Plumbing a 180.

[gatorlover]

Looking for some examples of how folks have plumbed their 180's. Just picked up a used one and trying to get some ideas. I will have a fuge on the end of my sump and I'm trying to decide if combining the drains and then teeing off that with a gate valve to control the flow to the fugue is the way to go. The drains will start 1" each and I thought I could step up to 1 1/2" then combine them. Once combined, I can tee off to skimmer area and fuge. Thoughts? Anyone have any pics of their plumbing?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[gatorlover]

Bump with more info. I'm trying to determine if combining the 2-1" drains being combined into 1-1/2" presents any problems. I will be running 2 return pumps for now- a mag 9.5 & a mag 12.

 

[gatorlover]

Bump with more info. I'm trying to determine if combining the 2-1" drains into 1-1/2" presents any problems. I will be running 2 return pumps for now- a mag 9.5 & a mag 12.

 

[GrampaDon]

Curious why 2 pumps ?

Also it seems like a lot of water for a poor little 1 1/2 pipe.
Maybe the mag 12 will be enough plus some korrilas or whatever powerheads inside the tank.

 

[bongarone]

Teeing the drains should be fine, but I don't think it'll be able to keep up with the two pumps you listed.

I'm with GrampaDon, just use the Mag 12.

 

[gatorlover]

I would rather not run 2 pumps for sure but, I thought I would need the 2 in order to have the proper flow. The mag 12, as you know, is rated for 1200gph however, if I split the the return and account for head pressure, I thought I would be too low in flow with just the one pump. When you split the return line like that, does that dbl the head pressure you need to calculate?

 

[super_steve85]

It won't double the head pressure. Head pressure is measured from the top of the water in the tank to the top of the water in the sump chamber that you are returning from. You will have some additional head loss because you have more pipe/fittings you are pumping through, but you will also have less pressure/flow in each return so it shouldn't affect it too much.

How much flow you get through the drains will depend a lot on how you run them. I used to run a 1200 gph pump in my 180 and I needed three 1" drains coming off the back of my tank through bulkheads to keep up with it. Not ideal, I know. If you go with an overflow and something like a stand pipe design you will get much better flow through them. I changed my design to this (two 1" Durso standpipes) and I'm not even close to maxing them out with my 1200 gph pump.

Hope this helps.

 

[gatorlover]

It won't double the head pressure. Head pressure is measured from the top of the water in the tank to the top of the water in the sump chamber that you are returning from. You will have some additional head loss because you have more pipe/fittings you are pumping through, but you will also have less pressure/flow in each return so it shouldn't affect it too much.

How much flow you get through the drains will depend a lot on how you run them. I used to run a 1200 gph pump in my 180 and I needed three 1" drains coming off the back of my tank through bulkheads to keep up with it. Not ideal, I know. If you go with an overflow and something like a stand pipe design you will get much better flow through them. I changed my design to this (two 1" Durso standpipes) and I'm not even close to maxing them out with my 1200 gph pump.



Hope this helps.

Thanks Steve. What I don't want is an imbalance with the return to drain ratio for sure. I also don't want to much flow in the sump and then the protein skimmer effectiveness be reduced. I guess I'm trying to strike a balance with it. I know I can add more flow in tank with power heads I have. I just wasn't sure if I would cause problems combining the drains into one. I've decided to just run the mag 12 for the return and go 1" stepped up to 1.5" before combining the drains. I'm still going to tee off of that for the fuge and control with a gate valve. Hopefully that will work out ok.

 

[thegoatc]

Just remember a 1in durso standpipe can flow just about 1000gph with no fowling and depending on your pump setup you are going to loose about 25% of your head off your pump. Easy math says Mag 12 (1200gph -25%=~900gph) with assumed loss, will be right a the max of your single 1in pipe. Better to be on the safe side unless you like wet floors. Any one with a bigger tank has had it happen

 

[gatorlover]

Just remember a 1in durso standpipe can flow just about 1000gph with no fowling and depending on your pump setup you are going to loose about 25% of your head off your pump. Easy math says Mag 12 (1200gph -25%=~900gph) with assumed loss, will be right a the max of your single 1in pipe. Better to be on the safe side unless you like wet floors. Any one with a bigger tank has had it happen

Love the input. What would you suggest I do?

 

[GrampaDon]

Just remember a 1in durso standpipe can flow just about 1000gph with no fowling and depending on your pump setup you are going to loose about 25% of your head off your pump. Easy math says Mag 12 (1200gph -25%=~900gph) with assumed loss, will be right a the max of your single 1in pipe. Better to be on the safe side unless you like wet floors. Any one with a bigger tank has had it happen

Love the input. What would you suggest I do?

What I believe he is saying is a 1in durso will be near its limit with 900gph. <true
I myself use the thinwalled pipe [class 200] rated at 200psi over the sch40.
internal diameter 1in sch40 is 1.049 < 1in class 200 is 1.189

However I have a question ,do you have 1 drain or 2 drains on this tank.?

 

[kenith]

Run two straight 1" drains. One at full siphon and another an inch higher than the first drain for backup (aka herbie style). You can still tee off, but put a ball valve going to each side of the sump (fuge/skimmer). Clean and silent.

 

[gatorlover]

What I believe he is saying is a 1in durso will be near its limit with 900gph. <true
I myself use the thinwalled pipe [class 200] rated at 200psi over the sch40.
internal diameter 1in sch40 is 1.049 < 1in class 200 is 1.189

However I have a question ,do you have 1 drain or 2 drains on this tank.?

Its a standard all glass 180 with to built in overflows.

 

[GrampaDon]

Looking for some examples of how folks have plumbed their 180's. Just picked up a used one and trying to get some ideas. I will have a fuge on the end of my sump and I'm trying to decide if combining the drains and then teeing off that with a gate valve to control the flow to the fugue is the way to go. The drains will start 1" each and I thought I could step up to 1 1/2" then combine them. Once combined, I can tee off to skimmer area and fuge. Thoughts? Anyone have any pics of their plumbing?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Lets start here ^ this plumbing plan will work fine.
______________________________________________
Some other things to think about. I started out with over the back box's ,then a durso [not bad really] my last tank had a BeanAnimal setup [the Cadillac] My current tank I use a Herbie. [1yr and still happy with it]

If you want very quiet do the Bean or Herbie.
If you don't want very quiet then do a pair of durso's on what you have and do the 1 1/2in with a valve for the fuge.

I still recommend using just the mag 12. Reason why is the mag12 is near the limit for 1 1in drain. So if 1 clogs [snail or whatever] you will still have 1 to keep up. Also saves a little of extra electricity.:dance:

If this were me. I would follow the suggestion of different heights to make a almost Herbie. This will keep the tank drains quiet with no extra micro-bubbles
,and no extra salt creep from bubbles busting. Then use a smaller pump after the skimmer to feed the fuge.