Automatic leveling on AGA / dual overflow?

[KyleO]

HELP!!!

Has anybody figured out a good way to balance out a dual overflow AGA system? I have one overflow feeding the sump and one feeding the refugium. It is a constant struggle to keep them balanced.

Is there such a thing as an solenoid-driven gate valve that will respond to a sensor and automatically keep the water level adjusted???

How can I stop the maddening balancing act?

[phillkg]

you need an equalizer pipe from the sump to the refugium

[phillkg]

you need an equalizer pipe from the sump to the refugium

[KyleO]

are you talking about plumbing the two separate units together?

[Pmolan]

That is the only way to keep the load balanced without failing at some point.

[KyleO]

Originally posted by Pmolan
That is the only way to keep the load balanced without failing at some point.

OK...........I see you have the same tank I have (210 AGA). Should I think about a single return pump? Is there an advantage to dual return pumps?

On the equalizing pipe, should it be low or high in the take up chambers, or does it matter? Ironically, I have already drilled holes and have bulk-heads low in each take up chamber so connecting them would be pretty easy..........just a matter of return pump plumbing.

Should equalizing pipe be separate from the return pump line (assuming I have external return pumps)?

Thanks in advance..........

[Pmolan]

When I had my under the tank setup, I used 2 mag 12's. Just for redundancy. I now have a mag 50 from my basement. My first pump failed but was able to get a new one 2nd day. No problems at all with the tank. So really redundancy isnt really an issue seeing the tank will survive with just a couple of powerheads. As far as the equalization, I would guess they should be low. I like your idea of having each overflow feed a single tank.

[RocketEngineer]

Both drains should eventually end up at the same spot. You must have a single common point in the system. From this common point, you can then run your return pump(s). If you have two totally separate systems, one on each overflow, a failed pump on one of the two will cause the other to keep filling and you will eventually flood something.

[nhlives]

I have a dual AGA. One overflow feeds a fuge and one feeds the sump. The fuge is drilled to overflow into the sump. A single Mag 1800 feeds the returns via a tee.

[KyleO]

I would really like to see some pics from dual AGA owners..........my head is buzzing with ideas but I want to make sure I don't miss a great idea as far as joining or equalizing the fuge and sump and ending my balancing act.

[Pmolan]

Drill a hole in the floor. Put your sump in the basment!

[KyleO]

Originally posted by Pmolan
Drill a hole in the floor. Put your sump in the basment!

If only.............

Basements are a rarity in California. I am sitting on a suspension slab and trying to fit all this stuff in the cabinet beneath and the one I got built along side to house the chiller and Ozone reactor.

My next house will definitely have a fish room behind the display!!!

[nhlives]

Originally posted by KyleO
I would really like to see some pics from dual AGA owners...

I did plan the tanks so this was going to work...One tank taller than the other.

Pics

[KyleO]

Thanks nhlives...........that is a nice idea. I have the sump and fuge sitting side by side under the tank so I don't think it will be too difficult to install an equalizer tube between the two!

Computer Infrastructure Consultant sounds way better than Network Engineer!!! I might have to adopt that title!

[nhlives]

Originally posted by KyleO
Thanks nhlives...........that is a nice idea. I have the sump and fuge sitting side by side under the tank so I don't think it will be too difficult to install an equalizer tube between the two...

If you drill both, use a flexible tubing. You don't want to have the two tanks firmly connected. In my case I drilled just the taller tank.

[Pmolan]

Thats a good idea too.. It looks like the fuge overflows to the sump (common point)

[KyleO]

I am planning on using flexible tubing, AND a junction ball valve so I can separate when and if needed for maintenance or what not.

nhlives, does your fuge dump into the take up chamber of your sump? The reason I had the fuge and sump separate in the first place was to give the pods that are breeding in the fuge every opportunity at a straight shot to the display (if they can take the ride)!

[nhlives]

Originally posted by KyleO
nhlives, does your fuge dump into the take up chamber of your sump? The reason I had the fuge and sump separate in the first place was to give the pods that are breeding in the fuge every opportunity at a straight shot to the display (if they can take the ride)!

It does dump into the pump side: A good and bad thing. I had the same desire - pods. But I also had to work to get rid of the bubbles. I don't have a lot of extra room in the chamber so it was difficult to get the pump intake away from bubbles.
As it turns out a Mag 1800 was the pump suggested by the head calculator. I can run the returns wide open and it doesn't make for too much flow in the fuge. However, I get about an extra inch of water in the fuge this way. I am very close on my sump emergency level when I simulate a power outage. The extra inch of water in the fuge is just a wee too much. I throttle back the Mag 1800 about 30 percent. If I had to do it over I would either lower the baffles in the sump an inch or get a smaller pump - Probably a smaller pump.

[KyleO]

Installed the equalizer tube over the weekend and worked like a charm! Haven't had to mess with the water level in sump and fuge once since......

Thanks everybody!!!