Please look at my plumbing schematic, looking for feedback.

[BrokeColoReefer]

Tank Specs:

240 gallon , external built in overflow.
reeflo barracuda return
reeflo dart closed loop
150 gallon sump
75 gallon equipment tank for skimmer, reactors, etc
56 gallon fuge
4'x4'x8" frag tray.

Attached is a very rough schematic of my water flow. The heavy blue lines are the returns, the skinny black ones are the overflows.

My thought is to try to run my tank and sump on one loop. I don't want to design overflows to handle the 20 gallon surge for each piece of equipment that is in the system. So my thought was to feed each tank off of a split of the main line coming off the sump. Will i be able to dial in the flow rates for each tank if its set up like this?

I am also planning on running a closed loop. My closed loop will be run by one dart. Its going to have three 1.5" supplies, and 3, 1.5" returns. I am going to build a manifold in the inside of the tank on the bottom, with approx 15-20, 3/4" outlets on the manifold. I have not done the math on this yet, but once i put it on paper, i will have roughly the same amount of supply square inches and i will return square inches. I had though about putting several bulkheads in the bottom of the tank randomly, but then the thought occurred to make a large manifold with plenty of ports so i wouldn't be so locked in to rock placement. I am going to be drilling and skewering rock towers, islands, and overhangs. My thought is i could plug the holes i don't want. I also want to lay in some 1.5" pvc tunnels under the sand bed for critters to hang out in. I will be running a sand bed deep enough to cover all the plumbing.

thoughts? ideas?

Thanks!

 

[d3hree]

Is there going to be any filtration in the 150 gallon sump?...dsb?..cryptic zone?
Or is it just for water volume?
If there is going to be some filtration it will mean that both the skimmer and fuge tanks wont be being fed dirty water, most of the detritus will settle in the 150 being gravity fed from the display. If this is the case I would prefer it if the various filtration areas are being fed from the drain line rather than the return line as you have it.

I dont think that the surge will be an issue with the overflows. If I remember correctly a 40mm pipe will handle 19000lph. So if your standpipes in the skimmer and fuge are say 50mm (2") they will easily handle the water volume, especially if each of them are not being fed 100% of the water.

 

[BrokeColoReefer]

Is there going to be any filtration in the 150 gallon sump?...dsb?..cryptic zone?
Or is it just for water volume?
If there is going to be some filtration it will mean that both the skimmer and fuge tanks wont be being fed dirty water, most of the detritus will settle in the 150 being gravity fed from the display. If this is the case I would prefer it if the various filtration areas are being fed from the drain line rather than the return line as you have it.

I dont think that the surge will be an issue with the overflows. If I remember correctly a 40mm pipe will handle 19000lph. So if your standpipes in the skimmer and fuge are say 50mm (2") they will easily handle the water volume, especially if each of them are not being fed 100% of the water.

The 150 Sump is just water volume. I don't like to put the 1.5" strainers on the pump because i think they restrict flow to much, so i am a bit paranoid on putting anything in there that might harbor a hermit crab or a snail. Its really just a buffer to hold the surge water level down to a minimum so that my ATO works decently.

In the past, when i have ran multiple tanks on a system. i had them "in line" with the drain line in a gravity fed cascading manner. Display -> Skimmer ->Fuge->Sump. I just don't know if i want a surge going through my fuge and my skimmer. But point well taken about the sump being dirty. One way i could fix that is to plumb my skimmer externally next to the sump with a feed pump running the skimmer out of the sump. The reason i didn't plan that is i was hoping to get as much overflow from the fuge up to the display and not to nuke the bugs.



thanks for your thoughts.

 

[d3hree]

If the 150 is just water volume then it wont be such an issue, the filtration tanks will still be fed dirty water and the 150 will be acting as a sediment tank. I would set up your water change system so that the water is taken from the 150 increasing the effectiveness of the WC.

looking forward to watching it progress

 

[BrokeColoReefer]

Yea, i caught what you where saying AFTER i hit post lol. I use a auto water exchange using litermeters that will take the water out of the sump, and replace it in the display.

Once i get my basement plumbing done, and get the display built in upstairs, i will start a build thread.

Im really looking forward to playing with the internal manifold closed loop idea using distributors in the bottom of the tank to put the flow where i want it. I have played with surge tanks off and on over the last 10 years or so, and i finally think i have one that works about as clean as one can work. This tank is a long time in the making, took years to convince the wife to move the tv out of the living room and let me build up a nice tank

 

[d3hree]

looking forward to your surge plans, can you share anything now?
I have never had a surge before but am planning one for the new tank. I did a lot of research and opted for using an actuated ball valve and float switches, solenoid etc for hopefully a bubble free, silent surge. Any secrets you have learned?

As regards the ATO and surge...will you be running the surge 24/7? The ATO will be easier to manage if you are ( from what I have read) I wont be so my top off water will be based on measured evap and a peri pump, I cant figure out a way to use an ATO with a part time surge.

A pic of the valve

 

[BrokeColoReefer]

I would like to use an actuated ball valve like your using, but one that is 2" or larger is just to expensive for me to justify. On my carlson surge, i use a 2" pvc trap with air break at the top of the bend rand down to the bottom of the surge tank. It cleans up the finish a little bit but still leaves plenty of bubbles. I am using 600 watt lights, so they will be well above the aquarium so that splash will not foul up the lenses. If this does not work as well as i think it will, i will be buying a $400 valve.

I will be running the surge 24/7, its going to feed off my main pump. My closed loop will run when the lights are on. I like throwing my frozen food in my surge tank and let it disperse all over the tank over a few flushes .

My surge is mostly used for random flow in the place of a oceans motions for my closed loop or vortechs. I also like the way it looks when it drops out, bubbles and all

 

[BigOldReef]

I run a 26g surge tank off a second story balcony. No valves, switches or solenoids...Nothing to fail

It runs in the afternoons and evenings. While mine is silent inside the house, the surge tank outside makes some noise when the cycle finishes.

I have a timer on my ATO so it only runs when the surge tank is not running.

 

[d3hree]

I have a timer on my ATO so it only runs when the surge tank is not running.

How do you account for water left in the surge tank when considering the ATO?

 

[BigOldReef]

My primary sump where the top off float switches are located is 100g. When the surge pump shuts off the surge tank drains back into the sump.

Plus my overall system size is 1100g so a few gallons sitting here or there have no effect on it.

 

[BrokeColoReefer]

im thinking of encasing my surge tank in a 2" blue foam box to cut down the noise. Im not sure how that will work though.

Most of the plumbing is stubbed out or hooked up. Two full days of pvc glue down the tubes.