New build, what size drains?

[FullBoreReefer]

I'm looking at having a tank built. 48"x36"x25" about 190gal and around 265gal total system. I obviously want three drains and one return drilled in.

Should I go with 1" or 1.5" on the three drains?

I have three mp40s to go inside the DT so sump turn over doesn't have to be crazy high. More than likely its gonna be bare bottom and sps dominant.

Any opinions? Thoughts? Pointers?

Thanks

 

[nuxx]

I'd do 1.5" drains and 1" returns.

Did 1.5" on our 470 and 150 gallon tanks.

 

[Bent]

I guess it would depend on the return pump volume would it not? There's not much sense in using 1.5" pipe if your only putting 400gph through it. Not that anyone would, just a hypothetical.

I guess in that case you should size the pipe to what your optimal GPH return would be? 10x the tank volume per hour isn't it?

So if the display is 190. It might have 150 total volume. 150x10=1500gph.

So I would size the pipes for 2000gph minimum.

I think a 1.5" gravity drain can handle 1400gph and a 2" gravity drain does like 2200gph? (I'm really pulling this from the back of my mind, so feel free to check me.)

Siphon drains run much higher than gravity only, so siphon drains would probably be ok at 1.5", but I might play it safe and run 2" so the gravity only on a single pipe could handle the flow. You are going to be dialing back the siphon regardless, right?

Yes no maybe?

 

[sleepydoc]

+1 - what kind of flows are you looking for? How many returns? More than likely 1" would be adequate for the drains, if you were worried you could bump it up to 1.25, but I doubt you'd need 1.5.

For the return, I would do at least 1.25

 

[FullBoreReefer]

I guess it would depend on the return pump volume would it not? There's not much sense in using 1.5" pipe if your only putting 400gph through it. Not that anyone would, just a hypothetical.

I guess in that case you should size the pipe to what your optimal GPH return would be? 10x the tank volume per hour isn't it?

So if the display is 190. It might have 150 total volume. 150x10=1500gph.

So I would size the pipes for 2000gph minimum.

I think a 1.5" gravity drain can handle 1400gph and a 2" gravity drain does like 2200gph? (I'm really pulling this from the back of my mind, so feel free to check me.)

Siphon drains run much higher than gravity only, so siphon drains would probably be ok at 1.5", but I might play it safe and run 2" so the gravity only on a single pipe could handle the flow. You are going to be dialing back the siphon regardless, right?

Yes no maybe?

Sorry got caught at work. Anyways, I have a jebao dc9000 pump that I have extra that i planned on using for the return. It will feed the DT, two individual BRS reactors, and a 10gal macro algae tank as well. Atleast its somewhat adjustable flow wise as well I guess.

And yes, I would be restricting the flow on the drain(s) via a valve to quiet it down.

 

[FullBoreReefer]

+1 - what kind of flows are you looking for? How many returns? More than likely 1" would be adequate for the drains, if you were worried you could bump it up to 1.25, but I doubt you'd need 1.5.

For the return, I would do at least 1.25

I've always had high flow sumps on my past tanks but thinking I could tone it down this time since I now have higher flow possibilities(vortechs) for in the actual DT.

True, maybe 1.25" would be about right. Three of those would be plenty safe I would hope lol.

As for the return, I could almost scratch that all together, or what's your opinion, because this tank will also be in-wall like my current, so I could just plumb it on the outside like I have it now.(because it only has two holes drilled and I use both as drains). I plumbed over the side and use the black lock line. Which the way my current tank is plumbed, is that it branches to two 3/4" returns(mag 18 return pump currently). I bought that jebao to replace it but figured I'd wait for the upgrade.

 

[FullBoreReefer]

From the sump area the the DT is about 12' of pipe and then another 5' being actually vertical to the DT. So 17'ish of pipe, but only 5'ish of head.

...if any of that matter anyway

 

[Bent]

You can use this, to estimate your pump volume:
http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/head-loss-calculator