pvc plumbing weight support advice needed

jt808 · May 13, 2018

hi im plumbing an aquarium for the very first time and I am unsure as to how or if I even need to support my plumbing.

I cannot post a picture at this time but this is what im working with so far:

Tank- 40 breeder topfin brand drilled for drain and return
1 inch drain, 1 inch emerg. drain- both to be connected to a eshopps eclipse S internal overflow
3/4 return through bulkhead with lockline

im planning to hard plumb the entire drain and emergency drain to an eshopps r200 sump
im planning to hard plumb my return except for the first foot or so which will have tubing for easier access to pump for maintenance.

my situation is that after dry fitting my plumbing I realized that my plumbing is about 2-3 inches from my stand and it is basically hanging from my overflow box, and from the bulkhead on my return. Its only about 2 feet from my tank to my sump but I am worried that with water my plumbing will be quite heavy especially for a smaller tank with glass on the thin side.

Are there any suggestions as to how I should secure the plumbing or if it is really neccessary?

LCC · May 13, 2018

jt808 said:
hi im plumbing an aquarium for the very first time and I am unsure as to how or if I even need to support my plumbing.

I cannot post a picture at this time but this is what im working with so far:

Tank- 40 breeder topfin brand drilled for drain and return
1 inch drain, 1 inch emerg. drain- both to be connected to a eshopps eclipse S internal overflow
3/4 return through bulkhead with lockline

im planning to hard plumb the entire drain and emergency drain to an eshopps r200 sump
im planning to hard plumb my return except for the first foot or so which will have tubing for easier access to pump for maintenance.

my situation is that after dry fitting my plumbing I realized that my plumbing is about 2-3 inches from my stand and it is basically hanging from my overflow box, and from the bulkhead on my return. Its only about 2 feet from my tank to my sump but I am worried that with water my plumbing will be quite heavy especially for a smaller tank with glass on the thin side.

Are there any suggestions as to how I should secure the plumbing or if it is really neccessary?

My first frag tank was a 40g breeder with a

40g breeder sump. Used two 1 1/2" pvc drains and 3/4" return. Never had any problems with the pvc weight. I will caution you not to over tighten the bulkheads, you can crack the glass. The tank has since been plumbed into a much larger system and houses anemones.

jt808 · May 13, 2018

thanks for the quick reply! So the pvc on your tank is not connected to the stand in any way? just want to make sure that is OK, thanks for the help

Flippers4pups · May 13, 2018

jt808 said:
thanks for the quick reply! So the pvc on your tank is not connected to the stand in any way? just want to make sure that is OK, thanks for the help

If you think it's a concern (which I think it's not in your case) you can use plastic clamps used for electrical conduit. Found at the big box stores. Use 2x4 blocks to make up the distance between the stand and the plumbing.

Hope this helps.

jt808 · May 13, 2018

Flippers4pups said:
If you think it's a concern (which I think it's not in your case) you can use plastic clamps used for electrical conduit. Found at the big box stores. Use 2x4 blocks to make up the distance between the stand and the plumbing.

Hope this helps.

This does help thank you. I'll glue everything together and see how I feel when I am leak testing, if it looks sketchy ill do what you suggested.

LCC · May 13, 2018

I guess i didnt actually answer your question about bracing. I used a couple of zipties to hang the drains from when they tucked under the stand.

samnaz · May 13, 2018

I’d support them somehow if I were you, just to be safe, Incase you bump it accidentally you don’t want the hole cracking.

mfinn · May 13, 2018

I've screwed a piece of 2"x 2" wood to the back of my stand to fill in the distance between the pvc pipe and the stand. Then used plastic electrical c clamps and screwed them to the 2x2 to support the pipe.