return line on a red sea reefer 170

Angeld480 · Mar 6, 2018

Hi all, new here first post. Not to get into a long discussion but I’ve had my red sea reefer up and running for about 6 months now and I thought I had a return flow problem which prompted me to buy a flow sensor. Needless to say I was correct my return pump was only flowing about 325 gallons per hour when it should be around 530. Now that I have it adjusted properly I would like to hard to plumb to the return line but the fittings on the Red Sea 170 are metric, don’t know where to buy the proper fitting.

Mandelstam · Mar 6, 2018

I live in the civilized metric part of the world so can't really help you with the fittings but I just wanted to say very welcome to R2R and your new extended family!

Angeld480 · Mar 6, 2018

Thank you...I’ve kept fish for many years haven’t done it in a while got a deal on the Red Sea 170 and just when you thought I
was ,out they pull me back in.

WallysWorld · Jun 7, 2018

I'm just setting up my RS 170. The green return tube supplied doesn't fit the Sicce 3.5 standard fittings. Do you know what size the return tube is? I'm assuming that its metric, so will probably have to get close using imperial fittings.....

Does anyone use hose clamps on these fittings? I'm assuming that those cheap stainless steel wouldn't be compatible with salt water, they'd eventually oxidize. What hose clamps?

Angeld480 · Jun 7, 2018

WallysWorld said:
I'm just setting up my RS 170. The green return tube supplied doesn't fit the Sicce 3.5 standard fittings. Do you know what size the return tube is? I'm assuming that its metric, so will probably have to get close using imperial fittings.....

Does anyone use hose clamps on these fittings? I'm assuming that those cheap stainless steel wouldn't be compatible with salt water, they'd eventually oxidize. What hose

Angeld480 · Jun 7, 2018

The hose is 5/8 ID 3.5 is overkill stick to the 2.0

Angeld480 · Jun 7, 2018

You my also want to get a soft silicone hose to kill vibration noise .

WallysWorld · Jun 8, 2018

Angeld480 -

Thanks for I.D. info, interestingly I asked a similar question of Red Sea through their tech support line, and they've yet to respond, its been 48 hours. I'm hoping that isn't an indicator of their support level.

I over sized the return pump on purpose, thinking that its easier to control/reduce flow to increase flow. Price and physical size differences were minimal to me.

Thanks for the tip on silicone hose. I've got things plumped up without it now, and I'll give it a test to see how noisy it is, first.

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

The only reason I say to stick with the 2.0 is that I tried that same setup with a 3.0 and had nothing but problems

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

WallysWorld · Jun 8, 2018

Again, thanks. I've got a 2.0 pump as well. It's the pump I'm planning on using for water changes. So it wouldn't be difficult to swap, and the water change pump isn't terribly critical. My concern when designing the system was the effective head height pressure which I estimated to be 3-4 feet. At 3 feet head height the chart from Sicce, shows flow to be about 560 gph. Maybe the Sicce spec is really conservative? I think my effective head height is about right.

What problems did you have with the larger pump? I'm putting a ball valve on the output, hoping to use that as a flow control element.

I had an 55 gal hexagon marine aquarium about 25 years ago, back then it was all undergravel filter and a return pump.....things most certainly have changed. My biggest learning from back then was to never, never get an acrylic display tank. Once scratched and you could never get the algae out of the scratch! Probably the same issue with glass, but hopefully much more difficult to scratch in the first place.

Your tank looks great! Are those vortech pumps on the back? mp10's?

Where are you located? I'm just north of Seattle, WA

Wally

Scurvy · Jun 8, 2018

What most folks have done to hard plumb the reefer’s is to order the barbed fitting assembly direct from Red Sea. If you are only doing the return then you can remove the barb from the return assembly and grab a 3/4” male thread to inch or 3/4” slip depending on the size you need. You’ll use 12-15 wraps of teflon on the male threads to seal it.

I think he covers it in this video. If not I know its talked about in the Show of your Red Sea Reefer thread many times over.

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

WallysWorld said:
Again, thanks. I've got a 2.0 pump as well. It's the pump I'm planning on using for water changes. So it wouldn't be difficult to swap, and the water change pump isn't terribly critical. My concern when designing the system was the effective head height pressure which I estimated to be 3-4 feet. At 3 feet head height the chart from Sicce, shows flow to be about 560 gph. Maybe the Sicce spec is really conservative? I think my effective head height is about right.

What problems did you have with the larger pump? I'm putting a ball valve on the output, hoping to use that as a flow control element.

I had an 55 gal hexagon marine aquarium about 25 years ago, back then it was all undergravel filter and a return pump.....things most certainly have changed. My biggest learning from back then was to never, never get an acrylic display tank. Once scratched and you could never get the algae out of the scratch! Probably the same issue with glass, but hopefully much more difficult to scratch in the first place.

Your tank looks great! Are those vortech pumps on the back? mp10's?

Where are you located? I'm just north of Seattle, WA

Wally

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

In NY. After having the tank set up for about six months I switched to a 3.0 pump and the tank basically cycle all over again what a pain. Yes mp10 x 2. Did not want the constant flow to be in one direction all the time the ocean is not like that

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

You

Angeld480 said:
In NY. After having the tank set up for about six months I switched to a 3.0 pump and the tank basically cycle all over again what a pain. Yes mp10 x 2. Did not want the constant flow to be in one direction all the time the ocean is not like that

Angeld480 · Jun 8, 2018

I’m pretty sure Redsea took into account the head height that’s why they suggest a pump with no more than 540 dead head pressure that will give you a turnover rate of approximately nine maybe 10 times

WallysWorld · Jun 10, 2018

Angeld480 -

I got the tank filled yesterday and the system started. The Syncra 3.5 sucks the return chamber dry unless I remove the surface skimmer combs from the tank. I haven't started to restrict the pump flow yet, but that's next. Depending on how much fiddling this takes and my patience, I may be just switching out the Syncra 3.5 and putting in my Syncra 2.0.

You can say "you told me so!"

Wally