Need Input Please, Custom Tank

[virex27th]

Well I have gotten 2 quotes back so far, one for 400 and the other for 350 neither a bowfront just a flat panel. I have a few more quotes left to come in. Wish I could find someone local who could build the tank. I tried to ask the LFS and they just tried to get me to order a tank thru them, . I havent given up on the dream yet, it just might have to be modified to my wallets reality.

 

[virex27th]

Made I should just build my own tank. I read a website on how to build an acrylic tank, it doesnt look to hard.

 

[bertoni]

If I were more skilled with tools, I'd like to do that, too. On the other hand, I'm not handy with tools, and I like dry carpeting.

 

[Blizzard]

haha I agree with jonathan, I also like dry carpets!

One day when I have a lot of time I"ll go buy some tools and do a couple small projects

 

[virex27th]

Well after much searching/researching and getting quotes on tanks. I have settled on a 75gallon glass tank. Not exactly what I started out for but I like the dimensions 48x18x21. If this tank is a success then made the fancy acrylic plunge next.

This is what I am thinking for plumbing. 2 horizontal overflows in the corners with 1 inch bulkheads 2 inchs down from the top and 2 inches in from the side. Measured to the edge of the hole not the center.

Closed Loop:
Two 1.5 inch bulkheads, one 9 inches up from the bottom 16 inches in from the side and the other one 12 inches up from the botton and 16 inches in from the other side.
OR
One 2 inch bulkhead in the center.

Return Manifold:
1.5inch pipe with 4 outlets on the back, 1 on each side and 2 in the front.

Anybody have pros/cons for the one 2 inch bulkhead vs. two 1.5 inch bulkheads?

 

[Kinetic]

that's for the intake? depends on what pump you're using. if the pump has a 1.5" intake, then do one bulkhead, and use a spray bar to even out the intake flow.

 

[virex27th]

I was going to use the Sequence Dart which has a 2inch intake. So if I did two 1.5 bulkheads I would combine them to a 2 inch pipe.

 

[Kinetic]

that would require two reducers and a T, which would hurt headloss even more. I'd suggest a 2" bulkhead and an intake dispersed by using a spray bar intake.

 

[virex27th]

Hmmm, I was planning on using a wye instead of a tee. How much do you think the 2 intakes vs one would decrease the gph? The dart is already more gph than I wanted, so I was already trying to take loss into account. I like the just one hole idea and a spray bar but I dont want to see the sparybar in the system. Seems like it would be hard to hide. I am trying to make it as clean as possible. What if I changed the pump to a 1.5 intake? I am a newbie at plumbing but wyeing together two 1.5 pipes into a 1.5 intake of a pump doesnt seem efficient to me, thats why I was doing a 2 inch pump intake.

 

[Kinetic]

if you have a big reason to decrease your GPH then it isn't too bad, but to give less strain on the motor etc, it's best to give it as little headloss as possible.

Spraybars are very easy to hide, though not sure why people would think otherwise. If you have the intake low enough, your rockscape should cover it. Also getting black PVC from places like savko will also blend it in if you have a black background. Even if you did to two intakes, i'd still recommend the spray bar intake.