Ok my first time with a drilled tank starting to hook up the overflow and stuff. Question only real pipe that i found that hooks up to my pipes that came with the tank are 1 1/2 inch, if i go smaller will that hurt my flow or will bigger hurt the flow? Was looking at the head loss calc and it seemed that 1 1/2 pipe has more flow than 1inch, what do most people use for there drain and return? =) thanks
pipe questions
- Thread starter reefaluva
- Start date
steven_dean17
New member
What size is your tank? The bigger inside diameter your pipe the more fluid you can force through it. You could always use all 1 1/2" all around and add ball valves to regulate the flow where needed.
ok will this work for return).. I have a mag9.. it had 3/4 input, output.. trying to find a female 3/4 pipe thats threaded.. But if i find it i will go 3/4 up to a reducer then go 1 1/2 and ball valve it then run it up to return pipe. I used the head loss calc and put in 1 1/2 pipe i am going to run about 800gph back to tank still, my overflow only drains 700gph, will I be up all night trying to guess if i closed the ball valve enough so it does not run dry? How does everyone do it. lol did not think this could be soo confusing...
If you are concerned about your overflow keeping up, put in a pvc T between your return pump and display tank. Then put ball valves, or better yet, gate valves on both sides after the T. One side of the T will go to your tank, and the other will go to the sump. This will let you control how much water goes to your display.
So it would be easier having 2 gate valves than having one ball valve on the pump? Gate valves just like ball valves or what? How many unions you recommend was thinking of just 1 for the whole return side? One more thing on the T should i just use 3/4 to go back to the sump and keep my same plan for the display part) Thanks for all the help guys.
gate valves allow for more control than ball valves. They are more precise. You can put in as many unions as you wish. I would put at least 1, maybe 2. I would think about using 3/4" pvc for everything. Why buy the extra size, reducers, etc.
Someone else should chime in and make sure that sounds good
Someone else should chime in and make sure that sounds good
ok, thanks for the info) I would go with all 3/4 inch but that puts me below 700gph, if i use a 1 inch pipe it puts it around 728gph. But the only thing I could find to fit onto the pipe coming from tank in 1 1/2. lol.. so really im lost lol.. I have till sun to get my plan together. Then im starting the set-up. Going to try to figure all this out by then, I just do not want to set it up and sit there for 24 hours and make sure it is right.. you know. Really do not want a flood or have the pump run dry=)
jefnalyssa
New member
IMHO
Use 1.5 for the drain to the sump. If your to small now it will be trouble. Doesnt hurt to go bigger. Use the 3/4 for the return with a t with valves on both. Put a union in so you could remove the pump. One side of the t should go to the tank. The other side to the sump or better yet to a fuge so you have low flow.
Use 1.5 for the drain to the sump. If your to small now it will be trouble. Doesnt hurt to go bigger. Use the 3/4 for the return with a t with valves on both. Put a union in so you could remove the pump. One side of the t should go to the tank. The other side to the sump or better yet to a fuge so you have low flow.
the goal isn't to put as much flow through your sump as possible. You can make up the flow with powerheads.
I could be wrong but the higher diameter pipe should give you less GPH because of the extra water that it has to push. You could always go with a smaller pump so it doesn't push that much water, and you wouldn't have to T it off too. It would probably use less power than the mag 9 as well.
I could be wrong but the higher diameter pipe should give you less GPH because of the extra water that it has to push. You could always go with a smaller pump so it doesn't push that much water, and you wouldn't have to T it off too. It would probably use less power than the mag 9 as well.
Ok I thought the same thing about the pipe, but the headloss shows that 3/4 runs me at 609gph, 1inch at 727gph, 1.5 is 800.. All im trying to do is match the return to what the tank drains) That is what I should be doing right? I built the sump like this skimmer>>fuge>>return..The only connector i could find that would go into the return pipe that came with tank is 1.5. I have a pic of it in my gallery. Soo if I ran 3/4 inch pipe put in reducer then went to 1inch T it off with gate valves run it all the way to my return pipe from tank reduce again to 1.5 will that work, lol and count as 1 inch pipe for the head loss? Then i only have to dump back 27gph? Thank you for being so patient with me) I hope I will snap and figure this out.
jefnalyssa
New member
You want the drain to be bigger. It will only drain as much as your return can put back in your tank. hope that helps.
In your gallery your photo shows an adapter coupling clamped on the outside of a bulkhead. What is the inside of the same bulkhead. I would guess it is 1 inch where you glue PVC. Or is it a barb type fitting? That would be smaller yet. If this is the drain side you are good with the clamp on but if that is return I would worry about a leak.
hahah YES!!! lol ok I am dumb, did not think about OF only being able to drain what the pump returns that solves all my pipe problems... /cheer.... Thank you all for the help you have no idea how happy I am now... As for the adapter coupling for return I was a little worried about a leak also... So it is ok to glue the pvc into a bulkhead?
