Some plumbing thoughts

[richarddeweerd]

My new aquarium (100 gal display, 140 gal in total) will have 2 return pipes and a Herbie style overflow. I will start with a single DC return pump capable of about 800 - 1000 gallons per hour (after removing all the losses, 1320 is the max). I will just use a simple Y splitter to connect both returns.

In the future I want to incorporate a UV sterilizer, carbon filtering, and a chaeto reactor. I can create a big manifold, and connect everything on it, including the 2 return pipes, but I'll suspect that this will impact the return and therefor I will have alter the return valve constantly. And my current pump will not be big enough for this I guess.

I can also get a second pump and only connect the sterilizer, the carbon and the chaeto to it via a manifold. Should I put this second pump in the same sump compartment as the return pump or should I put it in the part were my skimmer is? Or doesn't it really matter, it just depends where the most space is available?

I can also make a small manifold for the two returns so I can put a valve on both of them so I have better control over the flow of both of the returns.

There are to many ways to solve this but i'm not sure which way i should go yet

 

[Flippers4pups]

You could go either way. I'm a advocate for one pump to run everything for efficiency, but if that doesn't work for you, two pumps would work.

If you have the space, I'd pump from the skimmer section over to the return pump section with the manifold. It would be the most effective as long as it doesn't effect the skimmer section water level.

Return pump wise, I'd only have one return line to the DT. You could split the return at the DT. Less head pressure and more efficient.