[organicreefer]

wasted yes,i realize you want to use it for the return but regardless it flows better ,right? also what i mean by open ended,is youre not turning off a faucet ,hence youre not really going to build up any preassure in the pipes,see what im saying...

[wastedincome420]

I gotcha Organicreefer

LTSPD: Maybe you can help me thinking of a good place to mount one or both of the SS's on the center brace I want to get good flow where it needs to be.

Scuba, maybe you can can help be creative with this too

[organicreefer]

damn ltspd ,dont get all bent out of shape...im just pointing out what i read on dolphins website..its all there in black and white...granted you can reduce below one inch (i mean they sell a product that does) but you wont get the most out of the pump.....read for youreself:http://www.dolphinpumps.com/plumbing.htm
not being"confrontational",just trying to give wasted the BEST advice/info I can

[scubadude]

Ok...I took a few more quick pics for you guys. Here is the SS with the mounting bracket...there are 3 threaded nylon screws on the bottom side of the bracket....these are very easy to install you just unscrew the original brackets and screw the new ones on.....you could probably make a bracket for them...I just wanted these SS's to be secure and didnt want to chance it with a DIY bracket



Wasted,

Here are a few more pics of my plumbing, the first pic is of the drain to the sump from my Overflow box, as you can see i have 2 elbows on each of these pictures as I couldnt put my sump all the way back to where it was directly under my bulkheads These are 2 downfalls of my plumbing and Im gonna try and design my next setup where I wont need the elbows....I think its ok but it could have been more streamlined...thats why I say use longsweep elbows wherever you have to make the turns. The 2nd pic is of my return from my sump/refugium, again...2 more elbows to acomplish the path.





Now if you want me to just go on with more suggestions I can....they arent as solid as I would like them to be but here goes.

Spraybars...lets talk about them since you have an interest in them.

I tried a fairly unique designed spraybar on my 90 gal instead of one straight pipe running the length of the tank, you could make a rectangled spray bar...that way you could get flow down near the bottom, middle and top water columns....however this has some drawbacks (literally) that being if your power goes out you will have some massive draindown....Unless you use a checkvalve, which are notorious for not having good reports for very long....so I dont even consider them an option. However since this is your $$ Wasted and not mine hehe The ideal setup would be to have an electrical valve, which are pretty expensive i think (paul this is your area bro....aquatic eco sell them?) the electrical ball valve when powered will be completely open....then if the power fails it automatically closes the ball valve! Here again this is just one of the new ideas im pondering....Now as far as the square spray bar there are some ppl doing these...with success (i remember some threads on RC) but I cant remember if they have any "Safeguards" if the power fails, which I wont touch that w/ a 10' pole!

[organicreefer]

Originally posted by Ltspd
Organic,

Got anything to back your mouth up?

ive got the MANUFACTURER backing me ltspd.did you read anything before you set youre pump up,or were you one of the ones who didnt even ground theres ,yeah i think you were
from the dolphin website ,once again:

Centrifugal pumps need to have larger diameter plumbing installed to operate properly. If your filters and accessories use small plumbing ports (smaller than 1"), and if small piping (less than 1") is what the system is using, a centrifugal pump may not be the best choice.

got anything to back youre mouth up?

[wastedincome420]

HEY LTSPD I value your opinion greatly and I would still like to hear your thoughts

Organicreefer I greatly value your opinions too and thank you for trying to point everything out.


I REALLY DON'T want to see ANYONE get bent out of shape over "just trying to help"

Lets talk about head loss with standard (sharp curve) 90 Vs. drainfitting (soft sweep) 90. Also how much head comes from a T fittng?

Scubadude, I would only have "drain back" if the line is a return from sump, NOT closed loop right?? When I was thinking of using a SB like yours, I thought that maybe I could drill some smaller then the top, holes in the vertical part of the bar feed line (that way I would hav some flow behind the rocks). Keep them ideas rollin

[organicreefer]

wasted ,for head loss ,click on the plumbing link i provided above.it gives values for 90's sweeps,and even smaller 1 " plumbing.again im just trying to help to the best of my ability,i dont understand why some people cant just discuss things rationally.....hell i could be wrong..i never claimed to be an expert..look at the site and judge for youreself..

[scubadude]

Originally posted by organicreefer
ltspd,the way i read it ,it says you will lose flow....i dont know im no plumbing expert,and i agree it sounds logical

Think about what you are saying organic....Paul has spent COUNTLESS hours figuring his plumbing and I assure you he does not leave any areas unchecked....I do have to say that the main reason for the plumbing on my system is LTSPD!!! He has spent hours on the phone w/me helping me...there where times that his calculations went way over my head....I had to literally tell him to slow down (So i can absorb it) You can take all the figures that you want from the manufacturers and that dont mean diddly! I guarantee you that there is more knowledgable ppl on this board then the manufacturers of the pumps etc.!! and paul is one of them! For example....SS manufacturers say that the 1" ss's can only handle 1150 GPH ....Ed personally told me that you can actually get more out of them....its just a legality issue that they arent responsible for anything over 1150GPH

[organicreefer]

scuba ,c'mon man ltspd knows more about the ampmaster that dolphin does....please

wasted i would advise you to read it youreself.....

unbeleivable

[scubadude]

Organic....If its all the same to you, can we just leave well enough alone....Wasted has seen our opinions....this is his thread. Let him make the decisions....lets not blind him with our technical "clout"

[golfish]

Guys, lets no get our panties in a bunch Don't make me come over there

I to thought reducing the pipe on the AM3000 would reduce flow. Paul has done lots of research and I'm sure the way he has his setup is the best way to go. It looks like he can backup what he's saying.

Yes, the 1" Sea Swirls is lounder. The reason is a bigger motor. I looked into both and decide the 1" was the BEST way to go for me.

I use an Amp Master 3000 with two 1" SS's. I use a 1.5" U-tube to supply the AM and come half way up the tank with 1.5" pipe before I Tee off to 1". I figure I get about 1800-2000 GPH from my closed loop. I did have to throttle that back for the first 6 months but now that things are broken in and the sand has settled more I can run it full throttle...........

Mark

[organicreefer]

scuba,what do you mean"leave well enough alone"
all i did was kindly ,and respectfully ,disagree with a small point that ltspd made....he was the one who got all upset

if im wrong he could have kindly pointed out why/how...i did ask.
im confident that i am indeed right,i think someones not happy because they already set their tank up that way......
why dont you tell paul to chill out ,instead of pointing the finger at me

[organicreefer]

oh yeah scuba,golfish,i too spent COUNTLESS hours researching my plumbing/setup...remember the whole ABS issue.it took me a week to research that alone...thanks to all the brilliant advice i got online
anyway,wasted take what EVERYONE has to say into account,then research the hell out of it on youre own...i think everyone would agree thats the way to go.

[wastedincome420]

Thats why I like to hear everyones opinion, I listen to it all and use what works for me,

Right now I'm on the hunt for a 4 way wye fitting that I know I saw a few days ago but cant seem to find now It looks like a perfect Y with the straight part going straight up trough the V part.
Can any one help me find this I want it in 1 1/2"

[organicreefer]

thats a tall order wasted ...are you sure youve seen that exact fitting???the "junction" where my drains meet going to my ampmaster is sort of a y with a line going straight out the top (that is capped)its 2" abs, but they have 1 1/2 too.but i dont think its exactly what youre looking for...you can almost see it in the third pic down here:pic of my sump/refugium/top-off/plumbing under my stand

i looked all over for perfect y's,hard to find my freind

[scubadude]

Organic
when I said "Leave well enough alone" I meant that I would rather stop talking about whos right/wrong, and get back to Wasted's concerns You do have some great advice and I value your opinion! I also think EVERYONE has different views on different topics, thats one of the things that makes this hobby so interesting, but my feelings are those differences only need to be discussed so far...we are beggining to cross that line.

Wasted
where in my living room are we putting this tank? I thought it would look really nice by the entertainment center! hehe BTW you are correct that you do not have to worry about drainback in your closed loop!

When I was thinking of using a SB like yours, I thought that maybe I could drill some smaller then the top, holes in the vertical part of the bar feed line (that way I would hav some flow behind the rocks). Keep them ideas rollin

You mean drilling holes pointing vertical and/or semi vertical as well as horizontal and/or semi horizontal? If so then yes, by all means! That is exactly what I did, and My thinking was just like yours....I want to plan my plumbing so that I dont have to put any PH's in my tank...well guess what I have 4 PH's on a wavestrip now....its mainly cuz Im still going through my algae blooms....The powerheads are pointed at the SB cuz of the algae blooms which will subside probably in another month or so, and I may be able to take out the PH's....Im not sure I will though now. I want to ask you a few questions Wasted,

1. Is this gonna be strict SPS/Clam tank? thats the vibe im getting
2. What type of skimmer you thinking about using?
3. How big is the refugium area gonna be?
4. What is gonna be in the refugium? macros? if so what type? Mangroves? how many?
5. How many and what type of fish you planning on?
6. You gonna have LPS, and softies? how many and which kind?

excuse, if you have already answered sum of these ques's

[organicreefer]

scuba ,agreed sometimes i can be a little stubborn

[scubadude]

Here are a few new specialty parts for your Amp Master. Shown above from left to right, is our new manifold that gives you eight 3/4" Hose Barb ports from 1.5" pipe plumbed straight out of the pump. This new part (PP:72089R) retails for under $35.00. Most other manifolds wholesale for more than this. On the right is what we call the spider port. This part allows you to go from 1.5" plumbing to six 1/2" slip ports (how fascinating!).





Dolphin themselves Sell manifolds Organic....they reduce....OMG! can you believe that? Geez now will you kill this please! This thread is getting way too much clutter cuz you are trying to prove a moot point Organic!

[organicreefer]

scuba yes i pointed out that they do makle that product....but does that mean it doesnt add the extra head?????????of course it does!

look at the plumbing instructions on their websiteit says ....TO MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE DO NOT REDUCE BELOW 1"!!!!!!!!!!!
can you reduce ? of course ....BUT YOU LOSE PERFORMANCE...do the math...SMALLER/MORE TUBES =MORE FRICTION/HEAD LOSS...ARE YOU GUYS BLIND ???????????i cant beleive i give up and now you come at me with that

[wastedincome420]

Keep you eye for that Y organic

Well on that spray bar what I meant is, I know on the horz. bar it has holes drilled aiming down and out, I was talking about having some holes in the Vert. piece of PVC that come from the bottom of the tank (before the 90)

I wouldn't sat thats its going to be a "strict SPS/Clam" tank. I just want to have some. I really like clams but A:my LFS charges ALOT for em' and they arent that nice. B: I want to wait a lil' while for the tank to mature so I dont kill em'

As for my skimmer....I have two Berlins

I havent made my refugium yet either But it should end up being bout 20"long 20"tall and 15"wide. along with 6-8"DSB. I have no idea what I'm going to grow in it

As far as fish go, I have to have some for my daughter. lets say a few clowns (pair of perc's & my saddle back) I already have two tangs that came from this tank ( I will end up looking for a new home for the lipstick tang) a coral beauty, square anthias (my daughters just diedtwo days ago and it was her fav. fish) then maybe a few small guys like a blennie or somthing.

What other corals will I want to keep?? All of em' of course Not sure how many but there is a few kinds that I want to have. some shrooms, brain corals, meat,few polyps,etc