Andrés Garza
New member
Hello group, this is my new project, a 55-gallon fish tank. What do you recommend more? Should I use two 3/4-inch bulkheads for the downpipe, or just one 1-inch bulkhead?
BULKHEAD 55 GALLON TANK?
- Thread starter Andrés Garza
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Andrés Garza
New member
My plan is to start with freshwater fish for a few years and eventually transition to a marine tank with live rock, so I want to set things up in a way that will work for both.
Why do you want bulkheads? Are you wanting to filter via a sump? Not trying to sound negative, just trying to understand what direction you’re leaning.
There are so many ways to be successful in this hobby…there’s no single right way to do things. What works for one person may not work for another.
There are so many ways to be successful in this hobby…there’s no single right way to do things. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you have the space. I’d consider a bean animal style overflow
@BeanAnimal can give the best information on the that.
With that said, are you drilling the tank? If so, watch for tempered glass. It will shatter if you try to drill it.
Silent & Fail-Safe Aquarium Overflow System | BeanAnimal's Reef
Build the world famous "Bean Animal" silent and fail-safe aquarium overflow system. No noise, no adjustment, no floods. A truly set and forget setup that makes the Durso and Stockman style of standpipes obsolete! Build your own today!
beananimal.com
@BeanAnimal can give the best information on the that.
With that said, are you drilling the tank? If so, watch for tempered glass. It will shatter if you try to drill it.
Andrés Garza
New member
I decided to make the holes and place the bulkhead this way because the tank will be completely hidden from the short sides (33 cm) and only visible from the long sides (121 cm). I want to achieve the best possible aesthetics inside the tank while maintaining a good filtration system.
Andrés Garza
New member
This urn is not made of tempered glass, so worrying about whether it is tempered glass or not has become secondary.
Andrés Garza
New member
My idea was to make a single 45mm hole for the downpipe. Do you think it would work? Could you please show me more photos of your setup?
Andrés Garza
New member
I was thinking of making only two 35 mm holes for the downpipes because my tank’s capacity isn’t very large — it’s only 200 liters. That’s why I was considering just those two options: either one 45 mm hole for the downpipe with a 1-inch bulkhead fitting, or two 35 mm holes for downpipes working together with two 3/4-inch bulkhead fittings. I’m not worried about the uppipe holes since I’ll be making those in the PVC pipe that will go above the fish tank.
I was thinking of making only two 35 mm holes for the downpipes because my tank’s capacity isn’t very large — it’s only 200 liters. That’s why I was considering just those two options: either one 45 mm hole for the downpipe with a 1-inch bulkhead fitting, or two 35 mm holes for downpipes working together with two 3/4-inch bulkhead fittings. I’m not worried about the uppipe holes since I’ll be making those in the PVC pipe that will go above the fish tank.I would place 2 x 3/4 inch holes in the back for water into the tank and 2 x 1 inch holes for the drains with a glue on weir.
View attachment 32414608
That would be a traditional reef tank setup. For freshwater a canister filter could be connected on the back or underneath.
wvned
Well-known member
I dont know. I always make my drains 1 inch or larger. 25mm would be the pipe ID and not the hole size. I have a 1 inch drain on my 27 gallon refugium.
The pic above is a 75 gallon tank I drilled. I converted it from over the top overflow and returns to in tank ones.
Andrés Garza
New member
Friend, that’s what I’m explaining to you — the 35 mm holes are for 3/4-inch bulkheads, and the 45 mm holes are for 1-inch bulkheads. My tank is 55 gallons, that’s why I was asking if you’d recommend two 3/4-inch holes for the downpipes, or a single 1-inch hole for the downpipe. Keep in mind that your system has more volume — you have a total of 75 gallons, and I only have 55.
Andrés Garza
New member
Making two 45 mm holes for 1-inch bulkheads feels a bit unnecessary and kind of oversized to me. I’m not an expert and honestly don’t know much about aquaponics, that’s why I asked for some advice here — hoping someone with more experience can help me out.
wvned
Well-known member
I think our failure to communicate here is based on how many and what size holes you need is based on how much water you want to pass through them and not the size of the tank. That can be a very variable number based on what you want to have in the tank. Some people use huge return pumps to avoid wavemakers in the tank.
I tend to oversize drains because it is easy to slow a drain down with a valve but difficult to make them bigger once the tank is running.
The tank above had a single 1.5 inch hole between the front and back overflow boxes and 2 x 1 inch drains from the rear box to the sump. Only one of these is in use and the second is an emergency drain. If possible it is desirable to have a second drain called an emergency drain that will take the flow if the main drain plugs.
I tend to oversize drains because it is easy to slow a drain down with a valve but difficult to make them bigger once the tank is running.
The tank above had a single 1.5 inch hole between the front and back overflow boxes and 2 x 1 inch drains from the rear box to the sump. Only one of these is in use and the second is an emergency drain. If possible it is desirable to have a second drain called an emergency drain that will take the flow if the main drain plugs.
Andrés Garza
New member
So the most advisable would be a 35mm safety one and a 45mm one in constant operation descending towards the sump?
3/4 safety hole , 1 inch hole sump?
3/4 safety hole , 1 inch hole sump?
Two is always better than one when it comes to drains. In all my setups I have used one drain to handle all the flow to the sump and the second drain as an emergency drain. I designed it so that if water actually goes into the second drain it makes an awful noise that you can hear from the neighbor's house (okay, maybe not that bad, but bad). Make the second drain a straight pipe to the sump (no valves or restrictions).
This makes sense. If I remember correctly, that should give you about 600-900 gallon per hour capability depending on your setup (gravity with or without siphon).
