shadoh Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Ness, I can't see a problem with that. If it is strong enough to pump the water back to the top row of the barracks, then perfect! If not, just use it to filter the sump and get a powerhead strong enough to pump the water back up. Hope you had a great time. I look forward to the many amazing photos we all know you have taken, once you have shaken free of jetlag :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kermadum Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I can't remember exactly how much this setup cost me, but it wasn't tooooo bad. I think the Beanie Boxes came to around $150. The Shelving was about $100 The tank and glass inserts for sump were $25 The heater I had lying around but let's say $50 The pump I can't remember and this depends entirely on how much you want to spend (there are plenty of super cheap ones out there that I suspect will crash after a month) but let's say $100-150 Small hosing and valve outlets $20 $30 on silicon and glue. The part that cost me more than it should have was the PVC piping for drainage and to carry the water up from the sump. I didn't have a car at the time so was buying in short pieces to get it home and lots of joiners. The short lengths are almost the same price as the longer lengths and then you use a lot more joiners so I think I spent over $100 (could be $150) on PVC piping, but I think you could halve that. So a bit over $500. If you scrounged and picked up second hand bits etc you could knock some more off that as well. Ness, I think you could definitely use your eheim, as Shadow says, if it has enough power to push the water up to the top row of your system. The only other thing to think about of is the size of your individual tanks. If you're using beanie boxes then I think they're about 1.3-1.5L. Which means you have a very high ratio of fish per litre of water. A bigger sump means that you can increase the overall volume of water in the system and reduce the number of water changes you do. Also in my system the sump is the point that I can do the waterchange from, I just siphon out one of the chambers and then refill it. If you're using a canister filter then presumably you'd still have to change the water in each individual tank? If you can just change it from the sump that's another decrease in the amount of time you have to spend doing maintenance and more time you can spend watching and concocting breeding plans.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournebetta Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Mwahahahha..... you boys are brilliant, I'm in good hands with this project methinks. (thanks) Might put together some dodgy drawings and show y'all what I have intended... it'll be an "alternative" design cos a.) i'm an artist and don't want to play by the rules b.) I like to be difficult. c.) I gotta maximise the growout situation in a very small set of shelves, cannot let the mad fish lady status get any worse. I was just going to use the eheim as the sump filter (I hadn't thought of using it as the pump.... hmmmmmm) and I won't be asking it to pump more than a meter higher than it's own location, but I do like the idea of a bigger biomass = sump. Adam, I'm a bit confused about what the pump looks like (and how the hell it works) can I see a shot of yours? Secondly, I see where you have the levels set up on your individual beanie boxes, and understand the lower hole is where the water levels out to.... but if that "outlet" hose is drooping all the way to the ground, would it suck up the gunk on the bottom?or would this act as the level, and have only 1cm of water in the box? I'm not that smrt with phyziks n stuff might have to have a play tonight.... and then quizz Razzi on the weekend. agh-ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kermadum Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I don't have a photo of the pump on my computer, but I'll grab one tomorrow (when I'll be getting some photos of my koi HMs (finally) to post as well). As for the outlet hole question, I'm a little confused about what you're asking. Seems confusion is the order of the day. The outlet hose is drilled through the beanie box about 1 cm below the top. A 6mm piece of hose is then siliconed through that hole, and feeds out into the big PVC drainage pipes behind the beanie boxes (well it's actually sitting in the middle of the two rows so sits in front of the backrow but that's a pedantic point). Are you asking if the length of hose on the inside of the beanie box was extended to reach the bottom of the beanie box (and the gunk that accumulates there), would that effect the water levels? Did I get it? Assuming that's what your asking... then my answer is... (drum rollllll please)... No idea. I would think that it wouldn't necessarily result in the water level sitting at 1cm. If the tank fills up to the level of the hole, the inside portion of the outlet hose is going to fill at the same time until it reaches the hole. At that point, if it has enough momentum to create a siphon effect then it will empty the beanie box. If the hole (and hose) is wide enough in diameter that it just trickles over the edge and doesn't cause a siphon (sucking) effect, then I don't think it would empty the tank. BUT I think what you're trying to achieve would be lost because without that siphoning effect that gunk isn't going to be sucked into that hose, it's just going to sit there and stare at you (and you'll start throwing things - angry looks at first... but it could escalate). So you would either end up with an empty gunk free tank, or a full tank complete with gunk. Anybody else have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournebetta Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Hahahaha.... well... yes. I envisage plenty of testing, lots of questions, then getting bored with these safeguarding processes (such is the artistic temperament) and just making the damn thing, pouring 4 days and 3 chiropractor visits into the whole fiasco, only to learn that I have 15 large barracks that don't work. I also would have documented the whole thing in true NESS style, complete with funny shots of me silicone myself to something... all for nothing. Gah - then I would have to get the mods to change the title of the thread to "how not to build a barracks" and I'd look like a complete knob. So, my psychic premonition out of the way, yes (in short) that was what I was asking - wondering if it's the height of the hole drilled into the beanie box, or the actual height of wherever the hole is in the tube that dictates the water height within the box. I guess I can test this tonight (Conveniently I have some of Hai's old Beanies with siphon holes) After reading lots of negative reviews of the Aquaone barracks, I still want one - simplify my life with pre-packaged goodness.... but at the end of the day, it's night.... and I'm going to have to make it meself.... I can feel it in me waters. Slightly off topic (YOU STARTED IT) ....very excited about the HM Koi - they must have gone through quite a few changes up till now - can't wait. x Ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Ah, Ness, I can see where you are going with the drainage holes/tube. If you have the tube sitting at the height of the hole, it governs the water level. If you have a tube extended through the drainage hole sitting it on the bottom to suck out the waste, you will (a) Have to suck on the end of the tube to start the siphon effect and (b) match the flow rate going into the container, as the siphon tube will drainout ALL the water. OK, my artistic brain is now hurting from all this tech speak... *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little_troppo Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 shadoh do you have photo's of your setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadoh Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Don't have a barracks like this. I have 2 aqua one barracks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little_troppo Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 There is someone selling an aqua one barrack near me for 200 dollars including fish and if I had money I would <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kermadum Posted July 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 Here's that pic of my pump Ness... The pump pushes the water from the sump up into the beanie boxes etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournebetta Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Ah okay - it's not rocket surgery is it? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little_troppo Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Upload more photo's :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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