Bigger U shaped top of Sun Sun filter return and intake arms

[bithmus]

Hello,

I purchased the Sun Sun 404B for my 120 Gallon turtle tank, www.americanaquariumproducts.com/ViaAqua750CanisterFilter.html.  The turtle tank is from Glass Cages and has a 3.25 inch lip on the top, so the U shaped part of the return and intake do not fit over it, www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/SunSunHW302parts.jpg.  I did some google searching but did not find anywhere to buy bigger ones?  Should I just go to the hardware store and build my own arms?  Alternatively I can simply turn the U shaped fixtures sideways so they will fit around that 3.25 inch lip and go with it as is.

Thoughts?

Thank you,
Justin

[Carl]

Welcome to EA!!

I think both ideas are feasible.

Over the years I have had many similar applications where the canister filter (of many brands) would not fit over the back of the aquarium due to a much wider than normal lip.

Often I would simply build my own, but if the parts contained with the filter parts would be manipulated, I would use these.

The other alternative is drilling from below, but this really needs to be done prior to tank set up. This is actually my preferred method as it is a clean fit and with turtles is also the least likely to be disturbed.
This said, some PVC intake and returns are definitely going to be more rugged than any of these parts supplied with ANY brand canister filter


While the parts we sell on our plumbing parts page are likely to not be wide enough, these might help you with some ideas

Product Resource:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/PlumbingParts.html



Carl

[bithmus]

Thanks for the reply Carl!

The tank is not set up, and I considered drilling through the bottom, but I really don't want to break the tank. How hard is it to drill through glass?

I'm happy working with PVC. Do you use plumbers glue to truely join the pieces together? That would certainly be tough to break, but is is safe for the turtle? Can you tell me what size PVC I should buy to fit the tube that came with the filter? What piece do I need to convert from the flexible tube to PVC?

Thank you!
Justin

[Ameenah]

Hi Bithmus

If you are joining pvc pipe, my opinion would be just piece them together with or without a bit of Aquarium Silicone www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumSilicone.html

As for drilling your glass.... I have a 150 Gallon glass tank that had a big red sticker on the bottom that said "plated glass do not drill." This left me with hanging my SunSun 304b intake and return over the top and my V1000 Fluidized Sand Bed Filter also over the top - I used suction cups on the outside glass to keep this filter at 90 degrees to the tank and power it with a SunSun 1542 water pump. www.americanaquariumproducts.com/viaaqua1300.html

Perhaps your local glass shop can come look at your tank to let you know if it can be drilled. And if you are lucky they will do the drilling for you.

Granted the pipes and tubes hanging on top of tank are a PITA in cases where the tank will be viewed from all sides (as my 150 G is) but the tank holds water and aquatic life without leaks.

[Carl]

Generally I use PVC Cement to permanently join pieces of PVC together.
Silicone as suggested can be used for non permanent gasket like connections

I would use a hose barb as seen on the plumbing parts page to connect to your filter tubing

Products Resource:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/PlumbingParts.html

As for drilling your glass.... I have a 150 Gallon glass tank that had a big red sticker on the bottom that said "plated glass do not drill."

Good point ameenah!

Unfortunately many tank manufacturers have gone to tempered glass which should never be used for tanks over 60 gallons or ANY tank for their bottom, hence this warning. Float glass is much better and can be drilled with special circular saw drill bit
This is simply another case where the aquarium industry has been cheapened IMO

Reference:
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/03/aquarium-silicone.html

Quote from the article:
"• Please keep in mind that when either building or purchasing a glass aquarium, the thickness of the glass, which should be float glass (*NOT tempered glass), along with the type of silicone used, and finally construction methods are what will basically determine the quality of the finished aquarium.

*Tempered glass is too brittle for most aquariums over 60 gallons and even in 60 gallon aquariums it still should NOT be used in the bottom.
Float glass on the other hand is much more flexible and gives into the natural bowing/flexing of an aquarium holding water (based on 35 years of aquarium repair as well as apprentice training at a leading premium aquarium builder)."

Carl

[bithmus]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I will see if I can build my own return and intake tubes. This will probably work better anyways so I can go around the ramp up to the turtles platform.

[bithmus]

Hi Everyone,

I was able to join together PVC using Primer and Cement and it seems to be working great. The Filter output goes down along the bottom of the tank to push water past the ramp. There is a lot of pressure coming out of the output, which is great because it stirs up the water. How do I know if I have enough holes in my output and I'm not making my filter run too hard?

Also, are there any instructions on starting the Sun Sun 404B? I ended up having to take the top off the bucket, fill the bucket with water, then put the hose on and fill the hoses with a pail, then connect the hoses to my PVC. It's difficult to get the PVC on and off the tank due to the large lip. It is impossible to take them off with the hoses connected, so I couldn't submerge everything and then connect it to the filter. Because of this, it seems like the primer pump doesn't do anything for me due to the amount of air in the PVC. Any ideas other than filling the tubes with a bucket?

Last, how often do I need to stop the filter and clean it out?  Do I just rinse every thing out or do I need to replace the media?  If not every time, how often do I need to change the media in the filter?  Chunks of fish and other waste don't go into the filter, so I assume I need to vacuum that heavier stuff out?

Thank you,
Justin

[Ameenah]

Hi Justin

I also use a SunSun canister as one of my Big Tank's filtration system (150-gallon) Here is how I do a canister cleaning.....

1- Flip up the little lever between the intake and output on the lid - this stops water from passing through when power is off or top is removed.
2- unplug from electrical outlet.
3- remove top of canister and set it aside -- being careful with the UV bulb
4- I fill a 5-gallon bucket 1/3 with aquarium water
5- I remove trays one at a time - cleaning them up in the bucket using just aquarium water. So the trays and media are now stacked in reverse order in the bucket. If the white fiber filter looks gross even after wringing it out a few times in the aquarium water I replace it at this point too.
6- start putting the trays back into the canister - I put vaseline around the edges of each tray so that they don't get stuck together in the canister. I do not want to make a big mess prying those trays apart.
7- I then add clean aquarium water to the canister until about 2 inches from the top, and put the canister lid back on and plug it in to the electricity
8- I flip the lever between the intake and output back down and pump the big oval priming button up and down (it is not easy) until I hear the filter working and see water flowing into the tank from the spray bar.

The whole process takes me about 30 minutes. I keep 6 1-gallon jugs of tap water with a little bit of  SeaChem PRIME on hand at all times for use during canister cleaning and for "topping off the tank" to replace evaporated water.

Have you considered a  Fluidized SandBed Filter   to compliment your canister? It sure would cut down on the frequency of canister cleanings and improve your turtle tanks water quality. While some people connect their FSB Filter to their canister, I prefer to run mine independently as redundant filtration - each filtering 100% of the tank water 3 to 4 times per hour.

You may also want to check out my review of the Eheim Quick Vac Pro.  I wish I would have had one of these when I had my big turtle tank years ago. I remember having 2 hang on tank filters and needing to do partial water changes way too often.

I sure would enjoy seeing some pictures of your turtle tank soon. 

[devonjohnsgard]

Looks like Ameenah cover it.

Are you thinking there is strain on the filter due to the wholes on the outtake?

I would suggest cleaning the filter every 4-6 weeks, or if the flow ever slows.

[Carl]

We also have some good pictorial information about the SunSun Canister filters since the company's information that is provided is rather poor

Reference (in the side bar):
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/ViaAqua750CanisterFilter.html#tutorial

Carl

[bithmus]

Thanks for all the information everyone!  Pictures below.  I still need to purchase and install the doors.

[devonjohnsgard]

Looks pretty clean! Nicely done.

[Carl]

Nice set up!

Excellent plumbing that the turtle should not be able to upset!

Carl

[Ameenah]

Justin, your turtle tank set up if AWESOME!!! Thank you for sharing the photos.  I cant tell what type of "tank top" you have on your turtle tank but would suggest that the top must allow oxygen exchange as part of your tank's healthy environment. I had used a locking screen top for my turtles way back when .... Perhaps you will discover something better. 

[bithmus]

The top is a wire mesh top with a hinge from glasscages.com: glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=22. It doesn't lock down but the tank has a huge lip at the top that the turtle could never get out of, hence the need for custom plumbing.

[bithmus]

Anyone know if there is a paint I can use on the PVC that is safe for an aquarium?

[devonjohnsgard]

Aug 28, 2014 15:51:02 GMT -5 bithmus said:

Anyone know if there is a paint I can use on the PVC that is safe for an aquarium?

Use an epoxy based paint.

[bithmus]

Hi All,

Another question. I've cleaned the filter a few times by taking everything out and giving everything a thorough rinsing. This doesn't really seem to help. The water is still greener than I would like. Should I be replacing any material each time I clean it? Perhaps the Poly Pads, www.americanaquariumproducts.com/ViaAqua750CanisterFilter.html#poly_pads?

I'm also not sure that my water flow is the best. Right now I have an arm that extends to the bottom front of the tank and shoots water across the length of the tank along the bottom. The top of the water seem to not be disturbed much and there is stuff gathering on top. Should I put some new holes in my water out to push water at the top of the water?

Thank you!
Justin

[Carl]

Generally I change out carbon every 4-6 weeks unless water is still looking reasonably clear.
Purigen can be added for added water polishing and clarity.

The regular Poly pads are more for fine mechanical filtration, not water clarity or water color, but these still should be changed when they cannot be rinsed fully clean

Reference (Aquarium Filter Media Info):
www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/05/aquarium-filter-media.html

Product Resources:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/NiroxProducts.html#carbon
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Seachem.html#purigen

Carl

[devonjohnsgard]

I would go with the Purigen too. If a fully stocked canister filter, with UV is not keeping it clear, time to add something new. My water is pretty crystal clear from Purigen.