Plumbing a return water manifold

[diabolus]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2003/short.htm

Can we really say goodbye to powerheads?

[optimus prime]

in my opinion, the return pump must be power in order to distribute the pressure all round the pipes. am i right?

[roidan]

not to mention even if a power pump is used, some outlets will have alot of flow....some outlets very weak flow.....unless at almost every point a valve is present to restrict the flow at the higher pressure outlet to redistribute pressure to the lower pressure outlets....and u may tear your hair out trying to equalise/redistribute pressure to every outlet.

a novel idea nonetheless and relatively neat compared to bulky gadgets in the tank....but not too user-frenly in real life especially if one is particular about flow control

[AlfaRomeo]

Hmmm, the varying pressure from the different outlet is less pronounced in these setup cos of the ring formed by the pipe. Pressure will tend to be better distributed when compared to a single-ended pipe. It doesnt totally eliminate the need for valves as mentioned by Roidan but the pressure will be more distributed. IMHO.

[diabolus]

not to mention even if a power pump is used, some outlets will have alot of flow....some outlets very weak flow.....unless at almost every point a valve is present to restrict the flow at the higher pressure outlet to redistribute pressure to the lower pressure outlets....and u may tear your hair out trying to equalise/redistribute pressure to every outlet.

a novel idea nonetheless and relatively neat compared to bulky gadgets in the tank....but not too user-frenly in real life especially if one is particular about flow control

roidan,

the different flowrate from each outlet seems to be wat A. Calfo have in mind. He did mentioned in RC that this will sort of mimic the turbulence from the big O.

Its a good way to eliminate those unsightly powerheads indeed.

i have 1 doubt thou, since he mentioned that a SPS tank needs a pump which can have a 40X turnover rate, if the tank is 500l, then the pump must be rated at 20 000l per hour!

[roidan]

20 000litres per hour? wah...really atomic splitting liao....

actually ok lah...just 2 RDs 10m3 each with 10 000l/hr lor

but what i mean from the lack of exact flow control is that let's say there is this spot that u want to put this particular coral but die die with no valves or control...this spot happens to face the largest flow from the loop....so end up problem also....and coral goes botak

that's why the valve is to manually control the flow...just in case you happen not to want the high flow to occur at a particular spot....

[diabolus]

the valve might do the trick...

but the 2 RD will kill me!

[AlfaRomeo]

Make sure your sump can handle 20000l/hr going thru it also hor... no joke...

[hotlemond]

looking at the sample manifold in the article, i assume the water flow would be strongest nearest to the in-coming. The fear is that if that happens, then alot of food/debris will be blown off to the back when the flow hit the front tank and bounce to the sand bed, or else good flow will be impair by the rock work on the back tank if the in-coming is pipe in from the front.

A better approach would be to having two in-coming pipe on both the longer sides, though the pump capacity would have to increase significantly.