Large System Advice

[hobogato]

Hey all

I talked with the principal at the high school where I teach, and it looks like I will be taking over the Aquatic Science program.

I want to update the set-up, so I am looking for some advice from anyone who would like to help

Here's the plan

27 20gal tanks ( 24 display for students and 3 refugium)
1 50 gallon sump
a large (4' tall) double beckett skimmer (I am going to build it)

all of these will be connected via the sump drilling the tanks and putting
overflow drains (PVC) and then 4 pumps to as returns and to run the skimmer.

Question I may need help with

1. What size PVC should I use as drains into the sump?
2. What size pumps should I use? (3 return pumps - 9 tanks each and 1 skimmer pump)-BTW, these need to be submersable pumps
3. What diameter of acrylic tube should I use on the skimmer (the one I built for my home system is only 24" tall)?

I have lots of DIY experience, but I have never set up a system this large, and I just want to make sure I do it right.

thanks for the help

ace

[::pete::]

Plumb them as 1? 1-1/2" with ball valves.

Diameter of tube 6" ... height ... taller is better more contact time.

Skimmer pump ... loaded question, dedicated ;)

Pumps ... darts. Quite and move a good deal of water.

[hobogato]

how much water do you think i need to move with each return pump?

[::pete::]

That will neede to be determined by the overflow rates.

[::pete::]

24x20=480 gallons total ... pumps? + 3 refugiums(?) and 50gal sump (?)

Using the following input parameters
Gallons per Hour = 3000

Drain and Overflow sizes are calculated as
Recommended minimum drain pipe diameter = 2.26 inches
Recommended minimum linear overflow size = 45 inches

The above is from the Calc on RC figuring a dart @ 3600 and subtracting for head loss @ 600. I am just guessing, but this gives an idea. If 1-1/2" pipe is used and its linear over flow size is just under 6" you have more than enough here and it will probably drop with screens. Pipe diameter ... if 2-1/4" was used it would never fill and the same goes for 1-1/2" as it isnt going to flow at a rate that will fill the ID of the pipe.

[TexasTodd]

For gravity "outs" I like 1.5" or larger. Keeps stuff from clogging them up!

The Pan World pumps are also top notch but neither the Sequence Dart or the Pan World are submersable. Why do you need them so? Pumps IN water add a LOT of heat.

What are you going to keep in the tanks? With likely a wide varity of life in all those tanks, I'd e-mail Jaded on masst. He has successfully converted MaxiJets in to "Tunze-like" set ups. Cheap, low wattage, and versitile. I have a Hagen 800 in my little 18 gallon plus the outflow from the CPR backpack skimmer with a MJ1200 on it. JADE was over last week and we dropped a MJ1200 with the conversion in this tank.............It was a detritus STORM. Unbelievable. Absolutely blew away the standard Hagen which is a pretty good power head.

This way you could have two big (hopefully external) pumps---one for skimmer and one for system/sump circulation. Then you could use thes MaxiJets converted in the tanks needed more flow.

FWIW,

TT