Need help on standpipe

aomont

New member
I am planning to set a breeding system and was trying to do much of the stuff by myself. However I´m very little used to carry DIY projects and have trouble even with simple tasks...
The first of them is the standpipe. I was thinking to put it in the back/front wall instead of the bottom so I can gain free space between racks.

:) That I can do ! :)

What I can´t is making this standpipe "bendable" (I'm not an english speaker so I don´t know if this word exists or I just invented) from position A to B.
First draw is a side view and then the front view.

123055Standpipe_doubt.JPG


All I have to do is not gluing the elbow to the bulk ? Any chance that I mess up with the glass or anything while bending it ?

My intention was to make adjusting water level and empting the tank easier...

Any comment will be very welcome !

Anderson.

Have put the same question to
DIY forum
 
how about instead of piping using tubing and a magnetic to hold it to the side? remove magnet and then you lay the tubing down
 
Anderson,

My stand pipes are all bottom drilled. If I were you I would use the elbow unglued at both ends. This give you the ability to change the length of the standpipe. I have several cut different lengths. 6" 8" and 12". At the top of each standpipe I use a "T" and then a short length of pipe with an elbo. This acts and creates a surface skimmer. I will post picture later tonight for you.

Steve

PS: Good luck.
 
Hi MimicTang I had thought of tubing also and tried to figure out some ways to secure it at the positions I wanted but none seemed safe. The mgnetic is another I hadn´t thought about but still don´t feel safe... Have you used it ?

I like the different standpipe lengths Steve ! Are yours threaded ? If I use this, maybe i don´t need a bendable one anymore... just have to take out the standpipe and drain the tank if I want to.
Do you change the pipes frequently ? How does it work for you ? The pics will help me figure out what you´re talking about !

Thank you all for the posts.
Anderson.
 
I have seen this done by just using a bulkhead fitting. Just use pvc for the stand pipe. Use a small section of pvc between pvc elbow and the bulkhead. It will fit snug enough to stand up, and you can just turn it down to the level you want to drain to. Make sure it fits tight or it could be a disaster! Good luck
 
Hi tmays, that´s what I was thinking to build ! Now I´m a little concerned about the "disaster thing" :). Have more thinking on Steve´s idea, semms safer.
Anderson.
 
My friend has had no problems, but it is better to be safe than sorry!!!! I would go on the safe side if I were you. Good luck.
 
Anderson,

My stand pipes are not threaded. Sorry but I have not taken pics yet, will do so for you today and post them.

Steve
 
Anderson,

Here are the shots.

Top of standpipe in the water showing the surface skimmer.


Short Standpipe


Full standpipe


Full Standpipe seperated to view the pieces.


If you look at the last picture, the piece that I lengthen is the upright piece and depending on the depth of the water, I change the length.

The one thing that you need to remember is to make sure you use a similar make for all your upright pieces. I use 32mm pipe for mine and I have two different makes, as a result they are not 100% exactly the same, so there is a very slight loss of water between the pipe and the bulkhead. As this goes into the sump, there are no major issues, but it does create a frutration when you isolate a tank and the water level drops. But you can compensate with a slow drip.

Hope this helps.

Steve
 
Thanks for the photos Steve. Just another dumb question, what´s the difference between yours and a single standpipe ?

tmays, everything but sharks and rays ! :D Actually it will be my first time and will start as usual: banngais, ocellaris then gobies and dottys but I plan to reach the pelagic egg level someday. Are you into breeding already ?

Anderson.
 
Yes, As of now, I am messing with clowns and gobies. I got rid of the cardinals and grammas in order to do discus again.
 
Anderson,

Not sure I follow your question.

what´s the difference between yours and a single standpipe ?

The biggest difference is that it allows me to alter the water depth of a tank, and because the standpipes are not glued, I can drain a tank easily if I need to.

Steve
 
Standpipe idea

Standpipe idea

Hello all,

I too am curious as to various standpipe options. When I have tried the different lengths of vertical pipe to vary the depth of water in the tank it typically results in the bottom pane of glass breaking as the PVC pipe sticks to the coupler and it breaks the glass. These are usually 10gal tanks for larval rearing. So I have been thinking about using an elbow on the top of the standpipe as David suggested and then another elbow to create a "U" shape and then using various lengths of pip in the down vertical section to regulate water depth. Do you think that this would work? It would have to have a complete seal to maintain a syphon. Would it be too much back pressure? I have (hopefully) attached a couple of diagrams showing this. I am intersted in your thoughts.

96422standpipe.jpg

96422standpipe2.jpg
 
Jamison, I think that design will do two things
1) when siphon is made it will quickly and violently remove the water from your tank (think Durso Standpipe) and then lose siphon in a loud gurgle.
2) after losing siphon, your tank will fill to the level of the double L fittings and then start with reason #1 all over again.

I like SPK's design, and I may have to steal it. :D I currently use very fine sponge over open pvc to keep fish from being washed down the drain. then as they get larger I use small sections of egg crate to form a grate over the tube opening.
 
Sorry Steve, let me try again.
I was thinking on this part:

http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=standpipetopwithskimmermq1.jpg

I´m not used to the concept of surface skimmer. What would be the difference between this and a standart standpipe, would it be used as a pre-filter to prevent large particles and fish to go down the drain ?

Jamison, I´m with Coraldynamics on this, there would be lots of ups and downs on water levels.

Anderson.
____________________________________________________
Edit: It would be the first picture of the last post, Steve.
 
Ah Anderson now I understand what you are asking.

There are four reason that i am using this method.

1) The "T" and the elbow, give me a security that this should not overflow the tank. As there are always openings that the water can flow down. if the grid gets clogged then the water level will only reach the height of the elbow and "T" piece. If the elbow and grid get blocked then the water should only reach the level of the "T".

2) When I have fry int he tank, I can wrap the grid, in what ever size filter media i want, So if I have for instance larva that I am feeding rotifers to, I could use a filter cloth to keep the rots in the tank yet allow water exchange. Could is the option here. Then as the fry get bigger, I can change the size of the filter to suite the size of the fry.

3) If you look at anu design where there is an open pipe, wether Durso or just standard PVC, the area that the water is being pulled from is only about twice the diameter of the pipe, where as with this method, you can effectively pull water from a greater area of the surface of the tank.

4) I have used the straight approach as this wil allow me to force any blockage from the pipe down into the tank return. I am using 32mm return in the tank to 63mm pipe under the tank. So once the restirction has moved from the 32mm to the 63mm there is no problem.

The "durso" approach, I decided not to use, as this design, my LFS uses very effectively.

CoralDynamic, you may use this design all you like.

Hope this makes sense.

Steve
 
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