Return for a 40B

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Also, I have read and read that we shouldn't restrict flow. But is that just a generally wrong idea? How is manual flow restriction any different than head pressure?

[farkwar]

Fark - video would be great. How do you keep a flow rate low enough in the sump with a pump that big? My 7 feels like I'm running whitewater rapids. School me, man!

On the skimmer and zeo reactor side, it doesnt matter how fast it is.Like I said, im using the quiet one 4000, 951ghp rated(similar to mag 9.5). Its no where near that at the return nozzle, on which I have a 4x eductor even.Im using flex pvc on the return, 3/4 because the return is 3/4. The pump is 1" iirc. One 90 at the bulkhead, one check valve, and one ball valve.I have a 1/2 tee off for refugium and ats on the slow side of the sump. That pulling about 50-75 gph off the return. Gl@ssholes 700gph drain.

 

 

Ill get the video tomorrow morning. Woke up late.

 

Also, I have read and read that we shouldn't restrict flow. But is that just a generally wrong idea? How is manual flow restriction any different than head pressure?

Ive read the opposite.Besides the mag pump will auto shut off at 10.85' of head.Im looking at it for my water change tank. It would be great if I shut off hose at nozzle, and it auto shuts off the pump.

 

The forum bkew up my posts, there are returns in there, im not reediting.

[farkwar]

I tried splicing these together. DIdnt work as intended. Tried to keep each as short as possible to minimize editing and upload time; I think they are long enough to get an idea of approximate flow of a 900+gph pump with 700gph drain, and the wp25 on wave mode on a 40b tank with 29g sump, with refugium slow flow off return pipe.

 

Watch "Refugium flow" on YouTube

Refugium flow:

 

Watch "Refugium flow detail" on YouTube

Refugium flow detail:

 

Watch "Drain, sock" on YouTube

Drain, sock:

 

Watch "Eductor return" on YouTube

Eductor return:

 

Watch "Overflow" on YouTube

Overflow:

The sound from the wp25 is as loud as the drain gurgle.

 

Watch "Wp25 wave" on YouTube

Wp25 wave:

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So how about this:

 

 

My last baffle is half height. I might end up ripping it out and replacing it with full height just to give more depth to the refugium chamber. Otherwise I think I'll end up having problems keeping microalgae from overflowing to the return chamber.

 

I'm running 3/4 flex to the return. I'm thinking of coming off the pump with 3/4 vinyl, then going to a barb fitting to the flex. The flex has just enough rigidity that I get a lot of pump vibration through it. I think that the vinyl would eliminate that, even if I hate doing yet another fitting in that line.

[farkwar]

Put the pump in the middle.

 

Refugium on the left side, where the pump is.

 

Increase height of refugium baffle to 11"

 

Drain side pump baffle reduce to like 6 or 8 inches.

 

I dont know which chamber you're pitting your skimmer, but make that baffle medium of recommended skimmer water height.

[defective_weeble]

Put the pump in the middle. Refugium on the left side, where the pump is.

 

What difference will that make? More contact time for the refugium? Only problem is that my baffles are already in place and the middle section is huge. Oh, and I'd also have to branch the overflow line to the refugium. Or else I'd have to run the water level above that baffle. Otherwise the refugium won't ever see water.

[farkwar]

Branching the return back that direction won't accomplish anything, youll have refugium going at full drain flow plus your return tee off flow.

[defective_weeble]

Ah gotcha. So would you suggest adding a 45 to my overflow line to get water into the fuge, or would you just run the level higher? Would enough water make it into that far left side if I don't have a line running to it?

 

The fact that the overflow and the branch from the return are both flowing through the fuge definitely makes sense as to why I'm running rapids in there. No idea why I didn't think about that.

[farkwar]

I want all of my drain water going through sock to catch detritus.

 

I don't want detritus in my fuge.

 

Run your return tee and ball valve line to fuge, dial in flow with ball valve. Refugium runs back to middle pump chamber.

 

|Refugium|Pump Chamber|Skimmer& Reactors|Drain & Sock|

[defective_weeble]

|Refugium|Pump Chamber|Skimmer& Reactors|Drain & Sock|

You see any problem with the smaller fuge chamber? It's about 7 inches wide. It's plenty big to fit some rubble and algae. I figure that if I'm able to keep a pretty slow flow through there then it's probably going to do a good job even if it's smaller.