Help me fine tune my 75G's plumbing...please

khilgers

khilgers

Member
My original plan was to get a 75 gallon and use an external overflow, but I found a really good deal on a 75 gallon AGA RR tank . I ordered my tank, Mag 7 pump and 3 Maxi-Jet 900 powerheads today and I will be building the sump next weekend, but I still need to finalize my plumbing plan. I had to change things around a bit to accomidate the bulkhead locations but here goes. If you have any comments or suggestions for better flow it would be greatly appreciated. Bang guy and squid, I know you guys helped me out a lot last time, hopefully you can help out again. Heres a pic. Thanks :) BTW it wil be a FOWLR tank.
 
tapeworm

tapeworm

Member
In my humble opinion....
There are basically two schools of thought out there, waste removal and waste processing. If you use raw water for your refugium, you are processing waste, which defeats the purpose of a refugium, imho.
If I were you...
I would have the drain draining into the skimmer area, get a much more powerful skimmer with a much higher turn over rate. You will knock the waste out of the water.
Get a larger pump, I run a 950 on my 55.
Shoot "cleaned" water into your refugium.
Hope this helps.
 
steveoutla

steveoutla

Member
Khilgers - Everything I've ever read on here and on other boards about refugiums is that you want raw water running through the fuge. The pods and critters living in the fuge take all the bad stuff out of the raw water and replace it with the good stuff. This seems to be the most recommended plan for a sump/fuge like you are building:
 
J

jfdjason

Guest
I tend to agree what is being said.....use "Raw" water for the fuge.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator

Originally posted by TapeWorm
If you use raw water for your refugium, you are processing waste, which defeats the purpose of a refugium, imho.
Can you expand on this a little so I understand your point of view.
khilgers - I prefer the original drawing. I think it will be fine.
The only place that might be a problem is the ball valve to the refuge. If the water level in the refugium is higher than the water level in the skimmer area then the water will tend to go to the skimmer and the refugium might not get enough water. Hard to tell without actually running it though.
If you find that the refugium isn't getting enough water then you'll need a ball valve on the other side of the 'T'. It will probably be fine as designed though.
 
khilgers

khilgers

Member

Originally posted by savage21
I agree with Steve and his drawing. In yours I can’t tell how you are returning the water from the sump. Check out my 135 thread Squidd helped me out a lot. He will drop his .2 in and then you will have a successful tank:happy:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...hreadid=143700
This is just one post there is more
The drain line is the one on the right that splits off to the skimmer area and to the fuge. The return line is the one on the left that 45's and hooks up with the bulkhead on the left. I drew arrows for flow, but apparently they are a little tricky to read. I'm fine with the return the way it is an like I said I already ordered the pump. I'm just trying to get better flow for my drain. Like squidd said before your drain line is "cheap" flow so I might as well make the most out of it. Squidd any help, you helped me out a lot last time.
 
khilgers

khilgers

Member

Originally posted by Bang Guy
Can you expand on this a little so I understand your point of view.
khilgers - I prefer the original drawing. I think it will be fine.
The only place that might be a problem is the ball valve to the refuge. If the water level in the refugium is higher than the water level in the skimmer area then the water will tend to go to the skimmer and the refugium might not get enough water. Hard to tell without actually running it though.
If you find that the refugium isn't getting enough water then you'll need a ball valve on the other side of the 'T'. It will probably be fine as designed though.
bang, my original drawing was for an external overflow, since then I have switched to a RR tank so I had to change my plumbing around a little. So you think it would be a good idea to put an additional ball valve on the other side of the "T" that way I can adjust flow going to the sump area and the fuge area.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
By original I meant the first drawing in this thread. I think it's a solid design.
There's no reason to put the ball valve in now. It's it gets difficult to balance the water flow then you can always put it in later.
 
S

savage21

Guest
Got it K
It looked like you were tring to send the return through the T
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
My $.02....
I'm thinking you guy's are on the right track....
Carry on....:yes:
TapeWorm...I think I understand your point, (sort of) and it depends on the "Goal" or "purpose" for your refugium/Fuge or what ever you want to call it...
The Goal/purpose of "mine" is...."To remove Mal-nutrients through the growth and Export (harvesting) of Macros", with pod production as a secondary, yet added benifit...
So my "Fuge" (Algal Scrubber actually) BOTH processes AND removes waste...
What is the "Goal" for your's...??
 
tapeworm

tapeworm

Member
I set out to achieve as pristine water as possible. I want as low of Nitrates and Phosphates as possible.
I decided to get rid of as much waste as possible, before the system gets to process it and thus produce nitrates and phosphates.
If you are looking for pods, thats a different story I guess.
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
I decided to get rid of as much waste as possible, before the system gets to process it and thus produce nitrates and phosphates.
I agree with this point...Removing waste will lessen the production of NitrAtes...
Phosphates are not "produced" they are "added"...and some NirAte wil be produced because you will not be able to remove all waste before it is converted...
So, What is your plan for removing them...??
 
tapeworm

tapeworm

Member
Hey Squidd,
I am running an algaescrubber fuge, around 10 gallons for a 55 gallon display. I am also running a skimmer that turns my water over four times per hour.
I think that the combination of bare bottom, quality LR, sweeping currents, very high flow, oversized powerful skimmer, fuge with macro algae and DSB should come close to doing the job.
Any other ideas?
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member

Originally posted by TapeWorm
...I think that the combination of bare bottom, quality LR, sweeping currents, very high flow, oversized powerful skimmer, fuge with macro algae and DSB should come close to doing the job.
Any other ideas?
I think you have it pretty much right there...(same system I run/no DSB)...only comment would be..
Growing Macros will "absorb" malnutrients...but they need to be harvested to for them to be removed from the system...My concern would be...if your fuge is large enough to meet current and future bioload needs...??
 
tapeworm

tapeworm

Member
I am planning on keeping my bio load down to a minimum. A couple clown fish and the rest will be inverts and corals.
I have a 210 for fish:) Keeping the 55 strictly reef.
I can always expand the size of my fuge, if I need to, plenty of room.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator

Originally posted by TapeWorm
fuge with macro algae and DSB should come close to doing the job.
Any other ideas?
I understand now. Typically refugiums are meant to grow some organism in a predator free environment. Nothing wrong with what you're doing though but it's more of an algae scrubber as you mentioned.
I'd suggest removing the DSB because the sand bed infauna will starve without a constant supply of detritus. The algae you have should be able to remove significant amounts of phosphate & nitrate. You might even see an improvement without the DSB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top