big tank problem :(

[Hobineros]

Hi everyone, hoping to get a little solid advise as my first real discussion :)

I am setting up a 240 Gallon Drilled Acrylic tank for my discus (planning to get some from Hans) to play in.

Its been running for about 2 weeks now just to make sure i get everything tuned in and get the cycle started / finished.

I have run into a problem thou... I had to dial my Supply Pump way down, so that the water doesnt overflow in the main tank... My Pump (large little Giant) will drain about 15-20 gallons from the sump in like 2 minutes on full blast...

So my tank has 2 overflows with 1.5" bulkheads, i built a durso stand pipe out of PVC and installed them... THey work pretty well, but they are the limiting factor im sure of it. Because when i close off all the air (entering the stand pipes), they are capable of draining the tank with the pump on full, its just surging and then it makes the sucking sounds after it empties out (no bueno). Question is, how can i get that fixed! Is it my air hole on the standpipe cap? I'm on my like 5th cap per side (trying diff. size holes)... THe pump is hooked up to a 3/4" line then T'ed off to feed both flexi pipes outputs on either side of the tank, so i would've thought between the smaller diamerter on the supply lines and the splitting factors...the drains should handle this no problem. DO both standpipes have to be identical? I imagine that would be hard to say the least... i mean my tank is pretty flat, but given 8 foot of length... any slight skew in my stand, would throw the water level off from one end to the other...


Second problem... HOw the heck do you program a Jhemco temperature controller... I have the directions and such, but my stupid controller keeps telling me error code E2, which means i have programmed something wrong... I have the temp setpoint for 78 degrees (jsut for now, testing stages) and the differential set for 3 degrees. SO in my understanding in Heat Mode, the controller should kick on at 78 and heat to 81 then shutoff. (i could use cooling mode, which would energize the heater opposite... let the temp drop by 3 degreese and then heat to 78). SO confusing...

Last question and the easiest...

is it normal for acrylic tanks to flex? I put a bubble level (straight edge) up against the front center... and man, that sucker is pushed out at least .5 inches. Little neverous as this is my first acrylic tank...

Thanks for your all's time!
-Chris

[timmy82]

I'm not a fan of acrylic tanks, as for your draining issue maybe put a picture up. The tanks I have set up with a sump, spray bar and drain, the feed to the spray bar is 3/4" and the drain is behind the spray bar in the tank and uses 1". So in your case I would have the spray bar and then how ever many drains you need behind the spray bar so the water is flowing away from the drains there for circulating the water to get a efficient water turn over. I don't use stand pipes on the drains just 90degree elbows and hoses down to the sump for each drain. The calculation I use for number of drains is 1 x 1" drain per 2000ltr/hr pump out put as a rough idea.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Chris,

Regarding the Jhemco temperature controller, if you call Jehmco, they will be glad to help. Very reliable place for support.

[JERRYKEVIN]

It's normal for the acrylic to bow out a bit. Make sure tank is on level floor.

[MKD]

picture of the sump would be great. How big and how high is (are ) those baffles? as far as acrylic, it's normal if it's bow out a little it. With your tank size, your acrylic should be at least .5" thick but i like/prefer 3/4 thick.

[discussmith]

Your thought process on your heater controller is wrong. Cooling mode is that the contacts will close and send power to your unit on temperature rise! This is not what you want. You want heating mode so that the contacts close and send out power on temperature drop. A 3 degree swing is a little large in my opinion unless you have a small amount of water volume and are trying to increase the cycle times. The jehmco controllers are the "Ranco ETC" controllers and you can find programing instructions online. If you are following instructions already then it is possible you have a defective controller as they are very easy to program.

If your pump estimates are accurate you are pumping approx. 600 gph. The two 1 1/2" should handle that. It should not matter if they are not exactly equal as the lower will handle the bulk of the work with the 2nd picking up whatever the 1st doesn't. I'm confused by your description though. If you close off air it should drain slower as it needs air to allow the gravity drain to function. Too much air and you get gurgling noise.

If you took a straight edge and placed it on an all glass tank you would be quite surprised at just how much it bows.

[Hobineros]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies, googling some Ranco directions and if that dont work ill call Jehmco before i purchase a new one :) I have a set of directions from jehmco, but they are intended for a electronic person, not a simple map maker like me :) All this talk of setpoints and differentials is making my brain hurt.

I checked the bow of the front with a bulbble level and its at .5". The top and bottom are sucking inwards about that much so i suppose that is the give to allow the front to bubble outwards.

Ill try to get some more posts so i can put pix up of the drains to help better explain that...it realy perplexes me.