Plumbing Questions

[Easto]

This is what I have:

75 Gal Display
40 Gal Sump (still need to pick up)
Mag 9 return pump (still need to pick up)
2 x Kessil A350W
BRS Dual Reactor
4 Stage Ro/DI unit
Vertex 130 Protein Skimmer
Vertex Refractometer
Pukani Rock

I need to build a stand and start to plum everything. I just want to make sure I have everything all figured out.

I was going to do a Herbie overflow, but then I discovered the BeanAnimal. Unless someone convinces me otherwise I think I will go with the BeanAnimal.

This is what I need to figure out (recommendations):

1. Size of the internal overflow

2. Bulkhead size

3.Plumbing PVC size

4. On the The Open Channel standpipe - what's the piece called that's drilled into the top with the airline hose attached? I just need to know what to look for at the hardware store.

5. Sump baffles: Can I use plexiglass and silicone them in or do they need to be glass?

6. ???? I am sure I am forgetting some more stuff and they will pop up as soon as I read a reply or two.

[CDS]

Just new to salt water tanks and tonnes to learn

One thing doing research on is finding a quiet pump for my own system and found this below on Mag Drive pumps, if you want quiet not the best pumps

http://youtu.be/fSB_39BDbHc

[hillegom]

Easto:
silicone does not stick well to acrylic/plastic. You should use glass baffles in a glass tank

[Easto]

I was really hoping to not have to cut glass or have to pay someone else to cut it.

hmmmm

[hillegom]

Its really not that hard to cut glass. New glass is easier to cut than old glass.
I have gone to recycle places that tear down houses and bought old glass windows to cut to size. Or Craigs list.ca If its cheap enough, if you break a few, oh well.
Craigs list.ca here in the lower mainland, bc, you can also find free glass

[whatcaneyedo]

The danner mag drive pumps come with an owners manual that recommends the outflow plumbing to be twice the size of the output connection.

Drain/overflow size calculator: http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/drainoverflow-size-calc

Head Loss calculator http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/head-loss-calculator

[target]

This is what I have:

75 Gal Display
40 Gal Sump (still need to pick up)
Mag 9 return pump (still need to pick up)
2 x Kessil A350W
BRS Dual Reactor
4 Stage Ro/DI unit
Vertex 130 Protein Skimmer
Vertex Refractometer
Pukani Rock

I need to build a stand and start to plum everything. I just want to make sure I have everything all figured out.

I was going to do a Herbie overflow, but then I discovered the BeanAnimal. Unless someone convinces me otherwise I think I will go with the BeanAnimal.

This is what I need to figure out (recommendations):

1. Size of the internal overflow

2. Bulkhead size

3.Plumbing PVC size

4. On the The Open Channel standpipe - what's the piece called that's drilled into the top with the airline hose attached? I just need to know what to look for at the hardware store.

5. Sump baffles: Can I use plexiglass and silicone them in or do they need to be glass?

6. ???? I am sure I am forgetting some more stuff and they will pop up as soon as I read a reply or two.


Bean animal is great. I installed it on my tank and couldn't be happier with it.

1. My internal overflow is 5"x4" (I'll double check when I get home)

2. I followed the recommendations from Bean animal and went with 1" bulkheads. http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

3. All the overflow plumbing after the bulkheads is 1.5" PVC. All the return plumbing is 1" PVC

4. The piece at the top is the john guest fitting. There's a picture in the link above that shows it's full name.

5. Definitely go with glass. You are going to need glass for the overflow box anyways, and its all straight simple cuts for a shop to do.

6. I highly recommend using a knife gate valve on the full siphon. It will let you fine tune your system over a wide range of flows. The plumbing sizes I used will easily be able to handle the flow from your pump.

Here's a shot of my tank fully plumbed.

[Easto]

I see in the BeanAnimal article he used 1" bulkheads followed by 1.5" PVC drains.

Is there any reason why you would use a 1" bulkhead when you're using 1.5" PVC drains?

[reefmandan]

I used the BA on a 75g with a 29g sump. This is the fourth BA I've used, and would never go with anything else. I've always used 1" plumbing for the entire drain setup, never saw a reason to expand the size of the plumbing. For the open channel, you can really just drill a 3/16" hole in the cap, and stuff an airline hose in. Has worked great for me.

In terms of the sump baffles. I've always used acrylic, and I've always siliconed them in. Since they aren't holding a huge degree of pressure, they will be fine. I would never silicone acrylic to hold back a volume of water, but for water flowing over, it works great.

[albert_dao]

Beananimal seems like excess to me. Herbie does everything you need with one less pipe and two less valves.

[trilinearmipmap]

I have had Herbie overflows for years and I am happy with them.

When I first read the Beananimal overflow thread on RC, I would not see any advantage to it over the Herbie overflow. Maybe I am missing something, but to me a Herbie works fine and the Beananimal overflow seems like unnecessary complexity for no reason.

[reefmandan]

You only need as many valves in the BA as you do in the Herbie. I am also a huge fan of the Herbie, but generally employ them on tanks that have the corner overflow pre-built only. Redundancy is an immensely important and often overlooked paradigm in this hobby.

[albert_dao]

But... The Herbie has redundancy built into it...

[CM125]

I agree, the BA is really not needed. I have both my tanks set up on herbie (including one with a HOB) and have never had issues. My 210 is 1.5 but I don't see an advantage to 1.5 on a 70.

I use acrylic baffles in a glass aquarium. They work fine, I just have them stuffed in between a big bead of silicone. I even built a flat top piece for a sock out of acrylic and it works fine as well

Also where did you hear mags were quiet....

[Easto]

I didn't hear anywhere that mags were quiet. I just found a used return pump and was thinking about picking it up.

Thanks for all the other replies guys

[CM125]

I didn't hear anywhere that mags were quiet. I just found a used return pump and was thinking about picking it up.

Thanks for all the other replies guys

oh ok, good, cause they are not lol. Good pump though

[reefmandan]

I use a Tunze Silence 1073.04, and it is T'd off to run a GFO and carbon reactor. The flow between those and the DT is perfect! It is a very quiet pump, and has served me very well for two years with biweekly cleanings. IME, Magdrives are fairly loud in comparison, but are bullet-proof!

[KrazyKuch]

+1 on the Herbie System have had it on my 500Gal Reef with no issues...if your really worried about redundancy you can always put an emergancy drain at the top off your overflow.

[Easto]

I felt like the Herbie was pretty safe when looking at it. I have a hard time to think the drain and the emergency would ever get clogged to the point of an Emergency flood.

I am sure over time without any maintenance it could happen but I would think it could take several months to accumulate and it should get discovered well before it's an issue.

I'd rather do a Herbie for the sake of less plumbing, however if BA is better with more safe guards and all it takes is a few feet of plumbing and another hole/bulkhead I ask "why not?"

[KrazyKuch]

I felt like the Herbie was pretty safe when looking at it. I have a hard time to think the drain and the emergency would ever get clogged to the point of an Emergency flood.

I am sure over time without any maintenance it could happen but I would think it could take several months to accumulate and it should get discovered well before it's an issue.

I'd rather do a Herbie for the sake of less plumbing, however if BA is better with more safe guards and all it takes is a few feet of plumbing and another hole/bulkhead I ask "why not?"


you would be suprised at how fast a tank will flood when i fish gets stuck to your overflow plumbing!!

[albert_dao]

you would be suprised at how fast a tank will flood when i fish gets stuck to your overflow plumbing!!

I... Dunno if I buy into this. Your fish would have to get past the grill at the overflow, your main's gasket grill would also have to have already been severely clogged follows up by the fish jumping into the e-drain.... Just seems like you might as well get onto the lottery bandwagon with those odds...

[byee]

I was really hoping to not have to cut glass or have to pay someone else to cut it.

hmmmm


+ 1 for the herbie. It simple with a smaller footprint. Also very quiet.

Do it right the first time. Difficult to redo your sump once you've got you tank started!

The best thing is to call the local glass stores.

When I built my sump, local glass stores in Coquitlam wanted $$$$$$ for the baffles.....so I decided to give Vancouver Glass a call. Definitely worth the drive into Vancouver to save $$$

Good luck


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