someone new to salt planing to build a sump+undergravel jets

[Pwny]

what do you think about bumping up pump to a 900 gph and droping then jet plan to somthing like this.

so that would be 10 heads at 90 gph each give or take, would als mean i need to step drain up to 1.25 pvc and the turnover would be somthing like 10.7

 

[d2mini]

I'm all for the experimenting and trying new things.
I've seen closed loop systems where there are returns that come up from the sand. Since these pipes extend a couple inches above the sand surface, the sand stays put.

But I'm a less is more kinda guy and believe that simpler can be better in reefing.
My concern here is that once you have a reef tank that is set up, thriving, full of corals and inverts and sand full of bacteria... you do not want something to go wrong, something that would require tearing things down to fix. IMHO, all that pipe under the sand is making things too complicated and setting yourself up for some major headaches down the road. I'm not saying you WILL have problems, I'm just saying you're creating more opportunity for problems to arise. From clogging to flooding to who knows what else.

 

[ccCapt]

But I'm a less is more kinda guy and believe that simpler can be better in reefing.

Absolutely +1
I am a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method. As they say....no need to reinvent the wheel. ;)

 

[andersoned14]

I was wondering (Since I'm still learning) in a case of power failure wouldn't this set up syphon his 55gal into his 29gal, with a "little" going onto the floor.

 

[Bifferwine]

You are right. He could put a one-way check valve on the return line, but those have been known to fail. During a power failure, it would drain the entire tank unless there was some way to stop the back siphon.

 

[Pwny]

"-the return pipe will have a Ball valve, check valve and also a uv sterilizer"
was under the sump plan
if the valve fails i just gota try and be quick to close the ball valve

 

[Bifferwine]

Let's hope you're home when it happens ;)

 

[coolhandgoose]

if the valve fails i just gota try and be quick to close the ball valve

So the obvious question... what if you're not home?

 

[Pwny]

lol have faith that the check valve did its job :)

 

[bjohanson1234]

Thats why you put a small hole like a 1/4" or so right at the water line of your return. Power goes out, some water syphons back but once that hole is above the water line, it sucks air and breaks the syphon. Prevents too much back flow into your sump.

 

[Bifferwine]

Thats why you put a small hole like a 1/4" or so right at the water line of your return. Power goes out, some water syphons back but once that hole is above the water line, it sucks air and breaks the syphon. Prevents too much back flow into your sump.

Yeah that doesn't work if the lines are at the bottom of the tank though. They will still drain the entire tank by the time the siphon hole is exposed to air.

 

[coolhandgoose]

From the description I'm not sure if he's planning on the return line ever being above the water line. If he is then for sure drill a syphon break just below the water line, but if he isn't there's a recipe for disaster.

 

[Pwny]

with all this talk about ugj i dont think any1 said anything bout my sump plans lol, dose it look good or anything i should add to improve it?

 

[Pwny]

ya i was planing on going over the back of the tank so i dont have to drill more holes. the pic is moreso just to show layout of jet position there will be 1 hole drilled in tank for sump drain and atleast 1 more drilled into sump for drain into. i was thinking of drilling a out hole from sump but chances are that ill scrap that plan. here ill do anouther view in paint to show it

 

[coolhandgoose]

Sump looks pretty good. I don't think you need that bubble trap that's on the right side though, just kind of a waste of space IMO.

Some people design theirs with the return pump in the middle and the drains going to either side. One side being for a protein skimmer the other for a fuge.

 

[reeffreak]

The skimmer is in a weird place and like Cool said,it looks like to many baffles.

A single drain system has skimmer chamber(left),refugium(middle) and return(right).A dual drain-skimmer(left chamber),return(middle),fuge(right.Or vice versa on those two.I think that you are thinking to hard...lol.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Yeah that doesn't work if the lines are at the bottom of the tank though. They will still drain the entire tank by the time the siphon hole is exposed to air.

Dont understand why you say this biff. You put a small hole right at the water line of the return pipes that go over the side of the tank. Syphon starts when power goes out, drains maybe 1/4" - 1/2" of water, hole is exposed breaks syphon. To me, I dont understand how the depth of the pipework has anything to do with how long it will take for the syphon break hole to be exposed to air.

 

[Bifferwine]

Ahh I posted that before he said the return lines were going over the top of the tank I think.

 

[bjohanson1234]

I just assumed they were:mrgreen: Probably because Ive never had a drilled tank.

 

[Bifferwine]

You my friend are missing out! Once you go drilled, you never go back. Or...is is black... Hmmm? :shock: