New setup advice/education

[mustangtjb]

Hey All,

Looking for some advice here (my apologies on the novel).

Starting a new tank build. Finally got myself a big boy tank (at least for me) all you 9000+ gallon guys insert chuckle here . I’ve been at the hobby (marine at least) for about 2.5 years now and I’m guessing I know just enough to get me into trouble or to sound like a dope around the experts in the group.

The tank is an Innovative Marine 75 gallon INT bean animal? (1 primary drain, 1 return, and two back up drains) which is going in the newly finished part of my basement (just enough space), but very very anti water of any kind (esp the new floors).

I also have a two 33 gallon grow out tanks (only one is operational at this point) in the unfinished part of the basement along with a water mixing RODI station. The present grow out tank is doing reasonably well and I’m having fun learning how to dose and maintain levels etc. In short, what was my non copper quarantine tank become my grow out tank. Now, even as careful as I have been, it has considerable pests at this point: bubble alg, apt, peppermint shrimp eating my coral, used to have nudi’s but I haven’t seen any lately but also picked up a 6 line about a month back so who really knows. I digress.

One of the 33’s isn’t wet just yet. I have an Eshops R-200 sump and was hoping to plumb the new 75 and the new 33 grow out together for a fresh clean start. I chose soft plumbing just b/c of the space/bends I’ll have to get this to work.

I’m looking for opinions:

So I need information/an understanding as to how the secondary/backup drain(s) work. Due to my plumbing challenges I’m trying to make this as easy as possible. If I understand correctly, the secondary drains (both) pick up when there is a malfunction with the primary drain. I get that much. What I don’t know is how much water will drain from the main tank into the backup drain chamber?
- Is it possible that the entire 75 gallons will drain out or what happens when the primary drain fails.
- Ok so the second drain picks up, if that fails the third drain picks up. I’m not understanding at what point would the back up draining stops siphoning ?? (is that correct) backwards?
- I am asking b/c I have an old wet/dry sump and because I have to plumb around my furnace to where the r-220 will be I’m going to soft plumb the primary and return but I don’t want to have to plumb everything around the furnace (call it equal parts space constraints and laziness). Can I plumb the backup drains through the wall directly to the old wet dry sump (decent size probably 15-20 gallons) which can sit perfectly in between the furnace and the wall right behind the tank. Will it still get the job done?
- Lastly, the 33 isn't RR yet although I have all of the supplies to make it so. Where is the best place to drill/place/connect the overflow? Middle of the tank end of the tank. Figured I'd ask while I have folks attention.

Thanks in advance for the education here, just trying to understand the full flow/cycle as this is my first ”plumbed” tank !!

Tom

 

[pugz508]

Hey tom, congrats on he new tank/build

For the bean animal your best bet will be to watch a few YouTube videos on how they work just because sometimes I,can be difficult to understand without watching how it works. Generally speaking though you'll have one drain at full siphon then your next one will be titrated to the exact amount of drain needed to keep up with your return pump. Your third, in this case third and forth drains are set up at the highest act as an emergency drain. Bean animals tend to be the quietist of overflows.

As for the concerns of the potential of a flood. The amount of water that will return to your sump would the mount of water over the "teeth" of the overflow box or your lowest return line from your return pump. If your return line enters and goes deep into the aquarium the vacuum created would pull a lot of water to the sump. It is in best interest to keep return lines relatively shallow. Do not put faith into back flow preventers they commonly fail.

That should answer some of your concerns but feel free to shoot me a message if you run into any troubles

 

[Chris A.]

Main drain is a full siphon the next emergency should be slightly higher and have a trickle of water flowing through it and the last emergency drain will be dry. Essentially your second drain will dictate the water level in the overflow. Obviously you’ll need room above the second drain for the water to reach the 3rd without overflowing. If you reverse engineer it start with max hight of 3rd, then a little lower of second and full doesn’t really need a pipe.

 

[jasonrusso]

Emergency drains won't siphon. They should be straight up, so the only way the water will get into them is if the level rises enough to spill over. Once the level drops, the water will stop spilling over.