First reef redsea plumbing Question

[kyle78312]

Hello

I have my first reef tank. It’s a redsea 900. All set up and filled. What am I missing? I believe I followed the directions correctly but idk. The water goes down the main drain but the valve to control the flow is on the line to the emergency drain. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Or did I not understand the redsea pictographs. It’s getting late and my brain just doesn’t get it. Not quite understanding how to regulate the flow into the sump.
Thanks

 

[OfficeReefer]

So you probably have three pipes, or a herbie type with a ball valve for control, if I recall (still learning this one myself). The pump goes on the hose to the pipe that comes out the top. The one in the middle looks normal and has its own pipe. This is the emergency one. The larger one with the clear ring is the main drain and it connects to the downflow pipe which has the ball valve. Make sure your sump is filled with water halfway or so and make sure the tank is full before starting.

Open the valve all the way, which is counter-clockwise and then, turn on the pump full and add water as needed. Your return part of the sump should be filled halfway and where your ATO, float or optical kicks in and tops the sump level off. Before adding any additional ATO or water, adjust the downflow value clockwise in slow increments, which will cause less water to go down the main drain. You'll want to find a good balance about 1-2mm before the top of the center emergency pipe (the little one) as the water rises to the right level in your overflow. Most people want it to really go full into that center valve if something happens to the main one essentially. If you mess up, open up the ball valve again and and start over. Also, do be sure you don't have skimmers and the like in the tank while doing this and again, wait to add or fill the ATO until you balance this. There are upgrades for for this as well if you find it too coarse for your liking, as some don't care for the one it comes with.

 

[kyle78312]

So you probably have three pipes, or a herbie type with a ball valve for control, if I recall (still learning this one myself). The pump goes on the hose to the pipe that comes out the top. The one in the middle looks normal and has its own pipe. This is the emergency one. The larger one with the clear ring is the main drain and it connects to the downflow pipe which has the ball valve. Make sure your sump is filled with water halfway or so and make sure the tank is full before starting.

Open the valve all the way, which is counter-clockwise and then, turn on the pump full and add water as needed. Your return part of the sump should be filled halfway and where your ATO, float or optical kicks in and tops the sump level off. Before adding any additional ATO or water, adjust the downflow value clockwise in slow increments, which will cause less water to go down the main drain. You'll want to find a good balance about 1-2mm before the top of the center emergency pipe (the little one) as the water rises to the right level in your overflow. Most people want it to really go full into that center valve if something happens to the main one essentially. If you mess up, open up the ball valve again and and start over. Also, do be sure you don't have skimmers and the like in the tank while doing this and again, wait to add or fill the ATO until you balance this. There are upgrades for for this as well if you find it too coarse for your liking, as some don't care for the one it comes with.

Thank you

just as I realized I put the main and emergency drain pipes in the each other’s spot water came flooding out of the tank on the floor… hopefully switching them, things will work as they should. Diagrams were terrible….

 

[Simon_M]

Hello

I have my first reef tank. It’s a redsea 900. All set up and filled. What am I missing? I believe I followed the directions correctly but idk. The water goes down the main drain but the valve to control the flow is on the line to the emergency drain. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Or did I not understand the redsea pictographs. It’s getting late and my brain just doesn’t get it. Not quite understanding how to regulate the flow into the sump.
Thanks

I have the Red Sea 636 G2. I also made a small assembly error that is easily fixed (for me) Rookie Mistake.

I connected the Emergency Overflow pipe on the side that is attached to the Diaphragm Valve. I also connected the main Pipe on the side that drains freely into the Sump. I misread the diagram in the Assembly Manual because it shows the back of the Display Tank. I also put the main Outer square pipe over the Overflow pipe.

For my Tank it is easy enough to remove the two pipes and swap them over. It is important that the main pipe connects to the adjustable Diaphram Valve. At the time of noticing the error my Tank was already full of mixed Salt Water and ready to go...

I switched off the power. The height of water in the DT lowers and the excess water drains into the Sump. I used a Gravel Cleaner Siphon to remove all the water in the Weir Box. With a towel under the Tank, I could undo the fittings to the Tank. No water spills out because the Weir Box is empty.

After removing the fittings below the Sump, I could then unscrew the two pipes above, in the Weir Box and reverse them. They are designed to be replaceable - so no harm done. ON my G2 Tank there doesn't appear to be much resistance to removing them. The plumbing arrangement has two sets of threads - the upper one connects the down pipes to the tank and the lower one to the fittings underneath.

 

[OfficeReefer]

Awesome! Glad you were able to work that out!

 

[kyle78312]

Yup the diagram tripped me up to.

I have the Red Sea 636 G2. I also made a small assembly error that is easily fixed (for me) Rookie Mistake.

I connected the Emergency Overflow pipe on the side that is attached to the Diaphragm Valve. I also connected the main Pipe on the side that drains freely into the Sump. I misread the diagram in the Assembly Manual because it shows the back of the Display Tank. I also put the main Outer square pipe over the Overflow pipe.

For my Tank it is easy enough to remove the two pipes and swap them over. It is important that the main pipe connects to the adjustable Diaphram Valve. At the time of noticing the error my Tank was already full of mixed Salt Water and ready to go...

I switched off the power. The height of water in the DT lowers and the excess water drains into the Sump. I used a Gravel Cleaner Siphon to remove all the water in the Weir Box. With a towel under the Tank, I could undo the fittings to the Tank. No water spills out because the Weir Box is empty.

After removing the fittings below the Sump, I could then unscrew the two pipes above, in the Weir Box and reverse them. They are designed to be replaceable - so no harm done. ON my G2 Tank there doesn't appear to be much resistance to removing them. The plumbing arrangement has two sets of threads - the upper one connects the down pipes to the tank and the lower one to the fittings underneath.