MichaelB
Supporting Member
The hollywood star watermelon slurpy "natural graft" $5000
Derek's 225g - Magnifica / SPS Reef
- Thread starter derek_SR
- Start date
The hollywood star watermelon slurpy "natural graft" $5000
derek_SR
Supporting Member
I’ll take the rock and leave the coral. Lol
derek_SR
Supporting Member
I received a permit from the local constabulary to add a frag tank next to the DT. I’m excited about this because it means it won’t need to be in the garage (difficult to control temp and another system to manage) - I can plumb directly to my DT.
Looking for advice on this, I’m aware of two options:
1. Tee off of the existing return line
2. Use a dedicated return pump
I’m leaning towards #2, but would have to put the pump in the main sump drain chamber (frag tank is on the drain side).
Looking for advice on this, I’m aware of two options:
1. Tee off of the existing return line
2. Use a dedicated return pump
I’m leaning towards #2, but would have to put the pump in the main sump drain chamber (frag tank is on the drain side).
How I would do it is run two of the same pump. 1 main pump to your DT. 1 pump to a manifold. Manifold will feed whatever and the frag tank.
But if you want to be super trick. Repipe the DT overflow to the frag tank and gravity flow it back to the sump.but that might be too much water flow.
But if you want to be super trick. Repipe the DT overflow to the frag tank and gravity flow it back to the sump.but that might be too much water flow.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
I considered that but the bottom of the DT overflow sits below the top of the frag tank so I don’t think gravity is an option. I’ll text you re: your first suggestion. Thanks
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
IMMHO and experience…
Dedicated pump
Dedicated pump
RandyC
Supporting Member
Dedicated pump. Always a dedicated pump if you have the space. 
Usually running a manifold or teeing off from main pump will always lead to irregular flow and will be a constant battle of trying to get the overflow quiet all the time. Plus, you get the advantage of being able to turn off one tank at a time without affecting the other. More beneficial than one would think.
Usually running a manifold or teeing off from main pump will always lead to irregular flow and will be a constant battle of trying to get the overflow quiet all the time. Plus, you get the advantage of being able to turn off one tank at a time without affecting the other. More beneficial than one would think.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Dedicated pump. Always a dedicated pump if you have the space.
Usually running a manifold or teeing off from main pump will always lead to irregular flow and will be a constant battle of trying to get the overflow quiet all the time. Plus, you get the advantage of being able to turn off one tank at a time without affecting the other. More beneficial than one would think.
Thanks - that was pretty much my thought as well. Only downside is that I will have to put the pump in the drain area of the sump - which is also my cryptic zone. I don't think this would be a big deal, other than possibly recirculating some small percentage of the same water and/or causing some detritus to accumulate in the frag tank (no filtration on my tank).
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
Food for the frags
RandyC
Supporting Member
If you’re only going to need a smaller pump, consider using an IM MightyJet. Yes, not conventional and technically not supposed to be used in a sump, but I use them in every tank I have now and set everything up with redundant pumps with them. Super tiny pump and they haven’t given me a problem for years. I have a lot of them running.
These two IM30s are run with four mightyjets (2x 326GPH and 2x 538 GPH) from the same sump. I would have used four 538s, but I had the smaller size ones already.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Thanks for the suggestion - I would probably do that except I need to upgrade the pump in my DT anyway. I'm currently using 2 - a Varios2 and a Varios4, which are kind of underpowered. Both running on a WaveEngine with battery backup.
The plan is to move the Varios2 over to feed the frag tank, then buy a new larger pump to pair with the Varios 4 on the DT return. I'd plug the new pump into a separate circuit - creating some redundancy.
This way if the breaker/GFCI trips on either circuit (or the waveengine fails) there will still be a return pump going. This is a little safer than my current setup, and will increase the flow into the DT.
Current state with everything running via WaveEngine (WE) on Circuit 1 (C1):
Future state with the new pump plugged into the different circuit (C2):
These professional electrical schematics are probably way over everyone's head, but if anyone has a degree in EE and can interpret them or has any other feedback, I'd welcome it.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Some fish pics. Most fish were named by my daughter when she was 3-4. Some of these fish are getting FAT but it's hard to get a decent pic of their girth.
Buddha the Convict tang:
Mochi the azure damsel:
Pokeyfish the Banggai:
Queenie the royal gramma:
Bluey the PBT:
Flower the clown (and sprout her mate buried in there too):
Durple the purple:
Milton the foxface:
recent FTS:
Buddha the Convict tang:
Mochi the azure damsel:
Pokeyfish the Banggai:
Queenie the royal gramma:
Bluey the PBT:
Flower the clown (and sprout her mate buried in there too):
Durple the purple:
Milton the foxface:
recent FTS:
derek_SR
Supporting Member
So I replaced the 4-Pump versa rail with 2x Hydros Soles (AWC duty) and a Hydros Minnow (2-part duty). Mostly this was to get everything on the Hydros ecosystem, I've had my eye on the Soles for a long time.
All devices were easy to add to my existing collective - it seems the Soles require a direct power connection, although the Minnow is powered off of the BUS cable. If you are considering these pumps you're probably already familiar with the Hydros software and concept of "Schedules" so I don't bother going into that.
The Minnow is great - it's not silent but fairly quiet. Should work great for 2-part dosing duty. It comes with small barbs, so would be tricky to use RODI tubing - silicone tubing hooks right up, though.
The Soles use 1/4" John Guest fittings - just like on the Versa. However the version used on the Soles is terrible - it's EXTREMELY tight. I couldn't even get them fully seated on the first try, and have to disassemble to fitting to get the tubing back out. I finally resorted to removing the crush washer inside to get a decent, functional seal. There are a couple other suggestions on the Hydros forum to deal with this issue, but it's a huge problem IMO - shouldn't have to DIY a very standard 1/4" push-fit connection.
The other problem is the direction the fittings point- they stick out kind of cattywampus and make it difficult to keep rigid 1/4" tubing organized:
The good news - they are super robust, solid, and well built. They are also very quiet - even at high speeds. It's a smoother sound than the Versas which get really whiny and clunky at even medium speeds.
The best part though is that (so far) they are extremely precise. The initial calibration nailed it, and every time I've tested since they are perfectly spot on. I did not have this experience with the Versas - which were often difficult to calibrate and would often drift quickly post-calibration. Very happy with this aspect so far, and they have instilled a lot more confidence in my AWC process than with the Versas, which I had to constantly monitor to avoid salinity swings. These two pumps are pushing/pulling from the garage - about 35-30ft runs of tubing.
All devices were easy to add to my existing collective - it seems the Soles require a direct power connection, although the Minnow is powered off of the BUS cable. If you are considering these pumps you're probably already familiar with the Hydros software and concept of "Schedules" so I don't bother going into that.
The Minnow is great - it's not silent but fairly quiet. Should work great for 2-part dosing duty. It comes with small barbs, so would be tricky to use RODI tubing - silicone tubing hooks right up, though.
The Soles use 1/4" John Guest fittings - just like on the Versa. However the version used on the Soles is terrible - it's EXTREMELY tight. I couldn't even get them fully seated on the first try, and have to disassemble to fitting to get the tubing back out. I finally resorted to removing the crush washer inside to get a decent, functional seal. There are a couple other suggestions on the Hydros forum to deal with this issue, but it's a huge problem IMO - shouldn't have to DIY a very standard 1/4" push-fit connection.
The other problem is the direction the fittings point- they stick out kind of cattywampus and make it difficult to keep rigid 1/4" tubing organized:
The good news - they are super robust, solid, and well built. They are also very quiet - even at high speeds. It's a smoother sound than the Versas which get really whiny and clunky at even medium speeds.
The best part though is that (so far) they are extremely precise. The initial calibration nailed it, and every time I've tested since they are perfectly spot on. I did not have this experience with the Versas - which were often difficult to calibrate and would often drift quickly post-calibration. Very happy with this aspect so far, and they have instilled a lot more confidence in my AWC process than with the Versas, which I had to constantly monitor to avoid salinity swings. These two pumps are pushing/pulling from the garage - about 35-30ft runs of tubing.
Last edited: