Pennisula plumbing help needed

[skjohn98]

I am planning on setting up a 180 or 220 tank as a peninsula tank and want to plumb the tank on one end. I have thought about getting the tank set up as reef ready tank but I really don't want the black plastic over flows in the tank.
My question is has any one drilled tank on the end? and what size holes.

I was thinking of 2 holes for drains to the sump and one return hole which I could use lock lines in the tank for return in the tank.

The other thought would be to plumb the return to the tank out side of the tank and up and ove to the far end and then back down into the tank.

The tank will be going into the lower level of the house next to the joist support that supports the upper floor, which will help hid the support and give me the room to plug on the end. It will also give allow the tank to be viewed from 3 sides.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

TIA
John

 

[dave.m]

Yes, bringing your returns up over the top, hidden within your lights canopy, and then running them down to the surface at the far end is done fairly often with peninsulas. Make sure to calculate for all that extra head when sizing your return pump.

You can use opaque glass on the drain end, or dark paint or stick-on window tint. You can do a coast-to-coast over a less tall pane for drainage instead of drilling holes, with or without teeth. Make sure the top is euro-braced in any event. Euro-brace the bottom for additional insurance.

Dave.M

 

[lllesley]

We recently built a 7 foot peninsular tank, all plumbing one end. We went Bean Animal, so 2 downpipes & 1 emergency.
With 2 returns either side of the wier.
Here are a couple of pics of the plumbing.

 

[lllesley]

I am planning on setting up a 180 or 220 tank as a peninsula tank and want to plumb the tank on one end. I have thought about getting the tank set up as reef ready tank but I really don't want the black plastic over flows in the tank.
My question is has any one drilled tank on the end? and what size holes.

I was thinking of 2 holes for drains to the sump and one return hole which I could use lock lines in the tank for return in the tank.

The other thought would be to plumb the return to the tank out side of the tank and up and ove to the far end and then back down into the tank.

The tank will be going into the lower level of the house next to the joist support that supports the upper floor, which will help hid the support and give me the room to plug on the end. It will also give allow the tank to be viewed from 3 sides.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

TIA
John

If I can be any more help please just ask. ? Hope the pics help a little too.

 

[skjohn98]

IIIesley,

I have looked at your pictures but I am not sure what you have, did you make the overflow box or was it purchased and if so where. Is there any chanc you have pictures from above the tank
John

 

[lllesley]

HI, @skjohn98
We have a 7 foot penninsular tank. All drilling done on the one end.
Weir at one end, plumbed for the Bean Animal Silent set up. So 90% downpipe, 10% downpipe 1 x emergency downpipe. All 25mm
We have our two return pipes either side of the weir,(not running over the top like you fist suggested. return pump (no weir end) splitting into two return pipes running the full lenght of the sump back up to the weir end and returning either side of the Weir both at 25mm.

Hopefully these photos show the returns and downs a bit more clearly for you.

1. opposite end to weir, full length tank.

2. Weir end from the top, showing weir comb and external weir.

3. Weir end of the tank, from inside the tank, Black baked enamal end with weir comb attached.

4. Inside weir is 3 down pipes (bean animal) Either side of weir are the 25mm return pipes, returning water back to the tank.

5. Above view of the whole set up.

 

[skjohn98]

My plan was to have the tank built with 3 holes in one end, 2 would be thelines thst ran to tne su p towards the edges, a third hole woul be centered for a return to the tank. The thrid hole would be in the center and could be plugged if i decided to run thst line above the tank to the outer end of the tank. IIIesley I like the weir on your tank butI have no idea how i could get that fone on my tank. I sm not sure what the emergency down pipe is for. I also need to figure out the sizes needed to drill the holes
John

 

[lllesley]

My plan was to have the tank built with 3 holes in one end, 2 would be thelines thst ran to tne su p towards the edges, a third hole woul be centered for a return to the tank. The thrid hole would be in the center and could be plugged if i decided to run thst line above the tank to the outer end of the tank. IIIesley I like the weir on your tank butI have no idea how i could get that fone on my tank. I sm not sure what the emergency down pipe is for. I also need to figure out the sizes needed to drill the holes
John

Example of emergency overflow. Our 90% downpipe started slowing down, so 10% kicked in started taking more. By lunchtime each pipe was doing 50/50. By time we got home 90% main down had completely blocked & our second pipe was taking 100% water. Next morning that pipe was slowing down & emergency had kicked in. Home from work next day 2nd downpipe only taking 20% emergency pipe now taking 80%. We pulled plumbing apart. Large snail stuck in 1st pipe our abalone had gotten stuck in the second pipe. If no emergency our tank would have completely flooded. Return would keep pumping in but no water returning to sump. It's fail proof as we discovered. If only 1 down or even 2 they can both fail or slow like ours did. Same as returns. 2 is always better than 1 in case of blockage or failure. All our downs & returns are 25mm. I've never run a tank without an emergency down pipe ever. I would seriously consider one if I was you. As we have had it kick in in two occasions now.

 

[Reefer PT]

Sorry to hijack. Illesley do you like having your returns on the overflow side of the tank? I'm setting up the same and thought about doing what you did or going in the light canopy with the return and dumping into the opposite end of the tank. Any pros/cons?
Thanks
Dave

 

[lllesley]

Sorry to hijack. Illesley do you like having your returns on the overflow side of the tank? I'm setting up the same and thought about doing what you did or going in the light canopy with the return and dumping into the opposite end of the tank. Any pros/cons?
Thanks
Dave

The returns on the weir side are fine, although we were only running a 5000lt/hr return pump, we recently got a new return at 7600lt/hr and have had to move both gyer power heads to the opposite end now, because we found not quite enough water was being pushed over the weir.
Lucky the gyer is fairly low profile, so its not ruining the view at the end of the tank, but if we still had the Tunze it wouldn't be so great.
Its certainly neater that way, all plumbing on 1 end and as we do siphon water changed through the return and back in the return, it makes that easier too.
So overall yes, happy enough.
Hope this helps.