Plumbing help

USMA36

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
1,165
Reaction score
473
Location
Northeast PA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Im setting up my first tank. It's a 90 gallon with offset overflow. The overflow will have 2 stockman standpipes draining into a trigger ruby 36 sump. I have been trying to decide if I should plumb the drains with ball valves. They would be used in case I needed to turn off the water supply for maintenance not to restrict flow. I get conflicting reports while trying to research this. Everything will be piped in 1" pvc. I also plan on having a check valve and another ball valve after the pump (Jebao DC 12000) on the return line. The return line would go to a manifold where I would have 3 lines going into the tank with nozzles. My other question is what do I need to do to future proof my plumbing? As of now I don't think I'll be adding anything else that requires hard plumbing, but I am also very new and who knows what I'll want down the road. Any other recomendations for plumbing are greatly appreciated.
 

mcarroll

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
13,802
Reaction score
7,971
Location
Virginia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
In general you never want to restrict you drains.

You might want a valve on a pump to slow down flow, but in general you'd shut off the pump rather than shutting a valve. (A pump can overheat with no flow going through it for cooling.)

Check valve is just another point of failure, so eliminate that from the design. Regardless of the presence of a check valve, a sump needs to be able to handle 100% of the water that can drain out of the tank during a power failure. (You have control over this.)

"No" on future proofing. Instead, do more to account for the realities you are building for. Especially, select a right-sized pump for your system.

For a 90 Gallon, you only need between 180 GPH and 360 GPH of flow. One outlet into the tank should be plenty – skip the manifold and all added complexity. Use powerheads, not your return pump, to create flow in the tank. You stock drain will be fine in this setup as well.

A Quiet One 2200 (or any pump in that class) is all it would take. No complexity. Just a pump, and plumbing as-straight-as-you-can up to the tank's built-in return.

Easy-peasy.
 

Smo

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
642
Reaction score
611
Location
Dallas area
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Your Ruby 36 sump would be ideal for a Herbie or possible BeanAnimal drain system. Suggest researching those. Both are exceptionally quiet.
The advantage to a return manifold would be to enable taps for a carbon and GFO reactor(s) for example. Agree with above comment that 5-6 times total system turnover thru the sump per hour is plenty good enough. Achieve the rest of needed flow with at least two power heads in a 90 gallon tank.
 
OP
OP
USMA36

USMA36

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2017
Messages
1,165
Reaction score
473
Location
Northeast PA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks. I am gonna try out the Stockman overflows since I and returning them would be a two our each way drive back to the "lfs" to return them. So I should pipe out of return skip installing a control valve to a manifold with 2 t's capped off for future use and only 1 return into the display? Should I install a union after the pump to allow for easy maintenance of the it? No ball or gate valves whatsoever? Lfs was pretty insistent on me having 3 return pipes/nozzles to the display tank.
 

Smo

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
642
Reaction score
611
Location
Dallas area
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For a 90 gallon DT you could get by with a single return. My preference (and I emphasize preference) would be for two, one at each end. My preference would be to use multiple unions and threaded fittings (where it makes sense) to aid maintenance and or modifications down the road. Also, for threaded fittings, consider Plasto-Joint Stik instead of Teflon tape. It is far superior. For your return pump...also suggest a section of flexible silicone tubbing to dampen vibration. All this stuff can be ordered on the Internet to avoid a long trip.
 

Hyde2406

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
505
Reaction score
332
Location
Sarasota, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I plumbed a 90 gallon with a 55 under and it only had one return I split using that black Loc line, a really long one and a short one. Also only one overflow. I had to make 1000 trips to home Depot to try and fit the flex to the rigid to the local line, order from a reef pave online you'll pay more but the about of time and frustration aren't worth it! plus they have pretty colors and better choices.
Good luck it's a labor of love
 

AZDesertRat

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
5,090
Reaction score
1,323
Location
Phoenix AZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/installing-bulkhead-tips.34973/

This may answer some of your questions.

I always plumb a valve on the discharge side of a return pump to be able to fine tune flows and for maintenance when I want to remove the pump for cleaning. No need for any valves on the overflow unless you are using one as a full siphon and another as the back up. I don't use this design as my single 1" Stockman running full siphon with an airline stuck into the cap has never given me even a hint of trouble in over 13 years of use. It keeps up with a WaterBlaster HY-5000 running 100% open through two returns, one at each end of the display.
 

jimmyzhou

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 27, 2016
Messages
671
Reaction score
348
Location
long island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Im setting up my first tank. It's a 90 gallon with offset overflow. The overflow will have 2 stockman standpipes draining into a trigger ruby 36 sump. I have been trying to decide if I should plumb the drains with ball valves. They would be used in case I needed to turn off the water supply for maintenance not to restrict flow. I get conflicting reports while trying to research this. Everything will be piped in 1" pvc. I also plan on having a check valve and another ball valve after the pump (Jebao DC 12000) on the return line. The return line would go to a manifold where I would have 3 lines going into the tank with nozzles. My other question is what do I need to do to future proof my plumbing? As of now I don't think I'll be adding anything else that requires hard plumbing, but I am also very new and who knows what I'll want down the road. Any other recomendations for plumbing are greatly appreciated.

Hey there try use ball valve. U can order form this website for cheap prices free ship with 50 dollar or plus on order
Www.zoro.com
I got most valve form them cheaper than home Depot and they have all size u need
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 76 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 34.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top