plumbing help

WILDTHING

WILDTHING

New member
Grrr I hate plumbing. And buying plumbing parts.

Could someone please help me decide which parts I need? I'm doing a very simple straight forward project. I need to plumb 2 100g Rubbermaid tubs together. One tub will be higher than the other so I'm using gravity to feed my protein skimmer and bring water to my sump. My return will be a Eheim 1262 pump.

So I'm thinking I need 3 Bulkheads.....what size do I need? I don't know the difference between "slip and threaded" and "threaded and slip" .......is this english?

Then I'd like to use flex hose for the project again what size?

I think I saw Matt using a screw on fitting to secure the pvc to his bulkheads so you don't have to pvc glue them permanently in place. What are these called and can you use it with flex hose?

last is the eheim pump. In the pics of it, it seems to have a small outlet. what do you use to get it to be the right size to return it to the top tank?

I'm thinking about using a strainer since I won't have a overflow box. Any suggestions for a good one?

I'm getting these things from Marine Depot. Here is a link to the page.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_plumbing_parts_fittings_bulkheads_strainers.asp


Any/all help greatly appreciated.

colleen
 
it all depends. is this for the 200g tank that is going to overflow into the first rubbermaid, that then overflows into a second rubbermaid? is this down in the basement? or are you doing it behind the tank? or is it a stand-alone system? i might have a 1262 for sale if you don't already have it.

the rubbermaid stock tanks have built-in bulkheads, but they suck. you can only really connect a fitting to the outside of it, which means you can't have a standpipe on the inside to adjust the water level. so you either have to drill out the hole a bit and put a bigger 'normal' bulkhead in (if there's room for the bulkhead flange even) or just plug the stock bulkhead and put a new one somewhere else completely (i think this is what most people do).

i like 1.5" drains. 1" seems to only be able to drain ~300gph when set up high on the side of a tank, though if it was near the bottom i'd say it could do alot more. but then it's also the right size for a turbo to clog if one ever gets past your defenses.

the threadxslip vs slipxthread is just saying which side of the bulkhead takes threads and which one takes glue. no clue if they list the inside or the outside first, i usually get threadxthread.

we can make you an overflow box. a strainer sucking water from the surface will just slurp. and if you mount it submerged with an external loop to maintain the water level, then you'll get a horrible oil slick on top.

no problem using spa flex, it's all the same standard sizes, just a matter of what adapters and fittings need to be used here and there. i personally don't like spa flex for most things. i've seen what looked like good glue joints just pop right apart, plus i think the ribs cut down flow more than an elbow or two would with smooth straight pipe. plus i hate dealing with making it flex the way i want it to. and it's expensive. but if you like it no worries, and there are some instances where it is the best way of course.

i'd be more than happy to swing up some time. i need to see what the people who bought my grandmother's old house have done to it anyway. i hear they got really angry because of all the traffic that goes past there, even tried to sue VDOT for this and that because of it.


the prices on MD for those plumbing parts seems high. i prefer premium aquatics for pretty much everything. plus they are alot closer, and stuff gets here sooner. i'm pretty sure i have a few spare 1.5" bulkheads.
 
I also have some bulkheads as well as a full box of Misc. plumbing things... I wouldn't mind dropping it by Matts house if it anything that would help... That goes for anbody else , just give me a shout.
 
plumbing

plumbing

hey, i think i have some 1.5in bulk-heads,elbows,tttttttttttttss,and more. If anyone needs any p.m me.But i can drop by Erics or Matts wit what you need Collen.
 
Actually I'm doing something a bit weird, this set up will be totally ghetto. I'm using one rubbermaid as a "display" and the other as a sump. This will give me a chance to play with a "look down tank" as well as hopefully make my upcoming move this Spring a breeze I hope. The display will be a couple of feet off the ground and the sump will be sitting next to it on the floor.

I wasn't planning to use the built in bulkheads on the rubbermaids for anything, I've heard that they can be a PIA too so I was going to seal them and forget about them.

OK 1.5 in bulkheads it is since the eheim I'm planning on using will pump much more than that.

Thanks for the offers of help and supplies guys but this will have to be done by this friday for my schedule to work and the tanks to be ready for me to bring things home on the 7th.

colleen
 
Re: plumbing help

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8633578#post8633578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WILDTHING
Grrr I hate plumbing. And buying plumbing parts.

Could someone please help me decide which parts I need? I'm doing a very simple straight forward project. I need to plumb 2 100g Rubbermaid tubs together. One tub will be higher than the other so I'm using gravity to feed my protein skimmer and bring water to my sump. My return will be a Eheim 1262 pump.

So I'm thinking I need 3 Bulkheads.....what size do I need? I don't know the difference between "slip and threaded" and "threaded and slip" .......is this english?

Then I'd like to use flex hose for the project again what size?

I think I saw Matt using a screw on fitting to secure the pvc to his bulkheads so you don't have to pvc glue them permanently in place. What are these called and can you use it with flex hose?

last is the eheim pump. In the pics of it, it seems to have a small outlet. what do you use to get it to be the right size to return it to the top tank?

I'm thinking about using a strainer since I won't have a overflow box. Any suggestions for a good one?

I'm getting these things from Marine Depot. Here is a link to the page.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_plumbing_parts_fittings_bulkheads_strainers.asp


Any/all help greatly appreciated.

colleen
Click to expand...

Well, here are MY thoughts. Use them at your own risk! HA!

The pump you are using has a 3/4" inlet and a 1" outlet. What I like to do is have 2 drains just in case of clog so I'd do (2) 1.5" drains from the display to the sump and just return the outlet side of the pump over the top of the display. I like to "up size" so I'd get a 1" to 1.5" (threaded 1" side to slip 1.5" side) adapter for the return side. This will help disperse the water for a more gentle flow instead of just blasting the water back in the display.

As far as slip vs threaded, I like threaded bulkheads (so you can remove them later if needed). Then, I come off the threaded bulkhead with a "thread to slip" converter (I use True Unions for easier removal if needed) and run flex pipe (with FLEXPIPE cement) for the pipe run then back to a "slip to thread" converter into the threaded bulkhead in the sump.
In all honesty, if you're going this way, you can get by with 2 Bulkheads (1.5"). Just use them for the overflows from the display, then run a pipe from them to the sump (over the side) and run the Eheim return over the side of the Display also.

For a strainer, I found some good ones for ponds. instead of being "pointy" they are more bell shaped and cut down on risk of sucking critters against them.

GOOD LUCK!
 
Matt I'd love to do an overflow box, can we get one that would allow me to retro fit it by slightly unscrewing my bulkhead and slipping it on then tightening the bulkhead back up?

Will it be able to work on the rubbermaid tub? Is the side smooth/flat enough?

colleen
 
dunno, which tub exactly do you have? to make a slim one to handle the 1262 full open it would probably have to be at least 15" wide, maybe wider. don't know if there is a flat 15" anywhere on the rubbermaid tubs.

the way i do the boxes you'd have to take the bulkhead completely off to attach. plus you'd have to run the bulkhead with the nut on the inside of the tank (backwards) so that the gasket is in the right place to seal.
 
my tub has a flat part that is 23inches wide and 8.5 inches tall, is that enough space?

Any ideas about the best way to plug the built in Bulkhead? I was just thinking to gob some silicone on/around it, think that will work?

colleen
 
it should come with a threaded plug in the bulkhead. might need to unscrew the plug and teflon tape it.

that's plenty big enough. all the boxes i've been making have been 6" tall. put the bulkhead as low as it will go and still fit in the 6" tall box. that way you can build up a little head pressure in the box to have the plumbing on the outside of the tank go up first, then over, then down to the sump. this way the overflow box fills with water, so that it doesn't waterfall as far down into the box, and most importantly the bulkhead stays completely submerged and doesn't slurp air. most people just make the box big enough for a down-elbow to fit inside, this is basically the same thing, just moves that elbow to outside the tank so you can have a super-slim 2" thick box. use a tee on the outside right where the water falls down to vent it and keep it from siphoning and slurping.

here's the way i did mine
drain.jpg
 
Thanks Matt, I got all my pieces today and it looks like I'll be able to do it as you pictured.

BTW are you using 45's or 90's for those turns?

colleen
 
i grabbed whatever fit. some are 90s and i think some are 45s if not 22s. and the tee isn't a normal right angle tee, but a sweeping tee.
 
all plumbed and running! After more consideration I decided I couldn't live with a tub instead of a tank even for 6 months, so I got a 75g, its the perfect height for me to be able to reach in anywhere in the tank and move things. I'm using a 100g tub for my sump. I was going to get new rock but the money I had set aside for this project started getting low so I cherry picked the nicest pieces for the tank and I have the rest in my sump. Should get some nice filtration with all that rock, I hope. Between the sump and the tank I'm thinking I have about 150g total in the system.
I bought Bills beautiful frogspawn and he gave me a bunch of caps and stags and of course his famous xenia, I also bought a bunch of corals from Jorge so the tank is looking pretty nice. It is having a small diatom bloom ATM but all parameters are still looking good. I think/hope it will pass soon. But no picks yet.

colleen
 
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