Plumbing shopping list?

[rishu_pepper]

So my tank should be here in a few weeks, need to plan what I still have to get for plumbing. This part is very daunting to me as I have never plumbed a tank before.

Denny will already have installed the standpipes for herbie, 1.5", and the return is 1". The holes width in the tank are 2.25" (standpipes) and 1.75" (return), respectively.

PVC or vinyl? Leaning towards PVC.

What will I be needing? If someone can write me a bit of a shopping list, that would be greatly appreciated. My head is spinning from reading about bulkheads, unions, valves, pipes!

Or I'll just get Anthony to plumb it all for me

[reefwars]

Youll need a gate valve for the herbie , as well unions should be under each bulkhead as well. Another must is a union ball valve over the pump or at least a ball valve and union so you can remove the pump if need be in the future.

If you plan to run reactors you may want to build a manifold off your return with a few extra outputs so you can tie in to run reactors , water change etc. without the need for star pumps

[Myka]

I only put a union on the return pump. If you put unions under the bulkheads, then if you ever move the tank you have to cut the unions off in order to get it to sit on a flat surface (like a truck bed) because you can't remove the bulkheads with the unions installed below them. If you want to replace the sump then you can just cut the drain lines and put them back using a coupler fitting. Neither of these situations tend to happen very often/if at all.

You don't need a ball valve on the return pump if - you chose a pump that fits the tank, there is only one return line, and you don't use a manifold. They are only $5 though, so if you're concerned, then go for it. If there are two return lines then the ball valves are handy to make the flow through each return even. If you do a manifold then you should put a ball valve on the return too. If the return pump is too big you will need the ball valve to dial back the flow so you don't get microbubbles in your display.

A manifold is a great idea if you have the extra flow from your return pump. If your return pump has barely the flow for the return then it won't power a manifold anyway. Have you picked your return pump yet? What are the dimensions of your tank? Do you have extra flow or not?

Try to use 45 degree elbows instead of 90 degree elbows as they reduce flow a bit less. I also recommend, if it's your first time plumbing or you just aren't that confident, make sure you have at least 2" of pipe between all fittings so that you have room to cut the pipe and re-glue differently if need be. If you glue all the fittings with no visible pipe between them it looks real good, but if you make one boo boo then you throw the hole kit and kaboodle out! Also, I made a 3-valve manifold one time, put it all together and one of the valve leaked in any position other than full open or full closed. I can to cut the manifold out and redo it. Luckily it was just SCH40 ball valves so it was only $15 and some time.

Use lots of glue. I like to use the clear HEAVY DUTY glue. I prefer to sand the ends of the pipe than to use the primer. If you use primer you can't dry fit the connections after you primer them as they will stick. They stick bad enough you can't get them out, but not good enough that they will hold water. That's a crappy lesson to learn. So I sand each end of pipe instead. Put glue on the pipe end, insert into the fitting all the way, give it a 1/4 turn, then use your finger to run around the joint to clean up the excess glue (like running your finger along a silicone joint). The 1/4 turn makes sure the glue is spread all over, but don't turn it a bunch (some people naively recommend this) as you will get air bubble in the glue. Air isn't water proof (lol). When I was a carpenter years ago, a real plumber (haha) taught me this 1/4 turn thing.

[daplatapus]

Originally Posted by Myka

I only put a union on the return pump. If you put unions under the bulkheads, then if you ever move the tank you have to cut the unions off in order to get it to sit on a flat surface (like a truck bed) because you can't remove the bulkheads with the unions installed below them.

I've had this happen on a friends tank that we moved, unfortunately I didn't realize it until after we broke the bulkhead sliding the tank into the truck bed

To get around this I have since only ever put in bulkheads that are threaded so I can undo the union, then just unthread the pipe out of the bulkhead.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

I've had this happen on a friends tank that we moved, unfortunately I didn't realize it until after we broke the bulkhead sliding the tank into the truck bed

To get around this I have since only ever put in bulkheads that are threaded so I can undo the union, then just unthread the pipe out of the bulkhead.

That's another good option. Threaded fittings have a smaller inside diameter than slip fittings though. This may or may not be a concern for each setup.

You guys are lucky it was the bulkhead that broke and not the bottom pane of glass! I've heard of people breaking their display tank from hitting the bulkheads. I've broke small tanks this way.

[rishu_pepper]

Thanks for all the advice so far, it's starting to make sense to me.

Mindy, I bought a DCT12000, which is handy because it has controllable rate of return. The tank is 165g and the sump 50g, and head is maybe 4'~ vertical? I figure the DCT12000 has plenty and more flow than I'll need, so I can always dial it down.

What is the advantage of running a manifold? How hard/easy is it to install it?

Not exactly a handyman here

[WarDog]

Brian, if you want to grab a coffee and talk plumbing just let me know! I have a few secrets I can share.

[rishu_pepper]

Originally Posted by WarDog

Brian, if you want to grab a coffee and talk plumbing just let me know! I have a few secrets I can share.

Ooh secrets! Yes I'll definitely give you a ring when the time comes. Maybe I'll get my wife to cook you up some dinner as compensation for help

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Myka

I only put a union on the return pump. If you put unions under the bulkheads, then if you ever move the tank you have to cut the unions off in order to get it to sit on a flat surface (like a truck bed) because you can't remove the bulkheads with the unions installed below them. If you want to replace the sump then you can just cut the drain lines and put them back using a coupler fitting. Neither of these situations tend to happen very often/if at all.

You don't need a ball valve on the return pump if - you chose a pump that fits the tank, there is only one return line, and you don't use a manifold. They are only $5 though, so if you're concerned, then go for it. If there are two return lines then the ball valves are handy to make the flow through each return even. If you do a manifold then you should put a ball valve on the return too. If the return pump is too big you will need the ball valve to dial back the flow so you don't get microbubbles in your display.

A manifold is a great idea if you have the extra flow from your return pump. If your return pump has barely the flow for the return then it won't power a manifold anyway. Have you picked your return pump yet? What are the dimensions of your tank? Do you have extra flow or not?

Try to use 45 degree elbows instead of 90 degree elbows as they reduce flow a bit less. I also recommend, if it's your first time plumbing or you just aren't that confident, make sure you have at least 2" of pipe between all fittings so that you have room to cut the pipe and re-glue differently if need be. If you glue all the fittings with no visible pipe between them it looks real good, but if you make one boo boo then you throw the hole kit and kaboodle out! Also, I made a 3-valve manifold one time, put it all together and one of the valve leaked in any position other than full open or full closed. I can to cut the manifold out and redo it. Luckily it was just SCH40 ball valves so it was only $15 and some time.

Use lots of glue. I like to use the clear HEAVY DUTY glue. I prefer to sand the ends of the pipe than to use the primer. If you use primer you can't dry fit the connections after you primer them as they will stick. They stick bad enough you can't get them out, but not good enough that they will hold water. That's a crappy lesson to learn. So I sand each end of pipe instead. Put glue on the pipe end, insert into the fitting all the way, give it a 1/4 turn, then use your finger to run around the joint to clean up the excess glue (like running your finger along a silicone joint). The 1/4 turn makes sure the glue is spread all over, but don't turn it a bunch (some people naively recommend this) as you will get air bubble in the glue. Air isn't water proof (lol). When I was a carpenter years ago, a real plumber (haha) taught me this 1/4 turn thing.

haha well yes in a world filled with internal overflows i can see dragging a tank across the stand as a bad idea , however we have to think outside our own tanks and realize not all holes come out the bottom of the tank


the idea of the unions below the bulkhead isnt to remove the tank (not completely anyways) , if your going to cut then your going to cut right? the idea of the unions under the bulkhead is to replace the sump if you need to without having to cut away the drains a union is $5 at concept......if plumbing budget is under $100 and someone cant afford the $10 for two unions then yes i guess its not affordable but i don't see why someone wouldn't put these in for the sake of a few bucks? like you mentioned leave space always between joints and you'll have the room to cut if you need to

as for the ball valve over the pump , last i checked the only way to turn a return pump off is to either unplug it and cut its power( lame isnt it lol?) or use a ball valve , i don't know about you but i personally dont want to be unplugging a pump every time i need it to be turned off for any period of time, be it pulling the plug or using the apex , so for the $3 they are i install them after the pump and right before the bulkheads , that ways i can shut off the flow to the tank while keeping my manifold running(biopellets) or i can shut the pump off temporarily while not having the back syphon that unplugging will certainly bring down and overflow the skimmer.

[rishu_pepper]

Will adding a check valve on the return line reduce the amount of back siphoning?