Durso Standpipe and Pump Size

[Aquariust]

Hi everyone, I have a few questions.
In my new 125 AGA reef ready tank, I am thinking of using the durso standpipes instead of the all glass accessory kit. Has anyone ever used one? Cheaper, and supposidely more effective. Any advice?

I am still in debate for my pump in my sump (rhyme!). The Sump will be a 55G aga.

Any info on what size pumps I should buy? I was leaning towards either 2 Mag Drive 9's or 12's, or a single Mak4 1200GPH? Any ideas? Or the quiet one? Most of all I want the pump to be quiet! It will be in the stand, and the stand will probaly be lined with some kind of sound deadening material.

Would it be better to have one mag return water to one overflow, and one to the other overflow? Or, "T" them and let them work together?

When I use the term overflow, I am talking about the entire corner overflow. They are the pre drilled whoes in AGA tanks. I am referring to the return and the drain when I just say overflow. Unless I point specifics to the return, or drain. My tank has 2 reef ready twin flow corner overflows. Just so you know, and aren't confused.

I plan to use my 55G as a sump and refugium. The tank is 48" long. I need about 18" of it for my PS to sit, this 18" will also be the place where my drain empties. Water will then flow through 3-5 baffels (ups and downs) to get rid of bubbles. The last one will have eggcrate so I can sit media, carbon, etc.. in it. It will also keep crabs, fish, snails, etc from leaving the refuiguim. The refuigium will be about 24" long or so. It will hold macroalgae on reverse photoperiod with about 60W of light. Is this enough? 4 T8 15W bulbs in good reflectors. Not sure on the types of bulbs yet. The refuiguim will also hold my heaters in heater guards, and a 3-4" DSB. I may even through a few pieces of LR down there, with some outgrown snails and hermits.

From there it will go to a wall of eggcrate, to keep snails, and hermits from being sucked into the pump. Then there will be a thick piece of acrylic (a wall) keeping water out of the pump compartment (mag18 or 2 Mag12's) behind the eggcrate. This water tight sealed compartment will be for the pump. It will be about 8" or so, I guess? I figured it's alot easier to drill a hole in the acrylic then the glass. The pump will pull water in from the hole in the acrylic and pump it up to the return holes in the overflow. If I use one pump I have to "T" it right???

Does this sound like it will work? It may need some tweaking as I go, but it's at least a plan. I don't want the pump submersed because of heat.

Why wouldn't I want to run 2 pumps? I'm curious, bc you would think if one pump goes the other can keep some flow in the tank, as well as current in the tank. I would put each pump on a seperate GFI. Not that I am saying I am going to do this, but I would like to know what you guys think. Why shouldn't I go 2 pumps? If I go with 2 pumps would I drill two holes in the acrylic wall, one for each pump, or t them? I have heard if you T 2 pumps you risk the chance of one pump pumping into the other, in the event a pump fails. Each will have a float valve.

Lot of stuff going on I know. Any advice, insight, wishes of luck let me know!

Sorry for this long post!

[Aquariust]

^

[Trigga Fish]

I have two Durso Standpipes on my 300. They are great and very quiet. Also easy to make and cheap. I used this site for my design:

http://www.reefcentral.com/diy/durso...ow/Default.htm

If you have enough flow and the right size Bio balls, they also make a good strainer to keep the big stuff out of your sump.

I have one big pump going through a T-fitting and two output nozzles. I'm going to split that into two seperate pumps to make the increase flow and give a backup if one pump quits working.

[mgk65]

I have two Ken Stockman versions of the standpipe in my 90g.

See this web site:
http://home.att.net/~rstockman/overflow.htm

Also, Richard Durso's original standpipe design is located here:
www.rl180reef.com

Two pumps would work fine, providing some backup. I would go with the biggest pump you can to manage your flow. When plumbing, make sure you put the pumps on union ball valves to make it easier to remove for maintenace.

The sump sounds fine; I found that in my tank one down/up refuge in middle and another up/down combo removed most bubbles.

With lighting, more is always better, I had 40w flouro, then added 40w more. I noticed more macro growth with 80w.

mgk