Habitat - Indoor :: Plumbing and overflow questions

[TARad]

Hello all! I am looking into setting up my first turtle tank and have a ton of questions. I don't want to post them all in one thread, so I'll leave this one just for plumbing!

Some quick details - I've kept various fish for a couple years. When I was first starting out I found a beautiful 72 bow for cheap and bought it. The silicone was worn and the corner overflow was cracked a little, but other than that it looked great and worked well, though I'm still not sure how nothing ever leaked! I eventually upgraded that tank and moved it out to my garage where it's sat empty for a couple years. My fiance is sick of it and we've both been wanting a turtle tank for years, so I figured now was a good time to do that.

So... pulled out the broken overflow/pipes and resealed the whole thing. The problem is... now I have two holes at the bottom of my tank that I'm not sure what to do with. I've not bothered to drill any of my other tanks, so I've never had to do any real plumbing work and I'm a novice when it comes to pluming. I've also never done a turtle tank, so not sure how that would differ from fish anyway.

So my questions are:

1. I keep reading suggestions for the FX5. Is that a good choice for a filter for this tank size?

2. Assuming that would be the best choice, would something like http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Aquarium-AAG29251-Overflow-Accessory/dp/B0002DJAZQ work? If not... what do you suggest?

3. Not completely related to plumbing, but... I'd love to building something like http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15260#p149944. How hard would something like that be to build? Does anyone have a design for something close to that for a 72bow?

Thanks in advance!

[steve]

The FX5 or FX6 would be fine for it. Perhaps a bit strong for small turtles. You should be able to seal those holes if you'd like. Or maybe add a drain to make water changes much easier.

For the ATBA, the framing part is probably the hardest part. The other materials should be easy to source and use.

[TARad]

What would you suggest for sealing the holes? I've read glass and silicone, but I wasn't able to find any thick/strong glass at my local hardware stores that didn't cost a fortune (they'd only sell massive sheets) and I'm not sure if I'd trust the small and cheap stuff.

For a tank that size, any turtles that you'd suggest? I've read and watched some videos that say I can do two male map turtles and some fish, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

[ljapa]

You're likely to get better responses posting in a saltwater aquarium forum. They're the ones most likely to play with drilled tanks.

If you want to seal the holes, from the quick reading I've done you are correct silicon in glass on top seems like the best bet. Check your yellow pages for glass shops. They can cut to fit, but it likely won't be cheap.

You can use the amazon link in 2, but one of the advantages of an FX6 with turtles is clearing the gunk off the bottom. With that type of hookup for your filter, you're losing that bottom sucking capability.

[TARad]

I never even thought to check with a glass shop. Good call and I'll call around today to see if I can't find out. Thanks!

And with the overflow I'll lose the bottom sucking as opposed to just installing the FX6 normally?

[ljapa]

And with the overflow I'll lose the bottom sucking as opposed to just installing the FX6 normally?

Correct. That overflow is likely designed to be used with a sump. Unlike a canister filter, a sump is not sealed.

If you turn off a canister filter, the filter holds the water in. Or, if your electricity goes out, or the pump fails, nothing much happens.

With a sump, water is siphoning in, and the only thing that keeps the sump from overflowing is the pump pumping it back to the main tank. So, the main tank overflow is designed so that if the pump stops for whatever reason, only a limited amount of water can overflow into the sump. Once the siphon pulls the water below that overflow or the siphon intake, the siphon breaks and water stops flowing into the sump.

Because the canister doesn't have that danger, it's intake can be much lower in the water.

I have a 55 gallon with an FX6 and an overflow with a sump. The overflow alone would never handle the waste that sinks, which is pretty much all the turtle waste.

You could always go my route and do both. I grow plants and cherry red shrimp in my sump for feeding.

But, if you are just going to use the FX6, I'd recommend using the attachments that come with it and not hooking the filter up to the overflow.

[TARad]

Thanks again for the reply. All of that is VERY good to know.

Honestly, I'd really rather not worry about a sump (at least on this tank) so I think I'm just going to seal it up. I found a glass shop nearby that I'm going to today for some glass to seal over the holes.

My only real concern is hiding the plumbing included with the FX6. Any suggestions?

[VeipaCray]

IF you want to seal it up... but still have the option later to use it as a drilled tank. Just get a pair of bulkheads and PVC Cement caps into them. It will be water tight and you can remove the bulkheads later if you want the drilled tank back.

Pay attention to the size when you get bulkheads.
http://www.marinedepot.com/Standard_Thr ... SB-vi.html

Use PVC cement... the bottom inside of the bulkhead is slip for PVC. PVC cement in a piece of pipe long enough to extend from the bulkhead an inch or so then PVC cement a cap onto the piece of pipe. It'll cost you about $7/hole to seal it up.

[steve]

No real way to hide the FX plumbing. Maybe use some decorative plants to add cover. If you want to add some safety to the tank, use a PVC pipe with some holes drilled into it for the intake.