my upgrade journal/journey

[UncommonSense]

working at the this huge plumbing puzzle. got some of the pieces figured out. but im wondering why would you have both an algae scrubber and a huge uv light? there doesnt seem to be a name brand on the algae scrubber...

The UV sterilizes waterborne organisms, particularly unicellular organisms!

The algae scrubber cultivates algae to remove nutrients from the water!

— Two tools for two separate jobs!

got my 3rd light and sand is on the way. better get this plumbing figured out. i was wondering- should i move over the ceramic bio media things that is in my current sump? or throw them out? i keep reading about them breaking down over time and leeching bad stuff

I’d either remove and save the bio media for a freshwater tank (after bleaching it, of course!), or chuck it out/give it away!

Rock/rubble is an excellent bio-media!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

got it!

 

[BonnieB]

You got this!!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

thanks for your confidence! but im not so sure!! lol! if you could see me right now surrounded by pvc

 

[Fish Styx]

What stuff is that?

The same sand that I gave 60lbs of to you

 

[Fish Styx]

ok i think the scrubber is an ice cap. gotta find a place that sells parts...

https://reeflabs.net/index.php?route=product/manufacturer/info&manufacturer_id=52&page=4

 

[UncommonSense]

thanks for your confidence! but im not so sure!! lol! if you could see me right now surrounded by pvc

Best bet here is overbuying fittings, then returning what you don’t use! — unions are your friends, especially when you need to make a fitting align rotation-wise perfectly!

 

[Fish Styx]

working at the this huge plumbing puzzle. got some of the pieces figured out. but im wondering why would you have both an algae scrubber and a huge uv light? there doesnt seem to be a name brand on the algae scrubber...

The algae scrubber is used for nitrate reduction, and the UV would be used for parasite / pest control.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

so does it matter where you plumb in the uv?

 

[smitten with ocean life]

where are you at btw @Rocks reef ?

 

[Fish Styx]

so does it matter where you plumb in the uv?

I would plumb it off a manifold from the return pump and return it's output to the skimmer compartment in your sump. Vertical mount is preferable, but horizontal will still work. Use a gate valve so that you can fine tune the flow.

 

[UncommonSense]

so does it matter where you plumb in the uv?

Usually the easiest way is sump to sump, unless you have a dedicated second/third DT return line for it!

UV sterilizers operate best at lower flow rates, think 100-500gph, depending on size! — this means they don’t really do much if you plumb them directly in-line on your main return plumbing!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

oh boy. i knew i am way over my head! haha. he has 2 return pumps for some reason...

 

[smitten with ocean life]

 

[smitten with ocean life]

heres what im looking at

 

[BonnieB]

thanks for your confidence! but im not so sure!! lol! if you could see me right now surrounded by pvc

That’s why this forum is so amazing! Plenty of experts in just about everything to help us get through these challenges! I still say you got this!!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

totally agree. i would be lost without all the help ive gotten here! @tbrown, @Fish Styx @JoJosReef you guys dont have anything else to do, right?? lol

 

[tbrown]

working at the this huge plumbing puzzle. got some of the pieces figured out. but im wondering why would you have both an algae scrubber and a huge uv light? there doesnt seem to be a name brand on the algae scrubber...

UV scrubber fights Dinos and water born algae. Algae scrubber encourages algae to grow there instead of on the rocks. Some people run everything they can to keep crystal clear water - skimmer to lower nutrients so you can overfeed big fish, UV to keep Dinos at bay and clear up the water column, algae scrubber because you're gonna have algae so tell it where it's allowed to grow.

 

[tbrown]

where are you at btw @Rocks reef ?

I think he said vacation.

 

[UncommonSense]

I don’t see any parallel pump plumbing in the pile… are there any check valves on anything?

This tank has dual return bulkheads in the DT, right? — Assuming the pumps aren’t in parallel to one return manifold; the PO had it plumbed so one return pump fed each return bulkhead…

This is a very smart way to do dual returns, allowing you to maintain life support in the event of a single return pump failure!

Edit: for further life support redundancy, an ideal electrical scenario would include at least a separate GFCI outlet for each plug, and preferably also a separate electrical circuit for each pump GFCI outlet!
— this is obviously not possible in every scenario, just an ideal layout for life support safety/redundancy!