3rd Sump - 30 gal
Hi all,
I've got a setup that has a DT and two sumps (S1 and S2)
DT = 150gal
S1= 35 gal Ecotech miracle mud system, carbon, chemipure, polyfil (essentially chemical)
S2= Red Sea Reefer 525 XL 56Gal sump with 2000SRO Ext protein skimmer and bioballs (essentially mechanical). Also has Sea Lettuce, about a softball size where water from S1 enters S2. 2 filter socks, 100 and 200 microns.
Don't ask me my reasoning on this... I have no idea. I really wanted one sump but logistics required me to have two -- ie newbie error, I bought the 525 XL for an unbelievable $50, but that was buying a sump before buying my tank. Huge mistake, but it's gonna be used, no matter what. Hence, it's plumbed into the system, nuff said.
I was going to put in a quarantine tank (30gal) but a lot of various issues made the placement of this particular tank not optimal. (newbie mistake of building organically into a corner of my basement. Now there's no space to expand backwards and my DT weighs about 1,200lbs, so it's not moving any time soon.
I'm still doing a QT but it will be entirely separate from the main loop.
Speaking of my loop, it contains only 1 pump -- the Varios8 pushing to a T split. I can control the flow to S2 vs. the DT. I get about 750gal/hr flow rate through to the DT according to my FMM, but I've also dropped it to around 250 gph.
It's positioned after the split so I know the flow rate is accurate. Some gal/hr is going to S2. I've gate valved it so that about 70% goes to DT, and 30% goes to S2. This means that when I've isolated S2 (no water going to it) my flow rate is 835 gph to the DT.
Then it repeats... no second pump, no weirdness once I got everything 'dialed in'. Using a Herbie drain, 1" pipes all around. However, feel free to correct me.
Diagram: see below
ME: Ex-video game designer, 90 video games created over 30 years. I've kept a 75gal freshwater tank *alive* and thriving for a year before getting into salt. Mainly because I suck at details, and my alarm on my watch is my best friend. A man's got to know his limitations.
Scenario: I now have a free 30 gal tank. I've had a very difficult time keeping my refugium from spitting macro algae into the mix, which eventually finds it way to my return pump. I also want to have an easy place (not my DT) to dose things like cal, alk, mag, and to do incremental daily water changes.
Yes, I have solved my 'macroalgae everywhere' problem with an egg crate shielding the return pump, but it looks cheap and feels inelegant. Some people's DIY looks professional and amazing. Mine starts (always) with duct tape.
Worse, I suffer from OCD, so when things aren't symmetrical or off kilter by even the tiniest bit, things no normal person would notice, I go nuts (technical term). Hence my success at designing video games like Elder Scrolls.
So I'm thinking of doing this:
Create a 2nd loop using a siphon down from S2 to S3, then pumped back up using a DC-2500, which I can hook up to my Apex.
This second loop would not be attached to the first, and I'd failsafe it with float switches to my breakout box on my Apex.
Why would I do this:
Advantages:
1. I have 30 more gallons I can add to the total water volume, better stability
2. I can make this a dedicated refugium
3. Plumbed with union ball valves at each end, I could easily isolate it as a quarantine tank when needed, but use it for the health of the system all other times (assuming nothing gets sick while in QT)
4. Could be the place for WC and for dosing (again, until a fish gets sick or is QT, then it's isolated so maybe not)
5. MOST COOL: I could create a water bridge between S3 and DT that only opens once the kids are out of QT. Then they can swim their way to the main tank.
- this last thing will never work, will it? Yeah, 'no' is a fine answer. Sigh.
Disadvantages:
1. two pumps, not connected but an extra failure point
2. Something will go wrong, and water will be everywhere.
3. I'll never figure out where to put my Tunze Osmolator to measure water level evaporation for ATO. Pretty sure it's still above the return pump in S1, but I'm probably wrong and will learn (like with everything else) with shop vac in hand.
4. It's just more complicated. Maybe too much.
Thoughts? Any advantages to doing this?
The good news is this is in the basement, temp is fixed around 70 year round, cement floor, etc... Tank is at 78 degrees F, dKH is 10.5, Cal is 400, Mag is 1300, PH is 8. It's not heavily stocked tank... added these a week ago.
Coming tomorrow:
APEX RELATED QUESTION: Is there a way to have the Apex warn me if water levels between S1 and S3 get out of whack?
So far they've been rock solid except for evaporation. I'm assuming I can add a few optical float switches and trigger something off of that. Or maybe trigger something off of Salinity?
Ideally, it would be a soleniod gate valve on the siphon leading down from S2 to S3... or the same solenoid between the tank and my RODI trashcan units.
Thoughts? (sorry for the long schpeel)
BTW - this is the old configuration. The new one would include S3.
Also note that the diagram displays flow, not height or location. Do NOT assume anything in terms of location based on these diagrams.
Not sure if all this matters, but wanted to mention it.
Hi all,
I've got a setup that has a DT and two sumps (S1 and S2)
DT = 150gal
S1= 35 gal Ecotech miracle mud system, carbon, chemipure, polyfil (essentially chemical)
S2= Red Sea Reefer 525 XL 56Gal sump with 2000SRO Ext protein skimmer and bioballs (essentially mechanical). Also has Sea Lettuce, about a softball size where water from S1 enters S2. 2 filter socks, 100 and 200 microns.
Don't ask me my reasoning on this... I have no idea. I really wanted one sump but logistics required me to have two -- ie newbie error, I bought the 525 XL for an unbelievable $50, but that was buying a sump before buying my tank. Huge mistake, but it's gonna be used, no matter what. Hence, it's plumbed into the system, nuff said.
I was going to put in a quarantine tank (30gal) but a lot of various issues made the placement of this particular tank not optimal. (newbie mistake of building organically into a corner of my basement. Now there's no space to expand backwards and my DT weighs about 1,200lbs, so it's not moving any time soon.
I'm still doing a QT but it will be entirely separate from the main loop.
Speaking of my loop, it contains only 1 pump -- the Varios8 pushing to a T split. I can control the flow to S2 vs. the DT. I get about 750gal/hr flow rate through to the DT according to my FMM, but I've also dropped it to around 250 gph.
It's positioned after the split so I know the flow rate is accurate. Some gal/hr is going to S2. I've gate valved it so that about 70% goes to DT, and 30% goes to S2. This means that when I've isolated S2 (no water going to it) my flow rate is 835 gph to the DT.
Then it repeats... no second pump, no weirdness once I got everything 'dialed in'. Using a Herbie drain, 1" pipes all around. However, feel free to correct me.
Diagram: see below
ME: Ex-video game designer, 90 video games created over 30 years. I've kept a 75gal freshwater tank *alive* and thriving for a year before getting into salt. Mainly because I suck at details, and my alarm on my watch is my best friend. A man's got to know his limitations.
Scenario: I now have a free 30 gal tank. I've had a very difficult time keeping my refugium from spitting macro algae into the mix, which eventually finds it way to my return pump. I also want to have an easy place (not my DT) to dose things like cal, alk, mag, and to do incremental daily water changes.
Yes, I have solved my 'macroalgae everywhere' problem with an egg crate shielding the return pump, but it looks cheap and feels inelegant. Some people's DIY looks professional and amazing. Mine starts (always) with duct tape.
Worse, I suffer from OCD, so when things aren't symmetrical or off kilter by even the tiniest bit, things no normal person would notice, I go nuts (technical term). Hence my success at designing video games like Elder Scrolls.
So I'm thinking of doing this:
Create a 2nd loop using a siphon down from S2 to S3, then pumped back up using a DC-2500, which I can hook up to my Apex.
This second loop would not be attached to the first, and I'd failsafe it with float switches to my breakout box on my Apex.
Why would I do this:
Advantages:
1. I have 30 more gallons I can add to the total water volume, better stability
2. I can make this a dedicated refugium
3. Plumbed with union ball valves at each end, I could easily isolate it as a quarantine tank when needed, but use it for the health of the system all other times (assuming nothing gets sick while in QT)
4. Could be the place for WC and for dosing (again, until a fish gets sick or is QT, then it's isolated so maybe not)
5. MOST COOL: I could create a water bridge between S3 and DT that only opens once the kids are out of QT. Then they can swim their way to the main tank.
- this last thing will never work, will it? Yeah, 'no' is a fine answer. Sigh.
Disadvantages:
1. two pumps, not connected but an extra failure point
2. Something will go wrong, and water will be everywhere.
3. I'll never figure out where to put my Tunze Osmolator to measure water level evaporation for ATO. Pretty sure it's still above the return pump in S1, but I'm probably wrong and will learn (like with everything else) with shop vac in hand.
4. It's just more complicated. Maybe too much.
Thoughts? Any advantages to doing this?
The good news is this is in the basement, temp is fixed around 70 year round, cement floor, etc... Tank is at 78 degrees F, dKH is 10.5, Cal is 400, Mag is 1300, PH is 8. It's not heavily stocked tank... added these a week ago.
- 5 chromis
- 1 rabbit fish
- 1 diamond watchman
- 1 BTA
- 2 emerald crabs
- 1 skunk cleaner shrimp
Coming tomorrow:
- Purple tang
- 2 bonded paired blood orange clownfish
- Derasa Clam
- 3 coral frags
- green metallic star polyp
- Silver branch pumping Xenia
- Grape Cristata
APEX RELATED QUESTION: Is there a way to have the Apex warn me if water levels between S1 and S3 get out of whack?
So far they've been rock solid except for evaporation. I'm assuming I can add a few optical float switches and trigger something off of that. Or maybe trigger something off of Salinity?
Ideally, it would be a soleniod gate valve on the siphon leading down from S2 to S3... or the same solenoid between the tank and my RODI trashcan units.
Thoughts? (sorry for the long schpeel)
BTW - this is the old configuration. The new one would include S3.
Also note that the diagram displays flow, not height or location. Do NOT assume anything in terms of location based on these diagrams.
- In real life, S1 is under the DT and uses a gravity drain
- S2 is 3 feet up on a table behind DT
- S3 is under S2 and about even with S1.
- S3 sits on it's own table under S2.
Not sure if all this matters, but wanted to mention it.
Last edited:
