plumbing (what do you use)
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livingstone
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Re: plumbing (what do you use)
The use of pvc or flex pvc will prevent the buildup of algae inside it that the clear tubing allows.
The use of pvc or flex pvc will prevent the buildup of algae inside it that the clear tubing allows.
MileHighFish
New member
clear tubing requires clamps etc.. i like to hard plum to avoid any pop offs
livingstone
New member
j/k Home Depot, etc. should have it.
billbigsbe1
New member
My best friend is a Union Fire Sprinkler Fitter, we did some homework before my tank. Everything that we used was schedule 40 PVC, cleaner solvent, primed, blue underwater/pool cement. not one leak over 6000gph!
Rewd
Member
I used clear tubing cause it just seemed much easier. I don't understand why everyone is concerned with clear tubing letting in light and causing algae... I mean seriously, our tanks are lit by huge multi-hundred watt lighting systems. If you don't have any algae in your display who the heck cares what's in a little bit of tubing. 
And if you DO have an algae problem in your display I can bet a million bucks it's not being caused by a little bit of light shining in your plumbing.
And if you DO have an algae problem in your display I can bet a million bucks it's not being caused by a little bit of light shining in your plumbing.
Todd March
Premium Member
I always use PVCâ€"Schedule 80. Can't stand the industrial poor quality white American PVC, like every Home Depot and Hardware store sells...
All over the worldâ€"Europe to Japanâ€"other reefers giggle at us Americans and our white PVC and sloppy purple glue, and really, can you blame them! Looks so WHITE TRASH!
All over the worldâ€"Europe to Japanâ€"other reefers giggle at us Americans and our white PVC and sloppy purple glue, and really, can you blame them! Looks so WHITE TRASH!
Canadian
Premium Member
Sch 80 PVC is massive overkill for our unpressurized reef plumbing. It certainly looks nicer but it's WAY overkill with respect to "safety".
I do agree that sch 80 is more attractive though. And I've never understood why so many reefers use that hideous purple primer and get it all over the place. It's awful looking and, again, not necessary when plumbing a reef tank where you can use clear PVC glue and primer. It's not like you need to have your reef plumbing checked to see if it's up to code and it has to be tinted purple.
I do agree that sch 80 is more attractive though. And I've never understood why so many reefers use that hideous purple primer and get it all over the place. It's awful looking and, again, not necessary when plumbing a reef tank where you can use clear PVC glue and primer. It's not like you need to have your reef plumbing checked to see if it's up to code and it has to be tinted purple.
randomworker
New member
Agree with the first reply" a mixture between hard PVC and flex PVC usually". You need that little bit of flex to allow for vibrations and just plain old misaligment. Also agree with the previous reply "use clear PVC glue and primer".
seriously? I dont give a crap how my plumbing looks, long as its easy to understand and use. since the "poor quality" scd 40 holds upwards of 400PSI, I think we are ok without breaking the bank on sch 80 to impress europeans with our pipes.
with that said, Ive never seen sch 80 plumbing on any of the european TOTMs.
Todd March
Premium Member
To each his own. I know many don't care about how their plumbing looks; but I'm always impressesd when I see someone has put in planning and neatness when devising a system's plumbing (and expense with schedule 80).
Probably no more Europeans use Sched. 80 than us; however their PVC is gray in color (with blue handles on valves) and finished--it is semi-polished on the exterior, as opposed to the American industrial grade PVC that is white, and unfinishedâ€"never polished. American PVC is really geared toward being used for sprinklers...
I've always used German skimmers, reactors and other equipment, so I think it looks more unified when the plumbing ties into the tubing on the equipment.
Also, for what it's worthâ€"and not that I'm braggingâ€"but when other reefers have looked into my cabinet and seen my plumbing, I've been asked, "Did you buy all of this already assembled?", or, "Who did this for you"...
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Different means to an end. I just use standard Sch 40 and paint it black with Krylon. I rarely see my plumbing and don't really show anyone else because then i'd have to answer 1000000 questions about what it all does after explaining that those aren't plants in the tank waving around in the current. :lol:
Gotta respect a nice/expensive plumbing job though. I'm poor so I do what I gotta do.
