The Fremont Runner Jr.

[milesmiles902]

This project will be my first attempt at acrylic. The Fremont Runner will be ongoing, but I realized, setting up my 75 gallon with the sump is still something I cannot easily move. This is a problem because the landlord could say, "We're not renting anymore." - which is what happened at the old place. I'll still be looking for a temporary $150-250 a month art studio for my tanks, but it's nice to have something that could get me up to speed.

So, with accelerating 3D capability - I present the Fremont Runner Jr. 

It is a all-in-one 70 gallon acrylic tank that will never need to be de-plumbed in a move.

The above picture demonstrates the overall scheme to this all-in-one design. Unlike most bio-cubes or other all-in-ones, this design has a cross between an under-gravel filter and a traditionally designed all-in-one. It still utilizes all my old equipment, but sits at 3 ft long x 2 ft wide and 1.5 ft tall. It will go on a metal stand that I already have. 

The water flow in this all-in-one (at the top) is very similar to traditional over-flows, but on the return functions completely different. It returns from the base of the back-plate, rather than the top. Then, the water will go around the lower baffles and exit to the right. If made out of acrylic, this design will allow for large amounts of chaeto-morpha to be grown at the base of the tank with the same lighting system. It will grow beneath a plate of acrylic, have heavy flow because of the return pump and utilize much of the wasted light from above. This design is very similar to drop-off or ledge tanks, but with a flow-competent feature.

Each of these plates will be screwed on at the four-corners with plastic screws that go into the 1x1 inch bracers. In this manner, each base compartment can be cleaned of detritus, removed and/or filled with rock, carbon bag, bio-balls, sponge filters etc.

Both base compartments could even be removed with nothing there, but the bracers. The water will continue to flow from the base of the back plate and might even traverse upwards through a frag rack.

As seen, the upper over-flow lid can be removed to show a normal overflow with a 4" filter sock capable all-in-one. 

Behind the tank lies my old Vectra and Reef Octopus protein skimmer. In this design, the water flows through the grates, down through the filter sock, into the pump (which will have a screw on PVC attachment) then, into the right compartment and finally back into the tank. I realized that this compartment would likely fill up with air, so I added a hole at the top, which may have a different diameter. 

Most traditional all-in-ones have chaeto in this back area. That's entirely possible with LEDS in the right-compartment, but instead I am going to put rock in this location because it will have heavy flow without detritus accumulating in the bottom.  Since this compartment is 1 ft wide - a carbon reactor might be added to the return with a ball-valve.

...but how would you get the rock in there? Well, this plate also screws off with plastic screws. Now, I can lay all my rock into a place that I don't mind getting scratched. 

Maybe you don't want any of the compartments and a larger aquarium? That's perfectly fine with this design. You could even still stack your rocks on the back wall as seen in many freshwater designs without scratching the front. Sure, you have to get your hands wet to unscrew the plastic screws for each compartment, but with the flexibility that this tank provides. It seems pretty reasonable, especially if you have smaller size frag racks. Smaller return pump and skimmer designs might come in the future because there is the chance of skimmer overflow, but the reality is, it's capable..

Now, after I pull all my pumps out. It's just an acrylic box that I can lift or put into a car. Later design features might come, but this is the tank that will get me up to speed - The Fremont Runner Jr.

 

Edited August 28, 2019 by milesmiles902

[milesmiles902]

Something that is really interesting about the Vectra pumps -or- Ecotech in general. They really don't have much specs on their pages for anything. For example, Reefi lights vs Radions lights. Go check out Reefi-Labs to see a good technical analysis. 

In my situation, Pounds per square inch (PSI) of the pump is really important, which Ecotech doesn't give for any Vectra pump. Who cares about 21.5 ft of head height for an M2 when they don't even say salt vs freshwater. They are completely different weights per gallon and will go different heights. So, I had to assume it was saltwater to get the pressure and then assume the plumbing was 1.25 inch diameter, which matters too. 

The reality is, gallons per hour mean nothing when there is varying head heights and diameter piping. 

The reason is - if I was going to have this pump saltwater down into the water vs upward into the sky. It's completely different distances and PSI is important to know. Mainly because total mass being pumped changes with distance of pumping. Pumping down into water has higher pressure by the water above it than pumping into the sky. 

That being said, Ecotech could do a better job on specs. 

My M2 Vectra can only pump 3 ft into water with those dimensions of that right container above (0.75ft^2) and 21 ft high. 

[Bicyclebill]

The Fremont runner? Any relation to the hash slinging slasher?


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[milesmiles902]

You do mean the Spongebob Squarepants episode with the hash slinging slasher?