Pumps and Plumbing
For the return pump, I chose the Vectra M2 Centrifugal Pump from Eco Tech Marine.
The Triton filtration method recommends turning the water over about 10x per hour through the sump. With a 5ft. head, this pump looks like it will deliver about 1400GPH at full power, plenty for my 90G tank. I went with a DC model to give me some flexibility in tuning the flow through the sump without having to add valves to the return line. I've read that the MegaFlow overflow on the tank can handle anywhere between 600GPH with a 1" non-siphon drain to over 1000GPH with a 1" drain at full siphon, so I'll probably have to dial the pump back.
For the drain, I decided not to go with the Durso drain setup that came with the MegaFlow overflow. The #1 issue that drove me crazy all those years ago with my old aquariums was the noise from the drain. I can't tell you how thankful I am to see all the work done by the likes of Richard Durso, Herbie, and Bean Animal since the early 2000's. I researched all three before settling on the
Herbie configuration. The Durso would probably work well on a non-Triton system, but it seems like noise is still an issue with it when running over 350GPH or so, and definitely at the +900GPH I may be running. In the name of keeping things simple, I decided not to drill a third hole for the Bean Animal drain. However, I am going to run some worst case scenarios with my Herbie setup when I'm doing a leak check, and if I come across a situation where my system will flood because the emergency drain can't handle the flow, I might bite the bullet and re-configure to the Bean Animal while I still can.
So, with those decisions made, I went to work on a plan:
I apologize for the poor picture, but did want to point out that sketching out the plumbing was a huge help. Caught several mistakes early to cut down on the number of return trips to the hardware store. Funny story from this exercise: I spent a good part of the day trying to decided whether to use the 1" bulkhead for my full siphon drain and the 3/4" bulkhead for the emergency drain, or visa versa. Those are the two options that come with the MegaFlow accessory kit. I read all sorts of arguments both ways, and though it makes sense to use the bigger drain for an emergency, I was worried a 3/4" full siphon wouldn't handle my day-to-day flow requirements. Then, just out of curiosity, I measured the pre-drilled holes in the tank to see if they would accommodate Schedule 80 bulkheads, and found that both hole sizes were exactly the same! Both holes were drilled to 1.75", which works with 1" ABS bulkheads. So my dilemma was over. I would use 1" bulkheads for both the full siphon and the e-drain! The drawing also shows a 1" return line option that I decided not to go with. I wanted to use the Loc-Line adapter that came with the accessory kit so I went 3/4" on the return.
Got online during Black Friday, and ended up with this a few days later:
Stayed up late last night and was able to dry-fit the entire setup. The following images show my progress. I was hoping to get some feedback on the design before gluing, so by all means, let me know what you think!
In the overflow box, the emergency drain is set 1/2" below the weir. The main drain is 6" below the top of the e-drain. I used a Spears gate valve in the main drain line to help with tuning and left the e-drain free of any valves. I put a flapper-style check valve on the return line, and drilled a small anti-siphon hole in the last 90deg elbow before the Loc-Line. Speaking of the Loc-Line, that and the strainer on the return pump were the only two things out of the MegaFlow accessory kit that I ended up using. Maybe I'll use the leftover Durso fittings for my QT tank.
Each bulkhead on the sump was over-sized, so I added reducing bushings at the bulkheads to convert the 1 1/2" bulkheads to 1", and the 1" bulkhead on the return line to 3/4".
I will be running the flexible braided tubing from the return pump to the barbed bulkhead in the sump once I'm ready to finalize the setup. I also need to add a piece of PVC from the main drain bulkhead on the sump that will drop down into the sump below the water line. I'll add that once I know where my water line will sit in the sump.
Update (1/16/2020): Time has been short since the holidays, so I've spent what I had working on the tank instead of writing about it. That being said, a lot has happened since my initial "plumbing" post.
First off, my design of the plumbing had to change. Once I started welding the pipe, I lost some of the flex I had in the straight run from my e-drain to the sump, and I had to torque the tubing more than I was comfortable with to make things fit. So, I scrapped my initial design, moved to a different set of bulkheads on the sump, and added a few 90 degree angles. Here is the final result:
I let everything cure for 24 hours and then filled the tank to check for leaks. To my surprise, everything stayed dry as a bone! I did check to make sure the e-drain could handle the max flow of my return pump in the event of a full blockage of my main drain. Video of that test is below. The tank can also handle the full volume of the sump's return chamber if I keep the level around 9". Much above that, and I will have a flood if both the main and e-drain are completely blocked.
Tips:
- I highly recommend using the ratchet-style PVC cutter that looks like a pruning shear. Super clean cuts and no burrs or dust. The one I used worked up to 1 1/4" PVC and made the job a lot easier. $13 from a big box hardware store, and worth every penny.
- Though the Schedule 80 fittings look nice, I recommend you look around to see if your local hardware stores carry them. I needed one extra 1" 90 degree fitting, and found that the Home Depot, Lowes, True Value, and Grainger near me did not carry Schedule 80. I had to order online and wait 7 days unless I wanted to pay more than the part was worth for shipping. If I had to do it over, I would probably go with the white Schedule 40 fittings that can be found just about anywhere.
- If you are concerned about appearance, buy clear PVC primer ahead of time. Not the standard purple primer that you can find anywhere. Again, the clear stuff was not in stock at any of my local stores except Grainger.
