plumbing advice

[saltank]

Looks like I will finally be hooking up a hob overflow, tube design, amiracle brand - hopefully won't have any issues with losing syphon...

Looking for plumbing advice from the drain to sump and return pump to tank. Also recommended return pumps.

This is a single 1" drain, pvc, which will drain to a sump of (20gal, maybe 30gal), I need to pump back up to my 46gal bowfront. What is recommended plumbing from the drain (i.e. hard tube, flexible tube, glued on, etc) - pics would be great

I've heard before mag drives for return pumps, I do want it to be submersed and easily able to disconnect for cleaning, replacement, etc. Anyone have pics of a quick disconnect design?

I'm excited to finally add a sump to my tank, just don't want a plumbing nightmare on my hands, so you experienced reefers feel free to chime in here!

Thanks in advance for all of your input :wink:

 

[Len]

Heya,

I have no pics right now but can offer some advice. The drain plumbing can be either hard or flexible tubing. Sometimes flexible tubing can be a little noiser, but it will all work fine. There's really not much science to it; just find a way to route water from your overflow pipe to the sump .... that's it Hard plumbing is probably easier to do for drains because they're rigid and will stay in place.

Mag pumps are fine. The other pump I'd consider is Eheim. Again, you can use either hard PVC or flexible vinyl plumbing back up to the tank. I don't know of any manufacturered 3/4" disconnects, but you can accomplish the same thing with a single (or double) true union ball valve which most of Reefs.org's sponsors sell. These valves consist of a ball valve and one or two unions. You close the ball valve to stop flow and untwist the union to disconnect the plumbing.

Okay, I lied ... I found a pic of my plumbing I posted a while back:

You will see two double union ball valves at the top. The left one is for the drain and the right one is for the return pump; All my plumbing goes through my in-tank overflow box. Your situation is different, but the concept is the same. The pump is the yellow thing you see in the lower left. The white/translucent thing connected above the pump is the flapper-type check valve Marine Depot sells. As you can see, I use soft vinyl tubing (black tubing) for my return plumbing and use rigid PVC (mine is grey in color) for my drain plumbing.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice pic, Len! :lol:

Not much to fret over Saltank, it's as simple as Len described it.

If you want to use a submerged return pump, then consider using soft tubing from the return back to the tank. It will be easier than trying to hook PVC up to a small pump. And you wouldn't need any 'disconnect' joints.

For the drain, run as straight a line as possible down to the sump. Hard or soft is your choice.

 

[saltank]

Len

thanks for the input, what is the purpose of the flapper-type check valve above the return pump?

thanks again

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's a check valve that prevents water flowing down into pump, in case of power outage. I'm not sure why he has one there, except that maybe the returns in his tank are well below the waterline.

 

[Len]

Yup, to prevent water from back siphoning from the returns into the sump. My sump will barely handle all the back-siphoned water since my return outputs are about 2" below the water line, so I use the check valve to prevent water from coming back down in case of a power outtage.

 

[saltank]

the check valve makes sense now...

if using soft tubing for the return, how do you securely connect it to the pump?

 

[Anonymous]

the check valve makes sense now...

if using soft tubing for the return, how do you securely connect it to the pump?

Most small pumps like these have special input and output nozzles that are slightly cone shaped. You just force the soft tubing onto it. If you have the right sized tubing it'll be very easy. You can also use a plastic clamp to hold it on, but that's not usually necessary.

 

[Anonymous]

the check valve makes sense now...

if using soft tubing for the return, how do you securely connect it to the pump?

If your pump is not set up for tubing you can get a PVC to barb adapter. Then clamp it using a plastic hose clamp.