Manifold off of return pump or dedicated pump?

[kinetic]

I'm trying to decide whether I should run a manifold on a dedicated pump (in and out into the sump) or from my return (in from sump, out to display).

The manifold would be diverting water to:
1. UV Sterilizer
2. Chiller

I want to use the UV Sterilizer mostly for possible ich (even with QT, i want a safety) and maybe even the dinoflagellate (Osteropsis?) that I've had in the past. If it also clears my water a bit, great, but not too concerned about that.

The chiller will probably rarely turn on, but I like having it as a safety to keep temps stable.

I won't be running the manifold to do anything else (as far as I know). If I do need some kind of reactor for something, I can just run a dedicated pump for that later, but I don't intend to run a reactor long term.

People have told me the UV would do best plumbed with the return somehow. Maybe the chiller too?

• Tank: 126 gallons, can handle almost 3,000gph through drain, but I will use a ReefMat 500 which is limited
• Return pump: Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon 3 Speedy 100 watt (maybe even go to high pressure version for the manifold)
• UV: 50 watt pentair, suggested flow 1560gph for algae/bacteria (dinos would be in this range, but how about ich?)
• Chiller: 1/5 hp (probably needs pretty low flow, 300gph maybe)

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

following along for ideas. I'm trying to do the same for my tank.

 

[G Santana]

IMO the best reason to use an over powered return pump to run a manifold is heat savings. I run my UV and Algae scrubber off of my return, otherwise I'd be looking at two more pumps adding heat to the tank.

 

[glency]

IMO the best reason to use an over powered return pump to run a manifold is heat savings. I run my UV and Algae scrubber off of my return, otherwise I'd be looking at two more pumps adding heat to the tank.

Im designing a manifold as well. If you use the return to feed the manifold, where do the outlets of the accessories fed by the manifold empty into? Since it is powered by the return, is there not a chance that treated water would be picked up by the return sending it to the manifold again? Or, is the amount negligible? Thanks

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I've done both setups, I'm a single larger pump to power the manifold guy.

 

[G Santana]

Im designing a manifold as well. If you use the return to feed the manifold, where do the outlets of the accessories fed by the manifold empty into? Since it is powered by the return, is there not a chance that treated water would be picked up by the return sending it to the manifold again? Or, is the amount negligible? Thanks

The items that are fed by the manifold empty into the sump.
Where I am lucky is that my tank is in the basement and the sump is behind my tank and not under it so I have a lot of room for plumbing.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

After having a large set up in the past. My two cents, use one pump to power a manifold for everything you want around the sump area and use another for the display. This way if one goes down you are not losing the whole system. I would try to keep them the same pump and always have a spare ready to go incase one went down.

 

[G Santana]

After having a large set up in the past. My two cents, use one pump to power a manifold for everything you want around the sump area and use another for the display. This way if one goes down you are not losing the whole system. I would try to keep them the same pump and always have a spare ready to go incase one went down.

Sound advice

 

[Tcook]

I have 2 Cor 20 pumps for returns on my 120. One of the returns goes through a manifold to run my chiller and UV. I recommend using flow meters on both. For ich the UV should have a flow around 250-300 gph.

 

[DCR]

Chillers typically require high head due to high pressure drop. This will likely drive you to a higher head pump just for the chiller I would recommend a separate high head pump for the chiller, especially if you do not expect to use it often.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

my sump is just a spot for 5 pumps all my gear is external. i think its way easier to be able to adjust each loops flow and to service etc. one loop powers 2 devices first to the uv then exits uv and goes to the ozone reactor which drains thru carbon back to the sump. one goes to the fuge, one goes to the external skimmer. one to the chiller then one is the return pump.

they are mostly pan worlds/iwaki so bought 20+ years ago and will probably outlive me, unlike the dc pumps which aint all that in terms of long term use under pressure applications like chiller

 

[kinetic]

Chillers typically require high head due to high pressure drop. This will likely drive you to a higher head pump just for the chiller I would recommend a separate high head pump for the chiller, especially if you do not expect to use it often.

Oh intertesting, I never knew about the high pressure through a chiller. I've always used small DC pumps, and yes, after awhile the water does come out at a trickle unless the pump is constantly maintained to work at its peak.

Maybe the return pump I'll use will be a high-pressure version of the RD3 Speedy.

 

[Bigjay615]

I used to run an external reeflo hammerhead on my 180 so I built a big manifold for exactly what you are doing. 2" in to 4 - 1" outs all with ball vavles
Now that I am running a smaller DC pump i have been stripping things off the manifold and using seperate smaller pumps.
The only thing left is a 1" out I have adapted down to 1/4 jabo to feed my calcrxr.
My uv is running with a media reactor for carbon on a seperate pump

I'm waiting on a red Dragon 100w so I may switch back if it has that much juice.

I like the idea of water movement from my return as I have sea swirl powered return swingers on my return lines (I don't even know if they still Make these. But they've been running non stop For about 15 yrs now haha)
I like the idea of random flow... Especially with all the static water movers in the tank.