Water top off!

geologeek · 12-19-2004, 01:39 PM

Hi i have a bit of a dilema! i have a four foot reef tank which i have only recently added a sump to! well if you can call it a sump! due to limited room in the cabinet and an unfortunate breakage of the tank to be used as a sump i have now used an 80 ltr plastic bin (HDPE - hope this is safe - shop assures me it is food grade!) which is mounted on a window ledge behind the tank. In which is the heater, skimmer and baskets containing algae (lit 24/7). The out flow is via a 1 inch PVC pipe at water level so the skimmer is always at optimal water level. NOW here is one for anybody to help! I want to add a water top off (ideally diy!) but it clearly cannot go into the "sump" and i am planning on putting in a tunze wave machine in the main tank in the new year so how can i add a top off unit as the water level in the main tank will be very variable!!!!

any suggestions?

I cant put an overflow box on the tank due to over the top bracing bars!

cant get the tank drilled without sending it away for two weeks! (welsh glasiers are crap!)

HELP!!!!

geologeek · 12-20-2004, 01:53 PM

Nobody???

Well do you think this will work?

Having the outflow of the "sump" flowing into a sump/fuge such as

http://www.podzilla.us/drewsfugue.html

which is then pumped back to the tank?

This sump/fuge will be just below water level in the main tank

i can then put on an osmolator (sorry gone tunze mad over here - its that or deltec in south wales) to allow for water top up?

any body see a problem i cant see yet?

JohnO · 12-20-2004, 02:00 PM

Now you are making my head hurt :-)

The 80L plastic bin is above the main tank, or at least the water level is higher than that of the main tank, is that correct?

John

geologeek · 12-20-2004, 03:14 PM

yes that is correct!
the water is pumped up to it and gravity fed back. i was just wondering if the gravity feed goes to a refugium would i then be able to add a top up unit?

in most of your systems you have a sump below tank which is gravity fed and a system pump to push it back up to the tank.

the way i see it (although a bit cack handed) is that i have an above tank sump that i want to gravity feed back to a refugium (just below water level of main tank) which will then be pump fed back to the tank.... with me? (confusing myself somewhat)

i have a two foot wide window ledge (150 year old house) behind the tank which the bin is sat on.

obviously the water level will always be constant in the bin as it is pump fed, but the way i see it if i put a refugium next to it that is gravity fed from the bin and pumped back to the tank it will then be similar to other peoples undertank sumps so i can put a top off unit of some sort on that.......is this correct???

or am i just frying your brains as well as mine!!!

JohnO · 12-20-2004, 03:34 PM

Thanks mate :-)

I sort of understand now :-) If you had two pumps though, one from the main tank to the 80L bin and one from the fug to the main tank then you would need to balance the water flow of two pumps or it may flood or pump the fug dry or both. That's assuming that I am comprending the plumbing :-)

John

geologeek · 12-20-2004, 03:39 PM

You had to throw a spanner into it didnt you!

What if i have a smaller gravity fed outlet to the fuge with a ball valve to reguate flow, then could i have a top up system???

JohnO · 12-20-2004, 03:57 PM

You could do that, but in my opinion it may be risky as the flows from pumps and though valves will alter over time. Let me think about this.......................

If you put the ball valve ( or whatever you use to engage the top up device ) in the main tank, use a timing device on the Tunze Wave making device so that it turns off for 30 minutes or so per day, using the same timer to turn on your top up pump which will of course also be regulated by whatever water level valve you are using. After 30 mins ( or so ) the whole thing changes back again.

John

geologeek · 12-20-2004, 04:05 PM

spot on!! why didnt i think of it!!

do you think the tunze osmolator would be ok as from what i gather there are no float switches that will need to settle, and ill stagger the timings to alow water to settle before the osmolator does what it does.

good on you!

Hope santa gets you what you want for xmas!!!

JohnO · 12-20-2004, 04:09 PM

I would ask the other people here about the idea together with whatever units you want to use. They would have a lot more practical experience that I do.

Thanks for the Xmas wish, and the same back to you :-)

John