planning for large island tank

[easttexas]

We are starting to plan our retirement home, need to move out of this monstrosity I built 10 years ago when the last kid goes, won't be able to keep up with it without them, plus, I have enough equity to build the new house note free! big plus there.

anyways, We are thinking about building a 6x2x4 island tank and I really, really, really want a fish room this time. The tank would divide the space between the family and living rooms in a great room, and no, I can't see a way to make it a peninsula.

Basements are not an option around here:

I plan on doing a Bean Animal like my current 180, I was hoping that seeings how the main flow is thru a full siphon, I was hoping to bring it thru the slab and up the wall of the fish room about 15-16 feet away. All I have been able to find while researching is this same idea but with a balance pipe between 2 sumps, I'm hoping to skip the under tank sump altogether and use the extra head to "flow" the water under the slab. I may have to make the emergency drain massively over sized, but the secondary should work as originally planed by animal.

Think it will work?


rough quick sketch

 

[FuzzyZipperbaum]

It may/should work. I have 2- 500G. The fish room is under the tanks which are on the second floor. I have a bean set up and the tubes go under the floor and make about 4 bends on the way. One tank runs perfectly. The second tank runs well but I have to adjust the valve on the siphon any time I shut it down. Cant figure out why except that the "air tube" or the second pipe needs to be so that the air can travel freely in a line while the water is also moving through it. If there is some...call it kink like area...maybe where the pipes bend up on your drawling it can create a small problem. For me one of the tanks has a kink somewhere but I can fix it with a simple turn of the valve on the siphon side if I turn off the return pump or it shuts down for some reason.

 

[easttexas]

thanx Fuzzy, I'm really not too worried about the full siphon line, I figure theirs more than enough drop to overcome the run and bends. It's the other 2 drains I'm worried about.

 

[shaggss]

You may have read this already, but as I understand it, horizontal runs are not recommended. I would think you would have starting issues with your design.

 

[easttexas]

Ya I pretty much read that cover to cover while planning my current 180. You may be correct about the starting issues for sure, the only way I can see to alleviate the starting issues is to have an air gap at the end of the run (sump side) so that the trapped air doesn't get pressurized by the starting water flow (needs easy escape), that would make it noisy and increase creep and evaporation. thats why I'm posting this question, is to see if there are any solutions. I don't really have too much problem with having 2 sumps with balance pipes, but that seems like a waste too me, and maybe even more problematic. I will be using DC pumps again, an APC and a generac so start and stops will be rare.

 

[shaggss]

Well as you know then uncleof6 is the guru. I would post your question in that thread if you haven't already.

You idea of an air gap may work. Good luck!

 

[msderganc]

Could you do a smaller sump, right under the tank, which would receive the three drains? And then just run a 2"+ pipe from the mini sump to the main sump in the fish room? I'd think it would leave the side of the smaller sump and enter the side of the main sump, so it would act almost as if it's just one sump, I would think.