My sump and plumbing idea - Will it Work?

Reefscape

Reefscape

I shoot people with a Canon
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Nov 8, 2006
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Staffordshire, UK
seethroughmylens.co.uk
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Blinky
Hello people, thanks for the feedback about the stand i going to make..Plans for that are near enough job done..Next plans are for the plumbing and sump connection..Can you experienced people have a look over my basic drawing of how i think it should work and please give me some feedback..I do accept constructive criticism very good you know..

Remember, its only a basic drawing so far, just want to make sure that i have the principles right before going on to what pump i need etc etc..

Thanks in advance

Niko

Plumbing1.jpg
 
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I would just have a single ball valve on the short arm going into the refugium, which I would make a little larger diameter than the tank return (if I could find a T fitting like that). If you open that ball valve full, you'd get almost no tank return flow at all - full control, no fully closed setting possible (keeps someone from trashing the pump).
 
Cheers Squawkbert...

I think the "T" bit your refering too is just a tap.....Or do you mean something else?

The diameter i was planning was about 1.5" pipe work internal diameter, so would you suggest about 2" internal diameter for the fuge return?

Niko
 
That would probably do - although 1.5" & 2" sound a little large to me (don't let that bother you, I have not built a refugium/sump myself).
 
The pipe diameter for the return should be largely dictated by the pump flow rate. You can loose pressure and flow with too large of pipe. I'm no physicist though--consult the fish store or pump manufacturer.
 
Cheers RB for the bit about pipe diameter..

Can anyone explain to me how to work out what pump i am going to need for this setup..??

The Sump is 23 US Gals and the tank is 84 US Gals..

Niko
 
My 1st guess would be about 3 volumes per hour, at whatever head height you're looking at...

If your 'fuge is to be 3' beneath your tank, look for a pump rated at 300gph@3' up (gph goes down as a function of head height - how far up the water must be pushed). 300gph comes from approx 'fuge+tank vol of ~100g, 3x. I think Iwaki, Little Giant, many others should have something in that range. The sizes of fittings on the pumps will yield a clue about return pipe diameter.
 
Couple things...

1 1/2" is probably too big for the flow rate you're looking at. I'd go with 1 1/4".

Do you have the overflow box already? if not, I can give you some info on a DIY overflow using pvc pipe thats amazingly cheap and works amazingly well.
 
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