If you haven't already, please read the project introduction page for a look at the design diagram and overview.

After creating holes for the bulkheads, I used plumber's glue to ensure they were watertight, and then arranged and glued the PVC in a configuration which would allow everything to fit in the cabinet.

For two weeks I filled the finished containers with water and tested for a seal. Twice I had to drain the containers, re-glue, and fill again to test. (Note: I switched glue after finding these leaks. I'm now using a plumber's version of Goop.)

Once it was apparent the containers would hold their water loads, I drained them both and broke down the existing setup. Here's a view from straight on, one inside the cabinet and to the right, and one inside the cabinet and to the left.

Prior to removing existing equipment, I performed a few steps:

• Filled the refugium with sand.
• Wired and hung the floatswitches in the sump.

The priliminary work done, time to empty the cabinet and begin the install. Since it took a fair amount of measuring and manuvering, I didn't stop to take many pictures along the way.

Here's a process outline:

• Relocated the left and right metal halide ballasts approximately four inches higher than their previous spot, as the new containers needed the room.
• Installed the refugium and stand on the left side.
• Installed the sump on the right side.
• Measured, cut, and installed the flex tubing line running from the main tank (1" inner diameter).
• Measured, cut, and installed the flex tubing line running to the main tank (3/4" inner diameter), including the return pump.
• Installed the flex tube connecting the refugium to the sump.
• Pray to God.
• Power on.

In the end, nothing leaked. I've identified several improvements to the design since completing it, so take heed if you're designing something similar.

• Float switches
  I have two floatswitches mounted on the side of the sump, and their wires run through a small PVC pipe. The length of the PVC the switches are mounted to will determine how high (or low) the water level is in the sump. When the return pump is turned off for any reason, the water level in the sump will naturally rise as any water still in the tubing will rush to the lowest point. I initially didn't make the water level low enough, as when the pump is turned off the water level rises to the level of the openings the floatswitches and drips into the cabinet. This is fixed by inserting a spacer on top of the existing PVC to lower the level of the lowest switch.
• Flex Tubing
  The only inspection I did of the flex tubing was visual. I didn't bother running water through them first to see if they were intact. This could have caused a significant amount of water on the floor, but fortunately didn't. An effect it did have, though, was microbubbles. It seems one section of the flex tubing has a tiny hole in it, only large enough to pull air into the tube as the water rushes by. This results in millions of tiny bubbles in the tank which looks like sand swirling around, and is generally unsightly. I was able to remove the bubbles by restricting the flow of the pump's outlet, but that's a temporary solution until I either replace the section of tubing or find a different culprit.
• Plumber's Glue
  The first batch of plumber's glue was called Liquid Nails, and designed for stopping leaks in tubs and sinks. I applied a liberal amount of this on some of the connections, and still they leaked when under pressure. Only after switching to the plumber's version of Goop did the leaks stop.