Plumbing plans

[jhendu]

So the new tank is coming. I need to plan now for the plumbing. Having never had a drilled tank, this is completely new to me. I need guidance and suggestions. Should I go with standard PVC or flexible PVC? Right now I have a Mag 7 for a return pump. I hear that I should get something larger. What do you guys suggest? Mag 18? Something in a similar price range as that. The tank is coming with a 1 1/2" drain hole and a 1" return. I was thinking of using Locline to split the return and send it two different directions in the tank. I would like to not have any powerheads in the tank. Hopefully the flow of the return will be enough. Should I/Could I split the return into more than 2 directions? Do I get a threaded check valve or a slip one? As you can tell.....I have no clue what I'm doing.

 

[jhendu]

I also have a chiller that I want to hook up. Should I run it in line with the return or should I use the mag 7 once I go bigger and run it seperately?

 

[Kentanner11]

I would say you should do a combo of flex and stiff PVC, with flex you will not be using as many connections as stiff PVC to get around things but you wont really be able to do 90 d. turns. as you could with stiff PVC. as far as a return pump you have to factor in headloss, and if you want to run other things with it, using a manifold, since you are going with 1" returns why not a little giant pump? they are nice and the connections on some of them are 1".


I would say not to run your chiller inline, did the chiller specify how much flow you need through it?

 

[ZOAKEEPER]

PLUMBING, SMELLS LIKE MONEY !!!

PLUMBING, SMELLS LIKE MONEY !!!

I would also post under the "General Interest Forum" You'll not only benefit from the Sierra Vista/Tucson Reef Keepers, but from the wide range of people across U.S. With a wide variety of opinions and knowledge. I like hardpiping with unions, so it can be disassembled. The check is sleeved not threaded, with a union above it so it can be removed for cleaning. A mag 7 return pump is sufficient with two splits. You can only return what you drain, why oversize your pump?

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't think that the flow from just the return will be enough for your tank. Unless you go with a closed loop system, you are going to need a few powerheads, IMO.