How long to let PVC cement cure before corals?

[Albertan22]

Odd thread title I know. I've got an up and running tank, with coral already in it that I'm considering making plumbing modifications to. If I cut some of my drain lines and rearrange them a bit, how long would you leave the cement cure before firing the system back up again? I know guidelines on the cement itself is something like 15 minutes before pressure testing and a couple hours for a full cure, but would you trust your coral to that?

 

[Matt Carden]

24 hours is safest if you can wait

 

[xxkenny90xx]

24hrs would be great but lots of us make plumbing mods on running tanks and fire them right back up after. Give it an hr or 2 if you can but it'll be fine even if you start the pumps back up right away. Which type of pvc glue are you using?

 

[Matt Carden]

I agree that if you have to get it back up you can run after 1 or 2 hrs. Chemicals will be leeching from the joints for 24 hrs.

 

[Albertan22]

24hrs would be great but lots of us make plumbing mods on running tanks and fire them right back up after. Give it an hr or 2 if you can but it'll be fine even if you start the pumps back up right away. Which type of pvc glue are you using?

Just a standard Oatley PVC cement. I should be able to do 24 hours. I might have to find some extra heaters for the DT, or pull apart all my wire management to get the sump heaters out though.

 

[gabrieltackitt]

Typical cure time for standard PVC cement is 2 hours in 70 degree plus weather. I would definitely not start running any sooner than that for sure or you risk moving the solvent and etching grooves that water will eventually find.

I did see somewhere that you can cure PVC solvent faster with UV light if you have access to one that you can maneuver into the joint that may be a way to go with it, even with that I would still try to wait as long as possible before putting anything newly glued back into action.

 

[Matt Carden]

Just a standard Oatley PVC cement. I should be able to do 24 hours. I might have to find some extra heaters for the DT, or pull apart all my wire management to get the sump heaters out though.

I as well had to tear everything apart to split my tank when I had a leak on o bulkhead.

 

[Albertan22]

I as well had to tear everything apart to split my tank when I had a leak on o bulkhead.

I'm just not happy with how I set up my Bean Animal drain on my Ghost overflow. I wasn't thinking and used the center bulkhead for the secondary drain and an outside bulkhead for the emergency drain. Well that left me unable to make a durso type standpipe and I just had to leave the secondary drain completely open. It's fine most of the time, except mid-day when my vortechs are running 100% reef crest. At that point you get some good echo-y gurgles and belches going on. I'm thinking I just need to switch those two drains to silence the system properly. I can't just do it in the overflow box since the emergency drain bypasses the filter socks and dumps over the return pump well above the water line to create an alarming splash. I should be able to fix the issue with 4 coupler fittings and a few inches of pipe I have lying around.