NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!

[jaeden]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8189508#post8189508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dandy7200
Running the setup you have described this is what I would do to use 2 valves and have it be effective and easy to tune:

Drain #2 would be the right side going to your fuge. This valve if you close it most of the way so your are getting like 100 gph through it to feed the fuge. Once you get the gph set leave it and pretty much never touch it again.

Drain #1 would be on the left side and this would flow close to around 400gph and be your main drain. This one you can tune with the valve to get the water level set.

I would use the 2nd hole in drain # 1 as the return.
I would use the 2nd hole in drain #2 as your backup.

The reasoning for this is that if you start to overflow out your emergency drain at a rapid rate not only will you hear the


crashing water in the normally quiet fuge but there will also be no bubble trap between this water and your return. Result = microbubble city in your tank and you will instantly have a visual clue as to something going wrong with your drains.

After using the setup for a while I have had small bits of water go to my emergency from time to time. The soud of the tank peeing alerts me and I know that it is time to give the valve a 1/8 turn open or clean my intake screen. I have used the full flow of the emergency one time when I put a bag in the tank to acclimate and it got sucked into my overflow and partially blocked the flow. When I saw it I pulled it away and immediatly at full force of 1000gph the tank "reset" the water level to where I had it tuned to. It was loud enough to scare the crap out of my unsuspecting guest . HTH

Very good , thanks Dandy I shall give it a whirl that's what I wasn't sure off whether or not I could have 2 overflows dialed in differently , like you were saying one drain at 100gph and the other at 400gph and not bother with the tee from one drain to another , I'll show pics once set up thanks again . one more note fluctuation in the sump = fluctuation in the overflow chamber solved by auto top off would this statement be correct. If this works I shall be abandoning the durso method I had originally planned .

 

[rdmpe]

You are right about the ATO - I had some fluctuation until I got my ATO set up and now the water level in the overflow is very steady.

 

[jacmyoung]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8189882#post8189882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by guilford
Does anyone know if this method will work with a couple of 90 elbows in the drain plumbing (as opposed to just running the drain line straight down from the tank to the sump)? If it will work with a couple of 90 elbows in there, is it better to put the gate valve before or after the elbows? Just trying to figure all of this out...

Thanks,
Brad

I just want to add that the gate valve should be in the location of the easiest access, all other placements are secondary.

For the silent drain to work, the gate valve is often only 1/5 or even 1/10 open, it restricts the flow more than 10 to 20 elbows combined I imagine.

 

[Avast Marine]

Jaeden, your overflow area in the sump is baffled as well as your refugium I assume so you should't get level flux. That being said go ahead and do it right the fisrt time and put in a ATO for all those other reasons.

 

[jaeden]

The more I think about this method the more appealing it is ,by being able to adjust the flow through the fuge differently than the intake actually reduces one less plumbing pipe (the pipe that joins drain 2 to drain 1 assuming that it works of course, looking forward to setting it up .

 

[jaeden]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8192256#post8192256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dandy7200
Jaeden, your overflow area in the sump is baffled as well as your refugium I assume so you should't get level flux. That being said go ahead and do it right the fisrt time and put in a ATO for all those other reasons.

This is the sump once the ATO is set up there should be no flux
Just another thought the two drains how far below the surface of the water does the drains have to be or is thi a none issue .

 

[Avast Marine]

I think it is differant for each setup. I use a ehiem1260 return and found 8" to be the sweet spot. Nice work BTW.

 

[jaeden]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8192437#post8192437 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dandy7200
I think it is differant for each setup. I use a ehiem1260 return and found 8" to be the sweet spot. Nice work BTW.

So if your using the same pump as I am 8 inches below the surface of the water would be a good place to start , thanks
.

 

[Avast Marine]

:thumbsup:

 

[siskiou]

I'm currently trying out this method, and apart from having trouble dialing it in with the ball valves (am waiting for the gate valves to arrive) it's just great!
My megaflow dursos weren't too bad, but the noise of the water rushing down the drain hoses was really annoying.
Now I only hear a little trickle froIm the water flowing over the baffle in the sump, and the hum of the pumps.

 

[jaeden]

The 2 gate valves I ordered came in waiting for the pump to finish the plumbing by looking at them much easier to fine tune them via the ball valve good luck I'm hoping for similar results.

 

[rdmpe]

The Ace Hardware down the street from my house has PVC gate valves up to 1.5" for about $10. You might want to check Ace in your area if there is one...

FWIW I've been using this method for about a year and it has worked perfectly for me.

 

[GoblinFish]

Whats a good overflow on which this method can be applied the best?? I cant do to my current overflow because it a piece of crap and i have my 55G in my bedroom.

Any help is much appreciated!!

 

[TandN]

I am sorry but i really cant read all 26 pages lol Just wondering if I can get some pics of how you guys did it ?

Heres what im doin for my 120G LMK if think it will work

im gonna have a 1 3/4 drain then on the outside its gonna go to a 2" "T" and remain a 2" drain

 

[siskiou]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8267062#post8267062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by siskiou
I'm currently trying out this method, and apart from having trouble dialing it in with the ball valves (am waiting for the gate valves to arrive) it's just great!
My megaflow dursos weren't too bad, but the noise of the water rushing down the drain hoses was really annoying.
Now I only hear a little trickle froIm the water flowing over the baffle in the sump, and the hum of the pumps.

Post was too old to edit, but I just had a question:

now that I have the gate valves, I still have some trouble keeping things dialed in.
The problem might be that I have two overflows, and they react to each other.

Also, when I *think* I have both dialed in perfectly, by next morning the level has slooowwwlly crept up or down, and I have to adjust once more.

Any advice as to what I'm doing wrong?
It works wonderfully apart from the varying levels.

 

[Avast Marine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8323732#post8323732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoblinFish
Whats a good overflow on which this method can be applied the best?? I cant do to my current overflow because it a piece of crap and i have my 55G in my bedroom.

Any help is much appreciated!!

It will not work with a syphon overflow....physics at work

 

[jaeden]

i have the same set up 2 drains 2 gate valves so far no problems . My return is around 500 gph 1 drain goes to the fuge around 100 gph after it is set don't touch it adjust the other valve according to the return pump .if the water in the return fluxs so will the water level in the overflow chamber at least that is what I believe to be correct also if you have a higher flow lets say 1000gph dialing it in may need some very fine tuning but once set you'll be fine.

 

[Avast Marine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8345898#post8345898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tanya72806
I am sorry but i really cant read all 26 pages lol Just wondering if I can get some pics of how you guys did it ?

Heres what im doin for my 120G LMK if think it will work

im gonna have a 1 3/4 drain then on the outside its gonna go to a 2" "T" and remain a 2" drain

Put your gate valve before the t.

 

[Avast Marine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8346345#post8346345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by siskiou
Post was too old to edit, but I just had a question:

now that I have the gate valves, I still have some trouble keeping things dialed in.
The problem might be that I have two overflows, and they react to each other.

Also, when I *think* I have both dialed in perfectly, by next morning the level has slooowwwlly crept up or down, and I have to adjust once more.

Any advice as to what I'm doing wrong?
It works wonderfully apart from the varying levels.

Try dialing one drain way back and letting the other drain take most of the flow. If you have 1000gph let 200 or so go down one drain and 800 go down the other. This should make dialing it in a little easier.

Edit: Do what Jaeden is doing

 

[TandN]

Yeah I dont think I will be able to do that only because the tank is gonna be against a wall next to my fridge and will not be able to get to it