Replumbing and pumps

[DonW]

I currently have a mag24 as a retun pump, Two one inch drains from the center overflow. Both fall into the sump, no baffels. Right now I have no bubbles. Both drains are throttle down about 50%.

If I change the return pump to a mag 12, hopefully better contact time in the sump. Can I use just one 1" drain?

Since I have no bubble from the over flow now, I'm considering using the second drain to feed the mag 24 then to two 1"swirls. How does this sound?
My only other option is to do a big water change and drill the tank , which I'm avoiding.

Is it safe to use a mag 24 externally?

Thanks
Don

 

[jlehigh]

Some good advice I received from Mike several months ago in my design phase was to have one drain feed into the beginning area of the sump/refugium and second drain on the other side of the sump/refugium. This creates more contact time over the refugium while maintaining a high amount of flow.

(You would probably need to install baffles to prevent bubbles)

 

[DonW]

Thanks,
I have no problem running the mag 24, I just assumed since I'm looking for more flow I should get the right return pump. Honestly I'm getting really irritated by the lack of quality flow. Since my tank is a diy and I dont trust the 1/4 acrylic I'm avoiding drilling the back.
I'm really tempted to go in search of a used 90 with tank hood and stand, drill a bunch of holes and swap everything over and say the heck with it. I lost another frag due to cyno on its polyps which I would assume would indicate lousy flow. The only place I get cyno is on my acro's. I'm just about ready to give up on the diy reef, the tank anyways.

Don

 

[big t]

Well Don a different tank is one option. If you want any assistance building a new tank consider that another option, I will help you out. The cheeper option is definately finding a used tank as you know. Here is another option you may not have considered. Have you thought about drilling the bottom of the tank outside the overflow? That is what I am thinking of for my next revolution. On my next tank I build it will have the overflow teeth cut into the back of the tank with a outside trough. It may have the CL intakes in the back but I have been thinking that a couple well placed closed loop outlets in the bottom would be good, and then I want at least 3 Dswirls across the top 2 on the CL and 1 from my sump return. I will also still have a spray bar on the bottom of the tank, but I was thinking of dedicating its own pump. Anyway just some food for thought.

 

[Katchupoy]

Don, Sounds a good plan. IMO you dont need that much flow from the 24 so scaling down to 12 is good, and concentrating that 24 on the sea swirl is very wise.

But my concern now is, suction source of the 24. Remember that before it is coming from the sump with no baffles. Meaning no restrictions in terms of volume of water.
Now you are going to concentrate this (one) 1" input to the same 24. So there will be double pressure of suction compared to the previous config. There is a possibility that there will be air suction.

What you are try to do now is something like a close loop. Now if the location of that 1" input/output is way below water line, then I dont see any problem.

any pics of that overflow?

 

[DonW]

Tom,

Whats your opinion on building a 2x2x4' 3/4 tank no bending, no top bracing. Thats one sheet.

Don

 

[big t]

Well it would be very strong, but may bow out just a touch with no top brace whatsoever. I think that a better option would be to use 1/2" and buy a 1' x 50" piece of 3/4" to cut some eurobraces out of. That would be a lot cheaper I think. Then it would have no bow at all.

 

[DonW]

Well it would be very strong, but may bow out just a touch with no top brace whatsoever. I think that a better option would be to use 1/2" and buy a 1' x 50" piece of 3/4" to cut some eurobraces out of. That would be a lot cheaper I think. Then it would have no bow at all.

Thats about $100 less. Could you explain eurobrace? I can get 1/2 for 350 cut and diamond polished or 3/4 for 450 cut and diamond polished.

Don

 

[big t]

Well if you cut it yourself it is 250 from PSI I think. It was around 200 before the price hikes. Now You wouldn't want it diamond polished, or any kinda polished, you want the edges to be routed for the best strength. Eurobrace just means unstead of having a top that has 2 small holes cut out, it has a 3" wide perimeter brace made from a thicker material. It works really well, and you have a huge access hole in the top.

 

[DonW]

PSI wants 320 for 1/2 no cuts and 485 for 3/4 no cuts. Diamond polishing is not really polished its closer to routing.
The tank seems to be the cheapest part. Witn the prices of lumber the stand would be spendy. I may even consider a covered 2x construction built right onto the wall and floor. Since the house is under construction anyways I have more options.

Don

 

[big t]

Wow These price increases are getting pretty bad. It makes it really hard for the little guys. I imagine that glass it going to start gaining more popluarity if these prices continue the way they are goin. That is a 62% increase on the price since June.

 

[big t]

The other option is to buy a full sheet of 1/2 or 3/4". Use the 1/2 or 3/4 for everything including the top, and then use 1/4" for the bottom. That is what I would do bud. A full sheet if 1/4 inch would leave a lot of extra for those projects that you like to do.

 

[DonW]

maybe something like this

 

[big t]

I wouldn't even consider having 2 sumps. The reason being is that if 1 of your overflows slows down a little that sump will dry out and the other one will flood. It will be a balance act that could easily end in a flood.

 

[DonW]

Tom I left off the plumbing connecting the two sumps together. Anyways I could buy a new 90 from Blue Sierra for 450 and be done with it. I'm not sure of the quality of their tanks. Whats your opinion, I think they are oceanic. Is that diagram the general Idea of what you had in mind?

Don

 

[esmith]

Don, I'm pretty sure that Blue Sierra sells IAP tanks which are known to be quite good. I'd say buy it there, it sure would save a lot of time and cost the same.

Eliyah

 

[big t]

I would go with a IAP 90 or 120, but be advised the company has changed hands and their prices are going up with the cost of materials. So if you do buy one do it soon.

 

[big t]

Oh and the plumbing looks to be pretty good to me, don't forget the spraybar!

 

[jks1]

Don,
I run a mag24 dry for a CL. I plumbed 3 1" inlets that come together before the pump and have 4 3/4" outlets into the tank. Turned out that that isnt nearly enough input water flow. The pump cannot "suck" water, only pump through what is sitting on the inlet side of the impeller. The pumps turns over a bit of volume but nothing like I would expect. I run a second mag24 as a return pump in a baffled sump. I was lucky to have a glass 75 laying around to use as the sump. The 24 does well but I had to raise the level of water in the sump higher than I would have liked in order to get rid of microbubbles. Just some food for thought..

 

[DonW]

I think I figured out how to get a drain without drilling the back and without hang a pipe in the tank. How does this look?