Return plumbing suggestions

[adova]

Hi -

I am trying to plan out my return plumbing and wanted to see how some of you would do it. My setup is a 75 x 20 x 24(h) acrylic tank set as a peninsula. There is an external overflow with holes cut for BeanAnimal and a single 1.5" return line. I have yet to cut out the weir, but the plan is for a toothless weir that will run a wide as possible across the one end. There will also be a gyre running under the weir for tank flow.

At this point, I am trying to figure out how / where I want to introduce the return lines back into the tank. Here are the options I see:

1. The simplest option is to route plumbing over the top and into the closest openings. The reason I don't like this option is because the top of the tank is going to be visible and I would rather not have plumbing exposed and run across the 6" eurobrace edge.

2. Drill holes for one or two bulkheads on either side of the weir and plumb the return line into that. The negative side to this it that I loose 2" of weir length per hole on a side that is only 21.5" long anyways.

3. Drill holes for one or two bulkheads on either side underneath the weir and plumb return line into that. This may work ok. Any issue with the return line feeding this low in the tank?

 

[adova]

I guess the other negative to plumbing option #3 (and to a lesser extent #2) is that there will be a siphon created when the pump is off. I had already planned on a check valve, but perhaps two would be better for redundancy if I go this route.

 

[RocketEngineer]

I would do option 1 but use that location to also run all the wires that would go into the tank. Painted black, they are all in one location and you can place that in the least visually distracting location even if that is dead center.

 

[adova]

I would do option 1 but use that location to also run all the wires that would go into the tank. Painted black, they are all in one location and you can place that in the least visually distracting location even if that is dead center.

I had not planned on having any wires go into the tank. The lighting is going to be suspended and wiring for it through the ceiling. The gyre will be placed on that wall facing side and not expose wires. Other than that, no other MP40's or anything will be in the tank...

 

[RocketEngineer]

How do you get power to the gyre? The gyre has a cord that has to go into the tank somewhere.

 

[adova]

The gyre will be located on the side of the tank that is against the wall that has all of the electronics and power connections. It will be oriented to push water along the length of the tank outward towards the exposed side of the peninsula.

 

[RocketEngineer]

How does the cord get out of the tank?

 

[adova]

Well, that's a good question, lol. I thought that the gyre was designed like the Vortechs where the cord and everything was on the outside of the tank. Now I see that is not the case (have yet to open it). So, I guess I would drill a small hole in the Eurobrace near the edge for the cord to pass through. I suppose I could do the same thing for the returns and run Loc-Line through it or something.

Option #3 still seems like it would be the cleanest looking approach. Other than the return line being so low in the tank, do you see any other issues?

 

[RocketEngineer]

If you want to hide it, I would add one or two bulkheads to inside of the overflow box and then come out of the bulkheads with the loc-line to get it over the rim of the overflow box. That way you don't have siphon issues and can hide them fairly well.

 

[adova]

That sounds like a good suggestion. I am going to calculate the volume of water at that level as well - my sump is fairly large and there is a good chance it will accomodate the added volume anyways...

 

[adova]

One more question: The overflow box is pretty full and I am not sure that I will have the real estate to split out into two 1" bulkheads. Do you think that there is a disadvantage to having a single 1.5" outlet vs. two 1" outlets spit off of the 1.5"?