Plumbing Setup - Pics - Please comment! 220 Gal Acrylic

[street fish]

Hello Manhattan Reefers,

I am planning a 220 gal setup (71"*20.5"*36") with two corner overflows.

This is my first Reef Ready tank, so plumbing this large of a tank has proven difficult, and many of you have been extremely helpful throughout the whole process.

I have finally purchased all my plumbing parts and would like to get the Manhattan Reefer's input and advice.

In the picture with "A B C", could someone tell me what A and B are? where can I purchase these? This is the piece which connects the return to the return output (C).

The second picture with the accordian hosing and the bulkhead, I was wondering what is "best practice". Is it better to connect the accordian hose directly to the bulkhead? Or is a piece of PVC in between the better method? Any thoughts?

And finally, the photo shows my return plumbing, which I intend to connect via 3/4" plastic tubing. I have a check valve and a true union to minimize any overflow risk.

There is also a photo of my bulkheads and a 3/4" adapter. Given the adapter has no threading, more so just smooth. Should this be a concern? I assume as long as I properly clean and glue the pieces, I should be okay?

Thank you all for any input or advice. Much appreciated!

Street

 

[jrobbins]

if you really want to limit your risk of an overflow then i would ditch the check valves, drill some siphon breaks, and get a sump large enough to hold all the water when the power is off.

 

[kaOzGrUnT]

since your returns are INSIDE THE TANK using bulckheads please keep the check valve, test it before installing.
Using 3/4 in tubing on a 220 gal tank seems too small of a diameter, your pump might burn out after a while.

http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv177/kaozgrunt/Tank/Plumbing/

 

[tosiek]

You don't want to be using vinyl tubing to be connecting anything from your return pump into your tank. There is a big chance you will come home to a flooded house because one of the tubes popped off the barbed nipple. I know alot of people use vinyl tubing for their plumbing but the head pressure is just too big for the amount of water your gonna be pumping into a tank that size for it to be worth saving 10-20$ by doing it the right way with flex PVC or running hard piping to the bulkheads. I would stay away from using accordion hosing for returns IMO but others use it and its fine.

Other than that you can buy 3/4 locline from www.modularhosing.com. Just google it and other sites will pop up selling it probably cheaper. Im sure some vendors have it also which might be better.

You don't need A in the picture if you do your plumbing right.

Also, you shouldn't need a check valve if your tank is set up the right way with your overflow riser and if your sump can hold the extra 15-20g of water that should drain into it if the pump shuts off. They leak slowly, and over the course of 2-3 hours will start to flood your house. Use siphon breaks in the locline to eliminate siphoning from your returns.

 

[tosiek]

Whats the return pump, what is the tank drilled for for both return holes and drains, and how big is your sump?

Take a pic of stuff.

 

[street fish]

if you really want to limit your risk of an overflow then i would ditch the check valves, drill some siphon breaks, and get a sump large enough to hold all the water when the power is off.

Thank you for the suggestion. Given I recently purchased the sump, I think I will have to make due with what I currently have. I always thought the check valve was to minimized water flowing back through the return, which sits below the "overflow line". I am pretty sure my current sump would not be able to handle that much water

 

[street fish]

since your returns are INSIDE THE TANK using bulckheads please keep the check valve, test it before installing.
Using 3/4 in tubing on a 220 gal tank seems too small of a diameter, your pump might burn out after a while.

http://s681.photobucket.com/albums/vv177/kaozgrunt/Tank/Plumbing/

Thanks Kaoz, as for the 3/4" tubing, the return pump will be to a 1" tubing, then split to two 3/4" tubing as I have two overflows. Do you think this will still be a problem?

 

[jrobbins]

raise the locline so the outlets are just below the water line in your main tank. then even if they do siphon it wont matter. if you play around with it you will find the right level where you sump can hold the drainage.

as for the sump, maybe it costs a couple hundred bucks but a. its a hell of a lot less than a leak or overflow will cost, and b. if you are shying away from a few hundred dollars now you are in for a huge surprise at the running costs of the 200+ gallon tank you just got.

 

[street fish]

You don't want to be using vinyl tubing to be connecting anything from your return pump into your tank. There is a big chance you will come home to a flooded house because one of the tubes popped off the barbed nipple. I know alot of people use vinyl tubing for their plumbing but the head pressure is just too big for the amount of water your gonna be pumping into a tank that size for it to be worth saving 10-20$ by doing it the right way with flex PVC or running hard piping to the bulkheads. I would stay away from using accordion hosing for returns IMO but others use it and its fine.

Other than that you can buy 3/4 locline from www.modularhosing.com. Just google it and other sites will pop up selling it probably cheaper. Im sure some vendors have it also which might be better.

You don't need A in the picture if you do your plumbing right.

Also, you shouldn't need a check valve if your tank is set up the right way with your overflow riser and if your sump can hold the extra 15-20g of water that should drain into it if the pump shuts off. They leak slowly, and over the course of 2-3 hours will start to flood your house. Use siphon breaks in the locline to eliminate siphoning from your returns.

Thank you for this, EXTREMELY HELPFUL! I will be looking into using flex PVC instead of tubing. Given I will be utilizing a submersible pump, is it okay for flex PVC to sit under water?

As for "A" in the picture, isn't this the piece the connects to the pipe from the return bulkhead to to locline? How can this be avoided?

I intend on using both the check valve and a siphon break in the locline.

Thanks for all your help, really appreciate it

 

[street fish]

raise the locline so the outlets are just below the water line in your main tank. then even if they do siphon it wont matter. if you play around with it you will find the right level where you sump can hold the drainage.

as for the sump, maybe it costs a couple hundred bucks but a. its a hell of a lot less than a leak or overflow will cost, and b. if you are shying away from a few hundred dollars now you are in for a huge surprise at the running costs of the 200+ gallon tank you just got.

Trust me, I fully understand the costs of running a 200+ gallon tank! I had to buy the equipment over the last month... not sure if I will make rent this month!

Luckily, I will not be doing reef, just a FOWLR, so think that should help with costs.

I just spent a few hundred dollars on a sump! Its a 30 gal acrylic sump.

 

[street fish]

Whats the return pump, what is the tank drilled for for both return holes and drains, and how big is your sump?

Take a pic of stuff.

The return pump is a Mag18 - the sump is around 30 gallons (30"X15"X16").

As for the tank, it has two corner overflows with 2 returns and 2 outputs.

 

[jadakiss]

just make sure u do the plumbin right u dont want to have a pool on the floor . cant wait to c the pick

 

[street fish]

just make sure u do the plumbin right u dont want to have a pool on the floor . cant wait to c the pick

yeah - a pool on the floor is my greatest concern!

Will be sure to put up some pics. Thinking a "planted" FOWLR tank...