DIY PVC Overflow / Sump Questions & Concerns

[AE86-Danny]

Hello everyone.
To give you guys some background before i start rambling. I own a 125 Gallon Non Drilled Aquarium.
Currently for filtration i am running an AC110, and an Aqua-Tech 30-60. And quite honestly i am sick and tired of buying those blue replacement filters for the AT30/60.
So i am back in the market for filtration. This time, i need something low maintenance and low sound.

I have been looking into a sump setup.
For reasons of cost, i am going to use a rubbermaid bin with the 3 drawer plastic dresser setup from a local walmart or something.
i also have an idea for 3 buckets stacked, holes drilled, filters and media added the whole SHPEEL. Rubbermaid bin still included.

Now here is where we get into technicalities.

My current AC110 is doing a great job keeping the aquarium running, no huge spikes in anything. Weekly 60% water changes roughly.
however, my tank is clear and everything but it has that light grey tinge after a few days. A buddy suggests packing filter-floss into the Aqua-tech 30-60 and using it as mechanical filtration, and then removing the sponge from the AC110 and packing it full of Biomedia. Great advice when it comes to Biological Filtration. Horrible Advice to keep the tank clean mechanically.

So technically i could spend 70 bucks and get another AquaClear110 and that be that.
I have a much cleaner, much healthier fish tank, that is still ear bleeding loud at night when i am trying to sleep....
My issue is when some of the water evaporates the HOB filters get extremely loud. I can't take this anymore.
And i am irritated with buying a box of replacement cartridge filters every 2 weeks. these things get gunked up so fast they are nearly pointless at this rate.
where as the AC110 does fine, i rinse the sponge once a week and its fine with no issues.

Read from here to skip my rambling
Back to the Sump idea...

This sump won't be my sole means of filtration, meaning i dont need 10x turnover rate and a 1000+GPH pump and 1.25'' PVC piping like everyone suggests on a 125G.
i am looking for something more dumb'd down, something like maybe 3x turnover rating. 350-400GPH. This has me looking into 3/4'' PVC overflow.
with a 3/4'' PVC overflow, the GPH rating is approx 660GPH at gravity or low pressure. (mine will obviously be running off of gravity alone so we are covered)
So with that said, i would be looking for a pump that can do 350-600GPH @ 5' of head. This is where i need the most help.

I am basically set on 3/4'' PVC for lack of funds, 3/4'' is readily available for me, and this allows me to shave some cost when it comes to a pump.


can someone suggest to me a pump that flows 400-550GPH @ 5' Head?

Also, can anyone find any issues or flaws in my theory?

Basically like i said, my AC110 is doing a good job, but i need just that little bit more.
in all honesty, i could probably get away with 1/2'' PVC and a super small pump just for that little bit extra.
but i wanna try 3/4'' for a more "permanent" fix.


please any advice would be gold for me right now. i would appreciate it sooo much.
i have searched and searched and i feel comfortable making something, i just need help with the numbers. the technicalities if you will.

what size pump for what size pvc piping? in lame terms :/

 

[AE86-Danny]

So after countless research and reading hours i have finally made my DIY PVC Overflow from 3/4 SCH 40 PVC which can be purchased at any local hardware store.



Parts list
2x - 5' (ft) SCH 40 PVC Pipe - ($1.28 a piece)
6x - 3/4'' ID 90 degree "L" shaped pieces ($0.34 a piece)
1x - 3/4'' ID 45 degree "L" shaped piece ($0.22 a piece)
1x - 3/4'' ID Ball Valve ($3.00 - most expensive piece!)
1x - Purple Primer - This is a MUST in order to make a air/water tight seal ($3.00)
1x - Common PVC Cement ($3.00)
1x - Air Check Valve ($1.99 - i Purchased mine at petco just because i forgot, and it was close)

Optional
1x Hacksaw - Anything to cut plastic PVC pipe, i used a hand saw, and even used a swiss army knife.

Total Cost - $19.00



My sump has yet to be made, but i just took a local trip to Freddies (Fred Meyer) (Walmart also works) and picked up a 3 drawer Sterlite storage container.
its approx 8-10 inches in width, approx 2-2.5 feet tall and fits perfectly underneath my fish tank.

in the bottoms of each drawer i will begin marking them with dots measured at an inch apart. and i will then begin drilling holes to allow water to trickle down.

In the top drawer i will stuff full of Quilt Batting. This stuff comes in HUGE sheets im talking queen-size bed sheets for under $10.00.
This will be my mechanical filtration, it will also double as a water polisher. making my water much more clear.

The middle drawer will be full of "Pot scrubbies" - NOTE these MUST be the cheapo ones from dollar store or dollar tree.
reason being, the ones at the walmart have chemicals added to them. The ones at dollar tree are less expensive and also come additive free.
Anyways - after filling the middle drawer with approx 30 "pot scrubbies" this will serve as my biological media, until i can afford 40-60 dollars worth of bio media (bio balls)
This will be my "dry" form of bio media.

In the bottom layer this will be my wet form of bio media - this will be filled with K12 Kaldness media, where an air stone will be inserted to keep airflow and movement in the bottom most drawer. And to keep this budget friendly, seeing as i will be using pot scrubbies for dry media, i will use a bunch of cut straw for the time being. I have used cut straws in a "DIY Moving Bed Filter" before and they work fantastic as soon as the beneficial bacteria begin growing onto the straws themselves.

For the sump tank itself i will be using nothing more then a rubbermaid storage container that i have laying around.
i figure, its time to fold my clean clothes and put some hangers and dressers to use and quit leaving them in the rubbermaid when they are out of the dryer. (god i need a gf that lives with me) :

And last but not least, i hate to do this but we need to talk pumps.

I purchased a Danner Mag 7 for my pump. I purchased one off amazing for 74.99 free shipping brand new.

Why? Why would i kill a budget build with an 80 dollar piece of equipment. Ill tell you.

The danner mag 7 is rated at 700GPH with 0 head. 0 friction. 0 loss. So in peak prime no handicaps it should flow a respectable 700GPH.

I looked into other pumps rated at 600-1000 GPH, but it seemed everytime i found a pump that can move the amount of water i need, can't hold up to the head.
meaning that 1000GPH pump @ 1 foot of head, will only flow upto 600GPH @ 4 feet head and at 5-6' of head they either cut out, or dip down into the 200-250GPH range.
which is less than 2x return rate on my tank... all bad.

So with the Danner Mag 7 i can still pump around 500GPH @ 5 feet head.

With the 3/4'' piping the max i will be able to drain from the system is 660GPH - approx.
for each 90 degree bend you are supposed to subtract x amount of GPH - something crazy like 50-100GPH - i call BS.
i have 6 90 degree bends in my system that would mean my system could only drain 60 gallons per hour.
i can fill 60 gallons in a matter of minutes with my system, so somewhere down the line there is some info online that isnt correct.

Long story short - Drain = 660GPH approx with no restrictions
and the Return = Roughly 500-550GPH with 5 feet head.

In order to regulate how much water is draining to match up with the Danner Mag 7, i have added a ball valve to the drain system. This should allow me to throttle
my drain back a little bit to allow the pump to keep up.

Also just to be safe so i have 2 ways of regulating i will also had a ball valve to the return system.





So in my final words, i am taking approx 100-110 dollars worth of materials and i should have a nearly self sustaining system, that is power outage safe, and overflow safe,
silent, and maintenance free (nearly). Basically all i will ever have to do is replace the quilt batting, and 10 dollars worth will last you over 2 years. Replacing this is as easy as sliding a drawer open and adding a new piece of quilt batting. Thats all. So again for 100-110 dollars i now have a filtration system that will outperform any off the shelf system, it has 500+GPH of filtration, 2 different places for beneficial bacteria to grow both wet and dry.

i am starting to think buying my Aquaclear 110 was a waste. even tho it is the best bang for your buck when it comes to HOB filtration.
my AC110 has kept my 125G running for over a month and it houses 21 south africans and a pleco that produces waste by the mass...
great filter, but for 20 dollars more i could have made the same system i speak of...

 

[AE86-Danny]

Video explaining how it works, and a video of what i have built, what it looks like blah blah

ENJOY!


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[Addicted2CAs]

Maybe I missed it, but is there something in that system that prevents floods and all that scary stuff associated with that setup? Was almost going to do it this way but ended up going with a design that is a few threads below yours. Well thought out man!

 

[AE86-Danny]

Maybe I missed it, but is there something in that system that prevents floods and all that scary stuff associated with that setup? Was almost going to do it this way but ended up going with a design that is a few threads below yours. Well thought out man!

Actually yes.
The tube that goes inside of the water that has the "U" shape to it sets your water level.
in other words. If you have a 24 inch tall tank, and you put that pipe 2 inches below (ie 22 inches tall) only the top 2 inches of water can drain out in case of a power outage.
the top 2 inches in my tank may hold 5 gallons of water max. and my sump is 35 gallons. the sump only has about 10 gallons of water in it at most.

so there really is no thread of flooding.


however on this design i chose a danner mag 7 pump, i used 1/2'' NPT Threaded end to screw straight onto the pump, then it goes to a 1/2'' to 3/4'' adapter then a straight piece of pvc that goes into the tank. with the 1/2'' ID piping on the danner mag and the 1/2'' to 3/4'' adapter it still outflows my 3/4'' PVC drain.

meaning, i either need to add another 3/4'' PVC overflow system to my tank and drain them into the same sump.
Or, recreate this whole setup in 1.25'' or 1.5'' pvc.

it really amazes me that with 5 feet of head almost 6, and 1/2'' return that the pump can outflow the drain...
and the drain really moves the water. it flows more water then my bathtub can its unreal. i cant imagine 1.25'' or 1.5'' drains.

back to the drawing boards!


i am actually going to be remaking this setup and revising my sump really soon.
i plan on doing thorough videos, pictures and a write up of the whole setup.


im going to basically put a 20 gallon maybe 30 gallon tank under my display tank and silicone plexi-glass, or acrylic dividers to the wall just like you see in the videos on youtube of "$50 DIY Sump tank"

its the cheapest smartest route.

for now ill have my danner mag cranked back (ball valve almost closed all of the way!!!) so the drain can keep up.



i think my check valve on the overflow itself was the cause for the poor flow.
it was breaking syphon, but i have replaced it and im anxiously waiting to get everything running again.

 

[AE86-Danny]

So i replaced the check valve and got the overflow system running again.
its running rather well. the flow is back to normal.


Sadly, one of the reasons my drain was being slow and not flowing very well was simple.
and very disappointing


i lost a Yellow Electric juvenile
poor little guy

i made some slight revisions. removed the cap with the hole drilled in it on my "breather pipe"
this just hinders flow, sure it makes the system a little quieter but it hinders flow so much that i can't justify its use anymore.

also, instead of adding another 2 90 bends on the intake tube itself, i removed them and left just a stand pipe. its about a 3/4'' or an inch from the top of my tank. this way fish won't get sucked up as easily (until i can revise it further) and it made my pump easier to dial in.


basically when the pump pushes too much water, the overflow doesnt suck up any air, it flows straight water. when there is no air in the return, it flows better. Weird law of physics but i couldn't tell you which. my water level fluctuates ever so slightly and when the pvc stops sucking air it pushes more water, then when it sucks air it slows down a tad and lets the pump catch up. so far so good!

 

[Addicted2CAs]

Ahh ok I see. Sweet setup, cheaper than mine! I did quite a bit of research on the size of PVC all around and went with 1.25" because it can handle alot more than 3/4" or lower. Basically more flow options. I'll be watching!

 

[AE86-Danny]

Ahh ok I see. Sweet setup, cheaper than mine! I did quite a bit of research on the size of PVC all around and went with 1.25" because it can handle alot more than 3/4" or lower. Basically more flow options. I'll be watching!

Soon i will be making a 20 gallon glass fish tank my sump, ill be using silicone to put up the dividers in the sump itself.
it will be filled with bio balls and such, everything will be done the "right" way so to say lol.

im currently uploading a video of the whole thing.



after i finish the sump i am going to re-plumb the whole thing.
im going to go with a 1.25'' PVC Overflow aswell.
my Danner mag 7 with 1/2'' return flows more then a 3/4'' can handle by a long way.

 

[Addicted2CAs]

Sweet man. Curious to see the vid, we may need to swap ideas now that I'm obsessed with trickle filters! I have a couple 10gals sittin around I was thinkin about turning into sumps for a 30gal I have, Want to see how you do the baffles before I really do anything. You going to go with glass or acrylic?

 

[AE86-Danny]

Sweet man. Curious to see the vid, we may need to swap ideas now that I'm obsessed with trickle filters! I have a couple 10gals sittin around I was thinkin about turning into sumps for a 30gal I have, Want to see how you do the baffles before I really do anything. You going to go with glass or acrylic?

ill be going with a glass tank and acrylic dividers.

i am obsessed with Wet/Dry filters aswell.
My current sump/Overflow setup has gotten my tank almost perfectly crystal clear.
its about as clear as one could possibly get it.

ill post the video tomorrow of the whole setup working.
and i will also post another video up on how to create the baffles on the cheap!