Calling All Master Plumbers!

[Strangelove]

I'm setting up a 220 gal and have, I hope, the final plan. Please let me know what you think. All opinions appreciated.

1.) Lifereef double over flow with two 1 1/8" siphon tubes.

2.) Each tube will drain into a separate sump:
http://www.aquariumproducts.com/sumps.htm
(the large one).

3.) The outflow from each sump will connect in a "Y" to my Aquasea 3600 gph pump.

4.) The output of the sump will be split into a "Y", 1 side to my Bullet 2 skimmer the other will return to the tank.

5.) The return from the skimmer will go into 1 sump (high flow).

6.) The second sump (lower flow) will get 2 baffles to allow sand/rock/caulerpa with lights, i.e. a refugium.

7.) The tank return will end in a large (2-4') spray bar in the tank.


Thanks,

Gene

[naser]

i would think a 220 would look alot nicer with built in overflows.. just my 2 cents.

[Strangelove]

I'd love to have built-in overflows, but this tank is a beast. The glass is over 1/2" thick. The thing weighs 600 lbs. Even if I could borrow my friends (again) to help me get the tank back onto the Uhaul trailer, into the glass shop and then home I'd still be s.o.l. because none of the local shops have a rig big enough to drill it, and don't guarantee that it won't crack if they did.

The tank was $375 so it was hard to pass up.

[golfish]

naser, Why do you think built-in-overfows look nicer?

[naser]

just my opinion.. just looks cleaner.

[addicted2fish]

Not a good idea to plumb it that way. Inevitably, the pump will pull a little more from one sump than the other. But since the overflows are delivering equal quantities to each sump, the level in one sump will slowly go down while the other slowly goes up. You can foresee the end result...

[Strangelove]

A2F,

I see your point. I still have my heart set on dual sump: 1 "mechanical" and 1 "biological". How would you do the plumbing?

[addicted2fish]

Strangelove,

I guess it would be possible to put a level control system in so that configuration would be workable. I don't know, it seems to me that that would be overcomplicating things. What I would probably do is put the two sumps in series rather than parallel. If you do that you may not be able to achieve the flow rate you are shooting for; in that case you could add a closed loop too. It sounds like you will have a real nice setup when you are done.

Good luck,
Bill