Equipment Room, or not?

Discussion in 'Filters, Pumps, etc..' started by grubbsj, May 20, 2008.

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  1. Nealio

    Nealio Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Location:
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    I'm kinda having a hard time reading the diagram, but it appears that you have the chiller T'd off the sump return pump, and it returns to the sump. Exactly how much flow do you have running through the chiller? It appears to need a minimum of 500 gph up to a maximum of 2400.

    If you aren't getting enough flow through it, try setting it up to be inline with the return pump, returning directly to the display.
     
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  3. Nealio

    Nealio Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Also, what chiller do you run? Is it internally controlled? or is it controlled by an external controller like a RANCO or a an All-In-One like an Apex?
     
  4. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    Very good questions: The chiller is getting between 600 and 800 gph, my best guess based on collecting the flow from the chiller...

    The main circ pump is a ReefFlow hamerhead, 5600 gph. There is more flow available than what I'm using... only the Bullet 3 skimmer is running full flow...everything else is throttled.

    The sump temp is generally with in 0.2 degrees of the tank, most times less, so the circulation flow through the tank/refugium/sump is sufficient to keep the water mixed.

    The chiller is controlled off of the RKE using the sump temp as a trigger.
     
  5. Nealio

    Nealio Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Location:
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    Why don't you try increasing the flow through the chiller and seeing if it makes any difference.

    Also, how do you have the RKE setup as far as heating and cooling go?
     
  6. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    I believe that increasing the flow is likely to increase the rate of temp drop in the system...which is where I'm looking to others for their experiences...

    As for the RKE settings:

    The Chiller comes on at 78 and turns off at 76. The off point could be raised up to 77...but I believe that 20 to 30 minutes of "off cycle" time is needed between restarts (not listed in the manual as a requirement)...
    The first set of heaters (300 watt) come on at 74 the second set (800 watt) at 73.5 all turn off at 74.5...
     
  7. bje

    bje Long-fin Bannerfish

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    so if i read this correctly you have it setup for a 73.5-78 degree differential? that doesnt sound so right to me. why would you want that large of a potential temp change? is that actually happening? if you want the temp at 76 why not set the chiller to come on at 77 and shut off at 76? same with the heaters... on at 75-off at 76
     
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  9. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    Location:
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    Yes, my tank temp does swing 4.5 degrees, max... in any given day the swing is about 2 degrees...during the winter 73.5 - 76 and the "summer" 76-78 (this system just started up in 11/09)...

    A 2 degree daily swing is tighter than anything I was able to maintain before setting up with a chiller....pre-chiller the evening temp would drop to 78 and peek temp would be 86...open top...fans...and floating frozen bottles of water...

    Bje, what is your chiller's average on/off cycle time and what is your control band?
     
  10. bje

    bje Long-fin Bannerfish

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    ah, ok. i was just asking why you had to go that route versus just setting it up to be back to back with 1 degree differentials on the controllers. i dont actually have a chiller yet so i havent done any trial & error with this kind of setup so it was more curiosity than anything...
     
  11. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    Location:
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    In short, I'm looking to balance the energy and maintenance cost to the equipment by limiting the cycling of the equipment while maintaining a control band with in some "reasonable" limits.

    Most of the fish & corals I have purchased from Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums where the recommended temp band is 72 to 78 deg F. It's starting to look like my average winter temp is closer to 75 and my average summer temp is starting to look like it will be 77...
     
  12. grubbsj

    grubbsj Gigas Clam

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    Location:
    Outside of Seattle, WA
    This week's chemistry checks were a bit surprising... while the NH3/NH4, NO2, and PO4 are all "0s"...NO3 was 20 - 40...

    We suspected that something was changing as the live rock in the DT started picking up a green hew.

    So, in the evenings (because I'm home then) I have turned up the Bullet 3 skimmer to skim very wet and have pulled an extra 6 gallons of effluent from the system and at the same time I have run nightly 10g water changes...

    After 4 days NO3 is now less than 20 and looks to be heading south...

    What I find interesting is the that effluent of the CDN tested for NO3 at the "same" level as the tank...not that a resolution of 10 ppm on a test kit is all that definitive...but I did expect that it would have tested at 0 or notably better than the tank...

    Thoughts/Comments?