Plumbing, A few new Questions

GreenSpottedPuffer · #1 09-22-2007, 06:37 PM

What size pump would you guys recommend for this? Do you think the Dart would be good or should I just go smaller?

Oh and the return is going to end up being over the back. For the "herbie" style overflow I need both bulkheads in the overflow box because one is used as an emergency drain.

mark · #2 09-22-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

What size pump would you guys recommend for this? Do you think the Dart would be good or should I just go smaller?

Oh and the return is going to end up being over the back. For the "herbie" style overflow I need both bulkheads in the overflow box because one is used as an emergency drain.

Your plans for this tank is FOWLR correct? Have you selected a pump for the CL?

untamed · #3 09-22-2007, 11:52 PM

It looks like you've planned some sort of strainer over the intake of the primary Herbie drain. That will cause you minor irritation because as it blocks up with stuff, you'll be constantly adjusting the gate valve to compensate for the change in flow caused by the strainer.

You can try it and find out. Easy to remove it later.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #4 09-23-2007, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

It looks like you've planned some sort of strainer over the intake of the primary Herbie drain. That will cause you minor irritation because as it blocks up with stuff, you'll be constantly adjusting the gate valve to compensate for the change in flow caused by the strainer.

You can try it and find out. Easy to remove it later.

Yeah I was going to because I did some research and keep seeing that done. How is yours? Im not set on doing that though. I think the main idea is to keep any small fish or snails, ect out of the plumbing but since this is a FOWLR with no snails, crabs or small fish (smallest is 4") I may not need it.

spoot · #5 09-23-2007, 05:24 AM

Not sure how the herbie works (haven't read up on it) But by the picture, it looks as though the overflow pipe for the herbie is only halfway up the tank. How high will it be in real life? If it is this low, you will have a lot of water draining into sump in the event of a power outage.

From the looks of your diagram, what you should do is just drill a hole in the sump for the skimmer pump. Then drill a hole in the refuge for the skimmer output. That would solve your problem.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #6 09-23-2007, 04:04 PM

Herbie works by using the gate valve to match the overflow gph to the return pump gph exactly. This then does not let air into the the plumbing and therefor is very quiet. To do this, the main drain needs to be a few inches underwater in the overflow. Or you can just use a strainer in the bottom, doesnt matter.

As for a power outage, I dont see how its much different than any overflow...It will drain until the water goes below the teeth of the overflow box and then water will stop flowing into the overflow and then can't possibly go into the sump anymore. So basically maybe an inch of water. Where the pipe is, doesnt make a difference.

Your idea for the skimmer is good. I may have to just put it in the sump though depending if I make my stand higher or not. If its not made higher, I would not be able to have the skimmer raised up so that the return feeds back down inot the refugium.

Jason McK · #7 09-23-2007, 04:16 PM

As untamed commented I would strain the overflow with a filter bag in the sump. Much easier to clean and will not effect the 'Herbie" (why isn't this called a Therlow)

Filter Bag

spoot · #8 09-23-2007, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Herbie works by using the gate valve to match the overflow gph to the return pump gph exactly. This then does not let air into the the plumbing and therefor is very quiet. To do this, the main drain needs to be a few inches underwater in the overflow. Or you can just use a strainer in the bottom, doesnt matter.

As for a power outage, I dont see how its much different than any overflow...It will drain until the water goes below the teeth of the overflow box and then water will stop flowing into the overflow and then can't possibly go into the sump anymore. So basically maybe an inch of water. Where the pipe is, doesnt make a difference.

Your idea for the skimmer is good. I may have to just put it in the sump though depending if I make my stand higher or not. If its not made higher, I would not be able to have the skimmer raised up so that the return feeds back down inot the refugium.

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the overflow box! You are ok then

Is the second overflow plumbed into the sump as well then too? it wasn't connected to anything in the pic.

How big are you GSP's? My ceylons are 1.75" without tail, so I won't be attaching my skimmer/refug for a while.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #9 09-23-2007, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark

Your plans for this tank is FOWLR correct? Have you selected a pump for the CL?

I think going to use a Sequence Dart most likely for the closed loop, which means I may go with something smaller for the return, just to have less flow through the sump. Does that make sense? The Dart closed loop should give the tank enough flow I think...