Over the top return line mount?

[JamesThomas]

Im looking to run a return line over the top of my eurobrace tank. I want a clean look and can drill the euro bracing for a bulkhead or something. I have one of the 1" RFG nozzles Id like to use if possible.
I cant mount into the back of the tank because the whole end is the overflow.....
Any pics or direction would help. I like the lockline, but how do I get things mounted without looking "ghetto" and hanging over the edge.

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Even Further]

Here's my over the the top. I heated/bent 3/4" PVC, painted black with Krylon Fusion. The pipe is held in place by pipe clamp in the stand compartment.
I added the soft side of black adhesive velco to cushion the U-bend on the rim, to avoid rubbing or slight vibration.
In the last pick I pointed out the pipe clamp with a green arrow.

 

[JamesThomas]

Hey thats a fancy bend! well done! I might try my hand at that. I have euro brace, but I can drill and use one of those uni seals.

 

[Ridgeway]

This is how i did mine, also on a Euro braced aquarium:

I drilled the brace (25mm thick) and below that was the base of the weir which i also drilled so i could pass right through with the pipe. I worked out pretty well.

 

[JamesThomas]

Very nice!! love the clean look. Im getting some good ideas!! many thanks

 

[Converted to Saltwater]

That does NOT look ghetto.
Nice.

 

[redfishbluefish]

My current tank in "over the top" but is not euro-braced.

The replacement tank I'm currently working on is euro-braced, and it will be over the top. It's still a work in progress, but here's the mock-up of the pipes at the top of the tank. The first thing that was done was attach a piece of 1/2 acrylic to the back of the tank (blue colored strip)....this will support the pipe.

The silicone being used is formulated to stick to plastics (and glass). Find this stuff in HD, but not in the paint department, but where they sell acrylic sheets (window department).

When ready, this pipe will be siliconed to the acrylic strip and the glass of the euro-brace using the above silicone. Two 3/4 wye Loc-line flared fittings will be attached to each of the two pipe ends.

 

[Catchemall]

Here's my over the the top. I heated/bent 3/4" PVC, painted black with Krylon Fusion. The pipe is held in place by pipe clamp in the stand compartment.
I added the soft side of black adhesive velco to cushion the U-bend on the rim, to avoid rubbing or slight vibration.
In the last pick I pointed out the pipe clamp with a green arrow.

Can you explain how you got such a good bend I’d love to do this! Did you just use a heat gun and how did you go about bending and the pipe staying round I figured it would collapse some

 

[Darsh]

Here's my over the the top. I heated/bent 3/4" PVC, painted black with Krylon Fusion. The pipe is held in place by pipe clamp in the stand compartment.
I added the soft side of black adhesive velco to cushion the U-bend on the rim, to avoid rubbing or slight vibration.
In the last pick I pointed out the pipe clamp with a green arrow.

Wow! That is some expert level pipe bending! I can't see any wrinkles or imperfections. How did you do it??

 

[Catchemall]

Wow! That is some expert level pipe bending! I can't see any wrinkles or imperfections. How did you do it??

I’d bet by adding sand to the pipe to hold its shape and not kink I did some looking around and found some great videos of it.

 

[Silent]

I have seen it done with sand a couple of ways but the one that Ive seen turn out the best is to heat the sand in the oven as hot as you can get it and pour it hot into your pvc pipe. It heats it up from the inside out and seems to look the best when bent. You might need to bend a little then reheat sand and bend a little more, so on and so on.

 

[Silent]

@redfishbluefish Your look would be cleaner if you used square PVC on the top back edge of your tank. I will admit making it out of square pvc will be challenging to find fittings and making it work but you could just use square black pvc or painted black pvc over the round pvc on the top of the tank. Round inside the square. Super clean look. Just a thought.

 

[Darsh]

I’d bet by adding sand to the pipe to hold its shape and not kink I did some looking around and found some great videos of it.

Yea I've done it this way a few times. Up to 90 degrees is pretty easy and looks great, but after that it's extremely difficult to keep the form and his one looks perfect.