Plumbing Question

[mattruggiero]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to figure out how to plumb my tank and need some advice.

My tank is a 125 gallon with dual overflows... each containing a 1" and 3/4" bulkhead. My initial idea was to plumb it with the herbie method and have two 1" emergency drains and the 3/4"s be my siphon and return. This was fine until I realized that a 3/4" bulkhead wouldn't give me enough GPH to cycle my sump and then found out that the glass bottom is tempered. So I can't make it any bigger. Other than drilling in the back of the tank and installing an external overflow. Do I have any other safe options?

Help please!

 

[thegrun]

You should easily get 350-400 GPH from each of the two 3/4" drains which would be about the ideal flow for your tank's sump (800 GPH total), and then have the two 1" lines as emergency drains. I would take the return(s) up over the top. If you are going to use the tank as a reef tank I would (and do) use a Sea Swirls on the return line, I know more expense but they work great.

 

[JMorris271]

I have the same tank that you do and am running two 3/4 inch siphons and two 1inch emergencies with 1 return over the back. I have a SiccI 5 and it is doing fine. Using one 3/4 inch as a return is going to leave you with so stagnant water in the return.

 

[JamesHolt]

Sounds like mine (Marineland 125rr)..
I am (was) running a DCT-6000 1585GPH..
Pump was at 60% but stock setup would handle 100%..
Water in the overflows never got to the top of the return pipe, I used the 3/4 holes for my returns..
Even when my Oscar pushed one of his toys (bioball) into one of the overflow it wouldn't overflow..
Don't glue them in on the inside of the overflows (glue the overflow pipe together but don't glue it to the bulkhead fitting), so you can pull them out monthly for cleaning..

 

[mattruggiero]

You should easily get 350-400 GPH from each of the two 3/4" drains which would be about the ideal flow for your tank's sump (800 GPH total), and then have the two 1" lines as emergency drains. I would take the return(s) up over the top. If you are going to use the tank as a reef tank I would (and do) use a Sea Swirls on the return line, I know more expense but they work great.

That's a good idea. I didn't think that I would be able to achieve such high GPH from the 3/4" bulkheads but from what people are saying below. It sounds like I can. Thanks! :thumbsup:

This may be a dumb question but is it possible to use a 3/4" and a 1" pipe as a siphon and the other set as the emergency? Same size so it should be able to handle the load, no?

 

[mattruggiero]

I have the same tank that you do and am running two 3/4 inch siphons and two 1inch emergencies with 1 return over the back. I have a SiccI 5 and it is doing fine. Using one 3/4 inch as a return is going to leave you with so stagnant water in the return.

That's a good point.Ii didn't think about one of the overflows having stagnate water. I guess my initial idea wouldn't have been good in the first place. haha! Thanks for the reply!

 

[thegrun]

I think you may find it difficult to achieve a balance between the 1" and a 3/4" drain lines. It could be done for sure, but may take a fair amount of tinkering with the gate valves to keep one of the lines from pulling too much water and leaving the other line sucking in air and making a lot of noise.

 

[mattruggiero]

I think you may find it difficult to achieve a balance between the 1" and a 3/4" drain lines. It could be done for sure, but may take a fair amount of tinkering with the gate valves to keep one of the lines from pulling too much water and leaving the other line sucking in air and making a lot of noise.

Good call! This is exactly why I need advice from experienced reefers such as yourself. Thanks again! I'll just use the 3/4" bulkheads as my siphons.

 

[JMorris271]

I think you may find it difficult to achieve a balance between the 1" and a 3/4" drain lines. It could be done for sure, but may take a fair amount of tinkering with the gate valves to keep one of the lines from pulling too much water and leaving the other line sucking in air and making a lot of noise.

Once I got the hang of it we had no problem at all. I need to admit that the first time was a hair jerker. Listening to what is going on in the pipes makes it much easier to tune.
It also depends on which way you run the emergency. Wet or dry. Obviously dry is easier