NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!

[PowermanKW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15706058#post15706058 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by minibus11
hello everyone... (my first post) been reading though the herbie threads.. and it seems there is alot of it... great thread though!!!

i am planing to incorporate herbie's method, but had a few questions..

has any one tried to split the main drain pipe (not the emergency pipe) into two ie... one going to left side of the sump (skimmer) and the other going to the right (refuge)...

just wondering if there is any considerations i should have?? for example if i am using a 1.5" drain pipe with a gate valve, then having it split into two. what size of pvc should i use after the split, ,,,1/2" , 1", 1.5".. does it matter.. and should i also attach an additional gate valve on the side to the refuge??? thanks

The gate valve needs to be between your fuge and your sump. I have a 1.5" drain line with a 3/4" tee coming off. Reduced down to a 1/2 ball valve. Yes you need a valve on the fuge. It only needs to be a small line. you want the main drain to the sump to be free flowing from the gate valve. Just look a couple of pages back when I didi it.

 

[minibus11]

thanks PowermanKW for the explaination... should of known your explaination is only a few pages back... my appologies

so for my planned set up.. plz correct me if i have any mistakes or misunderstandings... ok...

i am planning to setting up 100 or 125g tank.. one overflow.. two pre-drilled bulkheads 1.5" with 1.5" piping (is that too big, planning 1000g/h flow,,, is that considered high flow?? ).

one pipe for emerg and the other for all water drain... i am planning a tee (one to fuge and the other to skimming as your setup.. with return section to the main tank in the mid section of the sump)...

so i put the gate valve after the fuge tee.. and put a ball valve b/w the tee and the refuge.. i will plan 3/4" pipe b/w tee and fuge.. (should i make it smaller)..

i am little worried that this will drain / syphon my fuge part of the sump...due to the 1.5" bulkhead flow...

i should just make it simple without the tee.. but would like the fuge to have a low flow...

i see the you have 1" bulkhead w/ 1 1/2" piping.. how much flow does that give??

off topic but: " should i plan for additional predrilled hole in overflow (one water filled drain, one emergen.. and the addtional one for return (sump to main))
or should i just hang the return off the back of the main tank... should i split the return into 4 section...

 

[PowermanKW]

Everything sounds good. I put my Gate upstream of the fuge and sump first and it siphoned my fuge due to the level difference. So I fixed that by putting the gate after the fuge with a ball (which I was going to do anyway) to control fuge flow.

you can get a 1.5" to 3/4" tee. That is what I did. I wanted to get the 3/4" "just in case" but that is plenty big for my fuge. 3/4" line will be plenty big for your fuge too. You can get a 1" tee and neck it down to a smaller line if you want to cover all basis. You can make it smaller, but you can't make it bigger.

2 1.5" drains will flow a crap ton of water. I don't know the exact GPM= a crap ton..... but it is a lot. Plenty for a 120g

Drilling a hole for returns is up to you.

 

[minibus11]

thanks PowermanKW
ok will go with just one 1.5 drain..with an emergency pipe..
and so true that "you cant make it bigger..." so i'l go w/ 3/4
i will plan on this structure... penciling it in now... thanks agin...

 

[PowermanKW]

So are you going to use 1.5" bulkheads for both normal and emergency drains? If you have the choice, it's a good way to go. More drain is always good. In a pre drilled tank, the emergency is the smaller hole, but nothing wrong making both the same size.

I just used oversized piping for the heck of it. The only restriction on both my drains is the bulkhead fitting it's self. Piping before and after are bigger. Yes the bulkhead is restricting me, but my piping isn't. It you did 1.5" straight through you would be golden.

 

[minibus11]

thanks again PowermanKW
just one other thing... are both your drain lines which T's from the main drain (one to the fuge and the skimmer section) submerged fully in the water..?? does it matter for the fuge section???

 

[minibus11]

just wondering / thinking about t'ing off the main drain line... wouldn't it be far easier just to tee off the return line from the return pump( line to the main tank and the other going to te fuge)... and just leaving the drain pump alone.. any disadvantages to this setup?? comment's suggestions...???

 

[Rocketboy52]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15735380#post15735380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by minibus11
thanks again PowermanKW
just one other thing... are both your drain lines which T's from the main drain (one to the fuge and the skimmer section) submerged fully in the water..?? does it matter for the fuge section???

I've been lurking, but I'll add my 2cents of experience. I just finished setting up my 90 gal with the 3 drain siphon, vented siphon, emergency setup. I wanted to feed the fuge with unfiltered, unskimmed water so that it had plenty of "food" to keep all the scum and scum critters happy. I "T"-ed the main diphon drain, and had to build it 2 times because I thought I would want less flow to the fuge. I basicly put the main drain into --> Ball valve--> Tee to skimmer section--> Ball valve--> fuge. I would regulate all flow with the first ball valve and the fuge flow with the 2nd. The problem was I couldn't get enough flow to the fuge. So instead of putting the drains and valves in a line, the 2nd time I built the drain manifold, I just ran a simple T where the main drain goes to a Tee to both ball valves to their respective sections. The down side is you have to use both ball vlaves to regulate your flow to keep the rate down so it doesn't suck the overflow dry. Good thing is you can get as much or as little flow in the fuge as possible and the fuge water is supplying unskimmed unfiltered water to them scum critters. Its been up for 3 weeks with the 2nd build and has had no problems restarting after turning off or experiencing a power outage.

 

[solitude127]

I didn't get a chance to read all 40 pages, so my question is.... for the pipe that goes into the sump, how high above or below the waterline of the sump do you have the water exiting?

 

[solitude127]

bump

 

[Swimwiththefish]

I have mine main drain about 2 inches from the bottom (below the water line), the emergency 2 inches above the water line so i can hear if it gets clogged.

 

[Swimwiththefish]

Powerman hopefully you can help me on this here is my current setup i have the return T'd to go into the fuge and up and over the tank, however i think its losing a lot of head pressure and i would like dirty water going to my fuge. Where would i put my T on my main drain? Note i actually switched the union so could take the Gate valve off. Help is appreciated

 

[PowermanKW]

Tee it off above your gate. You can get a 1" to 1/2" tee or bigger if you want. But you don't need much flow. Then put a ball valve to the fuge to set flow.

 

[darb85]

Do both pipes have to be the same diamiter? I have a tank that im thinking of running this system with and it has a 3/4" return that I wont be using that I would use as the emergancy pipe and the 1" main line. Would this work? Also, Can one put a strainer on the top of the pipe to help keep kritters out of the pipe or would this defeat the purpose?

 

[darb85]

also, how nessesary is the ball/gate valve on the main overflow pipe? Im under the school of thought that you want full blast siphon and not to be throttleing it back?

 

[Maivortex]

also, how nessesary is the ball/gate valve on the main overflow pipe? Im under the school of thought that you want full blast siphon and not to be throttleing it back?

Absolutely necessary to have a gate valve. You may need to throttle it back to create the siphon.

 

[darb85]

Absolutely necessary to have a gate valve. You may need to throttle it back to create the siphon.

got it. but is having the two sizes for the pipes ok?

Also how tall should I make the stand pipe? right now ive got it about 2 inches below the teeth on the over flow.

 

[PowermanKW]

got it. but is having the two sizes for the pipes ok?

Also how tall should I make the stand pipe? right now ive got it about 2 inches below the teeth on the over flow.

Just about all pre drilled tanks have different size holes for return and drain. You put your stand pipe level where ever you want you emergency drain to kick in.

Absolutely necessary to have a gate valve. You may need to throttle it back to create the siphon.

There is no siphon in the Herbie system.

 

[darb85]

Just about all pre drilled tanks have different size holes for return and drain. You put your stand pipe level where ever you want you emergency drain to kick in.



There is no siphon in the Herbie system.

but the ball valve/gate valve is needed correct?

 

[PowermanKW]

but the ball valve/gate valve is needed correct?

It isn't a Herbie without it.