Need advice/parts getting my 90 going (drill, pump, skimmer)

[sanker]

I also posted this in Marketplace Equipment, but nobody replied.

I'm getting a 90 from a friend. I need to get the new system going for a little cash as possible. My wife is on my like white on rice not to spend any more money on my hobbies.

I have a 30:
http://homepage.mac.com/sanker/PhotoAlbum34.html
I am going to put the 90 where the 30 is (right over a foundation wall where the previous owner of my house put in an addition)
I want it to be a quite as possible so I'm planning on putting the sump/fuge on a shelf in the basement under the 90. I have hard wood floors so drilling should be easy. I think am going to put the sump/fuge on a waist high shelf so I can get it up a high as possible so the pump I will need to buy will not cost me my right testicle. So, it should be about 6 feet up to the floor of the first floor and then 4 feet to the freshly drilled tank.
I was thinking I could do a closed loop I've been reading about here with a vt4 from Armando
http://bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9663
and then only need a pump to feed water back up to the tank as a "re-fill".
Is that just a bad idea? The system would end up being two pumps. Almost double the electricity? $85 for a used vt4 and then maybe $150 for a beefier pump in the basement in stead of $330 for a psycho Iwaki 70rlt. Tons of people must do this, what's best? What size should I make all the plumbing? Size is determined by the pump I would think.

if I follow the calculations here:
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/pumps_power.html
then for the vt4 pump I get:
(1225*0.75)/8(reef)=114 gallon tank. so I would be good to go for that pump on the closed loop.

If I wanted to get only 1 pump and have it in the basement it would be the iwaki 70rlt ($330ish). it says it will do max head of 31. what does it put out for gph at 10ft of head?

help.


ok on with the list.

I have:
-the 90, duh
-a stand (traded for)
-a sump (extra big white square tub from my work tank)
-30g existing tank
-30-40lbs live rock in existing tank
-hello lights mh ballast, reflector, 10month old xm 250 bulb on existing 30
-2x15g existing setups that my two friends are giving me because they don't take care of them and I'm obsessive about my tank
-2x 250 mh with old ballast (bulbs really old I'm sure) from 1 15g
-2x 32(I think) power compact from other 15g
-live rock/sand from those two tanks
-75g (extra?) tank (getting from one of the folks that are giving me their 15 nano (maybe trade this for pump I need below?)
-cpr bak-pak on existing 30 (move it to the fuge)

I need:
1.diamond tip bit to drill holes in 90
1a. valium for drilling process (virgin driller)
2. canopy design
3. new ballast for the 250 mh I'm getting from my friend (he says they are old and probably inefficient)
4. advice on pump(s)
5. pumps once I get a consensus on what's the way to go.
6. skimmer that can help the bak-pak
7. someone to hold me, stroke my hair and go for moonlit walks, er, um, sorry, wrong forum

I am wiling to barter with computer/home theater setup/troubleshooting

I do:
Mac and PC
new system purchase/installs
purchasing and installation of upgrades for existing systems
backup design/install/maintenance
Wired/Wireless network installation
software training
firewall install
home or office

thanks for taking the time to respond.
-Sean

__________________
http://www.sanker.com

 

[sanker]

so,
where I'm at:

got the t4. got the 90. got the 75 for the fuge/skimmer.

What I need is an idea on tank design for a closed loop using a mag9 and the sump/fuge 10 feet of head below in the basement using the t4 (1200gph at zero and 250 ant 17' head)

so for drilling the holes I will be making 1" holes:

from what I've seen I should have one 5" up in the middle for closed loop out and two 7" up evenly space for closed loop return. then one 2" from the top for sump feed, and one for sump return. I'm just wanting water back to the tank for the sump return and 300ish gph is fine right? I'll post a pic later if this doesn't make sense.

do I make an overflow for the sump feed or just put some protruding screen cover on it?
-Sean

 

[NateHanson]

If all you want for the sump return is 300 gph, use the mag9 for your return pump and save the quieter more powerful t4 for your closed loop.

In the sump, all you need is a strainer on the return pump suction.

 

[Piscevore]

If you think it is going to be cheap, I'd just quit while you are ahead
the drill bits are expensive, and wear out pretty quick. When they are worn, they bind and chip (read: cut crappy holes).

They're about 30= 50 bucks at Ameriglass.com
Make your drain 1". You can make an overflow or just put a pipe near the surface of the water...i've seen both. Cheaper is pipe, probably won't look all that bad.
I just bought an ASM g2 skimmer from reefdom, and it rocks.
Jeremy at CRA has some good euro knock offs pretty cheap too.

I would check out a sequence pimp (i mean pump) for your return up from the basement. They're the flavor of the week as far as low energy high power.

T4's are great pumps for a closed loop. Quiet, powerful. Watch out though, that titanium impeller housing is a heat sink...it uses your tank water to cool the pump

 

[sanker]

moving scott's comments to here for easier access:
I'll make another reply for my comments...

Mr. Scott Merrill suggests:
http://bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10595

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanker
I have 1 250w. plan on putting two 250s (maybe three but I would have to do something about the center support[replace with acrylic?]).

i woulnd't cut out the brace JMO
Quote:
have 40lbs of live rock now and another 60 ready to move into the new tank.
see this thread for the rest of what I have:
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums...read.php?t=9922
don't know about the ocean motions, should I? I was told the scwd isn't the way to go.


SCWDS are disposable. the cost ~30.00 and when the go bad you toss them most people get a year, some longer. so if you do use one, put it in an accessable place. OM is a really nice unit but the are $$. Marco67 (fishy Biz sponsor) carries them. worth the money if you ask me.

Quote:
I need bulkheads,

do you want threaded or slip? have you decided on a size? is your T4 a 3/4 thread? a 1" tread? or a 1" hose barb?
i have all threaded (i need to check stock)
i know skiptons carries them and i think CRA and Fishy Biz does too.
Quote:
was thinking of just using screens on the return bulkheads.


doing an overflow box is the right way to go. i would strongly suggest against screens. IMO Linear skimming is key to a healthy tank

Quote:
display tank 90sump/fuge, 75 in basement, apparently the consensus is t4 for closed loop and mag 9 to go the 10 feet of head from the basement to get water back up to display tank.
]
the t4 is a good closed loop pump. i would suggest to make your intake hole larger. less flow restriction. what skimmer are you running? the backpak? more importantly what pump are you running on the skimmer? i am assuming it will be in the sump downstairs. you want to make sure that your return GPH is at least the same as your skimmer GPH. A mag 9 is going to be a very inefficient pump to go up 12+ feet.
Quote:
pretty sure I can order the bit at my machine shop so if I could pay you to drill some of the holes in the 90 (and buy the bulkheads from you) I could drill the rest and do the 75


Bits are not tough to find but they do get $$$

a few places.....
www.jehmco.com
www .diamond-drill-bit-and-tool.com

and ameriglass (not sure of the link)

if you do decide to buy your own,
don't buy a plated bit.
get the bonded bit
the plated wear out VERY VERY quickly and are known to chip like crazy.
tanks aren't cheap, and chips cause leaks. they do cut a hole but not a quality one. your better off with buying a quality bit.

 

[sanker]

quote:
SCWDS are disposable. the cost ~30.00 and when the go bad you toss them most people get a year, some longer. so if you do use one, put it in an accessable place.

ok, sold, I'll take a scwd.

quote:
do you want threaded or slip? have you decided on a size? is your T4 a 3/4 thread? a 1" tread? or a 1" hose barb?
i have all threaded (i need to check stock)
i know skiptons carries them and i think CRA and Fishy Biz does too.

my t4 is nipple, that's hot, and the mag 9 is threaded. both are 3/4 (3/4 id 1" od)


quote:
doing an overflow box is the right way to go. i would strongly suggest against screens. IMO Linear skimming is key to a healthy tank

ok, so I do a mid-tank overflow box? do you sell them?


quote:

the t4 is a good closed loop pump. i would suggest to make your intake hole larger. less flow restriction. what skimmer are you running? the backpak? more importantly what pump are you running on the skimmer? i am assuming it will be in the sump downstairs. you want to make sure that your return GPH is at least the same as your skimmer GPH. A mag 9 is going to be a very inefficient pump to go up 12+ feet.

so, do 1" (drill 1 and 3/4 hole for 1" bulkhead right?) for closed loop and sump return and 1.5 (what size hole do you drill 2.5?) for behind the overflow to feed the basement sump? My understanding is the mag 9 only needs to get water back up to the display and being 900 at zero I would think it would be 200ish at 9 feet (sump is going to be on a 4' table in basement). so wouldn't 200 be enough to get the water back up and the 1200 from the t4 will handle flow (probably add educators on both now that I think about it). We were going to order a 1 and 3/4 diamond coated hole saw for the shop at work. MSCdirect.com mcmaster.com and grainger.com are all vendors we order from on a regular basis...setting up a new vendor sucks. skimmer, I was going to just use bakpaks for now (I have three, one from my 30 and two others from two tanks I've gotten from friend's that were getting out of the hobby. plan on building a real one to go in the 75 sump/fuge. want to try to keep costs down where I can and it seems that three cpr bakpaks should work for the short term. also planning on using my 22' boat to fill three new 38 gallon trash cans with ocean water from 2 miles out. save on the initial 165g fill in time (r/o only makes 3 gallons every 4 hours) and money ($50 for 200 gallon mix)

-Sean

 

[sanker]

Scott,
I could bring the tank into cambridge tomorrow if you have time.

call me tonight so I know to bring it in.
781.threezeroeight4551
-sean