Help... Designing Plumbing Plan

[juke]

Please share with me your expertice/advise on my thought's for how I would like to plumb my tank/sump. I call it a closed/open loop. Here is what I am thinking:

 

I have a 25 gallon tank w/ an 18gal sump/refuge. I currently am running 2 MaxiJet 1200's in my tank with no sump hooked up yet. I was looking for a fairly low cost simple system to provide flow for the tank from the sump and remove the powerheads. I would like to use a single HOT overflow w/ 1" out to the sump. From the return chamber I would like to use a pump directly up to a SCWD and split to both sides of the tank for return.

 

My question's are:

 

1. is this a good design? Can you see problems? What should change to be better?

2. What type of pump should I use for good flow into the tank? I was thinking a MagDrive 9.5

3. How low should I plumb the return lines into the tank? At about the same height as a powerhead or lowere on one side?

4. Any thing else? Is this just insane newbie pipe dreams?

 

Thanks in advance,

Josh

[Korbin]

1. Yeah. I have heard some people don't like the SCWD though

 

2. Decide how much flow you want at the tank inlets. Figure out your static and piping head losses (calculator on reefcentral's home page). Then size your pump accordingly by using the pump curve.

 

3. Why lower on one side? Just put those bendy, segmented pipe connections on so you can move them around whenever you want. Keep in mind that when your return pump turns off, water will drain back down and your top tank will have a water level equal to the lowest pipe opening.

 

4. Not insane at all. You're on the way to making an awesome tank. Good luck!

[dyazdani]

Just be careful in sizing your overflow. The Mag 9.5 is a pretty big pump (I have a Mag 7 in a 75G tank). Your overflow needs to be able to keep up. I normally calculate that stuff myself, but I guess the calculator on ReefCentral will help with that? I've never seen it.

[Fant]

External overflow boxes usually function with a U tube. I have a mag 7 split into dual returns on my 30g. It doesnt provide enough flow IMO. And i cant run it full throttle with my amiracle hang on overflow. The U tube is 1" diameter and the bulkhead is also 1". You will probably need a bigger overflow for a 9.5. But i like the sound of the 9.5 You may want to consider splitting it into 4 returns tho rather then just 2.

[dyazdani]

I did some quick calcs assuming 950GPH flow - 1" is not going to be enough IMO. I'd go with at least 1.5"

 

I also tried out the calculator on reefcentral. It said 1.27" minimum.

[Korbin]

950 gph at the end of the return line? That's a lot of flow. And that's gonna be a big pump.

[skeletor]

950 GPH is at 0' head, it will be much less than this before it gets to the tank. 1" should be fine for the overflow, although you may need to get a second 'U' tube. I did some testing with a Sedra 9000 at 3.5' on my 20 for a couple of days and had to add a second U tube, but the 1" drain wasn't even fully open...

 

When you plumb the returns you are going to need either a check valve (yuck !) or a small hole just below the water line of the return so you don't back siphon the tank into the sump when the pump shuts off.

 

-skeletor-

[dyazdani]

Actually, the 950 is at 1 foot head. . .pump curve says 800 at 4 ft. I'd have a second tube just in case, heck you could stick a valve in if you want. As with any tank issue, there are many ways to solve the problem.

[juke]

This is a lot of help!!! Thanks for your input. I think I will plan on a using a 1" u -tube to start and a 1 1/4" bulkhead with a ball valve, just incase. Mag 9.5 on return with 3/4" black tubing, through a SCWD, and into the tank. how benificial would a split be on each line after the SCWD be for 4 returns?

[Korbin]

I think it would be more detrimental than beneficial. The purpose of the SQWD is to push the water side-to-side in the aquarium. The more momentum you have at your 2 nozzles, the more movement you get in your tank. 4 nozzles decreases the momentum and the side-to-side movement.