Show me your plumbing!

sharuq1 · #1 05-31-2008, 05:16 PM

Please post pics and drawings of your plumbing! I really need help to plumb my 120g and anything I could see would help so I can show it to my sweetie (he's the one actually doing the plumbing, I have to plan it).

This is what I am working with:

mark · #2 05-31-2008, 09:38 PM

What's your plans as might help for ideas (what do you have for holes, doing a CL, return manifold, single drain to sump and one return back up etc).

sphelps · #3 05-31-2008, 11:36 PM

This is something I drew up for someone else, it might give you some ideas.

sharuq1 · #4 06-01-2008, 07:03 PM

Unfortunately I just have the tank and the two holes to work with, I don't have an overflow.

Quote:

What's your plans as might help for ideas (what do you have for holes, doing a CL, return manifold, single drain to sump and one return back up etc).

a) I won't be doing a closed loop, as I only have the two holes (don't know if you can do a CL without drilling more holes?).

b) Don't know what a return manifold is ...

c) really don't even know where to begin....I guess I could use one hole as return and one as intake...or I could use both as intake and pipe the return over the top....as far as planning that is as far as I have gotten

Sphelps I really love your diagrams! Can you diagram something that would work with my tank? One hole is a bit higher than the other.

banditpowdercoat · #5 06-01-2008, 07:16 PM

Dont need holes for Closed Loop. Use a Submersable pump in display tank. Its what I did. Loop pump is inside internal overflow. I only had 2 holes in my tank too. So,those 2 are used for Sump drain and return. Flow in tank is mostly made form the CL. Works great.

My tank has a flat top, didnt want an over the top Sump return. But, if your config allows it, I would use the 2 holes fro drains, and sump return over the top. Use 1 drain as main, adn the other as emergency. I had a snail get over my eggcrate and into drain, plugged it. Good thing the sump volume wouldnt overflow tank. It was right at the top, when I got home. Sump pump was sucking air too. Can you say Microbubbles galore

sharuq1 · #6 06-01-2008, 08:22 PM

Can you post a pic banditpowdercoat?

banditpowdercoat · #7 06-01-2008, 08:32 PM

Hers my tank. This was first rendition, I was going to have a over the top return, but decided against it, flow would be way to much through a 10g sump. So, I put a Quiet One 3000 submersable INSIDE the overflow, then plumed direct to closed loop

Alberta-newb · #8 06-02-2008, 06:42 AM

Here's my 120, two holes in the top corners so I went with a "calfo" overflow across the entire width with the herbie drains. Return is over the top at each back corner to 4 outlets.

Francis

sharuq1 · #9 07-10-2008, 05:25 AM

That looks really cool Alberta-newb. What did you use to make that calfo with?

Alberta-newb · #10 07-11-2008, 12:10 AM

The Calfo was made with 2 pieces of 3/16" glass cut by a local shop for me. I siliconed them together along the length then painted them with the same automotive blue urethane I painted the tank back and sides with (Energetic blue metallic). Not wanting to expose the water to this paint (due to potential contamination), I sealed it with several coats of an epoxy that is used for painting municipal water supply equipment (FDA approved). Once the paint was dry I siliconed the assembly to the tank itself. I sloped the vertical piece towards the front of the tank by about 5 degrees so that water overflowing the top actually runs down the surface rather than a straight drop. Keeps it real quiet and no bubbles. The single drain has no problem handling the flow of my return pump (QO 6000) which I'm guessing is around 900 GPH with 1' of head and several elbows and Ts.

Francis