what size over flow pipe???

[Denita]

I just bought a 75 gallon reef ready tank with 75lbs of live rock a foxface rabbit fish, blue tang, 2 clowns, 1 black damsel and 1 blue damsel, My 20 gal. refuge has a 1in overflow tube with 1in down pipes to the refuge and a 3600 va return pump I am sucking my return pump dry. I have installed turn off vaulves but can not get them set right to not drain my return or overflow my refuge.
as of now I am using 1 in pvc down n up to the tanks. if I use 2in overflow u tube and pvc will that help my problem out so I can use the full 1000gph pump? anyone know?

 

[Zissou]

From what I understand, you have a single 1" pipe feeding water to your sump/refuge, and you have a 1000gph pump, pumping that water back up to the display?

If that is correct, the single overflow pipe can't keep up with the demands of the return pump. The return is pumping more water out than it can get from the overflow.

The easiest option is to get a smaller pump. Buy a smaller pump and you won't have to mess with all the plumbing.

If you want your single 1" overflow to handle your 1000gph return pump, you'll need to upgrade the piping to a larger size, and that won't be easy at all, considering the bottom of your tank would have to be redrilled to fit a larger bulkhead.

You're only other option would be to get an HOB overflow, to supplement the one you have. But this would look ugly, and even then I'd question if two 1" pipes could handle it.

Get a smaller pump. (300-500gph)

 

[d2mini]

My 20 gal. refuge has a 1in overflow tube with 1in down pipes to the refuge and a 3600 va return pump I am sucking my return pump dry.

This confuses me.
I'm going to assume you mean your tank is draining into a 20g SUMP via a 1" drain.
I would then run a 1" pipe from your return pump back up to your display, and possibly split it into two at the top to give you two outputs for better flow dispersal. The only place you should have a valve is after the return pump. None on the drain. If the pump is too powerful, just use the valve to dial it down. It should be pretty easy to dial in, unless your drain is not draining consistently.

Kevin is right though. That pump may just be too powerful to even dial down in small enough increments? You shouldn't need to dial any pump down more than 50%. If you do its way too big.

 

[Denita]

Thank you guys. What would you suggest for a pump size and model? I am running it up 4ft from sump to display tank. with 1" plumbing. I will get some pictures up here tomorrow of the tank and sump. I just purchased this tank so with that said I just noticed it have aptishia in the refuge. BAD! I put 3 pepperment shrimp in there today and 4 in my display just incase what else might these guys eat besides that? I really dont want to put a bunch of chemicals in it.

Thank you guys so much for the help!

 

[bjohanson1234]

I have a Danner mag 7 pump. It is rated at 700 gph at 0 feet, and around 500 gph at 4 feet. My overflow is rated at 600gph with a 1" drain pipe

 

[dcantucson]

Look at this one:

Danner Mag-Drive Supreme Water Pump

As for the Aiptasia, get some Aiptasia-X. It works really well and will not affect your water quality.