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Unread 01/06/2008, 11:12 AM   #1
viodea
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what pump do you use to start a syphon or do a water change?

Do you use a pump to start syphon? How do you do it? What pump?

Do you use gravity feed or pump for water change? I can gravity feed to my sump but not to the display tank. I'm not sure my gravity feed can keep up the pace with my return pump though. Which means I have to start and stop my return pumps a few times before it's finished. Is it a bad thing to start/stop so quick so many times?

thanks


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:08 PM   #2
scrmbld33
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i stop my return pump and use a old maxi jet to pump out the water from the display, the use to pump the water back


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:15 PM   #3
tmz
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Use a length of clear 1/2inch airline tubing with a squeeze bulb on the end. Many suck of the end of the hose to start it.

Starting and stopping pumps puts load on them. Over time it will wear them down more quickly than a constant run. Slow down your garavity feed with a vavle of some sort or pinch the hose or rather than statr and stop the pump,start and stop the gravity feed.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:21 PM   #4
Misled
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I have a few different size tubes to siphon depending on whether or not I want to do cleaning or not. I use a small one to vacume the rocks, a large to just remove water. Just give a suck.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:22 PM   #5
viodea
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Quote:
Originally posted by tmz
Use a length of clear 1/2inch airline tubing with a squeeze bulb on the end. Many suck of the end of the hose to start it.

Starting and stopping pumps puts load on them. Over time it will wear them down more quickly than a constant run. Slow down your garavity feed with a vavle of some sort or pinch the hose or rather than statr and stop the pump,start and stop the gravity feed.
Can you show me a link or picture of the squeeze bulb? I really dislike the sucking idea
Do you think my gravity feed is going to out pace my return pump? My worry is the other way around.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:42 PM   #6
ThaNgBOm321
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my mouth... that water is nasty i tell you...

YzGyz


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Unread 01/06/2008, 12:54 PM   #7
Cope
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A CLEAR tube. help a lot to see it commin, Havent gotten water in my mouth in a long time.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 01:24 PM   #8
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Or just get a spare maxijet---every reefer should have one for moving water. Half-inch diameter hose about 4' long, and you put the pump in whatever your want to move water FROM.

It takes an mj1200 to lift water from a bucket on the floor into your average 20" tall tank. That force of lift is called 'head'. If a pump doesn't have enough, water will flow very slowly or not at all, and will stall in the hose.

Reverse the position of pump and hose, and put the pump in your tank, hose in a waste bucket, plug in, and it will drain out the water BUT once flowing, with the line going DOWN, it will siphon even AFTER you cut the power to the pump. So first lift the pump out of your tank, let the water in it drain down, and THEN spare a hand to unplug the pump. Running dry for 10 seconds won't hurt it.

Use a simple siphon on a nano-tank: pump is too much, where you add water by the cupful.

But an mj 400 is very good for a salt mixing pump. Just put it in the salt bucket in an emergency and you can have iffy but usable salt water inside 3 hours, if it's life and death. Waiting until morning and letting it run overnight is better.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 01:46 PM   #9
tmz
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http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...wType=Category

That's the link for the siphon starter.

Do you think my gravity feed is going to out pace my return pump? My worry is the other way around.

I don't understand. I leave the overflow running while I siphon off water for a change or I shut off the return pump if I'm doing a large one. I add the new water by buckett to the sump.


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Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.
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Unread 01/06/2008, 01:49 PM   #10
erikages
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I use old maxijet 1200s, and have them installed directly in the sump.

If you do a permanent thing like mine, make sure that you place a hole in the arc of the tubing. In order to stop spray, I've placed a smaller tube in the hole (sealed with a glue gun). This stops any siphoning effects.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 04:32 PM   #11
viodea
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Quote:
Originally posted by Sk8r
Or just get a spare maxijet---every reefer should have one for moving water. Half-inch diameter hose about 4' long, and you put the pump in whatever your want to move water FROM.

It takes an mj1200 to lift water from a bucket on the floor into your average 20" tall tank. That force of lift is called 'head'. If a pump doesn't have enough, water will flow very slowly or not at all, and will stall in the hose.

Reverse the position of pump and hose, and put the pump in your tank, hose in a waste bucket, plug in, and it will drain out the water BUT once flowing, with the line going DOWN, it will siphon even AFTER you cut the power to the pump. So first lift the pump out of your tank, let the water in it drain down, and THEN spare a hand to unplug the pump. Running dry for 10 seconds won't hurt it.

Use a simple siphon on a nano-tank: pump is too much, where you add water by the cupful.

But an mj 400 is very good for a salt mixing pump. Just put it in the salt bucket in an emergency and you can have iffy but usable salt water inside 3 hours, if it's life and death. Waiting until morning and letting it run overnight is better.
as a long term solution, I'm thinking putting a MJ1200 in my salt water container for mixing and pumping water to the tank directly through a 10' long hose. Is this doable?


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Unread 01/06/2008, 04:34 PM   #12
viodea
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Quote:
Originally posted by tmz
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...wType=Category

That's the link for the siphon starter.

Do you think my gravity feed is going to out pace my return pump? My worry is the other way around.

I don't understand. I leave the overflow running while I siphon off water for a change or I shut off the return pump if I'm doing a large one. I add the new water by buckett to the sump.
cool. thanks for the link.

I mean if my gravity feed doesn't dump water into my sump quick enough, my sump will run dry pretty quick once I start the return pump.


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Unread 01/06/2008, 04:41 PM   #13
ThaNgBOm321
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i use a 4' or soo clear tube... but i still get some sometimes... as for the mj's.. i converted all i had to mj mods... they don't do head... i use a clamp.. clamp one end in the tank to whatever height.. then suck.. once rolling i dint do it again.. i just lift the outlet end to the same height as the tanks top and it stays primed.. then i wedge in into the clamp as i pout the 5 gall bucket out in the yard.. ( only reason i do this is so i dont over drain the tank. i know how much im taking out.. 4 buckets = my 19 gall WC.. yes i can put a mark on the main tank but it will hurt my eye) it's not that bad though..

YzGyz


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YzGyz = Wise Guys ohhh and cows go MOOO!!!

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thx to Randy and so many other for making reefing that much easier
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Unread 01/06/2008, 04:55 PM   #14
Cope
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Lol do not plug in the pump before you put the hose in the tank!
Ask my how I know!

Thats why I kinda dont like the pump method.


__________________
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Current Tank Info: Soon to be 500 gallon mixed reef!
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Unread 01/06/2008, 05:07 PM   #15
coraljunky
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I siphon out and pump in with a maxijet 1200. Still looking for a BETTER way.............


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Unread 01/06/2008, 06:21 PM   #16
ThaNgBOm321
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best i seen .. well in pics and others are when everything is pre-plumbed... one valve and the main return redirects water to a drain.. and another pump from a storage vat to the fuge again.. ( they use the same pump to mix as well ) you just need the room and a little extra $$ for the extra piping and pump.. but imo worth it if you can get it..

YzGYz


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YzGyz = Wise Guys ohhh and cows go MOOO!!!

2nd best way is to learn from ones own mistakes but the best way to learn is from others...

thx to Randy and so many other for making reefing that much easier
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