymous]

Are you planning on running a skimmer? If not I would not put any baffles on the drain side. If you are going to runs a skimmer I would make it just big enough for the skimmer. On the sump I had on my 60 I only had baffles on the return side.

 

[Anonymous]

Crap, you know, I won't have room for a refugium. I plan on getting a skimmer and there might be just enough room for that.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, is there a rule of thumb to follow for the return side in deciding how much real estate it should have?

 

[Anonymous]

Not that I know of. I did not leave enough room on my return side and I sucked in lots of bubbles. Never could get rid of them. I have an external pump and I left just enough room for the pipe. This also made for a real pan for my top off system. With your set up I would try to leave about an inch clear all around the pump. maybe more if you think you will need it to work on the pump. How many baffles are you planning? I would think that 2 would be a min. Under then over.

 

[Anonymous]

You Mass people and your "real estate" :lol:


I would tell you the answer but all I can think about is Pie.....

 

[Anonymous]

You Mass people and your "real estate" :lol:


I would tell you the answer but all I can think about is Pie.....

 

[Anonymous]

Not that I know of. I did not leave enough room on my return side and I sucked in lots of bubbles. Never could get rid of them. I have an external pump and I left just enough room for the pipe. This also made for a real pan for my top off system. With your set up I would try to leave about an inch clear all around the pump. maybe more if you think you will need it to work on the pump. How many baffles are you planning? I would think that 2 would be a min. Under then over.

I was going to go with three but since room is at a premium I might go two.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the drain inside the tank. I still need to build a skimmer box. I wish this was smaller but I don't know what else I can do.

 

[Anonymous]

What kind of pump is that? Can you thread an elbow on to it and point it down? If you can that kind of acts like a third baffle. I had a problem with a mag one time that if I did not run the water really deep in the sump it would suck air. I added and elbow pointing down and I was able to run the sump lower and did not get bubbles.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a Sen700 and it is threaded on the intake side as well. So yeah, I can thread some PVC and put an elbow facing down.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's the drain inside the tank. I still need to build a skimmer box. I wish this was smaller but I don't know what else I can do.

Have you thought of building the elbow into the skimmer box?

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure what you mean. I plan on building a skimmer box that will encase that elbow. Is that what you are talking about?

 

[Anonymous]

Nope. Give me a few minutes. I'll draw it up.

 

[Anonymous]

Let me preface this with the fact that I have never used one. I think they would be a good idea and a great space saver esp in small tanks. I just threu some dims at it to pass the idea.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, OK, I understand. I like the idea a lot. Ayone out there try this?

 

[Anonymous]

If you make it out of glass you do not even need the back. Make the inner "U" and silicone it on then make the outer "U" and slap it on. If you make it out of acrylic you will need a second gasket to go between the box and the tank wall.

 

[Anonymous]

If you make it out of acrylic and you weld a piece of pvc into the acrylic you can have the pvc enter the bulkhead and you don't even need to fasten it to the tank....

 

[Anonymous]

What about painting the glass or acrylic black. Can that be done or will I just be asking for trouble.

 

[Anonymous]

Also, any ideas out there to use something already built that can be modified for what I need?

 

[Anonymous]

Can you wait the week it would take for a couple pieces of scrap black acrylic to get to you?

Course you will have to do the fabrication yourself, and you have to buy some weldon....