180gal plumbing question

[TokiHacker]

OK. so I have a 180gal I am getting ready to plumb, has two overlow pipes and a output. what is a good assumption to use for plumbing it down to the 75gal sump?

***EDIT*** Using a magdrive 1200 for return.

looking to see what I would need to do for things like 90 degree angles and anything like that.

there are three 1inch bulkheads in the left side of the tank with outflow on the far left and the two overlows are on the otherside of it.

 

[mcgyvr]

Depends 100% on the specific location of everything..
Buy a handful of elbows/45's/pipe/unions/valves,etc.. and keep the receipt.. unused fittings are simply returned when done..

 

[Stolireef]

Depends 100% on the specific location of everything..
Buy a handful of elbows/45's/pipe/unions/valves,etc.. and keep the receipt.. unused fittings are simply returned when done..

+100. I always make the mistake of thinking I've planned out all of the plumbing before going to Home Depot. 17 trips back later and at least a tank of gas...

I'd by three times what you think you'll need and then return unused items. Don't buy the bag-o-elbows because once you open it you can't return the unused ones.

 

[Stolireef]

Also, if the sump is in the stand, buy the two foot sections of pipe. It's a little more expensive but much easier to work with and again, you can return those that you don't use.

Also, make heavy use of true unions and ball valves. Both are a lifesaver when you least expect it.

 

[TokiHacker]

the overflows and the outputs are to the left of the tank, the return is on the right of the sump which I am going to have to obviously plumb all the way to the otherside of the tank. The left side is the overflow which I can do techniquely straight down but I know that will make a lot of noise. trying to figure out how to plumb it without making a bunch of noise.

 

[Stolireef]

the overflows and the outputs are to the left of the tank, the return is on the right of the sump which I am going to have to obviously plumb all the way to the otherside of the tank. The left side is the overflow which I can do techniquely straight down but I know that will make a lot of noise. trying to figure out how to plumb it without making a bunch of noise.

Plumb so that the drains empty below the water line in the sump. Also, remember that the return pump should not be providing your primary flow in the tank. I actually like to run the return as slow as possible. Cuts way down on drain noise and allow stuff to settle in the sump and be worked over by the skimmer for a longer period of time.

 

[TokiHacker]

Plumb so that the drains empty below the water line in the sump. Also, remember that the return pump should not be providing your primary flow in the tank. I actually like to run the return as slow as possible. Cuts way down on drain noise and allow stuff to settle in the sump and be worked over by the skimmer for a longer period of time.

And this is done by a ball valve on the return to slow it down.

 

[tjnorthdakota]

on a dual overflow you can convert it to a bean animal too, on my 120 I used one overflow for a full siphon drain and surface drain and on the second overflow ran my return and had the dry emergency overflow. A full siphon will flow more water than two durso's put together, had it draining close to 3000gph on a test. I will be overall a quieter safer way to plumb it. plumb the full siphon straight down and control with a gate valve

 

[rocsec1]

ThT is what I did and it work great.

 

[Stolireef]

And this is done by a ball valve on the return to slow it down.

Yup. You put the ball valve after the pump and AFTER the true union (another of my brilliant idiot plumbing moves). Once you set it, the only time you'll touch it again is when you are doing pump maintenance so you may want to mark the position.

 

[TokiHacker]

ok. So... I was looking at pictures of other sumps, and I see a crap load of ball valves about the refugium... why is that?

 

[mcgyvr]

ok. So... I was looking at pictures of other sumps, and I see a crap load of ball valves about the refugium... why is that?

valves regulate/stop/allow flow.. plain and simple..
you can shut off an area or adjust the amount of water flowing through it,etc... with them..
Many T off the return pumps to feed fuges (if not part of the normal path of water) or run reactors with valves to close them off,etc...

 

[Cole_lol]

on a dual overflow you can convert it to a bean animal too, on my 120 I used one overflow for a full siphon drain and surface drain and on the second overflow ran my return and had the dry emergency overflow. A full siphon will flow more water than two durso's put together, had it draining close to 3000gph on a test. I will be overall a quieter safer way to plumb it. plumb the full siphon straight down and control with a gate valve

What did you do to slow down the flow on the constant syphon that's a lot of water going into one spot. I was thinking about doing this on my two overflow 220 but didn't want my sump to go crazy with the surge of water all the time.

 

[nereefpat]

What did you do to slow down the flow on the constant syphon that's a lot of water going into one spot. I was thinking about doing this on my two overflow 220 but didn't want my sump to go crazy with the surge of water all the time.

You use a gate valve to restrict the syphon flow so it matches what is being pumped by your return pump.

By the way, what tjnorthdakota describes is not a beanimal. TJ has a sort-of-but-not-really Herbie with an extra emergency in a different box.