80g on the road (long & boring)

[Dan Norgard]

Well, I'm getting excited...Got my 80 set up with a 30g sump next to it. My
wife really wants seahorses in the sump with the macro algae so I thought
I'd put it up with the main tank so she wouldn't have to lay on the floor to
see them.
Having the water level just 4" lower than the main sure makes it drain slow,
but I finally got the Mag 7 throttled down enough to keep it in flow
balance. I have added a 1/2" ball valve to use the extra flow from the pump
for the skimmer and right now there is a gentle current across the 30 to the
bubbletrap.
I put 75lb of Oolithic in last night and was pleased to see the currents
swirling randomly from the four overhead and three under-the-future-LR
outlets. Right now it's just pumping to keep the salt mix going and
tomorrow I'm getting the heater so I can properly check the salinity.
As soon as the temp and salinity stabilize it's down to Phoenix to get some
LR and listen to my kids laugh when they call and I tell them I'm just
sittin' around watchin' the rocks grow.

The odd thing is when I shut it down, let the drains die down and restart
the pump it usually stabilizes at a different level in the pump section each
time.

Like I said, long and boring

Dan

[Marc Levenson]

Dan Norgard wrote:

> Well, I'm getting excited...Got my 80 set up with a 30g sump next to it. My
> wife really wants seahorses in the sump with the macro algae so I thought
> I'd put it up with the main tank so she wouldn't have to lay on the floor to
> see them.

So the sump and the main tank are at the same level, basically? The 30g must be
shorter than the 80g, right?

> Having the water level just 4" lower than the main sure makes it drain slow,
> but I finally got the Mag 7 throttled down enough to keep it in flow
> balance. I have added a 1/2" ball valve to use the extra flow from the pump
> for the skimmer and right now there is a gentle current across the 30 to the
> bubbletrap.

Is the Mag 7 your return?

> I put 75lb of Oolithic in last night and was pleased to see the currents
> swirling randomly from the four overhead and three under-the-future-LR
> outlets. Right now it's just pumping to keep the salt mix going and
> tomorrow I'm getting the heater so I can properly check the salinity.
> As soon as the temp and salinity stabilize it's down to Phoenix to get some
> LR and listen to my kids laugh when they call and I tell them I'm just
> sittin' around watchin' the rocks grow.
>
> The odd thing is when I shut it down, let the drains die down and restart
> the pump it usually stabilizes at a different level in the pump section each
> time.

The return section varies, usually due to evaporation. But what you describe
doesn't sound like what you are describing. How much variance is there? It
could be that the "throttled back" Mag 7 isn't flowing at the same rate each
time, for whatever reason.

Marc



--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Dan Norgard]

"Marc Levenson" > wrote in message
...


Dan Norgard wrote:

> Well, I'm getting excited...Got my 80 set up with a 30g sump next to it.

So the sump and the main tank are at the same level, basically? The 30g
must be
shorter than the 80g, right?
****Right; there is a 4' difference between the two and the sump runs 1-1/2"
lower than that to allow for the overflow to drain down.

> Having the water level just 4" lower than the main sure makes it drain
slow,
> but I finally got the Mag 7 throttled down enough to keep it in flow
> balance.

Is the Mag 7 your return?
**** Yes, I bought it when I thought the sump would be lower than the main
tank.

> The odd thing is when I shut it down, let the drains die down and restart
> the pump it usually stabilizes at a different level in the pump section
each
> time.
The return section varies, usually due to evaporation. But what you
describe
doesn't sound like what you are describing. How much variance is there? It
could be that the "throttled back" Mag 7 isn't flowing at the same rate each
time, for whatever reason.
****The water has only been in for a day, so I doubt it's evaporation.
The area the Mag 7 sits in holds 2-3 gallons and the running level varies
1/4=1-1/2 gallons. This translates to 1/4' below the rim of the bubbletrap
to about 7". Each time I fire it up it is different
but once it hits the 'level' it seems to maintain it without adjustment.

Thanks for your input Marc, and for your website.
Dan

[Dan Norgard]

Oops...these should be 4 INCHES and 1/4 INCHES, not feet.
Guess I finally out-typed my brain...
Dan

****Right; there is a 4' difference between the two and the sump runs 1-1/2"
lower than that to allow for the overflow to drain down.

This translates to 1/4' below the rim of the bubbletrap
to about 7".

[Marc Levenson]

Okay, try something different in your return plumbing and see if this levels it
out.

Put a Tee in the return line, and then an elbow and a ball valve and another
elbow. You are going to redirect some of the flow right back into your sump, so
you aren't adding any head pressure to the Mag 7. Here's how I did that on my
Mag 9.5 under my 55g reef.

http://www.melevsreef.com/return.jpg

The vertical pipe with a ballvalve is my excess line. By closing that valve,
nothing goes out the line and it all has to go up to the main tank. By opening
the valve, less water goes up as some goes right back into the sump.

Ignore the horitontal pipe and ballvalve. That is simply how I feed my refugium
some of the water.

I think if you try this out, you can find the right level of flow, and your
display should maintain the right height.

Marc


Dan Norgard wrote:

> The water has only been in for a day, so I doubt it's evaporation.
> The area the Mag 7 sits in holds 2-3 gallons and the running level varies
> 1/4=1-1/2 gallons. This translates to 1/4' below the rim of the bubbletrap
> to about 7". Each time I fire it up it is different but once it hits the
> 'level' it seems to maintain it without adjustment.
>
> Thanks for your input Marc, and for your website.
> Dan

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Dan Norgard]

Right...that's what I'll be doing with the PS. I think I found the
problem...The depth varies with the height of the overflow, so I just have
to find the right setting. Thanks,
Dan


"Marc Levenson" > wrote in message
...
Okay, try something different in your return plumbing and see if this levels
it
out.

Put a Tee in the return line, and then an elbow and a ball valve and another
elbow. You are going to redirect some of the flow right back into your
sump, so
you aren't adding any head pressure to the Mag 7. Here's how I did that on
my
Mag 9.5 under my 55g reef.

http://www.melevsreef.com/return.jpg