Plumbing help needed
- Thread starter Fishnerd7
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prsnlty
Jackie
Another words if you want a higher flow rate you turn it up by pushing the plus button, if you want a lower flow rate you turn it down by pushing the - button, if you want it temporarily off for 10 minutes where automatically restarts then you push the feed button. And it has a slow start; non-instant "blast the tank" start which is excellent
bblumberg
Well-Known Member
Flow will not be a problem through 3/4" bulkheads. If you look at Bean Animal's calculator here
http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx
It says that a .75" submerged siphon will flow 1326 GPH with 4' of head and more if the head is greater. Even .5" will flow almost 600 GPH at 4' head.
I just converted a 75g corner with 3 holes, 2 of which were previously returns and 1 Durso drain, into a full Bean Animal setup with 3/4" pipe/bulkheads on the siphon and open siphon and a 1" emergency drain. It completely handles the flow from a Fluval SP6 pump (albeit noisily). When I reduce the flow to what appears reasonable (just covering the full siphon and 1/2 way up the open siphon, it is quiet other than the water flow through the sump. Your system should work without any problems.
Bruce
http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx
It says that a .75" submerged siphon will flow 1326 GPH with 4' of head and more if the head is greater. Even .5" will flow almost 600 GPH at 4' head.
I just converted a 75g corner with 3 holes, 2 of which were previously returns and 1 Durso drain, into a full Bean Animal setup with 3/4" pipe/bulkheads on the siphon and open siphon and a 1" emergency drain. It completely handles the flow from a Fluval SP6 pump (albeit noisily). When I reduce the flow to what appears reasonable (just covering the full siphon and 1/2 way up the open siphon, it is quiet other than the water flow through the sump. Your system should work without any problems.
Bruce
prsnlty
Jackie
3/4" standpipes can handle more drainage than you might think. The whole thing is a balancing act. You adjust the flow through your return pump. You can't get more drainage into the sump than you're putting into the display - but, you can get more flow/water into the display than your drains can handle. So start your return flow somewhere in the middle and bump it up a little but at a time until you receive balance. If you don't see the water level ( Mark the glass/or overflow teeth at the point where it starts to overflow with some painters tape or wax pencil that you can remove later) go higher in a day, keep checking daily. If after a week and you're still good you can bump it up another notch. You can do this until it raises. If it does then knock it down a peg or two. It actually sounds more involved than it really is.
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OP
OP
Fishnerd7
Community Member
This makes a whole lot more sense now. Just needed some plain talk to get me through it. You all just saved me from ruining a new pump too I'm sure. Someone earlier asked me if I have a build thread? Is that another forum? Getting to know this site a bit more each day. Anything specific I should stay in tuned with here besides the newbie corner? I also checked out DIY area as well. Thank you all.
JoshH
Tank Status: Wet...ish, growing things....
It was me who asked about a build thread, and it's a thread like this one except in the members tank forum to show us all your pictures of progress and anything you want to share about your build. It's almost like a tank journal for us all to read and look at because well. . . we demand pictures.
OP
OP
Fishnerd7
Community Member
Lol. Good stuff. I found it. I'll do some pics when I get back. I'm on mini assignment. Hitting up LFS on way home. I'll get some pics on where I'm at. Slow build. I hope to have it up by December. May have to do some rock curing as well though I've heard plus cycling of tank and so on. I feel like I'm fermenting beer here. lol.
JoshH
Tank Status: Wet...ish, growing things....
Well I started mine in November last year and it's still dry lol So you're not the only one with the ultra slow build. But the best things take time and as it's so often said in this hobby, nothing good happens fast. So take it slow, enjoy piecing things together and document it as much as you can so others can also learn from your experiences. And so you have something to look back on while your battling algae or you have an elusive devil fish that you have to rip your tank apart to capture. 
prsnlty
Jackie
It's also good to look up other people's build threads with similar systems that you're trying to build it'll give you a lot of insight knowledge that you might not have picked up otherwise. For example in my 180 build thread I started from the day I picked up the tank. As Josh says it's a journal . Every little thought, every little I changed my mind and all the ups and downs of it. Every tank is a learning experience in some way or another
OP
OP
Fishnerd7
Community Member
You read my mind Jackie. Hopefully by tonight I'll have an answer on this bulkheads project. Getting a little anxious to visit the LFS down here before the drive home. Probably best the wife and kids are not with me. They get embarrassed when I run around like a kid frolicking through the store yelling "look at this one..I want that". Just kidding. I keep all that internally. But that's how I feel. ha ha.
OP
OP
Fishnerd7
Community Member
Just got home from LFS. Turns out both drains and returns are 1 inch bulkheads. Super excited. Moving on to phase two of plumbing. .. valves. Thank you so much everyone. This kept me up a couple nights thinking I'd been ripped off by seller. Taking pics this weekend to show you my progress and what I did.
prsnlty
Jackie
I figured it was likely you didn't know how... you'll get better at all of this in no time [emoji12]
