plumbing question?

[reeferhabit]

I just hooked up a new Coralife external pump (793 gph), and it is way too much flow for my 54 gallon tank to handle. I am trying to figure out a way to slow the flow in my display without having to restrict the pump with a ball valve.

Any advice?

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

You can put a T in the line w/ a valve that goes back into the sump. the more you open this valve, the less flow goes to the display and the more that gets recirculated. Later you can run this line to a Fuge if you decide to add one.

[Latimer]

t-off back to the sump with a ball valve there. in theory you wouldnt be restricting flow up but since it would be lower than the tank it would try going their first then allowing whats left to go to the tank.

looks good in my head haahaa!

[Latimer]

damn wizzard beat me to it!

[reeferhabit]

if I put a "T" and a ball valve, where should I place the ball valve? Should I place it close to the "T" or close the outlet.
Does it even matter?

[Latimer]

id put it atleast 6" off the T or at the outlet so that there is some room for the water to flow that way before being restricted

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

In reality, it won't matter, it's a pressurized line and it will look for the easiest exit (which is always a lower point in the line). Head pressure dictates it.

And I didn't beat you by much.

[JohnnyM2]

FYI gate valves are easier to adjust. Ball valves get "sticky" and its hard to divert just the "right "amount of flow.

[reeferhabit]

When I "T" off the return going in to sump, i am considering connecting my UV sterilizer on that return line. This will eliminate the pump I was using for UV sterilizer.

Will this work? Any insight into this setup.

[Latimer]

i dont see why it wouldnt work good thinking

[tmz]

I think that will work. The only concern I would have with having the ball valve too far from the tee is that when you close it and if you leave it closed for long period of time the water in a long length of pipelwill be stagnant and may become anoxic leading to hydrogen sulfide.

[Latimer]

you could always make it 45 degree down towards sump, so if it was off for a long period of time it would drain down. but i dont see why you would close it completely off for a long period of time since it is the return line. if you didnt want any of the flow diverted you would just eliminate it or let it have a slow trickle so water doesnt go stagnant.

Im by far no expert but in my head i still think you would need alittle bit of distance from the T before the valve . the 1-2" you would get putting it at the T might not be enough flowing that direction to use the slightly opened valve since it would be rushing past it. you would get some but i dont think the full amount youd be wanting. whereas if say 5" is there it would build up alittle pressure on the valve and flow well.

this may call need for me to run an experiment haahaa

[reeferhabit]

Alright... I "T" the plumbing and added a ball valve on the return line that is flowing into the sump like suggested. I still have a problem though. I dont know if my pump is still too powerful but my sump is still drainging faster than water is flowing in. The result is a bunch of bubbles flowing into my display. Any insight?

My second issue is I can not find a PVC elbow fitting to attach to my bulkhead on the wetside of the sump. I have tried a 1.5 and a 1.25 fitting but I can not find proper fitting. I intend on facing the elbow towards the bottom of the sump. Any advice?

[rbursek]

To chime in here there about 10 different style valves, a gate valve is not a good throttle valve, a ball/globe valve is better, the glope valve has a stem handle on it like a gat valve but internally different, when a gate valve is 10% open you 90% flow!
Bob

[tmz]

Regardng the bubbles, water flow out should actually be equalling in. If it didn't, your tank would overflow and then you would have to open the tee line abit more.
Bring the drain line away from the pump intake bulkhead,or place a catcher under the drain to allow the bubbles to escape. A catcher can be a filter sock or I prefer a baffle which is slightly higher than the sump level allowing the water to rise and flow over bubble free. In lieu of a baffle, a small container with a cut out for flow may do. This will handle bubbles from your drain. It is much better to have your drain out of the water at the sump to prevent flushing in your overflow.
If your pump is sucking in air raise the water level in your sump.Optimally, your out bulkhead should be near the bottom of the sump. If it is not your pump will have to draw water upwards which it may or may not do efficiently depending on the pump. I don't think the inside of the bulkhead is made for a slip fitting but you could try some of the cvpc fittings they're are of slightly different size. Failing that i'd take a look at some of the plastic conduit fittings at Home Depot or Lowes.There is also a black tape like product used for sealing leaks called "Tommy tape" which you could use to wrap the end of a smaller fitting to make it fit on the wet side.

[reeferhabit]

TMZ-I just tried what you suggested and moved the return hose away from the bulkhead in a prefilter and I am still getting bubbles. I think I am getting bubbles because of the wirlpool that keeps occuring every few seconds near the bulkhead. Every time I see the wirlpool I hear a flushing sound and bubbles coming out the return hose in the display. Is this an issue because I dont have an elbow on my bulkhead? I just cant imagine that is why I have a wirlpool.

I just cant figure this out, any help is appreciated.

[Latimer]

is the tank drilled or do you have a hang on the back overflow? what size pipe to the tank and what size pipe for the return? and how far from tank to sump?

can you take a picture of your sump and set up?

[reeferhabit]

IMG]http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee111/nole561/aquarium011.jpg[/IMG]

This is a picture of my sump before I drilled it and added the external pump.

The bulkhead is 1' with a 3/4' reducer and 3/4' hose to the pump.
The return hose is 1/2' with a "T" flowing into the display and another hose flowing through a UV sterilizer and into the sump.
I have a HOB overflow with one Utube. I was wondering if I should get another tube to help siphon more water into the sump.

[reeferhabit]

Latimer- The display is about 4 feet from the fuge.

[reeferhabit]

bump

[Latimer]

maybe try adding another U-tube and making it 1" hose from overflow to sump

[reeferhabit]

Thanks Latimer. That is exactly what I am going to try tomorrow.

Hopefully the overflow box wont actually overflow on my floors

[tmz]

Originally posted by reeferhabit
TMZ-I just tried what you suggested and moved the return hose away from the bulkhead in a prefilter and I am still getting bubbles. I think I am getting bubbles because of the wirlpool that keeps occuring every few seconds near the bulkhead. Every time I see the wirlpool I hear a flushing sound and bubbles coming out the return hose in the display. Is this an issue because I dont have an elbow on my bulkhead? I just cant imagine that is why I have a wirlpool.

I just cant figure this out, any help is appreciated.

I'm not exactly following. Is the bulkhead the drain into the sump or the outlet for the pump. When you say return hose do you mean the drain or tank return.

The flushing is almost certainly from the overflow and it is likely causing the whirlpool. When a drain exits underwater or has to go uphill even over a bump,the pressure in the overflow must build up to overcome the water pressure at the exit. When it does it flushes just like a toilet which works on the same principle. While it's building up the sump level will drop since it's not getting any drain water and is still pumping out. This drop in water level will cause the whirlpool around the pump intake and the bubbles.

[reeferhabit]

TMZ- So if I add a second Utube and more pressure is built up in the overflow box the result should be more water draining into my sump. And this should increase the water level in my sump.

Is this correct.

Oh yeah, The bulkhead is on the sump, with 1 inch tubing connecting to the pump. When I say return hose I mean the hose that is sending water into the display

[tmz]

A second u tube might overload your drain if the box is designed for one tube. The only way I know to control this situation is to control the flow from your pump to the display with a tee off back to the sump.

Is it still flushing? If so is your drain line on a constant downward slope without rises and is it out of the water?