Plumbing dilema

[Mudbeaver]

I want my display refugium who's higher; to feed my reef with pods and rotifers . Now i'm not sure about the plumbing, should i hook the pipe to the drain a get all the debris with it or have a seperate pipe and where should i put it. This will be my set up.

The floor plan

The refugium has a C2c because it will drain in the sump as well as feeding the tank; but thats my dilema. Should i drain the refugium junk into my reef tank; the fuge will have seahorses on one side and on the other side Anglers

So what do you think should i have a seperate pipe from the fuge and where should it drain from?


My reef tank with its glass wavebox my little idea, lol

Reef stand

The refugium stand

Thanks for your time

 

[dkeller_nc]

I guess I'm not understanding why there would be a difference between option "A" and option "B", since either one will have flow coming directly from the fuge overflow into the DT.

But if the refugium will have seahorses in one side, and an angler fish in the other, I'm thinking that it's more of a "2 tanks, 1 system" setup rather than a true refugium that is designed to propagate copepods and amphipods to feed your main display setup. The anglerfish won't eat these small crustaceans, but the seahorses will.

So if that's the case, I'd think you'd be better off plumbing the second tank directly into your main sump.

 

[Mudbeaver]

I guess I'm not understanding why there would be a difference between option "A" and option "B", since either one will have flow coming directly from the fuge overflow into the DT.

But if the refugium will have seahorses in one side, and an angler fish in the other, I'm thinking that it's more of a "2 tanks, 1 system" setup rather than a true refugium that is designed to propagate copepods and amphipods to feed your main display setup. The anglerfish won't eat these small crustaceans, but the seahorses will.

So if that's the case, I'd think you'd be better off plumbing the second tank directly into your main sump.

Actually it is a display refugium with Macro-algae and mud and it will be seperaed with a special mesh in between neither side will come in contact but the water will circulate. yes pods and rotifer will have a housing in there too. Special light and water flow is in the works for that as well. Now the option where just a thought pay no attention to it . It was about something else; ridgid vs flex. The option i'm looking for is should i split my drain or should i have a specialised ppe to feed the reef and from where do i hook it from the fuge. Thanks

 

[Mudbeaver]

More precision

More precision

Ok a little more precision on my delima, this is the two tanks the refugium is higher than the reeftank and by gravity will be feeding the reef with pods and rotifers. Now how to connect the two without having the junk from the seahorses and the anglers in the refugium ( two very messy species) going into the reef. I came up with kinda solution what do you think. Its a pipe just below the waterline in the fuge going well below the waterline in the reef tank ; to the middlle of the reef tank actually . The water pressure of the reef tank should stop the water from draining the fuge right? any thought.

The refugium skimmed water from the C2C will go through the Herbie drain and directly to the sump and not to the reef tank. So no junk will go in the reef just the pods and rotifers.Make sense?

 

[jerpa]

The refugium will drain down to the pipe feeding the reef tank unless you supply more water to the refugium than that pipe can handle under full siphon. The head height would be measured from the water line of the upper tank to the water line of the lower tank. You will also have to make sure the main drain can handle the excess flow in the event the drain feeding the reef becomes clogged. The reef tank and sump will also have to be able to accommodate the extra volume in a power outage.

 

[Mudbeaver]

The refugium will drain down to the pipe feeding the reef tank unless you supply more water to the refugium than that pipe can handle under full siphon. The head height would be measured from the water line of the upper tank to the water line of the lower tank. You will also have to make sure the main drain can handle the excess flow in the event the drain feeding the reef becomes clogged. The reef tank and sump will also have to be able to accommodate the extra volume in a power outage.

OHH your talking about a syphon oops that could be a problem then, it would be better to have it feed over the reef tank then. in case of a power outage the flow would simply stop because the return pump would, correct?

 

[dave2184]

Just split your return and run a ball valve on both sides so you can control how much flow is going to both tanks than have the fuge drain back to the main tank.

My fuge (a 5g cube) will be under the stand on a shelf above one end of my sump Standard 20g) and draining back to the pump section of the sump.

Mine will recurculate some of the fuge water over and over but thats an acceptable downside in order for me to get a fuge and skimmer to all fit in my stand. You however wont have this as you can run your fuge drain back to the DT.

 

[Mudbeaver]

This is my plumbing plan as of now

What do you think; Both tanks have a C2C both a herbie style drain, the fuge has that feeding pipe just under the water line and feeds the reef over the water line, when the pumps stops the water level drops the feeding pipe drys out, right?

 

[spieszak]

Totally not on topic, but its normally suggested that the temperature in a seahorse tank is lower than what most folks keep a reef at to combat disease(s). Are you planning to try to somehow accommodate that?

 

[Mudbeaver]

Totally not on topic, but its normally suggested that the temperature in a seahorse tank is lower than what most folks keep a reef at to combat disease(s). Are you planning to try to somehow accommodate that?

I keep my reef at 75of usually and its dead on topic, because i'm talking about refugium waste going into the reef system . Removed~dc

 

[dkeller_nc]

Yes, when the power stops the flow to the refugium will of course stop. However, the water level in the fuge will drain down to the lowest point on the overflow weir and/or the auxillary drain, so the water level in your reef tank will have to accommodate the extra without overflowing.

From the standpoint of the drain that goes directly to your main reef tank, one other way to prevent siphoning is to use a "tee" directly on the other side of the glass on your refugium - the bottom of the T goes to your 'fuge, one leg is plumbed to your reef tank, and the other leg of the T points straight up into the air. If the power goes out, that open leg of the T prevents any siphon from developing.

But, unless I'm missing something, since your overflow box on the 'fuge is skimming directly from the surface, I wouldn't think there'd be any substantial difference in detritus getting to your reef tank, so you could just plumb one line that branches off with a ball valve, and control the flow split as Dave2184 suggests.

 

[spieszak]

I keep my reef at 75of usually and its dead on topic, because i'm talking about refugium waste going into the reef system . Removed~dc

Glad your so open to advice, I'm sure that will help you immensely in the long run.

 

[Mudbeaver]

Yes, when the power stops the flow to the refugium will of course stop. However, the water level in the fuge will drain down to the lowest point on the overflow weir and/or the auxillary drain, so the water level in your reef tank will have to accommodate the extra without overflowing.

From the standpoint of the drain that goes directly to your main reef tank, one other way to prevent siphoning is to use a "tee" directly on the other side of the glass on your refugium - the bottom of the T goes to your 'fuge, one leg is plumbed to your reef tank, and the other leg of the T points straight up into the air. If the power goes out, that open leg of the T prevents any siphon from developing.

But, unless I'm missing something, since your overflow box on the 'fuge is skimming directly from the surface, I wouldn't think there'd be any substantial difference in detritus getting to your reef tank, so you could just plumb one line that branches off with a ball valve, and control the flow split as Dave2184 suggests.

Yes but whats in the overflow box has been skimmed of the surface right? then most of the water in that overflow is concentrated junk from the tank right?. So the water i'm after is the water just under the water line. Look at my last drawing. I take the water from the side panel of the tank just under that water line a 1/2 " should be enough , and bring it to the top of the reef tank. When the power goes off water goes down and stop flowing i'll also have a valve to controll the flow. The "T" is a great add on that i'll make thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Mudbeaver]

This would constitute the "T" your talking about

 

[dc]

Posts have been removed and edited. Let's try behaving like adults here.