My 75 Gallon

[f1504b4]

Hi everyone,Still coming here and reading all the great posts.Interesting can't wait till I can understand more of what you all are saying LOL.......
I have started a Tank Journal with just a few diagrams.
Hope to finish the plumbing and give it a test run Sunday.
Wish I had more time but I am working 12 hours a day 6 days a week which is good and bad,LOL making the money to spend on the rest of what I need but not having time to set it up.
If I put my heater in the sump how do I know what size to get?
Phil

[wwest]

I have always heard 5 watts per gallon. but im not sure if thats writen in stone or not..

Also dont go cheap on the heater. Buy one that has good reviews and is what you are looking for. We spend alot of time and money on our tanks and the last thing we need is a $30 heater failing and crashing everything.. Buy the best you can :)

[CarmieJo]

I only have one heater right now but I am going to buy a second heater before it gets cold. I'll run one with my controller and set the second a couple of degrees below the primary heater as a failsafe.

[f1504b4]

Is that total water volume sump & display tank?Seems like the sump will be real warm?Or does the constant water exchange make up for that?
Phil

[JustDavidP]

I use a heater in my sump and one hidden down low in the display. If you use just one in the sump, you may be in trouble in times of return pump failure.

I set the one in the display for 2 degrees F lower than that in the sump. It will only come on in times of pump failure, or ultimate failure of the heater in the sump.

D

[NaClFinatic]

thats a good point dave. how often do typical return pumps (like mags) fail? if they are maintained of course.

[NaClFinatic]

...as far as the size of the heater, for some heaters you can find specs on how much water they can raise N degrees. And dont forget to count yoru sump and fuge and any other water volume on your system.

My basement can go down to 60F in the winter. So to run a tank at 80F I need 20 degrees temperature rise. My 90gallon may have a total system volume of about 100g when I add the sump/fuge. With the below heaters, two 200W heaters might do the trick but a pair of 250 or 300 might be a beter choice for me. Not all heaters would have the same efficiency but I imagine it would be reasonably similar. And 5W per gallon sounds reasonable based on these numbers, but it depends on how cold your fish room can get. As said before get one you can trust.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_heaters_hydor_theo.asp?CartId=

[JustDavidP]

Mag pumps have been known to have small "casting dimples" or bumps of metal near the impellor blades on the collar. Some file them down. Others don't even know that they are there. In times of short power failure, they may bind and not turn on when the rest of the system is powered.

Other types of pump failures happen more often than we want to talk about.

Dave

[f1504b4]

Still trying to see where we are going here?
I can understand the reason for a back up heater and also buying a good heater not a cheap one.But I was just asking about puting the heater in the sump witch suplies the display tank and is in my case is a 20 gallon aquarium and my display aquarium is 75 gallons.
So that makes 95 gallons all together.
I realize that with the LR I have in my display tank that their is not 75 gallons in it and my 20 gallon sump does not have 20 gallons in it.
But to have a heater rated at what I need for my display tank located in my sump makes me think that my sump will be to warm?
Phil

[wwest]

The sumps i have seen with the thermometers in both the DT and the sump the diference was only about 1-2 degrees mostly 1 degree off or less.

Your sump might remain hotter then the DT for a day or two but when the water cycles like normal the warmth water will level out and then the heater will work like it should.

I would get a heater that is rated at 120. IMO the bigger the heater the less it has to work and the less stress it has.. but thats my opinion.. :)

[f1504b4]

that makes sense Wes thanks.
I thought the circulation would make up for the temp differance.

[f1504b4]

Wes didn't you have some pics of your RO unit hooked up down the cellar for making water ?

[wwest]

No that was,.....oh i cant remember lol ill try and think who it was and get back to ya.. :)

[f1504b4]

Thanks,I was trying to show my girlfiend last night and thought it was your post

[f1504b4]

But have been looking at your diagrams made me do mine ,,what do you think?

[JustDavidP]

Keep in mind that LR and sand will absorb some of the radiant heat. I've always used the watts per gallon rule and do NOT exclude water area supposedly taken up by LR or sand. Again, it too absorbs heat.

My RO/DI system is in the basement, to include a storage barrell. You can see the RO/DI on the wall, above my sump (I'm moving it, condensation in the Summer makes for drips over my electrical)

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/sumpfugium.jpg

It flows from the RO/DO (with auto shut off valve) to this barrel:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/Topoff.jpg

The waste goes either into the drain of my home, to the koi pond outside, or even my washing machine where I use it to do my laundry ;) I have a quick connect break in the line that allows me to send it where I want.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/wasteline.jpg

In the barrel, I have a float valve that creates the back pressure needed, when the barrel is full, to shut of the ASO valve on the RO/DI unit.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/TopoffFloat.jpg

In the sump, I have another Kent Float Valve that regulates the water level in the sump. I built an acrylic bracket to keep it in place, yet is adjustable (sliding the float up and/or down a track) so I can adjust water level.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/JustDavidP/floatrig2.jpg

D

[f1504b4]

Thanks Dave great Pics........

[JustDavidP]

Hope it helps... I have been a fan of gravity feed. I've had pump driven systems and found that they all gave me trouble. I will admit that I'm NOT an engineering genius :) but I just can't get the pump driven top offs to work. I've had just ONE problem with my current system and that is when my (at the time) 5 year old was playing in the sump and put a chunk of LR on the float valve, letting 20 gallons of water into my system.

D