Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Over all you want 25 - 30x turn over so between 1800gph and 2200gph total flow in the tank. When I calculate my turn over I include the return pump/pumps.
It's so on now - 72g Reef build
- Thread starter neilanh
- Start date
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fijiwigi
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a mag7 on my 46gallon and it seems like barely enough flow. definately would upgrade to the 9.5 If it were me.
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
gonna try it. this is just for the CL, there will still be a return pump as well for the sump and I can supplement with PHs if I need to, although I'd like to avoid it.
But, even if I ran a 9.5 on both the return and CL I'm still not in the range Ziggy pointed out. Hmm...
But, even if I ran a 9.5 on both the return and CL I'm still not in the range Ziggy pointed out. Hmm...
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have about 2800gph total flow in my 120 and I'm on the low side. I'm going to have to save up and buy one of those dang Vortech pumps. If I put a Mag12 on my return line and add another couple of nano streams I should be where I want to be.
Regardless of whether you hit the "target" number the key is for random flow. You will do well with the Mag 9.5 on the scwd. I had the 72 maxed out on flow. I had about the same amount of flow on the 72 as I do in the 120. So my 120 is in need of additional flow. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year.
Regardless of whether you hit the "target" number the key is for random flow. You will do well with the Mag 9.5 on the scwd. I had the 72 maxed out on flow. I had about the same amount of flow on the 72 as I do in the 120. So my 120 is in need of additional flow. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year.
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
Ok, so I swapped out the pump for the Mag9.5. A little bit stronger, but still I guess not what I was expecting. See for yourself.
Currently the pump is at the bottom of the stand, so it's running at about 4.5-5 feet of head height, and of course through the SCWD and the PVC plumbing that you can see.
I could reset this whole thing so that the pump sits at the level at the base of the aquarium, since I have a 4" or so lip behind the tank. That would reduce the head height by about 3-3.5 feet. I know that will help some, but not sure it'll still be enough. Should I consider a larger pump?
Ultimately, there will be flare nozzles on the outputs, I just forgot to order them.
AVI Movie, 20M (trying to figure out how to shrink it)
Currently the pump is at the bottom of the stand, so it's running at about 4.5-5 feet of head height, and of course through the SCWD and the PVC plumbing that you can see.
I could reset this whole thing so that the pump sits at the level at the base of the aquarium, since I have a 4" or so lip behind the tank. That would reduce the head height by about 3-3.5 feet. I know that will help some, but not sure it'll still be enough. Should I consider a larger pump?
Ultimately, there will be flare nozzles on the outputs, I just forgot to order them.
AVI Movie, 20M (trying to figure out how to shrink it)
fijiwigi
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is there anything restricting the flow of the pump. What is your return plumbing like? Locline plumbing with a flow director. Are you using flexible tubing for the return line?
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
Plumbing is as follows
Intake is through a 3/4" bulkhead -> 90 deg PVC elbow -> Gate Valve -> Union -> hose barb -> 3/4" vinyl tubing -> pump
Return is pump -> 3/4" vinyl tubing -> 3/4" SCWD -> 3/4" tubing -> hose barb -> union -> gate valve -> 90 deg elbow -> 3/4" bulkhead -> 3/4" locline
-------------------------------------------------> 3/4" tubing -> hose barb -> union -> gate valve -> 90 deg elbow -> 3/4" bulkhead -> 3/4" locline
Intake is through a 3/4" bulkhead -> 90 deg PVC elbow -> Gate Valve -> Union -> hose barb -> 3/4" vinyl tubing -> pump
Return is pump -> 3/4" vinyl tubing -> 3/4" SCWD -> 3/4" tubing -> hose barb -> union -> gate valve -> 90 deg elbow -> 3/4" bulkhead -> 3/4" locline
-------------------------------------------------> 3/4" tubing -> hose barb -> union -> gate valve -> 90 deg elbow -> 3/4" bulkhead -> 3/4" locline
fijiwigi
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have 3/4" adaptor to 1" tubing to 3/4" locline plumbing on my 46gallon try to increase the size of your tubing and you may have a better result.
The guys that built my sump at glass-holes.com put it together for me for $35 I didn't mind paying the extra bucks to get it done right the locline plumbing is not available for me locally. The bigger the tubing the more flow you get from your pump because it has less restriction.
The guys that built my sump at glass-holes.com put it together for me for $35 I didn't mind paying the extra bucks to get it done right the locline plumbing is not available for me locally. The bigger the tubing the more flow you get from your pump because it has less restriction.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
How much excess tubing do you have from pump to scwd and then scwd to tank?
For the best results the way you have things set up you will want the pump to be directly below the intake bulkhead, with as little excess tubing between scwd and the returns. Also one thing I found when running the SCWD is to have it at the height of your returns on the tank. I started mine out with it right on top of the pump and found that when I moved it up (in my case about a foot above the pump) it worked better and I got better flow out of it.
For the best results the way you have things set up you will want the pump to be directly below the intake bulkhead, with as little excess tubing between scwd and the returns. Also one thing I found when running the SCWD is to have it at the height of your returns on the tank. I started mine out with it right on top of the pump and found that when I moved it up (in my case about a foot above the pump) it worked better and I got better flow out of it.
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
I have probably 12-15" of excess on the intake side of the pump, but no real excess on the return side.
Tonight I'm going to reposition the pump up to the top of the stand behind the tank and see what that does.
That's assuming I figure out how to stop the 2 leaks I found between the PVC and the bulkheads. ugh.
Tonight I'm going to reposition the pump up to the top of the stand behind the tank and see what that does.
That's assuming I figure out how to stop the 2 leaks I found between the PVC and the bulkheads. ugh.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Where is the rubber gasket? Inside or outside of the tank?
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
It's not leaking at the interface of the bulkhead to the glass, it's leaking where the PVC is glued into the bulkhead. I must not have done a good glue job on two of them.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Something my wife's grandfather used to say about using glue..."do it sloppily..."
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
I thought I did. it was oozing out all over the place when I pushed the 2 pieces together. *shrug*
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
alright, so last night I applied more primer and glue to the edge where I could reach. So far, so good. we'll see what happens.
Tonight I redid the plumbing to put the pump up on the back of the stand. Definately getting a bit more out of it now. here shortly I'll go make an estimate of my flow rate and compare to what I did last night.
Now, however, the SCWD is making this crazy vibration whenever it switches. I didn't notice it doing this before, does this mean something, or does it just need to break in a little bit?
Tonight I redid the plumbing to put the pump up on the back of the stand. Definately getting a bit more out of it now. here shortly I'll go make an estimate of my flow rate and compare to what I did last night.
Now, however, the SCWD is making this crazy vibration whenever it switches. I didn't notice it doing this before, does this mean something, or does it just need to break in a little bit?
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
hmmmm...I'm not sure about that one. Mine was silent until it crapped out on me.
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
Yeah, not sure on it. If it keeps it up I may open it up and have a look inside. It sends the vibration through the tubing and the PVC, so it's not so small.
My headheight with the replumbing is now around 8 - 12". All of the bends, valves, unions etc remained in place, but the tubing is much shorter now. A very rough test and calculation says that I'm still under 600gph. With a 950gph pump, this makes absolutely no sense to me. I would've expected it above 800 with the plumbing, but not below that.
My headheight with the replumbing is now around 8 - 12". All of the bends, valves, unions etc remained in place, but the tubing is much shorter now. A very rough test and calculation says that I'm still under 600gph. With a 950gph pump, this makes absolutely no sense to me. I would've expected it above 800 with the plumbing, but not below that.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well I don't always agree with the calculators. What does it look and feel like to you? I got what I felt was great flow from the Mag7 so I am certain that the 9.5 is doing an even better job.
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neilanh
Sliced Bread
Well, here's what I did.
I used a 1 gallon jug to capture the water and counted the seconds during a cycle on the SCWD. My SCWD is cycling port to port every 5 seconds, and within that 5 seconds I accumulated about 3/4 gallon of water.
I used a 1 gallon jug to capture the water and counted the seconds during a cycle on the SCWD. My SCWD is cycling port to port every 5 seconds, and within that 5 seconds I accumulated about 3/4 gallon of water.
fijiwigi
Aquarium Advice Addict
That would be about 540gallons per hour? .75 x 12 =9gallons per minute x 60minutes= 540
Try to upgrade to 1" vinyl tubing. I started with 3/4" tubing and was not getting much flow. I upgraded to 1" tubing and now my overflow box can barely keep up. I added a ball valve to slow the flow. I am thinking I need to get a second U-Tube to keep up. My overflow is rated about 600gph and I have a mag7 with maximum flow
Try to upgrade to 1" vinyl tubing. I started with 3/4" tubing and was not getting much flow. I upgraded to 1" tubing and now my overflow box can barely keep up. I added a ball valve to slow the flow. I am thinking I need to get a second U-Tube to keep up. My overflow is rated about 600gph and I have a mag7 with maximum flow
