Do away with Power Heads in the tank

[Shawn]

Hello everyone!! Quick question? I have a 55 gallon tank and just installed a 1 inch bulkhead so i could do away with my tidepool overflow.....Im using 1 1/2 hose from bulkhead to 20 gallon sump and have a rio 2100 pump pumping water back to the tank through 3/4 inch hose. What do i need to do to get rid of the 2 powerheads in the tank? and still have good waterflow through out the tank?

[Reefland]

You could go with a bigger return pump and T it off 2 or 3 times or maybe even use a sea-swirl for sweeping current. Your RIO is rated for 700gph so maybe go with a MAG 12 (1200 gph at 0' head) and split it to 2 returns.

I am going to use a MAG 18 on my upcoming tank and T it off 2 or 3 times with a Sea-Swril eventually which should eliminate any need for a powerhead in the tank.

Just a thought,
Scott Z.

[reddhaus]

That brings up a question i have about my tank in the making. It is going to be an AGA with built in overflows. I am going to go with the Durso Standpipe idea and the return from the sump with two 3/4" or 1" sea-swirls. I was planning on using 2 smaller mags rather than 1 bigger one. I read that i was good to have dual pumps incase one fails the other will still function well enough to keep the system from crashing. What do you think is the better option. I am open to suggestions.

[orion25]

Shawn,

I have a question. What type of stand do you have. Why I am asking is that I have a 55g and all i could fit under it was a 10g sump. Is your stand custom or did you do something different?

Thanks,
Ryan

[Shawn]

Not sure what brand it is? bought it awail back. Its a realy nice washed oak stand made for 55 gallon tanks. You might have seen one at your local fish store, petsmart, or petco. You can use a 20 gallon long tank and it should fit under there or you can find the bigest rubermaid container that will fit under your tank and use it for a sump.

[Shawn]

I think im getting about 350 to 400 gph through the 1 inch bulkhead to the sump. Would that be correct? If that is the case then a bigger pump would pump to much water back to the tank before the sump has a chance to fill back up or would adding the T's inline and splitting the return to both sides of the tank even out the gph problem.

[orion25]

OK, I feel stupid. I have been looking only at 20g standard tanks. The 20g long makes sense. I am now hoping to use a 10g tank as a sump and a 20g long as a refiguim. Or should this be vice versa? I will be moving the Nurace to a separate enclosure.

To sum it up, I hope to have the 55g main tank only about a year longer. If my job promotions (read salary increases as well as location changes) go as planned I will be looking at a 110g main tank with all plumbing, refiguims, top off tanks, etc; in the basement.

Ryan

[mrok12]

here is my solution

[mrok12]

part B