my ugj doodle.. please give advice

[budwick weiser]

ok so here is a 5 minute doodle that i've drawn for the ugj system that i'm going to install in my 136. i figure it's pretty self excplanitory. it's a bird's eye view. there are 2 rio 2500 pumps that will be hidden behind a rock wall... the filters will be breaching thru holes in the wall so that the circulating water can be filtered into them. there will be rock structures and caves on both sides of the aquarium and the jets are placed so that they circulate the water around them and there are no dead zones. what are your toughts? anything you would do differently that i could incorporate would be most useful. oh and one more thing, i drew this when i had planned on using pvc pipe. since then, however, i've decided to use black flextube (the stuff that's used when comstructing ponds). http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f154/dbuffguy/tank.jpg

[AndrewH]

I don't see anything wrong with it. But those pumps might be a little over sized (which the flow can always be restricted down).

I'm not sure I'm following the piping you plan to use. What diameter is it?

[kewlkatdady]

did my post get deleted....

I'll leave and start mansfield fishbox if this crap continues...

or maybe I just forgot to hit submit...but it its one of the two...

[rolloffhill]

did my post get deleted....

I'll leave and start mansfield fishbox if this crap continues...

or maybe I just forgot to hit submit...but it its one of the two...


:rofl: MFB no it didn't he posted in your thread, and you responded there. He deleted his and started a new thread.

[budwick weiser]

indeed i did... sorry, i just didn't want to steal your thread so i made my own.

i was going to go with 3/4 inch piping. both sides will move in circles but in opposite directions and the flow will hopefully end up right back at the filters. the reason for the larger pumps is because i think i might add a few other jets while i'm putting it all together.

[kewlkatdady]

just making sure...roflmaoroflmaoroflmao

[AndrewH]

The Rio 2500 will put you near 200 gph at each jet for 4 jets, or ~150 per jet for 5 jets.

What substrate are you planning to use?

[budwick weiser]

i haven't decided what substrate to use yet. what do you guys think? going to eventually have central american cichlids and a couple blue crayfish

[biggin]

I really like the 3m Color Quartz.... I got 100Lbs of it today for a couple tanks I am going to be work on in the next couple of weeks. I will have some extra T grade in black and red. BTW anyone interested the price has increased.... it is now $25 for 50Lbs....

Here is a link for some information. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/Products/Crystals/

[budwick weiser]

damn, i think i might really like to get me some black color quartz.

andrew - for the size pumps i've bought, how many jets would you recommend i have? i haven't seen any sights that detail the force of the flow that's supposed to come out.

[biggin]

Bud man what size tank you needing it for?

[budwick weiser]

135 gallon

[biggin]

ok.... wont have that much.... I will find you the name and address of the place I got it from.... very cool stuff looks great... Chris(etc) has used it as well and I think he is pleased.... Black is $21 for 50Lbs all the other colors are more.... it is a good deal.... I am using it to cap my planted substrate....

[budwick weiser]

awesome... i'm still trying to decide if i want to do a planted substrate or not... if i do plants i'm thinking that i'll just get ones that will attach to driftwood and/or holey rocks.

[AndrewH]

Well, kewlkatdaddy and I were trying to figure it out (the amount of flow needed) and for his sand substate thought 150+gph would be too much. I think he's running ~125pgh without any problems (but I could be wrong). If you use a heavier substrate like the 3M quarts or gravel I would think you could with stand a higher gph rating through each jet without stirring up the substrate, but dunno for sure. Maybe some test are in order and you and kewlkat can shed some light on this for us.

It's easier to go bigger and simply use a flow control valve (ball valve) to reduce it than to not have enough flow and need extra ;).

[kewlkatdady]

yeah I'd second that...
Too much flow is easisly fixed. Not enough means a new pump.

I think I have too much right now, but I going to adjust the aim of the jets to see if that helps.

[AndrewH]

Are you going using that flow control to reduce it if needed, or will that add too much extra height to your pump (making it more exposed)?

[budwick weiser]

hmmm where could i purchase a flow control valve?

[kewlkatdady]

I messed with the flow control valve a little... but its kinda tall.

I'm still debating the issue.

[AndrewH]

hmmm where could i purchase a flow control valve?

If you buy a new Rio pump, they come with one; but any type of valve would work. Just looking for something that would give you the option of slowing down the flow if you need to.

[budwick weiser]

both of my rio's are brand new..... hmmm guess i need to look thru the boxes

[AndrewH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/Andrew_H/fishy/pump-rio-2500.jpg

Here you go.

[Nazrac]

IMHO rios are the devils spawn. Wait till they rupture and spew forth oil into your tank.

[poel_19]

how long did you have the rio before it bled the dinosaurs blood??

[Nazrac]

couple of years. Since then i use quiet ones. Better pump IMHO anyways.

[poel_19]

Quite ones?? Is that a brand??

[Nazrac]

yes good quiet pump w/low power consumption and good flow.