new small scale set up

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:19:05 GMT

well ive a few decisions
stand has been treated to a fresh coat of paint, every other divide has been removed, the tanks have been painted back and bottoms,

just need to drill them and can start setting it all up

Re:new small scale set up (t2rev)

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:48:54 GMT

like ive got the drill into any and everything ive used. cordless drill. none of this drill press stuff! drilling from the outside. who said anything about drilling the sides...keeping each tank separate.

Re:new small scale set up (rgrking)

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:44:04 GMT

a dremel with a flexible line

Re:new small scale set up (Arc Katana)

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:40:54 GMT

I'd love to think that you'd be able to drill it - but how could you get a drill into the middle parts?

Re:new small scale set up (t2rev)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:36:10 GMT

matt just drill it.
there are many tried and tested reasons why systems are designed as they are. take a look at any large systemised set of tanks at a retailer or wholesale and 90% will be the samething on a theme.
in an ideal world you would feed water in at the top, and draw it off at the bottom, as fish waste sinks, and would this be drawn toward the overflow.

...anyway...i'll be over monday night to sort it all out!!! with the diamond drills and a nice shopping list! if you're lucky will bring the angle grinde too.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:34:01 GMT

ok i get ya, ive got plenty of powerhead and pumps about so that makes an option.

now to work out the alternatives to doing it this way! so i can decide between them

Re:new small scale set up (patent)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:07 GMT

Right. I have a 40B divided into 3 sections like this, with the flow over the top. . My feed on the right hand section points down to the bottom of that section, and does a good job of stirring up that section. I really only need additional circulation in the other 2. I use airstones though, and they seem to work fine for me. Cheapest powerhead I could find for it (that I liked) was the Eheim Compact 300 or the minijet 404, both around $16 online in US, don't know prices over there though. They would work, but I think the airstone does the job fine.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:25:23 GMT

Originally Posted by patent

The problem comes if the flow is just over the top, the water at the bottom won't get mixed in as well as you might want, and depending on the ambient temp in the room, the tank's temperature might not be as accurate as you want. You just need a way to mix the water in each compartment, and then its not as big of a deal to feed one end and drain the other.

so example of that would be to feed one end drain the other, and to have a powerhead in each section not ideal on the powerhead front but would work.

Re:new small scale set up (patent)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:57:51 GMT

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:49:58 GMT

if i have a good flow through the divides, can i just feed one end of the tank and drain the other , as that would make it all way simpler to do.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:17:43 GMT

flyn fish what divides your tanks is it some kind or acrilic with slots cut in it?

Re:new small scale set up (FlynnFish)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:01:27 GMT

yes, if you feed each section you can still drain from one side. that's how my system was set up, and part of it still is.
http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/members-reefs/flynns-breeding-system-18176/

Re:new small scale set up (rgrking)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:55:47 GMT

you can always use something like gutter guard. that wouldn't clog up as easy.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:53:49 GMT

yeah i guess i could, would need to be mesh as the gobies would go through egg create etc, just not sure about mesh glogging getting dirty being hard to clean etc.

Re:new small scale set up (zimajays)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:49:23 GMT

Matt, could you not change the section for mesh screen? That way you can still up and over like Kathy says but you will increase the flow?

Re:new small scale set up (patent)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:41:58 GMT

I'd also think flow can be an issue in the middle compartments, but you can fix that with a small powerhead or an airstone.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:59:38 GMT

so is the general feeling that if i feed each section individualy i could still drain to sump from one end?

Re:new small scale set up (FlynnFish)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:50:58 GMT

There is not going to be suffecient enough flow with solid dividers like that. the water will just flow over the top and not mix down near the bottom. you will need to get a pipe going down the length of the tank feeding each section. nice pick up though.

Re:new small scale set up (matt1001)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:27:48 GMT

yeah its some one elses set up that i got today at a good price (less then the cost of a new 4 ft) so it prob wont stay that way, although gobies can be keept well in quite small tanks, but i prob divide the tanks into 3 by taking out the 2nd 4th and 6th baffels, using the two ends for filtration media

Re:new small scale set up (CableGuy)

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:23:28 GMT

Those compartments look really small... like 8" across by 24" deep... kinda a weird size. You would have been better cutting it in 1/2 by the long way and then dividing them into smaller squares.