Did You Have Anxiety with Your First Plumbed System?

[jonnyeatworld]

I was nervous as well, and found leaks in the manifold i plumbed. Luckily i planned it with unions so i was able to remove the section and seal the outside of the fittings where the leaks were. All great now.

 

[cracker]

I certainly was . right after I put water in the tank & turned it on. I saw several things I didn't like. Chances are you will change it a few times until you get it where Ya like it.

 

[jgvergo]

I was a total neophyte when I plumbed my system. I designed and hard plumbed a bean animal system with the DT on my first floor and sump in the basement. I drilled holes through my kitchen tiles to run the three 1" PVC lines. My wife thought I had lost my mind!!!

I was maniacal about researching the plumbing since I had never done it before. The worst anxiety occurred when I first turned on the return pump. I had never even seen a working bean animal system in person. As the water started to flow, there were lots of gurgling sounds so I turned it off. That cycle happened at least a dozen times until I figured out to clamp down the gate valve on my return line. After a few hours and a lot of sweat, I finally got it tuned and running well.

I also have an Apex with a lot of programming to handle various situations. Although it's not technically plumbing, I was also paranoid about the Apex controlled doing the right thing under all conditions.

I'd say it took a year before I finally trusted everything

 

[Katrina71]

This is an area where I am very confident and able to do easily.
I have new tank on the way and get to do it all over again. This time I am going with the pretty red plumbing lines

(Mocking voice) Pretty red plumbing lines! Meanwhile my hair is falling out just reading about plumbing...

 

[Hemmdog]

This thread has also has made me feel even less confident about my current plumbing lol, I need to get on that replumbing job one of these days.. the sounds are so scary ;Chicken

(Mocking voice) Pretty red plumbing lines! Meanwhile my hair is falling out just reading about plumbing...

 

[vetteguy53081]

(Mocking voice) Pretty red plumbing lines! Meanwhile my hair is falling out just reading about plumbing...

Its easy. I suggest for newbies to plumbing to get some scrap pieces and experiment with gluing so that you are ready when the real project arrives

 

[lolgranny]

Its easy. I suggest for newbies to plumbing to get some scrap pieces and experiment with gluing so that you are ready when the real project arrives

Super easy to do. You can even test fill the tank if you want to. I have a 400g with another 300g connected 50’ across the house using 4 different runs. Just make sure you use enough glue and you’ll be fine. Not 1 leak here

 

[samnaz]

(Mocking voice) Pretty red plumbing lines! Meanwhile my hair is falling out just reading about plumbing...

I felt the exact same way initially but eventually figured it all out. If I can do it, anyone can. Seriously. It's actually kinda fun!

 

[garbled]

Did you experience the same feelings when you set up your first system that involved plumbing or a system that is larger than AIOs? If so, how did you shake it?

When I setup my 800, I did the test fill with a hose. It was a brand new house, and wooden stand. So I'm standing behind it, watching it fill, hearing it creak and make all those lovely wood sounds, and my brain says to me:

'So if the stand fails, in theory, the rear legs would buckle, then the tank would slide backwards, and slice you in half at the wall.'


I wouldn't go back in that room for a month. Not until it stopped creaking.

 

[nickkohrn]

When I setup my 800, I did the test fill with a hose. It was a brand new house, and wooden stand. So I'm standing behind it, watching it fill, hearing it creak and make all those lovely wood sounds, and my brain says to me:

'So if the stand fails, in theory, the rear legs would buckle, then the tank would slide backwards, and slice you in half at the wall.'


I wouldn't go back in that room for a month. Not until it stopped creaking.

I don't mean to sound rude, but that made me chuckle. I can only imagine the noises and the fear. I'm glad that you lived to tell about it instead of becoming a part of the paint on the wall!

Also, I love your solution for keeping your AFS dry!

 

[Nep2n]

I've been a plumber for 40 years, an aquarist for about 20. I've plumbed everything from huge pharmaceutical production facilities and hospitals to residential bathroom add-ons. My 1st tank was an All-glass 125g with built in corner overflows. Felt pretty confident piping it all up. Thought it looked really nice and neat. Filled the tank and sump, turned on the return pump......my heart was about to jump out of my chest when water started spilling over the overflows. I think it's the equivalent to stage fright, just aquariums instead. I've probably plumbed 100 tanks or more since, some for myself but most for friends/acquaintances. Still get a similar feeling every time I fire one up for the first time but now I call it excitement!!

 

[PaulPerger]

Cut holes in my tank tonight... that gives me anxiety every time.

 

[jgvergo]

I've been a plumber for 40 years, an aquarist for about 20. I've plumbed everything from huge pharmaceutical production facilities and hospitals to residential bathroom add-ons. My 1st tank was an All-glass 125g with built in corner overflows. Felt pretty confident piping it all up. Thought it looked really nice and neat. Filled the tank and sump, turned on the return pump......my heart was about to jump out of my chest when water started spilling over the overflows. I think it's the equivalent to stage fright, just aquariums instead. I've probably plumbed 100 tanks or more since, some for myself but most for friends/acquaintances. Still get a similar feeling every time I fire one up for the first time but now I call it excitement!!

You summed it up nicely. I had the same experience, but my tank was my FIRST plumbing job;Wideyed

 

[Oshengems]

I recently started to fill my system with RO/DI water to check for leaks in my plumbing. So far, I haven’t had any issues, but I have a lingering feeling of anxiety that I can’t seem to shake.

I live in an apartment, and my system is a Waterbox 100.3. This is the first system that I’ve had that isn’t an AIO; it has a sump and plumbing that I converted from metric to U.S. standard. I have the display filled, and I’m at the point where water is beginning to flow into the overflow and down into the sump. I don’t see any issues, but I still feel apprehensive.

Maybe I’m worrying about the plumbing holding, the weight of the system on the floor (on first-floor slab), the temporary noise from the water flowing into the sump before tuning the flow rate and valves, or something else. I want to get past this feeling, but I’m struggling to figure out how.

Did you experience the same feelings when you set up your first system that involved plumbing or a system that is larger than AIOs? If so, how did you shake it?

lol that was me my first tank, I remember sleeping over my ex’s house and just dying inside thinking my pluming sucks since it was my first my floor is probably full of water all the pipes came apart! lol I remember she used to get mad because I was always anxious to leave lol

 

[Oshengems]

I did. My 120 is cycling rn. I’m still kinda anxious about it. It was a used tank, and the seems were not 100% brand new, and even had some visible wear. Late at night when the kids go to bed and I’ve gotten super stoned and trying to fall asleep; the worst-case scenario flashes thru my head. Front panel gives out and spills 120 gal of water out onto my dining room table and floor in a shower of saltwater, glass panels and desperate livestock perhaps while my family with young children are eating.

But I will say that every day that goes by I think about it less. The feeling subsides. Also, for some reason it doesn’t trouble me as much in the daytime

Rofl!! Don’t reef and reef bud! I learned this the hard way topping off directly on my tank stepped out and forgot my RODI was running, my whole compres woodstand got wet, warp all over the place and eventually my tank popped!bsince it was not even

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I recently started to fill my system with RO/DI water to check for leaks in my plumbing. So far, I haven’t had any issues, but I have a lingering feeling of anxiety that I can’t seem to shake.

I live in an apartment, and my system is a Waterbox 100.3. This is the first system that I’ve had that isn’t an AIO; it has a sump and plumbing that I converted from metric to U.S. standard. I have the display filled, and I’m at the point where water is beginning to flow into the overflow and down into the sump. I don’t see any issues, but I still feel apprehensive.

Maybe I’m worrying about the plumbing holding, the weight of the system on the floor (on first-floor slab), the temporary noise from the water flowing into the sump before tuning the flow rate and valves, or something else. I want to get past this feeling, but I’m struggling to figure out how.

Did you experience the same feelings when you set up your first system that involved plumbing or a system that is larger than AIOs? If so, how did you shake it?

What am I going to say I don't mean to offend you or be mean but be real careful if I was you, in the planning stages I would have incorporated special pans on your project to catch any leaks or more water, reason I say this is if there's any damage one day or major damage and you rent and they go by your credit history , you're going to be up the creek on that one.

 

[Vahanyos]

You want anxiety?

New tank
Plumbed it (first time ever plumbing a sump system)
Did a leak test - passed.
Filled the bad boy up, and cycled it
Threw some clean up crew and live stock in there including a pistol shrimp (first time I ever got one)
Hear SNAPPING noises that sounds like glass cracking, or a stand giving out.
On and off snapping, can't wrap head around what it is thinking any minute my tank is going to give out
Later find out it's my SNAPPING pistol shrimp!
Anxiety subsides lol

 

[maroun.c]

Always an ugly anxiety on fill up both on glass leaks and issues and plumbing and ive started around 15 systems so far. I keep going back to each connection and each seam feeling it for water leaks as well as checking floor for any water.

 

[PaulPerger]

I just bought an LDK for my Apex Jr. so I'll know if its leaking...

 

[garbled]

My favorite is this:

Plumb up some external pump or attachment or whatever. You see a tiny bit of water. Was that from you splashing around, screwing with water, or is it a leak? Check a few hours later, and it's still wet there, but it's not getting larger. Also you left a rag hanging over something, so that seems to be dripping.. was that it? Lets check it every 15 minutes for the next 2 days to be sure.