Show Off and Discuss Your Red Sea Reefer Series

[NealH]

Are you running a manifold (like so many people are?) They aren't recommended for the Herbie style overflows. As the canisters get a little clogged they change the amount of water they have running through them, so more or less goes to the tank. Changes in flow will make the level go up and down in the overflow box.

I'm just running the stock overflow setup that comes on the reefer--no modifications.

 

[pelphrey]

I hope this gets resolved for you. I've been running my tank since November and haven't touched the dial once, I do weekly 5 gallon water changes.

 

[Trey302]

It's sad that they won't just admit that the thing is garbage and redesign it. They sent me a new valve about six months after I got mine, but it made no difference. I think that from a physics standpoint, it's just not possible to adjust the flow and get it stable. There's no way change the height of the water in the overflow box by restricting or increasing flow, and not have it ultimately be too low, or too high. The outflow has to equal the inflow for it to be stable. You could theoretically somehow get those two exactly equal (unlikely by dumb luck) or one will be even minutely off which will ultimately end up making the level too low or too high. If you've made this difference small enough, this will take days or possibly even weeks, but it will happen. There's no way to ever get it exactly stable.

Yeah it sucks because I love everything else about the tank except for that. I guess I could change the plumbing but a lot of the reason I bought the reefer series tank was so that I wouldn't have to do that. Hopefully I'll have better luck with the new drain valve or I'll have to figure something out because it drives me absolutely crazy not being able to get that thing set right.

My only other thought was that maybe because I have a controllable return pump maybe the speed of it might fluctuate and cause problems? Anyone know if that might be a possibility? I've tried adjusting the speed of the return pump with the hope that a slower turnover rate might make adjusting it easier but that never seemed to help either.

 

[pelphrey]

@Trey302 I am using a DC return pump on my system with a manifold. To be specific the Reef Octopus VarioS6 and I've not have any issues with the flow fluctuating and any siphon loss.

 

[bonomo53]

Anyone have any tips on getting a new Auto Top Off? Not sure what type and how to set it up.
450 reefer

I didn't even bother with the stock ato or reservoir i setup a Tunze coming from a larger reservoir next to the tank.

 

[Mystikal]

The water level in Mine fluctuates during the night time, then the day it's perfectly fine. I notice this happen because my Vectra/vortechs slow down in the night time, so the flow isn't as intense. Maybe that's your issue?

 

[Trey302]

@Trey302 I am using a DC return pump on my system with a manifold. To be specific the Reef Octopus VarioS6 and I've not have any issues with the flow fluctuating and any siphon loss.

Thanks @pelphrey! I'm running the eheim compact 3000 with everything else being stock so maybe that's not the problem. That was just the only other thing I could think of to cause a variation in the water level. And it's done it with the stock ato and the tunze I have on there now so I don't think it's an issue with the level in the sump.

And @Mystikal while my pump is adjustable, I have to manually do it by turning a knob on the pump so it's not something that should change. All my pumps are set to run the exact same way all day every day so that's why I'm confused as to why the level will not stay consistent.

 

[Reefer525XL]

Just an FYI Red Sea has those return barbs in stock again if you are hard plumbing other drains.

I just called and they said they are out... Not sure if they all use the same size but which tank do you have?

 

[jasonamyers]

The 425 XL.

 

[shred5]

I've emailed them so many times and they just keep saying be patient with it and only make small adjustments to it and it will stabilize. Two years later and it will be stable for a couple of days, then for no apparent reason it will either go too low, or it will move up to the emergency overflow. It's annoying because it is always causing fluctuations in salinity.



Not loud, just always unstable. It will be stable for a few days, then for no apparent reason it will get out of whack. Also, any time you do a water change or even make a change in your flow, it will get all screwed up. I bet if you asked 90% of reefer owners to see what the water level is in the overflow box, it will be going into the emergency pipe. That seems to be the default with their system.

Yea same issue here..
What is happening is one click one way and the water in the overflow goes too low and the main is sucking air. One click the other way and the overflow fill to much and I have water running down the emergency drain which is loud. 1/2 a click is about right but after a few days the water rises and goes down the emergency again.

What is happening is over time more bacteria grows in the main overflow or other critters grow on it cause it to drain slower which causing the water to rise slowly till it is falling over the emergency and it gets loud again..

 

[Reefer525XL]

The 425 XL.

Weird... I was told they are out of stock for another month.

 

[gpinto81]

Weird... I was told they are out of stock for another month.

Same here. Does anyone know where else we can get this. Kind of holding up my sump redesign :-/

 

[kodo28]

Weird... I was told they are out of stock for another month.

For sure due the new serie XXL coming out soon...
Concerning the valve, this valve exist since years on RedSea S-max serie and was never an issue on those tanks.
Problem on the Reefer serie is that the overflow internal main drain tube is located to high and you need to close the valve most full closed to get the right level on the overflow and this is a problem with any debris that could accumulate on the valve and most people are using the recommended flow on return pump which is not helping also.
The thing here is to try to get the valve open as much as possible with a bigger adjustable return pump and check for the right water level on the overflow. not to much down and not to high this will allow to avoid any huge change on salinity if the level go down or up.
I've been running my old S-max 500, reefer 450 and 525xl with this valve and I can tell that was super easy to get it right on the S-max. On the 450 was not easy and on the 525XL was Ok...level is stable since months!!
A small trick when adjusting the water level on the overflow is to check this one from the front side overflow transparency and level should be just down of the plastic overflow check at 0:33 on this video where you can see the water level inside the overflow trough the glass

 

[ReefingwithO]

Yea same issue here..
What is happening is one click one way and the water in the overflow goes too low and the main is sucking air. One click the other way and the overflow fill to much and I have water running down the emergency drain which is loud. 1/2 a click is about right but after a few days the water rises and goes down the emergency again.

What is happening is over time more bacteria grows in the main overflow or other critters grow on it cause it to drain slower which causing the water to rise slowly till it is falling over the emergency and it gets loud again..

I use a Vectra and my flow is constant and the valve still gives me issues. I'm about to swap it out for a Spears Gate valve from BRS.
I'm also going to add the flow monitoring kit from Neptune Systems to see how much flow my Vectra is sending to the display.

 

[Trey302]

I use a Vectra and my flow is constant and the valve still gives me issues. I'm about to swap it out for a Spears Gate valve from BRS.
I'm also going to add the flow monitoring kit from Neptune Systems to see how much flow my Vectra is sending to the display.

How difficult is it to install a gate valve? Never done much plumbing so that's why I haven't been quick to change anything from the stock setup.

 

[jasonamyers]

Weird... I was told they are out of stock for another month.

Amanda told me had them this morning

 

[Broadfield]

How difficult is it to install a gate valve? Never done much plumbing so that's why I haven't been quick to change anything from the stock setup.

It's actually super easy... you can just leave your emergency and return as is if you want. Parts you will need:

• Teflon tape
• 3/4" MPT x 1" SLIP PVC adapter
• 1" pipe
• 1" gate valve
• Red Sea barbed return fitting

You can see on mine how simple of a setup it is:

Sump by Toby Broadfield, on Flickr

 

[fredjr]

This is what I got done today.

 

[fredjr]

 

[fredjr]

Thanks, It's a work in progress.