I have a new Tank, an ALL-GLASS AQUARIUM brand 95-Wave (95 gallons as it implies). I bought a ESHOPPS WD-150CS Wet/Dry Filter to go with it. Here is the url for the filter: ESHOPPS Filters, it is the one that has the letter "c" by it, the one with 2 intakes on the top.

My question is, the tank is predrilled, with a single intake and single drain. I want to use those holes instead of the two over flow small tanks that come with the filter. This way nothing will be hanging off the back. The issue is that I have to rig some addional tubing to make this all happen.

I am wondering if anyone has experience with this combination, and a 980 gal/hour submersible pump (also purchased separately), to send water back to the tank. I think it will all work, the store thinks it will, but did not have the expertise to help me set it up.

Hope to hear from someone soon. I will be trying to cut and fit up the new tubing to all of the PVC stuff soon. I am not beyond going and getting some additional PVC piping if that is better, but I bought some 1 3/4" & 2" tubing, with some PVC elbows and a T-joint to try and make the connections how I htought it would work. Just don't want water pumped all over the living room if I can help it!

BTW, nice to be back to Koko's for a visit, it's been a long time since I poked my head in here!

Dave

hi,
is the tank is an all-glass brand tank with a megaflow overflow?

the megaflow is only rated at 600 gph, so your pump may be a little strong, i say may because it may work out perfectly due to plumbing restrictions, reducing flow.

are yyou gonna plumb it so the 1 intake from the overflow turns into 2 lines both leading to the filter? i think it will probably work, can you explain your design for plumbing? or post a diagram?

whats the pump brand?


and also, you will need some pipe size converter things, in order tohook the pump and intakes up to the overflow.

what are you puttin in this tank?

good luck

btw, those wave tanks are cool looking

Yes, it does have the MEGAFLOW overflow, with the one big (1” I believe) whole for the drain side. I’m at work, don’t have the brand of the pump, but I know it is 900 gal/hour capacity submersible.

Diagram, I wouldn’t know where to start. But here is the gist of the flow:

Drain from the Megaflow 1” bulkhead connector, into a 1 ¾” outer diameter hose connected to a 1” diameter PVC T connection. The output is 2 1” outlets, then I have some 1 ¾” hose that will lead down to the two inlets on the Eshopps filter unit. Then it goes through the filter balls units, and down into the sump part of the filter. That is where the submersible pump is, with a ¾” outlet of tygon tubing on that leading up to the ¾” bulkhead valve and up the tube to the dual water jet head. Does that make sense?? I’m not sure I can restrict the output of the pump, or throttle it back. There are no valves to do so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t plumb one in. Would the increased back pressure damage the pump??

THANKS for your help with this!!!!

your plumbing idea makes pretty good sense to me, although how are you going to connect the 1 3/4" OD tubing to 1" PVC fittings?, i think you would want some barbed fittings and hose clamps to secure them.

the back pressure probably wouldn't hurt the pump but it wouldn't be good for it either.

When you get home, check the paper's that came with the pump for information regarding the suggested pipe size and try to use that, if possible.

are you planning a marine tank? or freshwater?

I may have some of the step up/down sizes a bit off, I know I bought the fittings so that they would all work with what came with the tank (bulkhead connectors) and the filter (dual PVC fittings on the filter inlet), and the pump outlet as well.

The tank is going to be for Goldfish. I have 7 now, in three different tanks, and want to combine into this one, and then maybe a dd 1 or 2 as well. Then I will have the other tank for other freshwater, hospital, breeding, etc. And maybe even a salt water one in the future. But....GOLDFISH in the 95.

sounds good

i think it'll work

you should only add one more goldfish, so that your not overstocked and your fish can grow to their maximum potential.

Definately go for the saltwater in the future, they're alot of work and money in the beginning but they payy off in the end.

you should also definately set up a QT tank, but it only needs to be 20 or so gals.

I'm running sump style wet/dry filtration on a 90 ga acrylic that also came pre-drilled for a 1" bulkhead fitting for the drain and a 3/4" bulkhead fitting for the return. The 660 GPH max through the 1" drain wasn't enough flow for the 10X turnover rate I was looking for so I plumbed my system to use both the 1" drain and the 3/4" return as feed lines to the sump. the 1" line feeds the Bio-balls and the 3/4 line goes directly into the sump. I hard plumbed both lines in PVC with ball valves. The ball valves allow me to control how much water goes through each line which eliminates the flushing noise that is normally associated with sumps. For returns The return is plumbed with 3/4" PVC and goes through an OceanClear 25 micron mechanical filter and then to a 57 watt Aqua UV sterilizer. The return then splits into two 1/2" line that go up the outside of the tank to both back corners. I'm using a Mag-drive 18 which is rated at 1800 GPH for a return pump. And I get just under 800 GPH returned to the tank.

If you plumb the drain as you've described it's going to sound like a toilet flushing. I'd suggest running the 1" drain line to one of the inlets of the sump and just forget about using the other one. If it makes an airy whooshing noise hooked up this way just plug the unused sump inlet.

Your 900 GPH rated return pump will not deliver that much flow at a 3 or 4 foot head height. By the time you get through all the fittings you'll be lucky if you get get 600 GPH returned to the tank. If you think I might be able to help you with your setup ... Just ask

Here's a couple of photos of my set up
Right side of filter


Left side of filter

I never thought about the whooshing sound before, i guess your right.

i think i kno why you get less than 800 GPH on ur your return, your mag 18 should have 1 1/2" return lines and intake lines for maximum flow, the 1/2" line is extremely reducing your flow, also the UV and micron reduce your flow, but there is nothing that can be done about that.

heres a link to the paper that should have come with the pump
http://www.dannermfg.com/InstructionSheets...-18magdrive.pdf

I agree that in a straight flow situation, the total output of Mag-Drive would increase if I used 1 1/2" lines but, the inputs and out puts of OceanClear, UV sterilizer and the Mag-Drive are all 3/4", so this is the limiting factor to the system. I could run 5" lines between these devices and not get any more flow. The return line is hard plumbed in 3/4' PVC and doesn't split into the two 1/2" PVC lines until after the exit from the UV. Two 1/2" lines have almost the same cross section as a 3/4" line so there is no loss of flow from the 1/2" lines.

The major reduction to the flow rate is the 2-3 pounds of back pressure that is required to force water through the OceanClear. 3 pounds of back pressure is equivalent to approximately and additional six feet of head height. The rest of the loss is caused by pipe friction, and the pipe fittings.

Bak2it – your set up is not much different than mine then. Yes, I will take all the help I can get to get it going right!! Sounds like you have been there ahead of me already! So, how do I rig the stand p[pipe that comes up out of the ¾” hole going back into the tank to now be a drain line? I mean at the top of the other drain line is a fancy strainer, and an air intake, etc. That all came with the ALL GLASS MEGAFLOW tank. Also, fi I do make the ¾” hole a drain as well, can I not plumb that one into the second input at the top of the sump filter, so it goes through the bioballs as well? Would there be any draw back top that?

Next question, what is the advantage of running all of this through OceanClear 25 micron mechanical filter and then to a 57 watt Aqua UV sterilizer? I Thought the sump filtration would be way beyond anything I have ever had before. But, then, I am just starting out really. Only been a few years, and I’ve never had anything bigger than a 25 gallon tank with a couple of Millenium 2000’s on the back of it. I live in Hawaii, so I do not heat the tanks, so it has always been pretty simple for me.

Yes, I would like drawings, part numbers, whatever you can give me to help me get all of the right stuff. I guess I will need to take this pump back, and get a different one. This 950 gph was th4e largest submersible the store had, so if go with something larger, I’ll have to drill a whole in the side of the sump to take a suction and have the pump next to the sump I guess. The store gives credit for returns, but no refunds, so I could not take my pump back and then get a new one elsewhere, well….I could, just would have to use all that store credit on fish food or something over the next 200+ years!!

Okay, how to I get my e-mail address to you? Can you send me an e-mail using the link on my profile? I cannot do it to you, I think because I have not posted enough, my membership level is too low to use that feature! I am just leery about plastering my e-mail on a message board for the world to see. But, I’ll do what I have to do.

Okay, hope to hear back from you soon!! THANKS so much for the help!!

GFAndy – THANKS for your help as well!!

Your welcome,
I'm not bak2it but i can tell you what the advantages of the micron and UV are,
Micron:
Removes fines from the water, which if left in increases the load on the biofilter
UV:
Destroys the DNA of harmful as well as beneficial bacteria and other pathogens.
Advantages:
Less brake out of various diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, stuff like that. as well as free floating algae
DisAdvantages
Does not discriminate against beneficial organisms, best to leave the UV off while establishing the filter.

Thats what i know about those things, Bak2it will surely emphasize on those topics


There is a kit that All-Glass Aquariums manufactures that has the stuff for setting up the Overflow>>> looks like the 2nd picture on this page http://www.all-glass.com/products/aquariums/megaflow.shtml

best of luck!
andy

OO i see, when i plumb my reef tank in a few years, i'm gonna use flex pipe, so that i dont have to use soo many fittings, further reducing flow.

Its hard to find proper fittings at Home Depot and Lowes, to convert the pipe size coming out of the Mags to the correct recommended sizee...<<just a side note

it is kinda silly how the pump manufactures recommend a certain size pipe, yet the filters aren't in that size, so the consumer has to search for fittings to first convert the pipe size larger, then at the filter convert it down, and then on the other side of the filter convert it larger!!, a company should start manufacturing quality pumps and filters that have the same pipe size...<< would make the consumer's life alot easier.

Andy - THANKS again! You guys are great!! I have that kit, it is the one that came with the tank. But I am wondering how I should plumb/add onto the 3/4" tube that was meant to be discharge back into the tank. If I rig that one for drainage also, as Bak2it has, then I need to put some type of strainer, or something on the top, etc. May just have to cut it and rig it myself, but I will wait and see what he has done, since he uses that as a drain line as well.

THANKS again for your help, and I'll be standing by the boards most of the day. It is only 8:30 am here in Hawaii, so I am at work, but will check in often to see what responses I get. Hopefully Bak2it will be able to get me an e-mail and we can communicate that way, a bit faster!!

Still standing by the boards and checking in every now and then. Hopefully Bak2it gets back in here and finds my request above.

Sorry about not getting back to you earlier. I was tied up and forgot to log off.

What I did to use both the 1" and 3/4" bulkhead holes as feed lines to the sump was pretty simple. First the Bio suction of my sump was already setup to a 1" MPT fitting, so I hard plumbed straight from the 1" bulkhead fitting to the 1" MPT on the sump. In this line I put a 1" ball valve and a 1" union. The union makes it easy to disconnect the the bio section of the sump in case it need to be serviced. From the 3/4" bulkhead fitting I hard plumbed straight into the return area of the sump. This line also has a ball valve and a union.

With your sump all you'd have to do is plumb each of your bulkhead openings to the inlets on the sump individually. Do add ball valves and unions to each line. you'll appreciate it later.

Inside the over flow box you've got a several options. You can buy a strainer that will fit the 3/4" line, make or buy Durso stand pipes ( go0gle "durso stand pipes" for all the information you'd ever want to know about these. A lot of people use them because they're supposed to be very quiet) or you could do like I did. I did away with the fancy stuff and cut a piece of plastic fluorescent light egg crate type diffuser to fit in the bottom of the overflow box, then filled the overflow box with an additional three gallons of 1" diameter bio-balls and topped this off with layer of woven polyester filter pad. The filter pad works great as a pre-filter. If you go this way change the filter pad frequently or the nitrifying bacteria will grow on he filter pad rather than on the bio-balls. I change the filter pads every evening when I feed my fish. I have three sets of them and all I do is take out a set, wash them in tap water and replace then with another set. it takes less than a minute to change them and I'm able to keep the nitrates at 5 PPM with this routine

The advantage to the OceanClear modular filter is that it creates water so clear that you literally can't tell there is water in my tank. I'm not kidding you... The water is so clear you can't tell it's there.

The advantage to the 57Watt UV sterilizer is that there aren't any water born organisms the can live through a single trip through the sterilizer. At the flow rate I'm running, the UV pumps out more than 90,000 uWs/cm(squared) of UVC light. If for some reason my tap water source failed. I wouldn't hesitate to drink the water that comes out of my filter system.

I'll look up your e-mail address and send you an e-mail so you communicate with me directly.

Awesome!! That way I can show you some of the stuff I have. The center of my tank looks like this picturewith the two pipes. The larger one is the 1" one with the strainer and all. The other one (skinny one with the black worm looking thing on it is the discharge side. That is the one I would want to use as the additional return line. I didn’t want to use and overflow tank hanging on the back of the tank. The filter came with that, but since the holes were drilled in this tank, I thought I would get by with nothing hanging on the back of the tank.

Hopefully you can send me e-mail with your post level, I think that is what is keeping me from sending to you. Should have visited here more in the past couple of years!

Okay, I’ll want to get the details on the unions, and other fittings, as well as the equipment types. I may have to take my pump back to the store and get a new one. Pentair Aquatics Pump, Lifeguard Quite 1, Model 4000. like 980 gal/hr is what the rating is. I’m going by memory, since it is at home, but hasn’t been out of the box yet. Once you e-mail me, I’ll also give you my home e-mail so we can stay in touch there. Where are you (for time purposes)? I’m in Hawaii, so it is +2 hours to the west coast U.S. right now, and +5 hours to the east coast (just for reference).

Thanks for your help!!

I had a look at the overflow box on your tank. We can make this as simple or complex as you like.

Thanks, I'll meet you on the e-mail! THANKS to all for the help, and looking forward to being on the boards a bit more.

Getting help from Bak2it via e-mail, thanks to all (especially Koko for having this site!) for getting me going in the right direction!