[Jeremy0322]

I think i may have finally figured it out..



It will give me 9.5 inches of surface area, plenty for 600 gallons per hour. The return line is above the drain line so that i can angle the pipes to make it easier for me to plumb it the way that i want. I will probably do something along the lines of a Dorso for the drain, unless there is something better and or quieter out there. For the return i will either do Loc-Line directly or make a spray bar for behind the larger pile of rock that will be directly in front of it. I am going to use a mag 7 for the return so with the 4 feet max that it has to pump i should not get less than 400 gph out of it, and i will just tee the return line for the fuge. How does that sound?

[Jeremy0322]

Anyone have any suggestions??

[e_baer]

I would rather go a little larger on the pump. I would get a mag 9.5.
Then if you need to you can 'T' it and adjust the flow that way.

As you know I have the 600gph overflow box and have a 400gph (after headloss) and the pump is not even close to keeping up with the overflow box. I do not even have it 'T'd. I went to home depot tonight to get some new CPVC pipe that is a little larger, and hope to get more flow that way. I also have my canister filter (with nothing in it) to help with the return.

[Jeremy0322]

The sad thing is I already have the 7.5. It was cheap when i got it and i asked around on here, everyone said it was good. Maybe i will have to tee off the drain line and just use one line for the return?

[e_baer]

It is hard to say. As long as you have a ball valve on the drain, you should be fine. Its just that it tends to get kinda noisy when you try to tune the drain with a ball valve because they are no very precise at all, so you are constantly having the gurgling sound, or the drain is not allowing to get enough water in. It will still work, it will just take a while.

[Jeremy0322]

Maybe i will try to sell the 7 for close to what i got it for and go ahead and get the nine. It would probably be hard to get what i paid for it though

[Jeremy0322]

So today I was pretty impressed with Drs. Foster and Smith. I emailed them last night and told them my situation, that i had a pump that is not powerful enough and has never been used, still in the box but was bought 2 months ago i lost the receipt. They got back to me within 7 hours. I sent the email at 4am and got a reply by 1pm when i finally woke up. They said i just need to ship it back to them with my name and other information, as well as why it was being returned and how i wanted reimbursed, and that they would email me upon receiving the item. So it is going back for a full refund in store credit, and i will order my Mag 9.5 with that money.

[e_baer]

Great news!

[Jeremy0322]

I thought so too

[Jeremy0322]

So the pump thing may have come at just the right time. I was at my moms tonight because i had to watch my little brother while she was at work and her boyfriend is building my stand. Instead of doing LxWxH like you are supposed to do I gave him LxHxW, so when he built the stand it is not 48 long by 21 wide, which i thought was a problem. Then i thought about what kind of doors this opened up, and with my birthday coming around I could potentially find a cheap 75 or 90 gallon and then use the 55 as a sump. This is just in the thinking process right now because i would also need new lights, a big pump, a new skimmer down the road, and another(if not 2) more powerheads, but it was good idea to me. So i am going to be looking at the finances here soon and seeing if it is possible. If anyone sees a really cheap 75 or 90 gallon reef ready tank let me know, because I am in the market for one right now.

[e_baer]

you wont find a better deal on a used tank than cragslist.org

[Jeremy0322]

That is where i got the 55 that i have right now, it was an awesome deal. I am just going to have to start looking again...lol