BeanMachine
Active member
I didnt draw the fittings but I plan to have a true union ball valve right before each of the Sea Swirls. Ill see if I can make a double wye instead of a cross work. Thanks Steve.
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Bean's 300 Gallon AGE Build
- Thread starter BeanMachine
- Start date
BeanMachine
Active member
I know, I know I keep changing my mind. So I have a friend that is going to long term loan me a Vectra L1. 
So I don't have any money out of pocket for it. I have read some heat issues with some of the L1s, but free is free and that way I can save up for the RD3.
I'm going to change the plumbing again. I'll plumb the 3 Sea Swirls with the L1, and the manifold with the M1 I already have.
Return plumbing from the L1 will stay the same, 1.5" from the pump and reduced to 1" up top as my drawing shows.
For the manifold from the M1, it will be 1.25" all around.
I just ordered the adapter kits so I can use the plumbing size I want and ditch the blue collars.
So I don't have any money out of pocket for it. I have read some heat issues with some of the L1s, but free is free and that way I can save up for the RD3. I'm going to change the plumbing again. I'll plumb the 3 Sea Swirls with the L1, and the manifold with the M1 I already have.
Return plumbing from the L1 will stay the same, 1.5" from the pump and reduced to 1" up top as my drawing shows.
For the manifold from the M1, it will be 1.25" all around.
I just ordered the adapter kits so I can use the plumbing size I want and ditch the blue collars.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Can you long term loan me your other M1?
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BeanMachine
Active member
Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm just trying to think this through as much as I can. Its really helpful getting different opinions. Here is what I am going to do. I'll up size the plumbing now so I can upgrade to the Red Dragon RD3s later on.
theMerchant
New member
Are you planning on having a high flow sump or slower? With those two Vectras, they will suck your return section dry real fast.
My L1 is running at about 90% since i want a higher flowing sump
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My L1 is running at about 90% since i want a higher flowing sump
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BeanMachine
Active member
I'm not really tied to either. Its more of a feel thing for me. But high enough so I don't get a ton of detritus settling in the sump. I would like to crank up the sea swirls though, but I do plan on having other flow pumps. Having the fuge fed off one off the manifold should help with returning some of that water back to the return section in the sump, along with whatever reactors are installed. With the other two returns, I can tune the pump up or down to my liking. I think it will just be a matter of dialing everything in.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Interesting about the return section? what are the dimensions of your return section?
SchnitzelReef
Active member
I'm anxious to see if your sump will hold all the water when your return pump shuts down. It's so close on my sump. A couple more gallons and it would overflow. Something I didn't think about when I designed it. Those external overflows hold a lot water
Quite honestly, the Vectra is a good pump, but there have been many issues reported with it. In the end, it's still an outsourced Chinese motor block with a quality driver (developed by EcoTech), but the heart of the thing is still questionable. I believe deep water aquatics uses the same motor block and they have had issues as well. The driver side of EcoTech appears to be pretty solid, but I still question the motor block. And full disclosure, I own a Vectra L1 and it has worked well for the year I've had it, but I still have my trusty laguna 2400 at hand as a backup.
BeanMachine
Active member
It's approx. 9.5" x 24" x 8.5 or 9 (Skimmer Depth).
Me too. The sump is 60" x 24" x 24".
Looking great let me know if you need anything else I can only get regular pipe and fittings nothing weird colored just grey n white.
Also transparent blue for those who money is no object
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How much is the transparent blue pvc per foot? I'll text you.
For sure thanks Damian, nothing I haven't heard before. I am using them to help with my overall budget... but I'll be looking into swapping them out at some point down the road. I'll keep my eye out for a used SP6 as a backup in the interim.
acesq
Premium Member
Its pretty easy to calculate how much water will drain into the sump when the power is cut. You just need to know the size of the overflow, the length and diameter of the pipes and how low in the tank the water will siphon from the returns. Just leave yourself enough volume in the sump to handle it because power outages will happen and you can't rely on one-way valves. I designed my sump to be 18" tall based on that calculation, assuming a working water level of 10".
Another thing to consider is whether the tank can handle the amount of water in the return section of the sump without overflowing in the very unlikely event the drains clog. My return section holds only about 4-5 gallons which the tank can easily handle.
I have the Laguna Max-Flo 2900 that I used as my return pump before the RD3 230. It also uses the Askoll motor block like the Fluval SP6, but is slightly lower wattage. The flow chart is pretty close to the SP6 though. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you some pics and give you a good deal on it.
Another thing to consider is whether the tank can handle the amount of water in the return section of the sump without overflowing in the very unlikely event the drains clog. My return section holds only about 4-5 gallons which the tank can easily handle.
I have the Laguna Max-Flo 2900 that I used as my return pump before the RD3 230. It also uses the Askoll motor block like the Fluval SP6, but is slightly lower wattage. The flow chart is pretty close to the SP6 though. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you some pics and give you a good deal on it.
BeanMachine
Active member
Rough calculations, over estimating if anything-
Tank- assuming the tank drains 2 inches of the display (should be close)- 22 Gallons
The pipes will only hold a few gallons of water. 100 cubic inches for the drains, and maybe 70 cubic inches for the returns. That is assuming 12 feet of each, one at 1.61 ID, and the other at 1.36 ID.
I think the tank will drain roughly 30 gallons tops.
The sump is 60 x 24 x 18 actually... which eliminating the baffles and what not may put it at 100 gallon capacity on a power failure. I'd say the skimmer section alone would hold another 25 gallons if it were fill up to the lids. And that doesn't count other areas of the sump.
The return section will be roughly 8 gallons while running.
BeanMachine
Active member
Revision 8,359
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
Looks good Cody. now hurry up. lol..
I assume you're going to run a Bean Animal drain on your tank. If you run with one return pump and divert to a manifold, you will be constantly adjusting your gate valves on the full siphon drain. Reason being is, whatever reactors your manifold is feeding will clog over time which sends more water to the DT causing your open channel to take up more slack.
I would run a separate pump for the manifold to avoid this. I had the same setup in my old tank and constantly had to adjust the gate valve when the reactors clogged up. I ditched the manifold and ran the reactors on separate pumps. My new build will have one RD3 for return and another just for the reactors.
I would run a separate pump for the manifold to avoid this. I had the same setup in my old tank and constantly had to adjust the gate valve when the reactors clogged up. I ditched the manifold and ran the reactors on separate pumps. My new build will have one RD3 for return and another just for the reactors.
805reef
New member
I run my return and manifold off my rd3 and rarely ever have to adjust it. If the reactor is clogged up that bad that you have to adjust the gate valve you could also just replace whatever is in the reactor since it is probably wasted.
BeanMachine
Active member
My tank is sort of in the middle of the room its in. It needs to be pushed back about a foot and a half to its final resting spot.
So I've got a question for you all, would you fill the tank and sump with RODI, run it in its current place, to check for any leaks first? Then empty the tank and sump? Move it, then refill?
Its going to take several guys to move the tank and stand, so I'd rather move it once.
So I've got a question for you all, would you fill the tank and sump with RODI, run it in its current place, to check for any leaks first? Then empty the tank and sump? Move it, then refill?
Its going to take several guys to move the tank and stand, so I'd rather move it once.
