To be soft or not to be soft that is the question

[reefthereefer]

I currently have $125 gallon tank setup. Over the last few months I have decided to switch over to a sump. I am currently running a fx6 canister I clean it out once sometimes I try to go two weeks but to try to control nitrates I decided to go sump here is my question and attached there will be pictures. I want to put my Sump in the right hand corner of my tank. But I am wondering if I should hard pipe this or run soft pipes into my sump now I do know the difference between both of them but I'm trying to wonder which one would be more realistic in this setup due to the fact that will not be able to get in back of the tank very often also on the opposite end I'm thinking about putting my return I'm wondering if I should hard pipe that or soft pipe that one as well.

 

[mfinn]

When you say you want the sump in the right hand corner of the tank, I'm assuming you meant the overflow box.
A couple things you need to do is determine what the drain rate for the overflow box is and pick a appropriate pump.
With pumps there are so many choices, you can spend days just looking.
IMO the most dependable are ac pumps. The quietest are dc pumps.
For you first overflow/sump setup I would say go with soft tubing. It will be the easiest.
Maybe down the road you can make changes, but for now go with easy.
Go with soft for the return as well.

 

[ryanjohn1]

What’s the tank size and what’s your nitrate at?

 

[ryanjohn1]

And is tank already drilled?

 

[reefthereefer]

When you say you want the sump in the right hand corner of the tank, I'm assuming you meant the overflow box.
A couple things you need to do is determine what the drain rate for the overflow box is and pick a appropriate pump.
With pumps there are so many choices, you can spend days just looking.
IMO the most dependable are ac pumps. The quietest are dc pumps.
For you first overflow/sump setup I would say go with soft tubing. It will be the easiest.
Maybe down the road you can make changes, but for now go with easy.
Go with soft for the return as well.

The flow on overflow box is 1200 so I am getting g at least a 1600gph pump for it to mat h as close as possible. If I need to change the flow at least I have some wiggle room. I'm pretty good with doing plumbing and gluing and things of that nature my concern was if I ever have to remove the Overflow to clean it or reposition it or something of that nature I would think the flex would be better choice to go with. But on the other side I'm worried about leaking issues. I appreciate your comment thank you very much God bless

And is tank already drilled?

Yes I apolitical for not mentioning that

 

[reefthereefer]

The flow on overflow box is 1200 so I am getting g at least a 1600gph pump for it to mat h as close as possible. If I need to change the flow at least I have some wiggle room. I'm pretty good with doing plumbing and gluing and things of that nature my concern was if I ever have to remove the Overflow to clean it or reposition it or something of that nature I would think the flex would be better choice to go with. But on the other side I'm worried about leaking issues. I appreciate your comment thank you very much God bless


Yes I apolitical for not mentioning that

The tank is not drilled now it'll be a hob

 

[ryanjohn1]

Hard pipe. Are you looking at the cs-60 or 90 hob

 

[reefthereefer]

Hard pipe. Are you looking at the cs-60 or 90 hob

I am looking at the cs-102

 

[reefthereefer]

What’s the tank size and what’s your nitrate at?

My nitrate are now at 8ppm they were at 60ppm they stabled at 20-30ppm but just kept spiking and was noticing I was doing a lot more freaking water changes. So I'm looking towards the sump so I don't have to be a slave over this tank I want to enjoy it

 

[mfinn]

The flow on overflow box is 1200 so I am getting g at least a 1600gph pump for it to mat h as close as possible. If I need to change the flow at least I have some wiggle room. I'm pretty good with doing plumbing and gluing and things of that nature my concern was if I ever have to remove the Overflow to clean it or reposition it or something of that nature I would think the flex would be better choice to go with. But on the other side I'm worried about leaking issues. I appreciate your comment thank you very much God bless


Yes I apolitical for not mentioning that

I have been doing pvc pipe for a few decades now so I am fairly good at it, but if I were to need to use a hang-on box, I still would use soft tubing. Since the overflow box isn't attached to anything and could be bumped and moved accidentally, I would want the lines to be flexible.

 

[MrGisonni]

 

[reefthereefer]

Thank you these work for H.O.B ?

 

[MrGisonni]

Thank you these work for H.O.B ?

Of course

 

[mfinn]

Thank you these work for H.O.B ?

Two things you would have to make sure before getting something like that kit.
If your overflow box already has the bulkheads ( or whatever type of fitting they use), will that hose clamp down and seal on them.
If they won't and you have to use their fittings, will they fit in the holes on the overflow box you now have. ( or plan to get)

 

[vlangel]

I have a HOB overflow box and have used it for over 2 decades. I have chosen to use the eheim flex tubing. In all those years leaking has never been an issue, so I believe that you can feel confident if you want to use flex tubing.

I also have a variable speed pump so that I can dial in the flow of the pump to match the drain capacity. For me, calculating the loss of head pressure was tricky (I have a basement sump so it was over 10 feet of head pressure). It was nice to have some leeway to adjust the flow of the pump so bubbles would not build up in the U tube of the overflow box and cause a loss of syphon.

 

[reefthereefer]

Two things you would have to make sure before getting something like that kit.
If your overflow box already has the bulkheads ( or whatever type of fitting they use), will that hose clamp down and seal on them.
If they won't and you have to use their fittings, will they fit in the holes on the overflow box you now have. ( or plan to get)

I'm going to be using the deluxe cs102 overflow has 2 bulkheads

 

[mfinn]

I'm going to be using the deluxe cs102 overflow has 2 bulkheads

My only point was if you were to buy a overflow hose kit from somewhere other than the overflow box manufacture, make sure the diameters match up.