chickofthesea
Active Member
You got this thing! Learn how it works, you will be glad you did. Don't cry over spilled water. [emoji28]
There will be spilled water.
There will be spilled water.
Reef plumbing disaster!!
- Thread starter NakiFantaki
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Breadman03
Valuable Member
The basic plumbing skills you can learn from doing this are pretty simple. A few minutes on YouTube will help you learn how to use glue to create proper PVC joints, and the folks at Lowes/HD have always been quite understanding of me spending time in their aisles dry-fitting various pieces together.
I prefer hard plumbing, but spa flex is certainly a viable product. If you go hard, you'll want to be able to cut the PVC fairly clean and square. I think that a simple miter box (looks like a shoe box with no ends, and a couple cuts through it to guide a saw blade) and hand saw work well.
Also, I don't trust check valves. They add resistance to the plumbing and can get clogged, preventing them from stopping a flood. I prefer to set up my system so that the tank can drain as far as it will in a power outage, yet not overflow.
I prefer hard plumbing, but spa flex is certainly a viable product. If you go hard, you'll want to be able to cut the PVC fairly clean and square. I think that a simple miter box (looks like a shoe box with no ends, and a couple cuts through it to guide a saw blade) and hand saw work well.
Also, I don't trust check valves. They add resistance to the plumbing and can get clogged, preventing them from stopping a flood. I prefer to set up my system so that the tank can drain as far as it will in a power outage, yet not overflow.
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NakiFantaki
Active Member
Lol!! I have learned so much in the last few days that I should be good to go on my first plumbing job soon... kidding kidding. That's why I always went with all in one tanks in the past... lol
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NakiFantaki
Active Member
From what I planned I should have more then enough space in my sump in case of a power outage. The guy that came told me I HAD to have a check valve.. and charged me $30 bucks for it. Lol
rcpalmer1
Well-Known Member
I don't use check valve. They reduce flow and don't always work when you need them. I have a 120 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. My sump only rises 3 inches what I turn my pump off.
alex.mccann99
Active Member
Look at this as a great opportunity to learn more about the hobby. Let's face it, any of us who have been into this for a while are practically plumbing apprentices by now, okay not quite, but you get my point. We always want things up and running right away, but truth of the matter is it's best to take your time, research, research research. With plumbing, DO NOT glue anything into place until you've got it measured out right and thought it through.
Gustavo Martinez
Community Member
Alex is so right...... Take your time.... I've been on my second reef tank build for 2 years now..... I'm going all out now, and still learning......
Btw, I'm still confused on the threaded bulkheads.... Do I use putty, pvc cement, Teflon tape, or simply screw it in?????
Btw, I'm still confused on the threaded bulkheads.... Do I use putty, pvc cement, Teflon tape, or simply screw it in?????
alex.mccann99
Active Member
Use the paste stuff, forget what it's called, it's made for threaded PVC. Works way better than teflon, and is reef safe.
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Dang. Sorry bout the hassle. That's a sweet new setup.
Looks like your kicking but on it.
Keep up the good work.
imustbenuts
Active Member
I like Home Depot and Lowes but they don't always carry fittings and valves we need. I don't like the unions they sell. There big and bulky compared to the spears sch 40. Harrington can order in if they don't have in stock. I have them order with their normal supply orders so I don't pay shipping. I use threaded fitting only if I have to, like to connect to the pump. Otherwise, slip fitting with clear primer and glue. I'll use unions if I want to be able to take the plumbing apart. Here are some pics.
Since you can't fully insert pipe into a fitting when dry, I measure the socket depth and distance between the fittings then add it together for my pipe cut length. Square cuts are important or the cut length will not be correct. I usually cut about an 1/8" short of my measurements. Here are plumbing parts. I use the EPDM o rings.
You could purchase a slip union and a threaded union then swap the halves so you have a slip x thread or use the spigot female adapter to go from the thread on the pump to a spigot. A spigot end fits into a slip or socket of a fitting. Again the cheapest and easiest will be using barb fittings and hose with unions to disconnect. These are barb fittings
If I use barb fittings I upsize the hose for an easier fit. Example, 3/4" barb would get 7/8" inside diameter ID hose. You will want a ball valve on the return side. These are good.
The Home Depot valves are hard to turn.
Greybeard
2500 Club Member
You paid top dollar to have them plumb the tank. Either get your money back, and plumb it yourself (you got a local reef club in the area? can't imagine someone there wouldn't help out!), OR make them finish the job. $150 to plumb a tank is way over priced, at least around here.
DMan
Active Member
From the pics it looks like the your larger pipe is the drain and the smaller the return. The pipe inside the overflow ( the one glued) should be the return. As a basic rule durso drain isn't suppose to be glued. If I were you I would use both those holes as drains. The small as the main drain running a full siphon. And the big one as an emergency drain. Your return can be on the other side and use a over the top return nozzle. Here is some really good info on different types of overflows. http://gmacreef.com/aquarium-overflows-durso-herbie-and-bean-setups/
imustbenuts
Active Member
My system is setup like DMan suggests, however, I drilled the back glass for my return. The benefit running a full siphon is quite. No sound from the drain. The benefit of the ER drain is peace of mind.
rcpalmer1
Well-Known Member
A lot of great info. Get one of these and it will let you do a better job easier.
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...GNWyeduFyKYTUxWNTex0anSB2vBrsMFzKMaAi3H8P8HAQ
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...GNWyeduFyKYTUxWNTex0anSB2vBrsMFzKMaAi3H8P8HAQ
rcpalmer1
Well-Known Member
Just looked at that cutter. It has low ratings. I didn't mean that exact one but that type of tool. Mine is red and I have had it for over 18 years and still cuts great.
Gustavo Martinez
Community Member
I have on of those, they're awesome and cheap....
Martyd
Active Member
Getting screwed without being kissed notwithstanding, I think there's a bigger issue here. In my opinion, to run a successful reef, you need to understand how your tank, equipment and plumbing works. Otherwise, best case scenario, you're going to be looking at a flood or probably worse. Find someone in your area that can show you the ropes. In my opinion, that durso (without an emergency drain), is a recipe for disaster. If it gets blocked, where's the water going to go? Unless the tank can handle the capacity of the tank, it's going to be over the top and onto your floor.
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NakiFantaki
Active Member
Thanks for all of the replies here folks. I really appreciate it and this place never ceases to amaze me.
I finally got a hold of the LFS owner and he is giving me $60 dollar store credit and is sending the guy back out here to plumb the tank.
I did go to Home Depot and get the piece to connect the pump. The owner told me I had to get a reducer to 3/4. So I did that. So we will see.
As far as understanding my tank.. I have learned SO much in the past year. I'm the kind of person that needs to see and experience things to learn them. Reading in a book never did much for me. Once I get this tank plumbed I will be able to fully understand how it works "under the hood" baby steps..
Thanks again for all the support! You guys are great.
I finally got a hold of the LFS owner and he is giving me $60 dollar store credit and is sending the guy back out here to plumb the tank.
I did go to Home Depot and get the piece to connect the pump. The owner told me I had to get a reducer to 3/4. So I did that. So we will see.
As far as understanding my tank.. I have learned SO much in the past year. I'm the kind of person that needs to see and experience things to learn them. Reading in a book never did much for me. Once I get this tank plumbed I will be able to fully understand how it works "under the hood" baby steps..
Thanks again for all the support! You guys are great.
OP
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NakiFantaki
Active Member
Can I hijack my own thread?? [emoji4]
Moving on to the sump portion of my tank. I spent the day cleaning up an old 29gallon tank that has been in my garage for awhile. I had glass baffles cut today and plan to measure and possible start the silicone process tomorrow.
My sump plans are pretty simple. Draining into a filer sock and then going into my bubble magmus curve 5 skimmer. First baffle is set for 10 inches. I think I may have to raise the skimmer a few inches as most of the things I'm reading say that this skimmer works best in 7-8 inches. After the skimmer I plan to build an over/under/over bubble trap. All baffles will be a inch apart. One through the bubble trap the water will flow into the refugium where i plan to to use about 3-4 inches of miracle mud, live rock rubble from my other tank and eventually adding some micro algae. I may add a little slot to put media bags in here and then the water will fall into the return pump. I have the last baffle before the return pump set to 8 inches. I am planning on having about 2 -3 galling of water in the return chamber.
Does anyone think this is a horrible setup? Any suggestions on how I could make it better? Also can anyone recommend any fuge lights? I really want to try to keep the light limited to the fuge only to make sure I don't get algae growth in the entire sump.
One last question. This is my first refugium set up. Do I start it up when I start the initial cycle of the tank? Or should I wait till the tank is cycled?
Thanks!
Moving on to the sump portion of my tank. I spent the day cleaning up an old 29gallon tank that has been in my garage for awhile. I had glass baffles cut today and plan to measure and possible start the silicone process tomorrow.
My sump plans are pretty simple. Draining into a filer sock and then going into my bubble magmus curve 5 skimmer. First baffle is set for 10 inches. I think I may have to raise the skimmer a few inches as most of the things I'm reading say that this skimmer works best in 7-8 inches. After the skimmer I plan to build an over/under/over bubble trap. All baffles will be a inch apart. One through the bubble trap the water will flow into the refugium where i plan to to use about 3-4 inches of miracle mud, live rock rubble from my other tank and eventually adding some micro algae. I may add a little slot to put media bags in here and then the water will fall into the return pump. I have the last baffle before the return pump set to 8 inches. I am planning on having about 2 -3 galling of water in the return chamber.
Does anyone think this is a horrible setup? Any suggestions on how I could make it better? Also can anyone recommend any fuge lights? I really want to try to keep the light limited to the fuge only to make sure I don't get algae growth in the entire sump.
One last question. This is my first refugium set up. Do I start it up when I start the initial cycle of the tank? Or should I wait till the tank is cycled?
Thanks!
