findingnemo2
New member
Yes, your right it is rated for 1200gph. It is a Eshopps dual.
Lots of time and money wasted- HELP!!
- Thread starter findingnemo2
- Start date
joshkennedy07
New member
It wouldn't affect the level of the tank as you can adjust this, but the overflows might be louder. Since the overflow can handle the pumps volume I am confident the answer is just round the corner. Attack this when you are well rested, maybe after some coffee. Keep it as simple as possible
Nano Chris
Active member
This is one small thing to worry about, remember there could be worse problems, hopefully not. Good luck to ya.
Nanz
Premium Member
Well said Nano Chris
No offense but this is just the beginning. Plumbing is usually a difficult part for most so please be patient and understand that we have all been there.
I have a 75-gallon and use a QO4000 pump, which is rated around 1100-1200gph. My tank has a megaflow overflow and has a 1" drain. The return is 3/4" pipe. I used 3/4 since my pump is 3/4. Since your just beginning this hobby I suggest you correct the plumbing pipe. 3/4" pipe and fittings are much cheaper than 1.5" pipe. This change would cost around $20 since you only need some pipe, fittings and ball valve. You already have the glue and primmer, correct?
This really is a minor cost compared to how expensive the reef hobby can get. Wait until you buy $100 of beautiful mushrooms just to watch your emerald crab devour them all in one night. I can’t begin to count how many mistakes I have made along the way and how costly they were.
Take your time and be patient. Try to accept that you will make mistakes and they will be costly but just write it off as experience. My husband tells me every time that I should have bought a nano, hehe.
Good Luck
No offense but this is just the beginning. Plumbing is usually a difficult part for most so please be patient and understand that we have all been there.
I have a 75-gallon and use a QO4000 pump, which is rated around 1100-1200gph. My tank has a megaflow overflow and has a 1" drain. The return is 3/4" pipe. I used 3/4 since my pump is 3/4. Since your just beginning this hobby I suggest you correct the plumbing pipe. 3/4" pipe and fittings are much cheaper than 1.5" pipe. This change would cost around $20 since you only need some pipe, fittings and ball valve. You already have the glue and primmer, correct?
This really is a minor cost compared to how expensive the reef hobby can get. Wait until you buy $100 of beautiful mushrooms just to watch your emerald crab devour them all in one night. I can’t begin to count how many mistakes I have made along the way and how costly they were.
Take your time and be patient. Try to accept that you will make mistakes and they will be costly but just write it off as experience. My husband tells me every time that I should have bought a nano, hehe.
Good Luck
That Mag 12 Rating of 1000 gph at 4' is with 1 1/2 inch PVC. If you downsize the plumbing on your return you cause head pressure and reduce flow. Might be a good thing here. The Eshopps overflow is rated at 12 gph but I think that is if you upsize to 1 1/2 and have zero elbows to your sump. Even though the overflow only accepts 1 inch I would suggest upsizing right away to a larger diamter pipe after the overflow causing less friction and allowing more flow. Use 45 deg elbows instead of 90's
crsswift70
Active member
I hope you can get some pictures on here. Your pump and overflows should have no difficulties from what you have posted. A simple valve on the return pipe on the way back to the tank should easily control the flow to match your drain. Your saying that the sump backs up when you throttle the pump back, almost makes it sound like you have a siphon going on in your drain that is draining water faster than the pump can pump. With proper water levels, the drain doesn't even kick in until the return pump has the sump level correct, then that little extra it pushes up starts the drain.
findingnemo2
New member
No offense taken, I know this hobby is expensive. The only thing, well, two things I didn't do right from the beginning was<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12917277#post12917277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanz
Well said Nano Chris
No offense but this is just the beginning. Plumbing is usually a difficult part for most so please be patient and understand that we have all been there.
I have a 75-gallon and use a QO4000 pump, which is rated around 1100-1200gph. My tank has a megaflow overflow and has a 1" drain. The return is 3/4" pipe. I used 3/4 since my pump is 3/4. Since your just beginning this hobby I suggest you correct the plumbing pipe. 3/4" pipe and fittings are much cheaper than 1.5" pipe. This change would cost around $20 since you only need some pipe, fittings and ball valve. You already have the glue and primmer, correct?
This really is a minor cost compared to how expensive the reef hobby can get. Wait until you buy $100 of beautiful mushrooms just to watch your emerald crab devour them all in one night. I can’t begin to count how many mistakes I have made along the way and how costly they were.
Take your time and be patient. Try to accept that you will make mistakes and they will be costly but just write it off as experience. My husband tells me every time that I should have bought a nano, hehe.
Good Luck
1. Buy a really good protein skimmer
2. Put a sump on the system
The reason I didn't was being scared of the plumbing part as far as the sump goes and as far as the skimmer, well, there is no excuse....plain and simple other than wanting the most bang for the buck and not knowing which one to get. So I read and read and finally decided on the octo.
I do have a few coral and fish, not much, mostly softies and a few lps. I am totally hooked needless to say and feel these two things-- the octopus 150 recirculating protein skimmer and the new sump will complete my set up and I can start to focus on corals and maybe a fish or two more.
I was up until after 3 a.m. and woke up this moring and ran to the puter to see what every one suggested hoping to not have to do a big tear apart. The pipe suggested instead of the 1 and 1/2 inch pipe sounds about right, but the sheet that came with the mag 12 said use 1 and 1/2 and that is why he did that. Its huge! Way too big! I appreciate all feed back and help ya'll. Brenda
When I ran a Mag 12 I ran the 1 1/2 inch pipe because like you I read the directions! Most set ups I see people run smaller. Again no real harm except loosing some of the possible flow. If I were you I would work first on getting the drain to drain faster. You do this through increasing pipe size and eliminating bends. Just thought of this, are you using a drain hose that is ribbed? I mean like many vacumn hoses that are bumpy inside and out. Those hoses create a lot of friction slowing down water.
Lots of good advise given above, but you do have options other than changing all the plumping, if your overflows are working but being hindered by the outflow pipes and elbows you can slow down the ammount of water being pumped to the display a couple of ways. I do believe it is best to maximize your flow to the display by changing up your plumbing, but if you do not want to do that here are 2 things you can do
1. insert a gate valve inline from the return pump to your display, you can adjust the flow coming from the pump to slow it down and allow your overflows to catch up, however, depending on how much it needs to be slowed down you can create a lot of back preasure on the pump shortening its life expectancy.
2. by far the better option, you can install a "T" just after the return pump with a gate valve coming off of "T" valve which dumps back into the sump, so the return pump still has a straight shot to the display and you can adjust the gate valve to divert some flow to the sump without causing back preasure to your return pump.
Hope this helps, if you can afford it I highly suggest upgrading the plumbing, flex pipe works great as previously stated or try to avoid 90degree eblows and go with 45's for smoother flow.
Good luck!!
1. insert a gate valve inline from the return pump to your display, you can adjust the flow coming from the pump to slow it down and allow your overflows to catch up, however, depending on how much it needs to be slowed down you can create a lot of back preasure on the pump shortening its life expectancy.
2. by far the better option, you can install a "T" just after the return pump with a gate valve coming off of "T" valve which dumps back into the sump, so the return pump still has a straight shot to the display and you can adjust the gate valve to divert some flow to the sump without causing back preasure to your return pump.
Hope this helps, if you can afford it I highly suggest upgrading the plumbing, flex pipe works great as previously stated or try to avoid 90degree eblows and go with 45's for smoother flow.
Good luck!!
findingnemo2
New member
My son put the 1 1/2 inch pipe after the flex to go on into the sump.
asm481, could we use the 3/4 inch pipe from the mag 12 and keep the 1 1/2 ich pipe after the flex tubing coming from the overflows? Hope this question makes sence.He also has a elbow on the overflow down at the bottom, where the water goes into the sump. So, if he puts the 3/4 inch pipe coming straight from the pump, it causes friction, causing head pressure slightly, and slows down the pump, that would work for me I think.
When my daughter gets up I am going to get her to put some pictures on here for everyone to see. I am totally ignorant at puter stuff too! Thanks everyone! Brenda
findingnemo2
New member
asm, yes I did read the instruction lol! I am using drain hose that is ribbed, but just only about 4 inches right off the Eshopps overflow box, well, actually, you know this is a dual so I am using two 4 inch pieces of spaflex and then the 1 and 1/2 inch pipe. There are elbows too. See we wanted to hard plumb all this, but we could not find pvc fittings to fit the overflow box, so that is why he had to use the spaflex tubing. Thanks, Brenda
You have the drain hose clamped to the outside of the overflow bulkhead? Not a good thing. That overflow is meant to have 1 inch PVC glued inside. I use what is called schedule 20 because it has a thinner wall thus less restriction. I only use a couple inches then change up to a larger pipe to prevent clog and reduce friction. On my system I go up to 1 1/2 on the drain as I havea long way to my basement sump. Also do not forget a union or two so yuou can remove for cleaning.
findingnemo2
New member
When you say after the pump, do you mean on the return side? See, he did put a valve on it and it does dump water back into the sump. He was afraid to just put a put just a ball valve because he said he was afraid it would burn my pump up. Pictures coming shortly of all this, but they will be hard to see as it is under the tank already plumbed.
findingnemo2
New member
OMG!!! You don't know what your words have done for me this morning to lift my spirits and my "I can do it" attitude! Thank you so very very much everyone. My son will get off work sometimes around 4 or 4:30 and I feel we can work this out by the time he gets off and I can let him know what we need to do.
Thanks a million and I wish I could hug each and everyone of you! I just got off the phone with my daughter and she will be here shortly, (she lives next door) to get some pictures on for you. Brenda
Made a quick picture to show you what i'm talking about, the gate valve is just after the return pump to the display, you can adjust it to divert some flow to the sump instead of all of the water going to the display to match the flow rates, also make sure you don't have air bubbles in your return pipes, overflows often get airbubbles that restrict flow, I have to check my syphon daily or my tank could flood :/
findingnemo2
New member
Yes on the clamp on the outside of the overflow bulkheads. The overfows have a thing that is threads on the outside, but we couldn't find anything to screw onto that and couldn't find anything smaller to go inside. What is schedule 20? Can I get that at Low's?
See, I am only going from the sump up to the top of tank, so I just don't understand why I would need that big of pipe like the manu. called for. For max flow, but, that is what it said. Thanks Brenda
findingnemo2
New member
OMG well, that is one thing I don't want is a flood. I want to set this up so if there is a power loss, all is well in nemo land. Thanks, Brenda<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12918422#post12918422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slayer311
Made a quick picture to show you what i'm talking about, the gate valve is just after the return pump to the display, you can adjust it to divert some flow to the sump instead of all of the water going to the display to match the flow rates, also make sure you don't have air bubbles in your return pipes, overflows often get airbubbles that restrict flow, I have to check my syphon daily or my tank could flood :/
The threads on the outside of your overflow bulkhead are not designed to hold anything. They are just to hold the bulkhead in place. Picture a giant bolt 3-4 inches long and a nut that threads up the bolt. Nuts and pipe are different kinds of threads and are not interchangeable. Clamping around the threads is an incomplete seal and may leak down the road.
let me be more specific, your overflow box has the 2 tubes that come over the edge of the glass which sucks water from the display down to the sump, at the very top of those 2 tubes, or possibly one large tube if its an older model, air bubbles can collect, if your flow is fast enough the air bubbles will be forced out of the system, i have the older style system with a larger tube and air bubbles get stuck at the top often and can break the syphon causing no more water to flow to the sump over time. Just check it from time to time to make sure no bubbles have accumulated
