Basement Sump Set up

[Tristren]

Hi there,

My system has the main display up on the main floor, with the sump and refugium down in the basement.

I'd say it's around 25'-30' between them (with around 10' head height).

The main lights and the circulating pumps are upstairs. The heater and return pump is downstairs and that's were the probes and dosing would be as well.

So in this case what kind of setup will I need? An expansion box?

Cheers, Tony

 

[Ditto]

I did my expansion box on my display tank and my p4 is on my sump.

Same exact setup as yours.

You can get away without an expansion box if you want to buy the long pab cables also.

I have 2 powerbars on the basement p4 and two bars on the expansion box.

I could have done it without the expansion box but I wanted additional probes in my tank for redundancy.

 

[reefwiser]

I would just put a long pab cable up to the display tank an use a power bar for circulating pump and lights. Have the Profilux down stairs. I have all my equipment out in my garage now with nothing under my tank. I just ran extension cords into the display from the power bar. After 30 years crawling around on the floor. I now am equipment free under my tank.

 

[Vinny@GHLUSA]

Hi Tony,

You can either do as @Ditto suggested with an expansion box OR you can put a Powerbar5.1 under the stand and connect it to the P4 with a single 30 foot PAB-cable.
If you end up needing more than 1x PB5.1 under the stand, you can always daisy chain extras off of the existing PB5.1. In the end you'll have a a fully connected P4 system downstairs and 1 cable going upstairs to the PB5.1

If you'd like you can even have 2 ProfiLux Touch displays connected to the P4 system; 1 downstairs and 1 upstairs.

 

[Tristren]

I did my expansion box on my display tank and my p4 is on my sump.

Same exact setup as yours.

You can get away without an expansion box if you want to buy the long pab cables also.

I have 2 powerbars on the basement p4 and two bars on the expansion box.

I could have done it without the expansion box but I wanted additional probes in my tank for redundancy.

Thanks. The option for additional probes is a good point... Have you ever seen a discrepancy that was interesting?

Four power bars seems like a lot, but maybe they fill up quicker than expected. What have you got plugged into them?


Cheers, Tony

 

[Tristren]

I would just put a long pab cable up to the display tank an use a power bar for circulating pump and lights. Have the Profilux down stairs. I have all my equipment out in my garage now with nothing under my tank. I just ran extension cords into the display from the power bar. After 30 years crawling around on the floor. I now am equipment free under my tank.

Thanks. I can see the advantage of having everything in one place where it is easy access.

Cheers, Tony

 

[Tristren]

Hi Tony,

You can either do as @Ditto suggested with an expansion box OR you can put a Powerbar5.1 under the stand and connect it to the P4 with a single 30 foot PAB-cable.
If you end up needing more than 1x PB5.1 under the stand, you can always daisy chain extras off of the existing PB5.1. In the end you'll have a a fully connected P4 system downstairs and 1 cable going upstairs to the PB5.1

If you'd like you can even have 2 ProfiLux Touch displays connected to the P4 system; 1 downstairs and 1 upstairs.

Thanks, plenty of options!
I guess either way (a PB5. 1 or an expansion box) there is will be 1 PAB-cable running up?

So the benefit of the expansion box would just be the extra probe ports...
Although if I do end up trying to control the circulating pumps then I would need to connect to a 1-10v jack which I could do through the expansion box?

And if using the PWC to connect to a Mitras is the any advantage of having it nearby, as opposed to in the basement?

Cheers, Tony

 

[Support@GHLUSA]

0-10v ports are in Expansion box. since the PWC is a wireless signal, the closer the better, though depending on your wall material, interference etc it may work from remote.

 

[reefwiser]

Controlling thru wifi there might be a signal issue.

 

[Ditto]

@Tristren yes I have seen different readings and all the time.

It been a interesting to watch. I do the extra probes all for redundancy.

Example my sump salinity probe is used in the event my ATO fails and begins overfilling the sump.

I also use virtual probes to see the average of both probes also.

What I have observed.

Orp higher in sump then tank (expected because the skimmer is here)

Ph lower in sump then the tank

Salinity swings more in the sump then the tank (ATO)

All my dosing is done after the probes but the sump reads everything quicker then the tank.

If I had to do it again, I would have still done the expansion box.

I have 5 power bars two up and three downstairs.

Many go why so many:

Skimmer, sump heater, skimmer pump, 2 outlets with relays for co2 scrubber for skimmer and the always on is the p4.

Chiller, media reactor, calcium reactor pump, calcium reactor regulator and reefgium lights and always on the p touch.

Return pump, BRS 1.1, ATO pump, UV, empty and always on is a mp10 power head for the sump (expierment)

Upstairs:

I have orphtek slimline leds so I am using 6 outlets to control them. I simulate sunrise and sunset by timers turning each one off and on using 30 minute delay between them with Mitras light bar to do the ramping up and down at the same time and to do moonlight. I may replace these with just 3 compacts I been very impressed.

Two for heaters, two for the closed loop. The always on are controlling the touch and the expansion box.

Except for the season table useage on controlling my pumps and lights that I use to do on th Apex I have been able to port everything over and are very happy with the results.

 

[Tristren]

0-10v ports are in Expansion box. since the PWC is a wireless signal, the closer the better, though depending on your wall material, interference etc it may work from remote.

Controlling thru wifi there might be a signal issue.

Ok, thought so, thanks. The tank and the sump area aren't that far apart, but on the diagonal that are a few bits of house that could interfere. Though I think it's the extra ports on the box that make it most interesting.

If price was no object I suppose.

Cheers, Tony

 

[Tristren]

Wow, that is a lot of stuff

@Tristren yes I have seen different readings and all the time.

It been a interesting to watch. I do the extra probes all for redundancy.

Example my sump salinity probe is used in the event my ATO fails and begins overfilling the sump.

I also use virtual probes to see the average of both probes also.

What I have observed.

Orp higher in sump then tank (expected because the skimmer is here)

Ph lower in sump then the tank

Salinity swings more in the sump then the tank (ATO)

All my dosing is done after the probes but the sump reads everything quicker then the tank.

If I had to do it again, I would have still done the expansion box.

That's very neat. The redundancy should be a good thing as well.

I have 5 power bars two up and three downstairs.

Many go why so many:

Skimmer, sump heater, skimmer pump, 2 outlets with relays for co2 scrubber for skimmer and the always on is the p4.

Chiller, media reactor, calcium reactor pump, calcium reactor regulator and reefgium lights and always on the p touch.

Return pump, BRS 1.1, ATO pump, UV, empty and always on is a mp10 power head for the sump (expierment)

Upstairs:

I have orphtek slimline leds so I am using 6 outlets to control them. I simulate sunrise and sunset by timers turning each one off and on using 30 minute delay between them with Mitras light bar to do the ramping up and down at the same time and to do moonlight. I may replace these with just 3 compacts I been very impressed.

Two for heaters, two for the closed loop. The always on are controlling the touch and the expansion box.

So you have 1 heater downstairs and two upstairs?

And you use a closed loop as opposed to circulating pumps? That's interesting, how do you like it?

Except for the season table useage on controlling my pumps and lights that I use to do on th Apex I have been able to port everything over and are very happy with the results.

Ah, so there isn't an obvious equivalent to the seasonal table (outside the illumination settings)?

That's really too bad...

Cheers, Tony

 

[Ditto]

Yes one in my sump and two upstairs.

I like the closed loop but do have one power head also. I use a variable pump with a oceanmotion 4 port.

I am still playing with the seasonal table to see if it possible but have yet to figure it out.