Quick Question

[cabenn]

When plumbing into the sump do most of you guys use a T connector cap it and drill some holes in it to get less air bubbles in the sump?

I've got all my pieces of PVC ready to be glued together and I thought I remembered reading something about this in the past but I currently just have an 90 deg elbow and was wondering what most of you guys had experience with and what your opinions were.

Also what do you guys/girls do if your overflow loses siphon? Do you have some sort of float switch that turns off the return pump? I'm not expecting this to ever be a problem but I'd rather have a failsafe in place before it happens.

 

[jvonthun]

When I used to have a siphon overflow I ran an Aqualifter on it to to give me a little insurance that it would not lose siphon.

I also put my return pump into about a two gallon space in my sump. If water had ever stopped flowing into my sump the return pump would have run dry before my display overflowed.

I didn't have any kind of T on my overflow.

 

[einsteins]

I use a filter sock on the end of my return so my pipe just comes straight down into the bag.

You prolly need to make your best effort and let it start running....adjust it after it is all broke in. Many people say that LR in the sump return area can reduce microbubbles significantly, my filter sock does a great job of that also.

GL

 

[cabenn]

Well, I have some filter socks I can try too. I still don't have water in it. I need to run to the store to pick up a few extra pieces and make sure it's designed the way I want it.

Also what do you typically run on the return? Do you branch it off with a T-connector reducing it's flow? Do you use just 1 elbow or do you have a long pipe designed like a spraybar?

 

[einsteins]

My return is T'd off of my pump and then goes to 2 returns in the tank....both of those are terminated with loc-line so I can adjust where the flow goes...Remember to that when you fire up a new equipment/sump there will most likely be more bubbles than after it is broke in....dont over adjust to soon.

einsteins

 

[cabenn]

yah I know it will probably be at least a few days before I can get water into the sump. While I was hooking everything up I noticed that one of the acrylic braces is busted. All it has done is sit under my tank so I'm gonna ask Hung if he will fix it. I'm sure he will since it was his sump

But since he's been gone I haven't bothered to even call there to ask. But he's always been good to me in the past and I'm sure he'll fix it for me since I haven't even had water in the system yet.

I have no clue what I am gonna put in the sump aside from the normal things like a heater.

do you see a pressure hit by hooking it up to a T-connector?

I plan on ordering some loc-line in the future but for now I'll use a 90degree elbow and just make sure I don't glue it on

Also I'm plumbing it with 1" pvc is it better to use 3/4" for a faster flow? I just stuck with 1" since that is what the quiet one 4000 was threaded with.

 

[phishcrazee]

Remember, the more turns/elbows you have, the noisier it will be. I use an aqualifter on the overflow box. On the return, I have 1" pvc pipe going from the return pump, which is then connected to flexible tubing, the kind rated for plumbing. Into the tank, I have the flow diverted with a 2 way pvc opening, not sure what it's called. Just below the water line, I drilled 2 tiny holes to break a siphon, should the power go out. Otherwise, there will be a siphon FROM your tank into your sump

 

[cabenn]

I wondered what would happen if the pump lost power for some reason. Does water come out of that little hole if the water level gets too low or does having an overflow keep the water the same level in the tank and just get lower in the sump?

I've never had a sump before so this is all new and thanks for the heads up on the elbow thing I never knew the more you had the noiser it got. I currently only have like 4 or so on the return so that shouldn't be too bad.

 

[acidlittle]

Here is a link to my previous thread, some of the pictures might help out a little...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=889047

It has changed a little since those photos, like instead of having that little pipe return the water into tthe tank, I made a sort of spray bar, I have a 90 degree followed by about 3" of pvc, then another 90 degree followed by 6-8" of pvc (with small holes in the bottom for added flow and the siphon breakage, then I have another 90 degree elbow to another 3" or so of pvc with a 45 degree elbow on it to push the excess water out. I don't know if it makes more noise, but my system seems to be fairly quiet.

If the power goes out the water should siphon back down your return line through your pump and it will flood your sump, most people put a hole in the top of their return line so as to break the siphon, if you don't want water coming out of that, you can probably drill a hole towards the top on the side of it, this way water will drip down the side and not bubble up the top of it, If you want I can try and get a few snapshots of what my tank looks like now...LMK
Josh

 

[cabenn]

Yah, the best thing is to just try and keep trying by the sounds of it cause no two systems are alike

I have to go up and over my tank with PVC for my return since my tank is not drilled so I don't think I would run into any problems with it sucking water into the sump as long as I have the return higher then my overflow is set. Since in theory the tank will run dry however low as the overflow is set. Much like how I do water changes right now. I stick a tube onto one of my pumps and it sucks water until I get too much air in the line and it stops.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm hoping to get it up and running by this weekend if I can get the parts I need from the H/W store.

 

[cabenn]

Now the next million dollar question is. Does anyone have any spare locline stuff lying around their house that I could buy?

Stuff I'd need I think are the

2 x 3/4" threaded female connectors

2 x 3" flare nozzles

2 x 5" 3/4" segments.

I could probably get by ordering the sample kit from modularhose.com and just add a few of the extras but if anyone has any lying around the house they bought and aren't using I'd be willing to pay whatever reasonable price you could think up.

Also is 3/4" the typical size you all use for your locline or do you use smaller if you go smaller do you get more velocity?