HOB Closed Loop completed

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returnofsid

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Well, I finally completed my HOB closed loop system. It's pushed by a Mag 18. I installed 2 ball valves and have had to turn it down just a bit to keep noise down. I'd like to have it wide open because I really like the flow. I still need to tinker with the priming to make sure I have no air in the system. That may be the source of my noise. Otherwise, I guess I will just have to keep it turned down a notch. I'll give a lil' description and include links to some pics.

I based my design on this found on Melevsreef, with a few changes.

http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html

My plumbing consists of 1" PVC until I am into the tank, then after I T off, I reduce to 3/4" PVC. Each of the 4 outlets is a 1/2" outlet.

Here's a few pics of the assembly before gluing it all together, although a lot of it is glued. Had to make sure it was all going to fit also.

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4303.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4300.jpg


After making sure it was all going to work, I glued it together in sections. I can take the sections apart to remove from tank or modify if needed. When I planned this, I decided to use several threaded fittings instead of glued fittings. That way, I can modify it, if needed, without a lot of cutting and wasting of fittings.

The next few pics are of the pump and plumbing assembly hanging off the back of the tank...the plumbing going over the rim of the tank and then the plumbing inside the tank.

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4311.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4310.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4309.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4306.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4307.jpg
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j...Gallon Reef/?action=view&current=100_4308.jpg

You'll notice a threaded cap in one of the pics. The purpose of that is to be able to prime the system. I also have threaded unions on each line, below the ball valves. That way, I can turn off the system and remove the pump if needed, for maintenance or possible replacement.

All threaded joints are wrapped generously with teflon tape and most joints are primed and glued. I wish I'd have done a neater job gluing, or that I'd sanded off the excess primer and glue, but I'm sure Coraline will cover everything nicely eventually. The joints that come out either side and the bottom of the 4 Way fitting are NOT glued and the joints of each outlet are NOT glued. This allows me to turn them to adjust the direction of the flow.

I sure wish I knew how to actually place pics in threads so this wasn't such a pain in the butt for everyone to look at...lol. Sorry about that.

My next project starts tomorrow. That'll be the sump/refugium I'm making out of a 29 gallon tank. I'm sure my silcone job will look about like my gluing job...lol. Hope to finish that up in the next 2 days, before I gotta go back to work...lol. Gotta love days off.

Anyway, thanks for looking. Comments or suggestions are welcome.
 
nice setup Sid!!! i did the same thing with the primer...i scraped most of it off!!!!! i was wondering if the Mag 18 was going to be loud...i figured it would be...my Mag12 was so annoying...i thought there was air in the line for a while, but it never stopped making that noise
 
nice job sid it looks good. Mine is very similiar exept lately I have been getting air in from somewhere and it shoots out bubbles. I hav to take it apart and redo it.
 
sryder said:
nice job sid it looks good. Mine is very similiar exept lately I have been getting air in from somewhere and it shoots out bubbles. I hav to take it apart and redo it.
Click to expand...

I have the same problem with mine! but I thought it was because my pump was pushing more water than it could pull, there is a name for it. I need to fix mine too!!! (I am running a ampmaster 3000 on mine)
 
I see one problem with the suction being too short, you always want that as deep as you can go, cavitation can occur or like mentioned sucking air! What happends when you do a wc, will it need to be shut off? Also If you don't remove all the air you can damage the pump. Other than those great words of wisdom it looks awesome!
 
matts125 said:
I have the same problem with mine! but I thought it was because my pump was pushing more water than it could pull, there is a name for it. I need to fix mine too!!! (I am running a ampmaster 3000 on mine)
Click to expand...

I only run an 810 littlegiant with 1 return. I plumbed it through the wall into a closet and one of the fittings (ball valve) is right at the wall. I believe thats where the leak is but cant be sure. my suction goes pretty deep but it is capped at the end and I have holes drilled in it all around and down. I thought that would be good to keep the fish out.
 
Scooterman...thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about what to do with water changes...lol. DUH. Although I do most of my water changes through my sump. There are times, however when I'll need to siphon detritus up and stuff when the tank water level will drop. I can easily lengthen the siphon pipe.

Matt, thanks for the link on cavitation. Maybe that's my noise problem. I'm not sure if it's that, a lil' water in above the water line in the priming area, or the Mag 18. Wish I had another large pump to hook up so I'd know if it were the Mag or not, but the next largest pump I have is only a RIO 2400. That won't really be an honest comparison. Plus, I need something with threaded input and output to make it easier...lol. I've been warned, even by some who responded to this thread, that the Mag would be too loud.
 
Oh and Matt, I like the flow rate...although about the only way I've measured it is by putting my hand in the tank to feel it and by seeing how it pushes food around...lol. Seems pretty good. I'm getting quite a bit more push out of each of the 1/2" outlets than I'm getting out of the smaller diameter outputs on the MJ1200. To me, that means it's doing pretty good considering the smaller diameter would make the same amount of flow feel stronger....did that make any sense?? lol.
 
Just curious, why is the horizontal plumbing under water? If you could pull that up and out, you could have just the tips of the nozzles in the tank, and it would be far less distracting. Simply extend the vertical parts of the plumbing, and get all that mess out of your display! :)
 
Nice job Mike!!!! Looks like an awesome CL, and sounds like its working great aside from the extra noise. have you thought about using the plastic bag method to measure flow?
 
I've had three mag 18 over the back CL set ups. No matter how you have them plummed IMO you will have a small amount of cavitation noise unless you choke the pump back on the output side just a little bit. If you think the mag 12s and 18s are bad you should try the mag 24. No amount of tinkering can quiet one of those beasts on a CL. I have a brand new one in the closet.:cry:
 
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