AquaOne ReefSys 326 Filter Roller Installation

[NickB73]

Hello fellow Reefers,

I’m looking for some help with my ReefSys326; I’m new to the marine world and despite buying a new tank, I started off with all secondhand or ‘cheap’ equipment. Now I’m already hooked and have started the process of upgrading all the equipment to nice shiny new stuff, which I’ve almost completed!

But, the one area I am having a problem with the filter roller, the way the main drain pipe is done in the ReefSys, its basically impossible to cut the pipe and plumb in the filter roller, it seems to use non-standard size pipe, but the main part coming off the gate valve is glued together with joins essentially flush, so no pipe to cut (I hope this makes sense).

I have reached out to AquaOne, who say they don’t sell the gate valve and pipe kit as separate pieces, but suggested I should just be able to buy a gate valve from any DIY store. Here in the UK, its not something I’ve ever seen knocking around in a DIY store.

Has anyone managed to replaced the OEM valve with a different one? Would love to know what to buy (I don’t even know the sizes of the thread etc).

Hoping someone out there, has the all the answers to my dilemma

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Got photos? What brand of filter roller are you using?

 

[NickB73]

Got photos? What brand of filter roller are you using?

I’m using RedSea ReefMat500.

Here’s a photo of the main gate valve, with the bit crossed that I really could do without.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Seeing your in the UK, it's definitely metric... If it was me I'd cut above the existing union and source another union and your own diy gate valve. Then you can pipe it to your parts content. Everything is more than likely 25mm (3/4") or 32mm (1").

I always use threaded gate valves so that I can reuse if I have to do a drain/return repipe.

 

[NickB73]

Just wanted to thank everyone for your help, advice and idea’s. Managed to resolve it in the end

What I did, was cut the down pipe where it just comes out under the gate valve, a 40mm elbow was the perfect fit, and then into that put a reducer into 32mm (or might have been 30mm), into that some pipe and hey presto, now above the sump and running down into the filter.

That’s helpfully increased the flow into the filter, enabled me to increase the flow on my return pump and most importantly, everything is running silently as it should be.

 

[AdamK1]

Just did a conversion on my own 326 sump for a large mat roller. I removed the baffle between the inlet chamber and the socks chamber, and also removed the black socks holder. With that done the original 40mm pipework needed nothing. I did have to alter the return pipework and the emergency overflow, but only as I had to rotate the gate valve into a better position to allow it to meet the intake for the mat. Glad I got it done. How did yours turn out?

 

[carnivorouswombat]

Seeing your in the UK, it's definitely metric... If it was me I'd cut above the existing union and source another union and your own diy gate valve. Then you can pipe it to your parts content. Everything is more than likely 25mm (3/4") or 32mm (1").

I always use threaded gate valves so that I can reuse if I have to do a drain/return repipe.

Do you have a photo of what you did I would be very keen to see!

 

[MJ59HK]

Just wanted to thank everyone for your help, advice and idea’s. Managed to resolve it in the end

What I did, was cut the down pipe where it just comes out under the gate valve, a 40mm elbow was the perfect fit, and then into that put a reducer into 32mm (or might have been 30mm), into that some pipe and hey presto, now above the sump and running down into the filter.

That’s helpfully increased the flow into the filter, enabled me to increase the flow on my return pump and most importantly, everything is running silently as it should be.

Hi Nick, I have the same Aqua One tank as you and thinking of installing a roller filter for my system. Do you mind uploading a few photos showing the installed roller filter and which part of the drain pipe you cut to fit the roller filter into the sump? Cheers.