plumbing two tank using 1 sump& 20gallon refug

[Peter luu]

hi I currently have Red Sea max 130d cycling and wanting to plumb it to my current set up which is 75 gallon with eshopp rs200 using eshopp overflow pf1000 and have jabeo 4000 and fluval sp2 return pump.
So I'm wondering how would I be able to add an overflow to the Red Sea into the eshopp sump and should I use the main return pump that's feeding my refug and display tank to feed my Red Sea or use a different pump to feed back to my Red Sea?

Would return pump for refug harm the pods before entering my tanks?

Is 3/4 pvc be good enough to feed my refug or use the same size as my main return pipes which is 1" pvc

Can I Tee off my refug return to my main return thats flowing back into main display tank? Or would it need to be feed back into sump first? So that mean I'm using the refug return pump to feed back to main return which is being pumped by jabeo. Would the gravity work against me?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Hey Peter!

Yes, totally possible to run multiple tanks into a single sump. The only issue you might have is the number of inlets into the sock section (which based on a quick google search it looks as if you have two).

My recommendation would be to put your full siphon line into the sock section of the sump from each tank and run the back up overflow lines directly into the sumps middle section. You'll likely increase the detritus in the sump a bit, it will allow a majority of you water to flow through the socks.

As far as the return hurting pods, they won't all make it through but some-most definitely will. I'd be more concerned with the socks catching pods than the return pump though . More will perish when you pull the socks.

The return line vs pump would purely depend on the head pressure and distance you are trying to push that water as well as the number of outlets in the display. Are the tanks side by side and on the same floor as the display/sump? How many return outlets are there?

To give you an idea, I had two displays hooked into the same sump with both tanks setup side by side. I had an ecotech M1 (2000gph) driving 3/4" lines at full power to 2 outlets per tank (total of 4). I did not get very strong pressure out of it; however, it was more than enough to turn the water over for the skimmer and heaters.

Hope this helps!

 

[don_chuwish]

My socks are full of amphipods, makes for quite a chore trying to save as many as possible when changing them out. Makes my shoes pretty smelly too.

 

[Peter luu]

Hey Peter!

Yes, totally possible to run multiple tanks into a single sump. The only issue you might have is the number of inlets into the sock section (which based on a quick google search it looks as if you have two).

My recommendation would be to put your full siphon line into the sock section of the sump from each tank and run the back up overflow lines directly into the sumps middle section. You'll likely increase the detritus in the sump a bit, it will allow a majority of you water to flow through the socks.

As far as the return hurting pods, they won't all make it through but some-most definitely will. I'd be more concerned with the socks catching pods than the return pump though . More will perish when you pull the socks.

The return line vs pump would purely depend on the head pressure and distance you are trying to push that water as well as the number of outlets in the display. Are the tanks side by side and on the same floor as the display/sump? How many return outlets are there?

To give you an idea, I had two displays hooked into the same sump with both tanks setup side by side. I had an ecotech M1 (2000gph) driving 3/4" lines at full power to 2 outlets per tank (total of 4). I did not get very strong pressure out of it; however, it was more than enough to turn the water over for the skimmer and heaters.

Hope this helps!

Hi thank you so much for the advice. I have the tank sitting next to each other and main tank will have two outlet for return and the Red Sea will only have one outlet for return.
correct me if I'm wrong, so you're saying to put my return nozzle from the overflow on the Red Sea and put it inside the socks so the water flows through the socks? Or did you mean just put the pipe inside the same chamber as the socks? My sump has two outlet t that I can install two overflow nozzle into so the Red Sea return nozzle would be just above sock a little, pouring water into a sock. The middle chamber will be for my skimmer only and reactor will be going into refug. Would this work? Or should I put reactor in same chamber as skimmer? Also I have a pump fluval sp2 inside refug pumping water up into a Tee that's connected to main return pipe so two pump would be pumping till they meet at the Tee then going up to main tank. I will be adding another return pump inside the return chamber with the main return pump. The second return pump inside return chamber will be pumping into Red Sea for return. So in total there will be 3 pumps for return.
Also would I lessen the chance of pods dying if I add overflow from refug to return chamber then one pump would be feeding the main display tank and I'll add a Tee so water flow back to Red Sea also.

I will be using 3 reactor and 1 bio pellet in sump reactor but not sure where the return water should end up from the reactors

 

[ihavecrabs]

Hi thank you so much for the advice. I have the tank sitting next to each other and main tank will have two outlet for return and the Red Sea will only have one outlet for return.
correct me if I'm wrong, so you're saying to put my return nozzle from the overflow on the Red Sea and put it inside the socks so the water flows through the socks? Or did you mean just put the pipe inside the same chamber as the socks? My sump has two outlet t that I can install two overflow nozzle into so the Red Sea return nozzle would be just above sock a little, pouring water into a sock. The middle chamber will be for my skimmer only and reactor will be going into refug. Would this work? Or should I put reactor in same chamber as skimmer? Also I have a pump fluval sp2 inside refug pumping water up into a Tee that's connected to main return pipe so two pump would be pumping till they meet at the Tee then going up to main tank. I will be adding another return pump inside the return chamber with the main return pump. The second return pump inside return chamber will be pumping into Red Sea for return. So in total there will be 3 pumps for return.
Also would I lessen the chance of pods dying if I add overflow from refug to return chamber then one pump would be feeding the main display tank and I'll add a Tee so water flow back to Red Sea also.

I will be using 3 reactor and 1 bio pellet in sump reactor but not sure where the return water should end up from the reactors

By overflow, I mean the drains from your display tanks to your sump.
By return, I mean from the pump in your sump to your display tanks.

I see now that you will be running separate pumps for each of the return lines (to each of the tanks). For efficiency sake, you may want to go with one single large pump to feed your reactors and each display controlling the output to each with a gate or ball valve. That being said, your version will work if each pump is connected to each tank independently from the same sump. You make some statements later that confuse me, especially two pumps that run into one return line.. this seems like an big potential failure point.

Can we see a picture of your setup? This would help a great deal. It may even clarify things further if you can use Paint or another tool to show which direction you have water flowing in your pipes.

 

[Peter luu]

So far I only have my main tank plumb to sump which was simple.

Here my rough drawing using overflow for return for refug instead pump since I'm going to use my old 36 gallon bow front tank as refug and it' taller than my sump so gravity can work itself.

The circle around the pipe is union and the dot beside pipe is the valve. Red for in take and blue for out take. I'l be removing the stock skimmer on red sea and figuring out how to add an overflow box.

 

[Peter luu]

I'm just worry that pump would be to weak to pump through. I only have jabeo 4000 and fluval sp2. Hoping I could save money on return pump by using the one I have now. The jabeo never been used so it' brand new so I'm not sure if it will be enough. Its about same as fluval sp2. Sp2 = 900 gph and jabeo = 1050 gph

 

[Peter luu]

By overflow, I mean the drains from your display tanks to your sump.
By return, I mean from the pump in your sump to your display tanks.

I see now that you will be running separate pumps for each of the return lines (to each of the tanks). For efficiency sake, you may want to go with one single large pump to feed your reactors and each display controlling the output to each with a gate or ball valve. That being said, your version will work if each pump is connected to each tank independently from the same sump. You make some statements later that confuse me, especially two pumps that run into one return line.. this seems like an big potential failure point.

Can we see a picture of your setup? This would help a great deal. It may even clarify things further if you can use Paint or another tool to show which direction you have water flowing in your pipes.

If I use two pump but Tee it off before going into one pipe? Like the picture example. I could manually lower the jabeo while fluval is on full since doesn' have options.

 

[Peter luu]

The tank is 24" high 48" long 18" wide
Stand will be diy and will be 72" long 24" wide 40" high
75 gallon will sit beside the red sea and the original stand with sump directly under 75 gallon with in take on the right side if you'e facing the stand, refug on left side 36 gallon bow with front exposed.

 

[Chef Tommy]

I like what you're doing here and look forward to the results. I just redid my return plumbing to add a manifold. My plan is to run a line from the manifold to a display refugium. I too have the same jebao return pump. Still deciding on my refugium display. I plan to keep a refugium under main display running at night. I love seeing different macro algae and think it can become similar to planted freshwater tanks.

The left line of manifold will go to display refugium and I'll have it drain into current refugium.

That's my current refugium under main display run with an AI Prime.

 

[ihavecrabs]

The tank is 24" high 48" long 18" wide
Stand will be diy and will be 72" long 24" wide 40" high
75 gallon will sit beside the red sea and the original stand with sump directly under 75 gallon with in take on the right side if you'e facing the stand, refug on left side 36 gallon bow with front exposed.

If I use two pump but Tee it off before going into one pipe? Like the picture example. I could manually lower the jabeo while fluval is on full since doesn' have options.

Thanks for the rendering.

I'd personally run one pump for return water to the displays and another for the reactors if one is not powerful enough for all of that.

Maybe someone from #reefsquad has run dual pumps before.

 

[Peter luu]

Thanks for the rendering.

I'd personally run one pump for return water to the displays and another for the reactors if one is not powerful enough for all of that.

Maybe someone from #reefsquad has run dual pumps before.

Oh okay I'll use one pump for now and if it's not enough then I'll get a new one. Was thinking the same as yours. It's 2000gph for $240 CAD not including tax at my lfs.

So you recommend putting the extra outflow from main tank into the middle chamber? ( skimmer chamber ) while the main flow and Red Sea overflow into the outlet in the sump? Is it better if I have HOB skimmer in sock chamber so that way reactor outflow can go into middle chamber without going through skimmer? Or where should I put my outflows from the reactors?

 

[lmm1967]

I've been running 2 tanks in one sump for about a year. Only 1 return pump. I custom made my sump though so my return section is in the middle and one tank drains into one side of the sump and the other drains into the opposite side.

I don't run socks - pods get passed around all the tanks just fine. Probably not 100% of them make it but plenty enough do.

One word of warning - other things you don't think can get from one tank to the other - absolutely will. Small crabs and whelk snails have managed to migrate from one of my tanks to the other. I have no idea how - but they have.

 

[Peter luu]

I've been running 2 tanks in one sump for about a year. Only 1 return pump. I custom made my sump though so my return section is in the middle and one tank drains into one side of the sump and the other drains into the opposite side.

I don't run socks - pods get passed around all the tanks just fine. Probably not 100% of them make it but plenty enough do.

One word of warning - other things you don't think can get from one tank to the other - absolutely will. Small crabs and whelk snails have managed to migrate from one of my tanks to the other. I have no idea how - but they have.

Where does your skimmer go and reactors?

 

[lmm1967]

Where does your skimmer go and reactors?

Either of the drain sections.