2x Bean Animal Overflow Question

[Fred et Ginger]

Hello Everyone, new RC member here!

First, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a former reefer -- I had a successful 160 gallon mixed reef for almost 5 years, but I had to give it up almost 20 years ago due to work. My situation is changing in about 12 months, so I'm spending this time to come up to speed with everything that has changed since the end of the last millenium (wow!), and learn things that slipped through the cracks the first time around. I've enjoyed browsing the forum, but it's time to start asking questions.

I've been reading everything I can find about the Bean Animal overflow, and I'm definately going to incorporate that design into my next setup, which should be about 550 gallons for the DT and at least another 150 in the sump. I'm planning on utilizing the full TRITON filtration method, which requires 10x volume turnover through the sump, so we're talking 7,000 gph running through the overflow (I'm also planning another 7,000 gph through a seperate closed loop flow, bringing the total flow to over 20x volume).

These numbers would appear to exceed the capabilities of a Bean Animal overflow using 1.5" plumbing. So I would think that I have two options: 1.) Increase the size of the plumbing, or 2.) Increase the number of 1.5" pipes. I like the idea of #2, as staying with 1.5" wouldn't require more space (the internal overflow would be 6.5' long edge-to-edge), so adding more pipes would only require more holes in the glass, and more pipes would greatly improve redundancy.

So my idea is to have a 2x Bean Animal Overflow, with 2 full siphons, 2 Dursos, and 2 emergency overflow standpipes, with each pair identical in height and design, and all 6 pipes sharing the same 6.5' long weir overflow. However, I recognize the fact that I can't find an example of anyone else having done this, so I must be missing a really good reason why my idea is really stupid.

Yes, I would see that tuning the dual siphons would be a little tricky, but not prohibitively so. And once it's tuned, it should be just as quiet and reliable, and many times more redundant than the textbook 3 pipe setup.

What am I missing?

Happy reefing!

 

[lapin]

I have a 500gal w/ external coast to coast overflow. Bean x 1 . 2" pipes. Reef Flo hammerhead/cuda return pump prob 3000+ gph flow in sump. its a lot.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2661185

2 sets will work . You just need to have 2 gate valves for separate adjustment and dont connect the pipes.

 

[Lsufan]

When they say 10X turnover through the sump it is 10x the dt, not dt & the sump. So u would need around 5500gph not 7,000gph. I didn't do the math but I think u will be able to achieve that with using a single beananimal with 2" bulkheads. There is other factors at play like the distance of the drop to the sump & the plumbing configuration so it's hard to say exactly, but 2" should be able to handle 5500gph if plumbed correctly. I know u will be able to get atleast 5000gph, so it may be worth checking with triton to see if it is ok if u have 9X turnover instead of 10X. I don't think it will be a issue when u are talking about a system that big with that much flow.

If u want to run two seperate beananimals u would have to have 2 separate overflow boxes & 2 of all the drains. So u would end up with 6 pipes going to the sump for just the drains. By the time u add the return piping & closed loop u are going to have pipes everywhere. That is one of a couple of reasons I would rather stick to a single bean system. If u decide to go with two then I would have some type of divider inside the overflow box to separate the two. That way each setup has its own overflow. It will be easier to tune & it will stay more consistent without having to mess with the valves.

Ca1ore is a very knowledgeable poster on here that has a setup similar to what u are describing. I havnt noticed him posting a bunch lately but I may have just missed it, I know he is still around. Maybe he will chime in because He is the only one I know that runs a system similar to what u are describing. I'm pretty sure he has multiple syphons in the same overflow box.

 

[lapin]

One other thing to think about .That amount of water flowing over a weir will make some noise. Not so bad when its 6.5' long. Your sump may not have dividers that long. So partition height in the sump will be something to take into consideration as well as drain back with pumps off.

 

[Fred et Ginger]

Already some good ideas, thanks!

Yes, regarding total system volume versus just DT volume, I apparently confused a different subject that mentioned total system volume, but the TRITON method is 10x DT volume ino the sump. Thanks!

And I like the idea of adding a partition inside of the internal coast-to-coast overflow. That would essentially make it two completely seperate overflows, each with a 1x (3-pipe) Bean Animal setup. Furthermore, it should help with tuning the two siphons, because the partition should cause the water level on each side of the partition to stabilize at different levels if the siphons are pulling water at different rates. Agreed?

And thanks for the comment about the dimensions of the overflows inside of the sump. With 5,500 gallons flowing over each dam per hour, that's something to consider! My main refugium (I'm planning two, one for the filtration chaeto and a second to grow other algaes for my herbivores) needs to be at least 55 gallons, so that's about 2ft x 2ft x 2ft (8 cubic feet) of water. What do you think about having a 2ft-wide weir inside of the sump for each partition? Should I make it wider to decrease the flow per foot of weir?

Finally, just to give more information about my plans, I'm planning on converting my 1-car garage into a wet room, so space is not at a premium. The DT would be on the opposite side of a common wall, with the plumbing passing through the wall. I'd also like to have as little as possible inside of the sump, with the reactors, skimmer, and pumps all being external to the sump. And I'd like to have the sump large enough to share with a fragging tank that I'd like to add at a later date.

Thanks again for your thoughts, please keep them coming!