99 Gallon Tank Journal

I feel good...
As mentioned yesterday, bummer, not enough throughput in between the two sump-tanks. So today I did some testing, 2 elbows, 1" diameter. Both with tubes attached, making syphon-tubes that would nicely stay center on the rim of both tanks. Works like a charm for now. Enough throughput there and no drilling or anything (yet).

So then of course, the next bottleneck shows up, which is the two drains from the overflow-box. This one was expected though, there's no stockman's pipe on it yet and the two pipes are very high up in the box. So toilets sounds all over the place. It slows down the flow because of all the air that gets down the tubes. Topping it off, the level in the main tank gets very high to get enough pressure into the overflow box. That means a higher level of accidents and restricted waterflow. Currently, the pumps still have 25% more capacity than I get from those 1" drain-lines. Far too much, I want that to get to at least zero or a minus. (I've restricted both pump-inlets with a loose valve over the inlet. Closed the valve 1/3 and because it is loose, the pump gets hardly and resistance but less water even so. You can see them in the pictures.)
That'll be a job for the weekend though. Good news is that with a few minutes work I will have solved the backflow problem as well. If you look at the pictures you'll see 4 vertical valves. These return to the display-tank. Left to right:
Number 1 is left back corner: backflow solved and ok, giving only and inch of water back into the sump.
Number 2 is the spraybar on the left side, also ok, an inch of water into the sump.
Number 3 is the right front corner.This one still needs a hole drilled, will be done this weekend.
Number 4 is the left front corner with the CO2-reactor built in. This one is ok as well.

Filled and running, the sump with the return-pumps is about half full. So backflow and stop on the overflow-box has sufficient space and nicely settles in the sump.

So this weekend, I hope to get a fix on the standpipes and clear the back-flow issue. Then do more testing with all filter-media inside, though with bioballs in there, there's no slowdown that I could see. Great stuff, it's just a great sight to see that stuff running and balanced.

The CO2-reactor runs as prayed for. Initially quite some air-build up in the lines, but after a couple of minutes it settled and emptied itself. Can't wait to see how that will run with CO2 and plant-grow.

I've had guppies and an angel testing the water for 2 weeks, no problems at all. Took them out last weekend, back to their friends. A pleco is now cleaning the tank for me. (Looks like a safari pattern right now..lol).

All in all, just can't wait for the tank to start running and at the same time, start getting the electric done. Great....

Ok, some pictures...

IMGP6327.jpg IMGP6328.jpg
 
Very nice job, I finally got back here to see what you've been doing.

Just a quick suggestion though. DO NOT restrict the intake on your pumps!!!! If you must control the pump flow, put the ball valves on the output side. Starving the pump will definitely cause damage to them.
 
Insert a piece of rigid airline tubing into each of your overflow tubes. This will break the air pockets and vent them off allowing your flow to move less hindered.

I agree on not restricting. Add a T and a valve to the output line. You can divert the output of the T back into the filter or into the tank for circulation. The valve allows you to throttle down the pump without restricting it by giving the water another place to go.
 
Thanks for the advise Dudley, and Pete..
I have the T installed and working as you can see in the last pictures I posted.
They run and indeed slow down everything nicely. Will do some more testing on that.

Cheers, you'll see the updates soon again.
 
No offense but that just seems overcomplicated!!
Good luck to you though.
Cant wait to see the plant growth it provides.
 
Prolude, no offence taken, I enjoy every comment of people watching this thread, thanks for doing just that.... Yes you're quite right on the complicated part. As mentioned before, the goal for me was to have a sump as big as possible. I've been thinking about all kind of options I had, but the cabinet's design, using minimal wood size with maximum strength and using as much cheap and DIY parts as possible where limiting into putting a nice logical and straight sump in there.
I got one sump-tank and the overflow-tank for free and the other sump-tank for 400 Baht (11 USD). For the return-lines and equipment, as you can see from this thread, I want to see no stuff in the display-tank at all except gravel, fish and plants, they're all worked away into the concrete background so 4 return-lines from 2 pumps. (2 pumps to have some redundancy/safety if one pump gives up.....Thanks Pete, I've taken your advise to heart there and happy with it!)
Then, I want to be 100% safe and sure that it all keeps working in every scenario. So there might be overkill in the design, but better than having to rip everything out and add later.
It makes it complicated in such a small working-space, but it's working so far...

With the two tanks for sump, I figured it to be better to designate them into Equipment and Filtration. That way I have as linear throughput as possible on the filtration, avoiding dead spots and slowdown and maximizing filtration-space.

Last, for the overflow-box, out of 4, 2 currently empty compartments will be used for the 2nd display-tank in the future. It will move right next and have the same overflow-box but separate water-flow and a separate sump below it.

Complicated indeed, but hope it explains the reasoning behind it.
Advise for reducing the complicated work is always welcome of course...
 
Hello Pete, you picked up your Arowana's already? Enjoy, very curious on those babies.

The overflow tubes are no problem, they stay deep into both overflow-tank and display-tank and no air-pockets at all, running or still. (Partly based on your advise early on in this thread.) Got a tube on top with a check-valve that works nicely for now, but will monitor.
The air-buildup I had was in the return-line and CO2 reactor during start-up. That one settles itself after a couple of minutes.
Backflow as mentioned in my earlier post yesterday is solved on 3 lines, 1 to be drilled and done this weekend.

Cheers.
Luc
 
Hello DrVader, thanks for the compliment, felt great to see the system running yesterday.

DrVader said:
Re: the Co2 reactor and initial build up of gases; it looks like it isn't a problem now but I'm surprised to see no bleed-line in the reactor unit. Perhaps there is one.... is that the tubing to the right of the endcap? Was it self-made or a commercial unit? You're doing a fantastic job here Luc.
Click to expand...

There is no bleed-line to release any gas out with a small air-valve.
But you are right on the tube right of the endcap. That one goes about an inch down into the reactor, and it was cut at 45' angle and sticking into the feed-line on top where it goes with the direction of the waterflow, sucking air (CO2) away (I assume I can correctly call it venturi-loop).

The unit is DIY from scrap parts.
- Plexi cylinder
- End-caps and black 'net-covers' top and bottom are a cut up powerhead filter-unit.
- Tubes and some pvc-connectors
- Silicone
- 3 bioballs.

I had everything running for a couple of hours yesterday and for the reactor, initial gas/air buildup disappears in about 10 minutes, after that, there's 'verocious' bubble-movement in the top half, clear water in the bottom-half going to the tank.
To early to call victory, but promising results.
 
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