Tank Upgrade

Abe K · May 15, 2021

Going from a 125 gallon Marineland to a 210 Gallon Aqueon tank. I am trying to use most of the equipment
I currently have:
3 HYDRA 26 Lights
2 MP40 pumps
1 Reef Octopus 220 Skimmer
1 Echo Tech M2 Return pump
1 500W Heater

What do you think I can re-use?

I will be replacing the sump with a Trigger Safire C44. Will be setting up a refuge in the sump and planning on the new Apex light
Any other suggestions please

Jeffcb · May 15, 2021

Abe K said:
Going from a 125 gallon Marineland to a 210 Gallon Aqueon tank. I am trying to use most of the equipment
I currently have:
3 HYDRA 26 Lights
2 MP40 pumps
1 Reef Octopus 220 Skimmer
1 Echo Tech M2 Return pump
1 500W Heater

What do you think I can re-use?

I will be replacing the sump with a Trigger Safire C44. Will be setting up a refuge in the sump and planning on the new Apex light
Any other suggestions please

A higher wattage heater.

Abe K · May 15, 2021

Jeffcb said:
A higher wattage heater.

How big 800 watts?

JCM · May 15, 2021

Reuse all of it. If something proves itself inadequate, rectify it.

Jeffcb · May 15, 2021

Abe K said:
How big 800 watts?

Or an addition 500 watt then you could re-use the 500

Abe K · Jun 24, 2021

So excited, our new tank wsill be set up next week. Am reusing most of the equipment but upgrading our sump to a Triton 44 and looking forward to see room in the stand for my Apex and ATO. So saying goodbye to the 125 and hellow to the 215. Now hopefully some will want the old stand sump and tank.

Dolphins18 · Jun 24, 2021

500 watt is plenty for heat. I have one 500 watt on my 270g total volume. I wish I would have gone with the 2 300w innovative marine heater kit.
If you are going with a dual overflow you'll need a second return pump as well as space allocated in the sump for it.
Congratulations on the upgrade

Abe K · Jun 24, 2021

Dolphins18 said:
500 watt is plenty for heat. I have one 500 watt on my 270g total volume. I wish I would have gone with the 2 300w innovative marine heater kit.
If you are going with a dual overflow you'll need a second return pump as well as space allocated in the sump for it.
Congratulations on the upgrade

My current 125 gallon tank has two overflows and I only have a single return pump. Is the 2nd one just for redundancy?

Azedenkae · Jun 24, 2021

Abe K said:
My current 125 gallon tank has two overflows and I only have a single return pump. Is the 2nd one just for redundancy?

It's just to ensure there is flow of water in both sides of the tank.

Dolphins18 · Jun 24, 2021

Abe K said:
My current 125 gallon tank has two overflows and I only have a single return pump. Is the 2nd one just for redundancy?

No but there a couple reasons I prefer two on a larger tank.
The first being the higher turnover rate, I believe that pump you mentioned is 2000 gph, with gravity it is probably around 1500-1700 gph, that is a turnover rate of somewhere around 5-7 on a tank that size most likely. I prefer my turn over rate in the 8-12x per hour range.
Also, lots of peace of mind in case a pump ever breaks down, you have a saving grace with the second one.

Abe K · Jun 24, 2021

So is each pump plumbed to a separate overflow?

Dolphins18 · Jun 24, 2021

Abe K said:
So is each pump plumbed to a separate overflow?

Correct, overflow flows into the sump as normal, and then you have one pump plumbed to one return, and the other pump plumbed to the other.
It's pretty straightforward to design, and beyond the pump taking up a little space in the sump, there is no real loss of space, as you would have to plumb the one pump to both returns anyway.

Abe K · Jun 24, 2021

What happens if one pump fails, do you have some sort of bypass valve to allow for the surviving pump to run both overflows?

Dolphins18 · Jun 24, 2021

Abe K said:
What happens if one pump fails, do you have some sort of bypass valve to allow for the surviving pump to run both overflows?

Nope but the tank will turn over at half its rate with only one pump returning water to the side its hooked up to (which is fine). The tank will generally work as normal in this situation, with a reduced turn over rate. The water level in the sump will raise a little bit and you may need to adjust your skimmer, but its much better than a tank sitting stagnant.

Abe K · Jun 24, 2021

No worries about sucking air from the down side?

Dolphins18 · Jun 24, 2021

Abe K said:
No worries about sucking air from the down side?

If you are referring to a siphon, just have a siphon break or better yet pressure guage on the each overflow. They are very easy to install and can be found at most hardware stores.