Randy's 180G Reef-Photo Journal
- Thread starter rdmpe
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lunkerbunker
In Memoriam
looks like a good sart!
rdmpe
New member
Thanks everyone. It seems like such a long process to put this thing together. I think about what I still have to do and I keep thinking it will be December before I have anything alive in this tank. I still don't have a pump, have to make a sump, do the plumbing, set up the rock, ...
I did buy an RO/DI today though, another step closer - woo hoo !!!
I did buy an RO/DI today though, another step closer - woo hoo !!!
bond007069
New member
any pics of the manifold?
Eddylikfish
New member
tagging along
rdmpe
New member
Hey Bond - No pics of the manifold yet... All in my head lol
I have moved the tank in the house and am trying to plan the plumbing. I want to run my sump return through a flow control device that can handle the backpressure of penductors. I haven't decided if I'll use the penductors or not, but I want to have the option. And I really like the idea of varying the flow.
I've been looking at everything from the OceansMotions SuperSquirts and 4-Ways to the $$$ motorized ball valves.
I think I'm going to go with a jandy valve and actuator. They aren't really built for the high duty cycle, but if I keep an eye on it and keep the seals greased up, I think it will be OK. I've been looking into that a lot, and figuring out how to rig up a cheap timer to switch it every 5 minutes or so.
I also have to decide how I want to do the sump. I picked up a super cheap 55g tank for $15, but it is just too tall inside my stand. It would be a huge PITA to try to use it. So I'm back to my original plan which was some Super Cheap rubbermaid type tubs and some uniseals...
I'll post plumbing pictures when I finally get some done. If I manage to make any sketches or diagrams while planning I'll stick those up here for comment too.
I have moved the tank in the house and am trying to plan the plumbing. I want to run my sump return through a flow control device that can handle the backpressure of penductors. I haven't decided if I'll use the penductors or not, but I want to have the option. And I really like the idea of varying the flow.
I've been looking at everything from the OceansMotions SuperSquirts and 4-Ways to the $$$ motorized ball valves.
I think I'm going to go with a jandy valve and actuator. They aren't really built for the high duty cycle, but if I keep an eye on it and keep the seals greased up, I think it will be OK. I've been looking into that a lot, and figuring out how to rig up a cheap timer to switch it every 5 minutes or so.
I also have to decide how I want to do the sump. I picked up a super cheap 55g tank for $15, but it is just too tall inside my stand. It would be a huge PITA to try to use it. So I'm back to my original plan which was some Super Cheap rubbermaid type tubs and some uniseals...
I'll post plumbing pictures when I finally get some done. If I manage to make any sketches or diagrams while planning I'll stick those up here for comment too.
rdmpe
New member
OK - Looking for opinions / advice on the following plan for plumbing my sump return. Note a few things
- I'll have the main drain submerged with a large screen pipe to avoid clogging. This should give me a full siphon thru a 1.5" drain that I can control with the gate valve. This will make the drain pretty much silent. And if it clogs, no worries since I have another 1.5" drain that will start flowing once the water rises above the overflow inside the tank. More info on this system can be found here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=344892 At the end of the drain line I was thinking of putting a TEE so that one leg was loosely connected to my skimmer pump. That way fresh tank water would get put into the skimmer right away, and any extra would exit the other leg of the tee.
- The sump return will feed a jandy valve with actuator. That will alternate flow between two 1" return lines that come back up over the overflow and down under the sand. Each of these 1" lines will have two penductors on it. The flow will alternate every few minutes so it will just get established in one direction and then will be switched to the other direction. I'm a little worried about creating a big whirlpool though - but my closed loop should keep that from happening maybe... Here are some links regarding penductors / eductors:
http://www.kthsales.com/website/Misc/hello_salt_water_enthusiasts.htm
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...&perpage=25&highlight=penductors&pagenumber=1
And here's some info on the jandy valves. There are some RC'ers using these. With an occasional greasing of the o-rings they seem to be working well.
http://www.poolwaterproducts.com.au/html/products_dvalves.htm
For a return pump I'm thinking of the sequence Tarpon
http://www.mdminc.com/Tarpon.htm
One specific question I have right off is how can I return the fuge water to the pump area without making bubbles that the pump sucks up? Need more baffles? Maybe a small baffled chamber right there where the return is? I was thinking of a TEE with one leg up and one leg down at the end of the pipe, so the bubbles might go up...
So here's my plan, let me know what you think:
- I'll have the main drain submerged with a large screen pipe to avoid clogging. This should give me a full siphon thru a 1.5" drain that I can control with the gate valve. This will make the drain pretty much silent. And if it clogs, no worries since I have another 1.5" drain that will start flowing once the water rises above the overflow inside the tank. More info on this system can be found here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=344892 At the end of the drain line I was thinking of putting a TEE so that one leg was loosely connected to my skimmer pump. That way fresh tank water would get put into the skimmer right away, and any extra would exit the other leg of the tee.
- The sump return will feed a jandy valve with actuator. That will alternate flow between two 1" return lines that come back up over the overflow and down under the sand. Each of these 1" lines will have two penductors on it. The flow will alternate every few minutes so it will just get established in one direction and then will be switched to the other direction. I'm a little worried about creating a big whirlpool though - but my closed loop should keep that from happening maybe... Here are some links regarding penductors / eductors:
http://www.kthsales.com/website/Misc/hello_salt_water_enthusiasts.htm
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...&perpage=25&highlight=penductors&pagenumber=1
And here's some info on the jandy valves. There are some RC'ers using these. With an occasional greasing of the o-rings they seem to be working well.
http://www.poolwaterproducts.com.au/html/products_dvalves.htm
For a return pump I'm thinking of the sequence Tarpon
http://www.mdminc.com/Tarpon.htm
One specific question I have right off is how can I return the fuge water to the pump area without making bubbles that the pump sucks up? Need more baffles? Maybe a small baffled chamber right there where the return is? I was thinking of a TEE with one leg up and one leg down at the end of the pipe, so the bubbles might go up...
So here's my plan, let me know what you think:
rdmpe
New member
I agree - I need to have the fuge drain submerged. I still think it will suck air with the water leaving the fuge.
I think I'll have a tee at the end with one leg up and one leg down. I guess I'll just have to try
some things out. Another thing I thought of, I need to make sure it is a nice big pipe with a screen cuz
if it got plugged up the fuge would flood...
Here is my latest plumbing plan. I added the closed loop and some unions.
See anything I'm missing in terms of parts?
I want to order this stuff so I can get this thing plumbed!! :rollface:
I think I'll have a tee at the end with one leg up and one leg down. I guess I'll just have to try
some things out. Another thing I thought of, I need to make sure it is a nice big pipe with a screen cuz
if it got plugged up the fuge would flood...
Here is my latest plumbing plan. I added the closed loop and some unions.
See anything I'm missing in terms of parts?
I want to order this stuff so I can get this thing plumbed!! :rollface:
Last edited:
i think the risk of flooding on the fuge is too high (especially with that much water running through your system). i would probably incorporate the fuge inside and slightly elevated in the sump with a drain hole to the sump underneath the fuge (with a pipe sticking up to control water level). then, i would have one of the sides of the sump shorter than the rest so if it does flood it would overflow into the sump rather than into the stand. i think i would feel safer this way. Melev has pictures of a nice sump/fuge which shows kinda what i'm talking about here: http://www.melevsreef.com/55g/55sump.html
rdmpe
New member
You are right, I should be scared of that. It's so much cheaper to go with some rubbermaid things. But then a flood would not be cheap at all :eek1:
If I used two 1.5" pipes to drain the fuge to the sump, using uniseals (I was never planning on using a siphon) that would be pretty safe don't ya think?? I'd have a baffle and/or screen to keep the macro out.
If I used two 1.5" pipes to drain the fuge to the sump, using uniseals (I was never planning on using a siphon) that would be pretty safe don't ya think?? I'd have a baffle and/or screen to keep the macro out.
rdmpe
New member
So I have two worries on this - bubbles from the fuge and clogging of the fuge. But like I said, I think if I run a couple of 1.5" pipes it will be very hard to clog that drain from the fuge. Of course I'll be keeping an eye on it too during regular maintenance. I thought a lot of people ran a seperate fuge with a gravity drain into their sump...
i haven't ever used uniseals before. i'm not sure how they work or if they are safe. the two 1.5" pipes should be okay, i think all you would really have to do if you want to stick to your original idea is plumb everything together and do a freshwater run. then cause some controlled problems like shutting off your return pump, or clog your return pipes (from the fuge) to see what will happen and if you need do anything at all. this will give you a better idea of what you problems may occur. anyways this is my two sense.
rdmpe
New member
I definitely will be doing that. Melev's site has a good procedure for figuring the max fill height of the sump, etc. So I'll be testing problems with FW first. But I know that the way it is shown now, if the fuge drains clog, the fuge will overflow. But clogging two 1.5" drains would be very difficult!
rdmpe
New member
Well, I think I've settled on the sump system as shown. Based on some feedback from the crew over at www.wetwebmedia.com I'm going to shoot for approx. 20X turnover for the fuge flow. I will have a gate valve so I can adjust if that ends up being too much.
Flow from the sump back into the tank . . . I want to try to get about 800-1000 gph from my sump return running through the two penductors (which supposedly should equate to approx. 3000-4000 gph they say although I'm a little skeptical of this number).
So on to the closed loop design!
As for CL pumps, I'm considering one of the Reeflo models (Dart, Barracuda or Hammerhead).
So starting with a 1.5" bulkhead into the tank I could tee to a 1" loop or keep it 1.5". I think I have plenty of room in the DSB to do a 1.5" manifold so I may just leave it at 1.5".
My main dillema though is how many nozzles (size and diameter) to run off the loop. They will have some locline to allow direction adjustment. Assuming approx. 4' head loss a Dart would do about 2900 gph for 160 watts, a Barracuda would do about 3900 gph at 315 watts, and a Hammerhead would do about 5500 gph at about 370 watts. With more headloss the Dart drops off faster since it isn't pressure rated.
I don't want to have too few CL nozzles and have them act like jet streams, but I don't want to have a forest of nozzles sticking out of my sand either! So I may end up having to do some head loss guesstimates, etc. to try to figure the flow through each nozzle.
Flow from the sump back into the tank . . . I want to try to get about 800-1000 gph from my sump return running through the two penductors (which supposedly should equate to approx. 3000-4000 gph they say although I'm a little skeptical of this number).
So on to the closed loop design!
As for CL pumps, I'm considering one of the Reeflo models (Dart, Barracuda or Hammerhead).
So starting with a 1.5" bulkhead into the tank I could tee to a 1" loop or keep it 1.5". I think I have plenty of room in the DSB to do a 1.5" manifold so I may just leave it at 1.5".
My main dillema though is how many nozzles (size and diameter) to run off the loop. They will have some locline to allow direction adjustment. Assuming approx. 4' head loss a Dart would do about 2900 gph for 160 watts, a Barracuda would do about 3900 gph at 315 watts, and a Hammerhead would do about 5500 gph at about 370 watts. With more headloss the Dart drops off faster since it isn't pressure rated.
I don't want to have too few CL nozzles and have them act like jet streams, but I don't want to have a forest of nozzles sticking out of my sand either! So I may end up having to do some head loss guesstimates, etc. to try to figure the flow through each nozzle.
travis0712
New member
any progress? nice tank!
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