Help me connect a 50G to my current 75G setup.

[bleedingthought]

Ok, so as I'm getting ready to setup a 50G tank (36"x18"x18") and 'tie' it to my current 75G reef, I need your help.

My first thoughts were to split up my current mixed reef into a 75G with LPS and softies and a 50G with SPS and zoas. The 75G will remain with VHO and lower flow (MJs) and the 50G will have a single height-adjustable 400W SE 20000K MH over it (open top) and will also have a CL which I plan to shoot for a pump in the 2500GPH range.

I will also be adding a separate fuge (25G for live rock and chaeto) to this setup making my current sump (29G) a place to only store my carbon, skimmer, return pump, and heaters.

I plan to keep the 75G with the 29G sump under and have the 50G with the 25G fuge under it. Both tank will sit "next" to each other with about 2 feet of room in between them to allow for viewing of the sides of each.

Now, the flow pattern is where it gets a little tricky; I think the best way to go would be:

• 
  75G drains to sump.
  
  Sump pumps water back to both the 75G and the 50G by means of a mag 9.5 and a WYE (I figured that after 4 feet of head and the plumbing, each tank will get about 250-300GPH which should be enough, right?).
  
  50G has two drains: one going back to the sump and one going to the fuge.
  
  Fuge (a little higher than sump) drains to sump.

What are your thoughts?! Sound good? Am I missing anything? I need your help!

More questions will come soon. :wink:


P.S. Any comment/help is greatly appreciated! Nit-pick at anything (lighting, flow, coral-split up, plumbing - EVERYTHING!) and please share with me your criticism.

 

[papagimp]

I would think it best to use one central sump/fuge for a setup like this. Or at least one central sump and one central fuge. Vs. trying to have each tank with there own and "tie" ing them together. Too much hassle in my opinion. Maybe do a fuge under the one tank and a sump under the other tank. And have the fuge overflow into the sump and just a single return going back to both tanks, adjustable ball valves to control flow to each tank.

 

[bleedingthought]

Maybe do a fuge under the one tank and a sump under the other tank. And have the fuge overflow into the sump and just a single return going back to both tanks, adjustable ball valves to control flow to each tank.

That's what I said. Yeah, it'll be one fuge and one sump for the whole system. Sorry if it sounded confusing. :lol:

 

[bleedingthought]

Anyone else? I need some input, guys!

 

[shavo]

this sounds like a nice little project, i agree with one pump to both tanks idea previously posted. take pics and let us know what you come up with.
good luck

 

[AF Founder]

I would use two pumps, in case one breaks down. We all know Murphy's law.

 

[trido]

I wouldnt split the drain from the 50. Let it all flow through the fuge into the sump. If your going to grow cheato you will need a good amount of flow. Then let the 75 drain straight to the sump as planned. Two return pumps as Terry suggested isnt a bad idea at all either.

 

[pcardone]

sounds like a nightmare to me

 

[bleedingthought]

I would use two pumps, in case one breaks down. We all know Murphy's law.

What's the worse that would happen if the return pump broke down, though?

 

[bleedingthought]

this sounds like a nice little project, i agree with one pump to both tanks idea previously posted. take pics and let us know what you come up with.
good luck

I will!

 

[bleedingthought]

I wouldnt split the drain from the 50. Let it all flow through the fuge into the sump. If your going to grow cheato you will need a good amount of flow. Then let the 75 drain straight to the sump as planned. Two return pumps as Terry suggested isnt a bad idea at all either.

You think that 300GPH (roughly 12X turnover in the fuge) wouldn't be too much for it to process? I've always had a powerhead in the fuge to keep things "rolling" and for additional flow but it's always been a pretty small amount of water through it.

 

[bleedingthought]

sounds like a nightmare to me

How so? Ellaborate.

 

[trido]

You think that 300GPH (roughly 12X turnover in the fuge) wouldn't be too much for it to process? I've always had a powerhead in the fuge to keep things "rolling" and for additional flow but it's always been a pretty small amount of water through it.

That would depend on the size of your fuge and how you split up the flow. In my very short experience. I had about 4-500GPH through my 30G fuge and couldnt get macro to grow for nothing. My caulerpa dissapeared and my cheato was stagnant. Ever since I doubled the flow my cheato actually grows. The last tiny piece of caulerpa is hanging on and looking better. You have to give the macro enough food (flow) to live. If you are using a 20-25G fuge then I definately think that 300GPH is not outrageous at all. It also depends on how you direct the flow in the tank. One drain (jet) into the fuge will give you turbulance. Spread that out to three or four however, and you dont have noticable flow at all. The same concept goes for a diplay tank. FE, 50x turnover in a softy tank can be very docile if its done right. :wink:

 

[bleedingthought]

You think that 300GPH (roughly 12X turnover in the fuge) wouldn't be too much for it to process? I've always had a powerhead in the fuge to keep things "rolling" and for additional flow but it's always been a pretty small amount of water through it.

That would depend on the size of your fuge and how you split up the flow. In my very short experience. I had about 4-500GPH through my 30G fuge and couldnt get macro to grow for nothing. My caulerpa dissapeared and my cheato was stagnant. Ever since I doubled the flow my cheato actually grows. The last tiny piece of caulerpa is hanging on and looking better. You have to give the macro enough food (flow) to live. If you are using a 20-25G fuge then I definately think that 300GPH is not outrageous at all. It also depends on how you direct the flow in the tank. One drain (jet) into the fuge will give you turbulance. Spread that out to three or four however, and you dont have noticable flow at all. The same concept goes for a diplay tank. FE, 50x turnover in a softy tank can be very docile if its done right. :wink:

Ever since I put a powerhead in my current in-sump fuge the chaeto took off. My fuge's main purpose is for plankton, though, which it's doing a pretty good job on. But since the chaeto is growing, and my nitrates have always been zero, I guess it's doing something with the nutrients too!

 

[bleedingthought]

sounds like a nightmare to me

Let me know what you think, man.



Anyone else got any input? Any suggestions? Tips? Am I missing something?

 

[SnoopDog]

Sounds like a nightmare to me too. I guess I agree with pcardone on this one. It may work for a while but something is bound to go fubar and you are left with wet floors. The two people that I have known to try something like this ended up with wet carpet multiple times, things always went haywire when no one was home.

This first was a guy doing something similar with a refuge/sump combo and a drain got a little clogged, things backed up. The second was a guy with a sump feeding into another sump, another wet floor. IMO the more complicated the plumbing the more likely it is to break so why does it need to be this complicated ? I would think you would want the tanks separate anyway. If something happens to one tank, now you are introducing it into both tanks, why ??

Just my opinion, mileage may vary.