ReefMat 1200 hard plumbing

[JonoH]

How much fleece do you go through with both drains running through it, this is similar to what i am considering setting up.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Following.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

How much fleece do you go through with both drains running through it, this is similar to what i am considering setting up.

I haven’t finished rock scape. So I’m not sure.

 

[QuickrdenU]

How much fleece do you go through with both drains running through it, this is similar to what i am considering setting up.

I get about 50 days out of a roll or roughly 29” average per day. Using both drains on a 200 gallon mixed reef with feeding heavy.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

I get about 50 days out of a roll or roughly 29” average per day. Using both drains on a 200 gallon mixed reef with feeding heavy.

That’s reasonable for me.

 

[QuickrdenU]

That’s reasonable for me.

No way I’m ever using anything else. It’s nice. Pristine water quality and very little effort.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

No way I’m ever using anything else. It’s nice. Pristine water quality and very little effort.

I have a clearisea on my Red Sea 250. It’s very packed with coral and fish. They are all going into my new build with this reefmat. I only get about 2-3 weeks best case. I love the fleece roller. Looking forward to the new setup lasting a lot longer

 

[JonoH]

I get about 50 days out of a roll or roughly 29” average per day. Using both drains on a 200 gallon mixed reef with feeding heavy.

Thats what i wanted to hear!! :-)

 

[QuickrdenU]

Thats what i wanted to hear!! :)

I also turned the mat advance length down to the smallest amount. You hear it more throughout the day but it helped make the roll last longer.

 

[thom_smith]

There is an awful lot of plumbing jammed into a tight space here! Want to make sure I am folloding correctly and hear your experiences. It looks as though your drain enters through a bulkhead in the crash chamber and ReefMat is another bulkhead into the crash chamber. Do you find this configuratuon drains and filters through the ReefMat quickly enough to not exceed the chamber wall and overflow into the fleece area unfiltered? From the level in your picture that certainly appears to be the case. That was my plan also but several have advised me against it. So presently my sump build is in limbo while I figure it out. Is that lower left diagonal also an active drain feeding into the crash chamber? So two trains entering and passively feeding through the inlet bulkhead to the ReefMat? That would be my IDEAL setup!

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I run my e drains through both my tanks reefmats also (500 and 1200). I did not hard plumb these thumb, I am not a fan of hard plumbing my reefmats, I like being able to have quick easy access into my sumps.

 

[thom_smith]

I run my e drains through both my tanks reefmats also (500 and 1200). I did not hard plumb these thumb, I am not a fan of hard plumbing my reefmats, I like being able to have quick easy access into my sumps.

Agree to a significant extent and would say I am using a liberal definition of hard plumbing. Yes, I plan on using 1" Schedule 40 PVC and fittings. But I also want to be able to remove and service the ReefMat if necessary without cutting anything up. Intend on just dry fitting the inlet together. It's not under significant pressure so don't need to worry about the fittings bursting. And who really cares if I havr an occasional drip escape? It's in the sump.. The ability to remove and service far outweighs any cons.

Just want to verify what I'm looking at here because there is a lot of plumbing in a tight space. Do you have two drains plumbed into a tee hidden below the dirty fleece role? And the third fitting immediately adjacent to your dosing tubes is presumably your return? My only concern with plumbing them together in this manner is potential noise from the significant flow differences. The majority of inlet flow comes from the primary with only trickle or minimal from secondary. You've only got two so the second is your e drain? Any actual flow through it? I'll have a bean animal with emergency drain plumbed to fuge and rarely if ever used.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Agree to a significant extent and would say I am using a liberal definition of hard plumbing. Yes, I plan on using 1" Schedule 40 PVC and fittings. But I also want to be able to remove and service the ReefMat if necessary without cutting anything up. Intend on just dry fitting the inlet together. It's not under significant pressure so don't need to worry about the fittings bursting. And who really cares if I havr an occasional drip escape? It's in the sump.. The ability to remove and service far outweighs any cons.

Just want to verify what I'm looking at here because there is a lot of plumbing in a tight space. Do you have two drains plumbed into a tee hidden below the dirty fleece role? And the third fitting immediately adjacent to your dosing tubes is presumably your return? My only concern with plumbing them together in this manner is potential noise from the significant flow differences. The majority of inlet flow comes from the primary with only trickle or minimal from secondary. You've only got two so the second is your e drain? Any actual flow through it? I'll have a bean animal with emergency drain plumbed to fuge and rarely if ever used.

Do you have two drains plumbed into a tee hidden below the dirty fleece role? And the third fitting immediately adjacent to your dosing tubes is presumably your return?
- No. That is not plumbed to a T. It simply is a "L" that is connected to another piece of 2 inches of tubbing that dumps water below the water line that exists when the fleece is completely clean. This way, there is no noise of water ever running. It works rather well.
My only concern with plumbing them together in this manner is potential noise from the significant flow differences.
- Perhaps. However, I was more concerned with the back pressure. The e-drain has far less water running through it. IF the e-drain has to fight its way through the device, then water would be slightly backed up the e-drain tube often (which I already see a little of with this design).

The majority of inlet flow comes from the primary with only trickle or minimal from secondary. You've only got two so the second is your e drain?
Yes

Any actual flow through it?
- Some not a ton. More so on my 500.

I had a different set up for about a month. I dropped it down from 1 inch to 3/4 and didn't glue it. It leaked like crazy and eventually let go. I glued what you see and it is 1 inch.

I hope this helps. I will say that I will not plumb these any differently as it works really well in my application and has zero noise. One is near our living room TV and the other next to our bed. So, a silent drain is essential to my good health :)


I'll have a bean animal with emergency drain plumbed to fuge and rarely if ever used.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Agree to a significant extent and would say I am using a liberal definition of hard plumbing. Yes, I plan on using 1" Schedule 40 PVC and fittings. But I also want to be able to remove and service the ReefMat if necessary without cutting anything up. Intend on just dry fitting the inlet together. It's not under significant pressure so don't need to worry about the fittings bursting. And who really cares if I havr an occasional drip escape? It's in the sump.. The ability to remove and service far outweighs any cons.

Just want to verify what I'm looking at here because there is a lot of plumbing in a tight space. Do you have two drains plumbed into a tee hidden below the dirty fleece role? And the third fitting immediately adjacent to your dosing tubes is presumably your return? My only concern with plumbing them together in this manner is potential noise from the significant flow differences. The majority of inlet flow comes from the primary with only trickle or minimal from secondary. You've only got two so the second is your e drain? Any actual flow through it? I'll have a bean animal with emergency drain plumbed to fuge and rarely if ever used.

Here are pics of my Reefer 250 with a 500. I pulled the stock sump and put a 20L in. Much easier than having to hack up the original sump, and only $27.50.

 

[special1kad]

I've been a big supporter of the fleece filters since I put one on my RSR250(Clarisea sk-3000). I'm currently planning out a build on a CDA 125gal tank. I did some searching and didn't find all the info I needed to plumb this Red Sea Reefmat 1200 with dual drains. It's rated up to 2380 GPH. The CDA tank has 3 drains on the external overflow(primary, secondary, and emergency drains). My plan is to have 1" pipe for all three drains. The Reefmat has two connections for the inlet but it only comes with 1 inlet hose kit, union and barb to hook the inlet hose kit to your existing RSR plumbing. The second inlet has a cap/plug installed on it. If you're going to hook up the second drain you will need the inlet hose kit or do a conversion to PVC fittings.

Inlet hose kit from Red Sea(most placed backordered not stocked)

R35469 - Red Sea

Find your required Red Sea spare parts, hassle free. The item can be supplied to you by any certified Red Sea dealer.

g1.redseafish.com

PVC fittings using the existing threaded nut from the inlet cap/plug. Went to Lowes and just grabbed what they had on the shelf. I'm sure you could find what you need online to fit your needs. I really just wanted to do a mock up and measure things to make sure the sump I'm getting will fit the Reefmat 1200.

1" PVC union(SCH 80 or SCH 40 works) - use only the non threaded side

1" PVC street elbow SPIG x SLIP

For comparison sake here's the inlet hose vs pvc conversion

The total width of the Reefmat 1200 with the stock inlet only installed can vary from 12-1/2" to 13" depending on how tight you pull the hose in the inlet. But you could save some space by to the pvc conversion on both sides if your sump has a tight fit when you install this Reefmat.

Thank you sooooo much for such a thorough explanation of hard plumbing this....the solvent union was the saving grace, you rock!!!

 

[jphilip813]

I converted mine (Reefmat 500) as well almost a year ago, after watch a YouTube video of another RedSea 500 user doing it...smartest dyi I think I did, clean-look overall. But I went to Home Depot (El Paso) instead, because the unions at Lowes just was not screwing on...atleast the the three I picked up. Wish they had them in Grey, but this worked regardless.

 

[mikst]

I converted mine (Reefmat 500) as well almost a year ago, after watch a YouTube video of another RedSea 500 user doing it...smartest dyi I think I did, clean-look overall. But I went to Home Depot (El Paso) instead, because the unions at Lowes just was not screwing on...atleast the the three I picked up. Wish they had them in Grey, but this worked regardless.

Nice ! That's cool that you were able to use the actual union threading. Do you recall what size union it is? I'm working on a roller 1200.

 

[mikst]

Hi, I see the elbow, but I can't figure out what fitting has the lip on the white pipe inside the black ring . Can you enlighten me please?

 

[jphilip813]

Nice ! That's cool that you were able to use the actual union threading. Do you recall what size union it is? I'm working on a roller 1200.

All one inch unions...White ones from Home Depot

 

[mikst]

All one inch unions...White ones from Home Depot

Thank you. And they thread right onto the rsrm? That's cool.