d2mini's "Essential Focus" Mixed Reef Build

[drtrash]

In you BO sump did you run 100% of return into sump? How did that design handle 10x flow? i noticed you dumped the spray bar. What about the flow in your LF sump?

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by Dugless

Hey Dennis, can you suggest an image hosting site for posting photos?

I use SmugMug and Flickr.
Flickr is free but I think all of SmugMug's plans have a fee.

Originally Posted by drtrash

In you BO sump did you run 100% of return into sump? How did that design handle 10x flow? i noticed you dumped the spray bar. What about the flow in your LF sump?

Yes, 100%. The sump was designed to handle the high flow with the ramp below the teeth on the refugium wall. But my Vectra L1 couldn't get me all that much flow, even at 100% power. Even after reworking some plumbing to remove restriction, I think I maxed out at around 600-650gph. That's like 5-6x turnover. Although, i bet just about anybody without a flow meter is guesstimating their flow at a much higher rate than reality.

My flow now with the LR sump is a little slower. And I send some of my return to the fuge.

[drtrash]

So no more drain into sump just tee off return? Any improvements to previous design you would recomend?

[d2mini]

So no more drain into sump just tee off return?
Correct. I'm no longer running a Triton tank.

Any improvements to previous design you would recomend?
Nope. Worked fine for Triton.

[d2mini]

Finally got around to installing a booster pump on my Spectrapure RO/DI w/Auto Flush.
Got it from SpectraPure during black friday.
Pressure jumped from about 35-40 psi to 92 psi.

[mlb75]

How much of a difference did you see after adding the booster pump?

Would you recommend feeding the fuge from the display or from the sump? I'm getting ready to redo some of my sump area and am considering throwing a tank back in that I'd used as a remote DSB but taken offline a few years ago and using it as a fuge.

It's a 45 gallon tank that would then dump back into the final return chamber and be part of the main return. My sump would be three different tanks, the first is where all the overflow currently goes and is where my skimmer is, that tank overflows into a separate tank that has a final filter sock and then return section. What I'm trying to decide is if I put the fuge portion in do I use a feed pump from the first (primary) tank and have it overflow into the return section or feed it directly from the DT and overflow into the return section. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by mlb75

How much of a difference did you see after adding the booster pump?

Would you recommend feeding the fuge from the display or from the sump? I'm getting ready to redo some of my sump area and am considering throwing a tank back in that I'd used as a remote DSB but taken offline a few years ago and using it as a fuge.

It's a 45 gallon tank that would then dump back into the final return chamber and be part of the main return. My sump would be three different tanks, the first is where all the overflow currently goes and is where my skimmer is, that tank overflows into a separate tank that has a final filter sock and then return section. What I'm trying to decide is if I put the fuge portion in do I use a feed pump from the first (primary) tank and have it overflow into the return section or feed it directly from the DT and overflow into the return section. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks

If you mean PSI difference, I mentioned that above. Jumped up about 60 PSI, from 35-40ish to 92 psi.

I would feed the fuge from the sump and let it drain back into the sump.
Fuge won't get as dirty and you can use whatever pump you want to control the flow.

[mlb75]

I was more curious if you saw a significant increase in the output of the system because of the increased pressure.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking as well just didn't know if the fuge would do better with the raw water feed or if it was worth the extra pump in the system or an additional loop off the return pump to feed it.

[DavidGraves]

My pressure is around 100 going into my rodi. I have trouble with my float shutoff valve holding.


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[d2mini]

Originally Posted by mlb75

I was more curious if you saw a significant increase in the output of the system because of the increased pressure.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking as well just didn't know if the fuge would do better with the raw water feed or if it was worth the extra pump in the system or an additional loop off the return pump to feed it.

Gotcha.
Yeah, I definitely saw an increase. I didn't pay attention to the total time it took to fill the 50g container, but it was faster than before. And there was less waste water coming out the other end.

[networkcrasher]

What sort of flow are you getting through your return? I'm around 400 but I only have a 1" flow meter and i'm wondering if it's slowing things down. The return is still pretty gurgly and if i shut the flow down any more with the gate valve to quiet it down, the sump empties out.

I'm wondering if I should get the 2" flow meter and a larger gate valve. I feel like I'm choking the return when I go from the 1.5" tube to 1" pvc

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by networkcrasher

What sort of flow are you getting through your return? I'm around 400 but I only have a 1" flow meter and i'm wondering if it's slowing things down. The return is still pretty gurgly and if i shut the flow down any more with the gate valve to quiet it down, the sump empties out.

I'm wondering if I should get the 2" flow meter and a larger gate valve. I feel like I'm choking the return when I go from the 1.5" tube to 1" pvc

Right now I'm getting 2332 l/ph or 616 gph.
My L1 is running around 85% power.
Going to 1" for that short period really isn't hurting you much. I made a lot of plumbing changes and only gained like 50 gph, maybe a little more. You'd probably gain 10 gph if you were lucky. lol

[Vinny Kreyling]

I'm skeptical about that 10 GPH # Dennis.
I know upgrading to a larger diameter is pretty helpful.
I would think the opposite is true also.
Just MHO.

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by d2mini

Finally got around to installing a booster pump on my Spectrapure RO/DI w/Auto Flush.
Got it from SpectraPure during black friday.
Pressure jumped from about 35-40 psi to 92 psi.

I've read where if you boost the pressure you can piggy back another membrane and it will cut your waste water down and increase the rodi production.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

I'm skeptical about that 10 GPH # Dennis.
I know upgrading to a larger diameter is pretty helpful.
I would think the opposite is true also.
Just MHO.

Yeah, but when it's only for a very short period, it doesn't make as big a difference as you would think.
If all your plumbing was 1" and you changed all your plumbing to 1.5", then that would make a much bigger difference.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by oldhead

I've read where if you boost the pressure you can piggy back another membrane and it will cut your waste water down and increase the rodi production.

Yep! That's true... an additional membrane would make a difference.
Might have to do that someday.

[networkcrasher]

Originally Posted by d2mini

Yeah, but when it's only for a very short period, it doesn't make as big a difference as you would think.
If all your plumbing was 1" and you changed all your plumbing to 1.5", then that would make a much bigger difference.

I may give it a shot and report results. I won't have much $ invested into doing it other than the cost of a gate valve and the flow monitor, plus the time involved. It'll still go down to 1" when it enters the sump, but what I'm hoping is that it won't matter at that point. My game plan is to hopefully fill up the horizontal run with as much water as possible while still allowing it to flow quickly, limiting the gurgling. I get a lot of bubbles in the drain too it seems as my skimmer compartment gets a bit of foaming.

[cooper5389]

Originally Posted by networkcrasher

I may give it a shot and report results. I won't have much $ invested into doing it other than the cost of a gate valve and the flow monitor, plus the time involved. It'll still go down to 1" when it enters the sump, but what I'm hoping is that it won't matter at that point. My game plan is to hopefully fill up the horizontal run with as much water as possible while still allowing it to flow quickly, limiting the gurgling. I get a lot of bubbles in the drain too it seems as my skimmer compartment gets a bit of foaming.

Hey there, just joining in on this... so with a vector L1 running at 85% one inch PVC and 2-3 90% elbows... and about 4FT of head pressure and you’re getting about 600 GPH?

I was just trying to guesstimate my own setup and turnover rate. I run my L1 @100% with a manifold (UV flow dialed way down) 6ft of head.


Thanks





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[d2mini]

Originally Posted by cooper5389

Hey there, just joining in on this... so with a vector L1 running at 85% one inch PVC and 2-3 90% elbows... and about 4FT of head pressure and you’re getting about 600 GPH?

I was just trying to guesstimate my own setup and turnover rate. I run my L1 @100% with a manifold (UV flow dialed way down) 6ft of head.


Thanks





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I'm also diverting some of the return to the fuge, which drains back into the sump.

[mlb75]

Adding the second membrane is a fantastic way to make more water with basically no more waste water if you plumb it correctly.

The trick is to feed the second membrane with the waste water from the first. The TDS is only marginally higher in the waste water of the first than from the source so you just get a second pass on that same volume of water. The only thing I recommend in that setup is more frequent flushing but I'm not sure that's really even necessary.

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by mlb75

Adding the second membrane is a fantastic way to make more water with basically no more waste water if you plumb it correctly.

The trick is to feed the second membrane with the waste water from the first. The TDS is only marginally higher in the waste water of the first than from the source so you just get a second pass on that same volume of water. The only thing I recommend in that setup is more frequent flushing but I'm not sure that's really even necessary.

Thanks. And it's the auto flush unit so I wouldn't even have to worry about.
Otherwise I'd never flush it. lol

[mlb75]

No problem, to be honest I don't know why all systems aren't plumbed that way. I was seriously impressed with how much more efficient my system became when I made that simple change. I'd run with dual membranes for a long time but they ran independently the way it was shipped to me which wasted a LOT of water, I lived with it because it produced the volume I needed but the new way produced just as much with half the waste.

[reefanatik]

Originally Posted by mlb75

Adding the second membrane is a fantastic way to make more water with basically no more waste water if you plumb it correctly.

The trick is to feed the second membrane with the waste water from the first. The TDS is only marginally higher in the waste water of the first than from the source so you just get a second pass on that same volume of water. The only thing I recommend in that setup is more frequent flushing but I'm not sure that's really even necessary.

2nd membrane is the way to go. Huge difference in water production and waste.

[nycjwi]

Hey Dennis,
Your thread is amazing! I am considering attempting the Triton Method. When u were going through your refug meltdown were the peeps at Triton helpful? Was there any scenario to get someone onsite to try and help u figure out how to correct the problem. I am really interested in no water change scenario. Do u think there is a way to make the Triton method work?? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by nycjwi

Hey Dennis,
Your thread is amazing! I am considering attempting the Triton Method. When u were going through your refug meltdown were the peeps at Triton helpful? Was there any scenario to get someone onsite to try and help u figure out how to correct the problem. I am really interested in no water change scenario. Do u think there is a way to make the Triton method work?? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I always talked to the Triton guys in their sponsor forum on the other reef forum. Tim was the one who suggested I check my nutrient levels. Oops.
But nothing they could do after that.
It works, just be careful.