SPS Shallow Reef Tank Build Thread

[ClownReef®]

Marc,

Hehehe...well, my reaction to a tank leak would have been WAAAAY more dramatic..haha

Thanks, im just waiting for the plumbing to dry and then ill fix it.

 

[Purple Haze]

That sucks. A new tank that leaks.

Hope you get it taken care of.

 

[ZooZ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11528783#post11528783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Purple Haze
That sucks. A new tank that leaks.

Hope you get it taken care of.

Its not the tank thats leaking, Its the plumbing

 

[ClownReef®]

Yeah it was just the plumbing.. i would have ****ed myself if it was the tank..LOL

 

[Jester]

I thought you seemed a little calm to have new tank that was leaking... good to hear it was just the plumbing... can't wait to see the tank stocked...

 

[ClownReef®]

Jester,


LOL..yeah, i would have freaked out if it was the tank.

Im gonna make a stop at Lowes today, im gonna re-do that part of the plumbing instead of just patching it... Will keep you posted.

 

[jay24k]

If it is on the drain, patching is just fine. But if it is easy and cheap enough to fix, one less thing to worry.

 

[ClownReef®]

Jay24k,

I decided to take that part of the plumbing off and fixing it.

Here are some pics:

I also took apart the elbows from the returning bulkheads because the bulkheads weren't standard 1 1/2 in. .. So first i had to buy all these adapters and extra parts that would keep the tank like 8 inches from the wall to make the bulkheads fit into the elbow. Now i decided to silicone the bulkheads straight into the 1 1/2 elbows. They were off by an 8th of an inch or so.. Im sure the silicone will keep them in place and sealed off.

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[ZooZ]

that should fix'r up!

 

[Jester]

I just had some crazy bulkhead sizes on my new drilled tank too... Not sure what to do... Mine are some weird size in between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2"... Hmmmmm...

 

[ClownReef®]

JESTER,

I just siliconed the crap out of them. They wouldn't fit on standard PVC unions...weird weird sizes. Should i do an extra coat of silicone tomorrow?

I put some inside the bulkheads and elbows and covered them in the outside too. How long should i let them dry before i leak test again??

Thanks everybody!

 

[ZooZ]

let it dry for 24hrs

 

[melev]

It may work, but I wouldn't sleep well knowing it was done like that.

Are the bulkheads threaded inside the <u>outer</u> section? If they are slip (smooth), I would simply glue in a Street Elbow. It'll look great.

The only drawback is if you ever have to take it out, you'll have to remove the bulkhead as well and replace it.

 

[ClownReef®]

Marc,

The bulkheads are threaded in the outside to screw inside a threaded elbow..but the measures aren't compatible. I made sure there was PLENTY of silicone inside and out.

Well, the tank wont have to be taken apart unless i move. I dont have any plans to do so any time soon...

Maybe ill do another light coat of silicone tomorrow.. I just want it to be as secure as possible. I guess we wont know until i do the leak test..hmpf!

 

[melev]

Get new bulkheads that are threaded/slip at your LFS. Odds are they will let you trade them since they are brand new and simply wrong.

Your set up is so pretty, why let something like this muck it up?

 

[rutz81]

I agree wtth Marc. On my tank the bulkheads were threaded inside and out side. I tried doing the same thing as you until I realized that they are meant to have the pipe go inside the bulkhead, not outside. That may mean having to re-plumb that closed loop down to 1" or whatever the inside diameter is, but, I think it'll be worth it not having to worry about the silicone failing.

Dave

 

[Jester]

Both my bulkheads were threaded on the outside and slip on the inside... My return fit perfectly with standard PVC sizes, but the drain was the weird one.... I can slip a standard fitting inside, but the outside threaded side is odd... I'm going to look for a new bulkhead this afternoon, but if not I'll be glueing a slip fitting inside jsut to be safe.... I'd be worried with the silicone to be honest with you. I always seem to have everything go wrong that could go wrong. If you feel like the pipe is supported well and there's no movement at all, you may be ok... jsut be careful not to hit it and cause the silicone hold to weaken over time...

 

[melev]

The outside threads of a bulkhead do not match plumbing threads. It is only there for the nut to screw on. I do know some fittings in the electrical department may fit them, but all plumbing should be connected to the internal portion of the bulkheads.

When designing a system, you three possible bulkhead choices:

1) Slip / Slip
2) Female Pipe Threads / Slip
3) Slip / Female Pipe Threads

My preference is #2 in most cases, and #1 as a back up. I never use #3.

 

[NuclearReefs]

I would put new Bulks in it as well.. To much planning for something like that to ponder your mind when your away from the house for any length of time. nice job. How much room do you have from top of the tank to the notches in the overflow? you might be able to take a hand held router and make those slits a little deeper to cover your patooey.... :lolspin:

 

[reefarchitect]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I will share my personal experience. I had a similar issue with some drains in a previous tank setup. I had purchased the system used and the previous owner had drilled/plumbed it. There was some silicone in a similar fashion as yours with a larger elbow siliconed over the threads of the bilkhead. My thought was "there wont be any pressure on a drain, I'm sure it will be fine"

Wrong... A few weeks after I set up the tank, I noticed tons of salt creep forming in that area and down the back of the tank. Upon closer inspection, the carpet behind the tank was wet. It was slowly leaking.

Worst part of the story is that I had to tear the tank down just to get it away from the wall to allow for the repar. When I redid it, I used a street el (sp?) and never had another issue.

Sorry for the long post but I hope it helps.