Plumbing Help

[Krazy302]

I have a 90 gallon reef ready tankthat has been up for 2 years. I currently have a aga mega flow sump that my return goes too. Then I have a mj1200 pumping water from that into a 15 gallon refuge which then over flows through a 1 inch pipe back into the sump. what I want to do is get rid of the mj1200 and somehow maybe split the return to both the fuge and sump. Or is it a better idea to put a t in my return pump and control the flow to the fuge with a valve.. Any suggetions will be helpful especially if pictures of your setup are included..

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/sumpfuge.jpg

Red flow in
Orange flow from fuge back into sump
Blue return to tank

[flamron]

I am using a T and a shut off to control flow to my fuge with my return pump. I think it is a really useful way to do it, but there are many many many other ways to do it.

GL,
Ron

[Krazy302]

I was maybe thinking like this.. Please excuss the amature drawings...

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/possiblesump.jpg

[flamron]

I put some hangers in there to support it, but looks good to me.

[Krazy302]

Or even maybe this one.

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/possiblesump2.jpg

[THE ROOK]

I would feed the fuge from your retrurn, not the drain, as long as your return pump can handle both.

Mine is a split drain with a ball valve. The fuge accumilates alot of detritus this way & chaeto is like a magnet for the stuff.

[uncleof6]

+1 with the rook. I suspect you WILL have to up size your return pump, however, to maintain a sufficient flow to the main tank. A single pump generally will use less power, and introduce less heat.

Jim

[Krazy302]

I currently am running a mag 9.5 do you think I should go bigger. If so what size or even what pump????

[THE ROOK]

Only costs a couple of dollars to try your current pump.

[uncleof6]

No it does not hurt to try it with your current pump. Just remember that the 9.5 is not flowing 900 or so gph, but is somewhat less due to vertical head loss, and some loss through fittings etc. The way to figure out if you need a pump up size is to figure out what you want (or need) your flow rate to the tank to be, what you want the 'fuge' to have, figure out the head loss, and size the pump to the gph needed at the given head loss. Trying to keep any opinions out of it.

Jim

[Krazy302]

Ok I am gonna try with my current pump..I just have one other question. Should the valve be before T to fuge or should it be after.. Should I make Figure 1. or Figure 2.??????

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/plumbing.jpg

[uncleof6]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15012965#post15012965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Krazy302
Ok I am gonna try with my current pump..I just have one other question. Should the valve be before T to fuge or should it be after.. Should I make Figure 1. or Figure 2.??????

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/plumbing.jpg

Personally, I use valves in all three positions. (The one by the pump to facilitate removing the pump, the other two for flow control)

Jim

[Krazy302]

Well this is what I wound up doing. Works pretty good. The only thing I may do is hook back up the outlet that comes out of my overflow so that I have more outlets in the tank.
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/DSCF1043.jpg

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/DSCF1050.jpg

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/DSCF1036.jpg

[Krazy302]

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/DSCF1049.jpg

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt108/krazy3o2/DSCF1048.jpg

[uncleof6]

Hummmm, wish you had used two 45s to get out from under the stand, as two 45s = one 90 so you have a bit more head loss. Now just need to convince you to get rid of the bio-balls.:)

Jim

[Krazy302]

I am gonna get rid of the bio balls.. I have been removing them a little at a time. I am gonna do a complete cleaning of the sump in 2 weeks, so I will remove all of them at that time. I am just deciding on what to do with the drip tray in the sump. I want to add a filter sock on the intake, just gotta figure out how to do it. And I do have alot more flow from this setup, on the old setup with 3/4 tubing I had the valve fully open and it worked great, with the 1 inch all the way open on the valve will over flow the tank, as it went all the way up to the rim of the tank then I had to dial in the valve to the right flow.
If anyone has modified this sump could they please post some pictures..