How the heck does plumbing work?? Please Advise!

[MantisShrimpMan]

I'm contemplating a large pentagon corner tank build, and want the option to add UV in the future. I'd like to be able to keep the tank flush against the walls, so I am interested in an internal overflow system with holes drilled in the bottom of the tank, rather than needing pipes to protrude behind the aquarium were I to use side drilled overflow methods.

I want to plan my tank with future potential in mind. That includes the desire for both redundancy, and the ability to upgrade components of the build in the future. Namely- I don't plan on using it until after the tank has cycled and housed fish for several months, but I'd like the tank to be plumbed to support a UV system. I also want the overflow system for the sump to be a bean animal drain.

I'm struggling to find any articles or information on how I'd go about implementing both a bean animal drain and UV with internal overflows. My big question is: Does this mean my tank will need to have 6 holes drilled in the bottom?

-Bean animal primary standpipe
-Bean animal secondary standpipe
-Bean animal emergency standpipe
-Sump Return
-UV standpipe
-UV return
-This doesn't even account for a secondary return if I wanted to use two return pumps! That would make it 7!


Assuming I need SIX or SEVEN holes, the bottom of my aquarium is going to look like Swiss cheese. Moreover, the weir box will take up a MASSIVE column and waste a ton of space within the tank, since the holes need to have enough distance between them to maintain the bottom's integrity. There's gotta be a better way! I've read that UV works best as a closed loop separate from the pathway that water takes through your sump. I consider that especially important considering that UV has the chance of killing a large portion of the copepods entering the tank from the refugium. So, I'd want the UV to be separate from the sump. But, is there any way to use manifolds with gate valves to accomplish all these functions with less holes in the tank? I don't understand how that would work. Can someone explain and maybe help me devise a plumbing map to follow for my build?

 

[mdb_talon]

I may be misunderstanding what issues you are trying to avoid but I am not sure why you want UV return/drain going into tank at all. Either do a manifold with gate valves(to adjust how much flow to UV vs directly to sump from the tank drain) or you can do manifold on return pump and have part go to UV and drain back to sump. If that's what u don't want to do because of copepods another option is to use a utility pump right where water comes into sump... through the UV and drain to refugium or skimmer section

 

[BaliReefBox]

4 holes max on the bottom is all you need...you have 3 for bean animal and one return...you pick off either overflow or return water to feed uv, reactors and the like. most will rum a return pressure manifold to feed auxillary equipment.
if you put 7 holes in a small area imo th tank will prob fail

 

[MantisShrimpMan]

I may be misunderstanding what issues you are trying to avoid but I am not sure why you want UV return/drain going into tank at all. Either do a manifold with gate valves(to adjust how much flow to UV vs directly to sump from the tank drain) or you can do manifold on return pump and have part go to UV and drain back to sump. If that's what u don't want to do because of copepods another option is to use a utility pump right where water comes into sump... through the UV and drain to refugium or skimmer section

4 holes max on the bottom is all you need...you have 3 for bean animal and one return...you pick off either overflow or return water to feed uv, reactors and the like. most will rum a return pressure manifold to feed auxillary equipment.
if you put 7 holes in a small area imo th tank will prob fail

Thank you both for the fast responses. I think what I'm getting at is that I want to minimize the presence of initial inputs and outputs that require discrete bulkheads in the tank. I still don't fully understand how manifolds work, and something I would be worried about would be that if I had, say, a Y coupler so that two return pumps feed to one return nozzle in the tank, if one return pump were to fail, could the water simply flow back through it in the wrong direction and not make it back up to the return nozzle?

I've included a PDF and equivalent JPEGs (in case a PDF is inconvenient) with some drawings of what I initially had in mind when I assumed I would need 7 holes, and what alterations I believe to be possible based off what you have said and other research. Can you confirm if this is an intelligent way to run my plumbing?

Alternative 1 removes 1 of the seven through the use of a Y coupler

Alternative 2 removes 2 more of them by making the Y coupler have 3 inputs instead of 2, so more like a trident, and also having a gate valve manifest from the bean animal to the UV sterilizer

 

[mdb_talon]

Thanks for trying to make it clear, but I really think I am missing something, but will describe what I would do maybe that helps or maybe again I just missing why you don't want to do this.

Personally I would have no more than three holes in the tank(drain, emergency, return to tank). If you want two drains and emergency then maybe one more. Plumb the UV into the main drain from the tank

Pardon my horrible scribbles but #1 is the primary drain with gate valves to control flow through the UV and straight to sump. #2 is the emergency drain. #3 is return to tank. Personally I don't like to do a manifold on the drain in case it gets blocked but in your case with emergency drain I don't think it's a concern.

There are other option to but I would say the main thing is get it out of your thinking of putting the UV in the tank. It can be plumbed to the drain or to the return pump....or even use standalone pump within the sump that pumps to UV in the sump and drains right back to sump. That may be simplest option in regards to plumbing but requires an extra small pump.

 

[MantisShrimpMan]

I

Thanks for trying to make it clear, but I really think I am missing something, but will describe what I would do maybe that helps or maybe again I just missing why you don't want to do this.

Personally I would have no more than three holes in the tank(drain, emergency, return to tank). If you want two drains and emergency then maybe one more. Plumb the UV into the main drain from the tank

Pardon my horrible scribbles but #1 is the primary drain with gate valves to control flow through the UV and straight to sump. #2 is the emergency drain. #3 is return to tank. Personally I don't like to do a manifold on the drain in case it gets blocked but in your case with emergency drain I don't think it's a concern.

There are other option to but I would say the main thing is get it out of your thinking of putting the UV in the tank. It can be plumbed to the drain or to the return pump....or even use standalone pump within the sump that pumps to UV in the sump and drains right back to sump. That may be simplest option in regards to plumbing but requires an extra small pump.

Is there any chance you could redo this drawing when you have a bit of free time? I really appreciate the help but I would like to make sure I understand what you have in mind. Also- can you take a look at my return pump concern?

 

[All_talk]

I've got some thoughts but I've got some questions about the setup first.

Will this tank have a traditional stand and canopy?

Its the requirement that the tank be flush to the wall just for a clean look or are there other reasons?

Is the tank shaped as you have drawn above with one 90 deg corner that fits into the wall corner, or is it a true hex that would have a triangular space in the corner?

 

[MantisShrimpMan]

I've got some thoughts but I've got some questions about the setup first.

Will this tank have a traditional stand and canopy?

Its the requirement that the tank be flush to the wall just for a clean look or are there other reasons?

Is the tank shaped as you have drawn above with one 90 deg corner that fits into the wall corner, or is it a true hex that would have a triangular space in the corner?

I posted a build thread about a day ago discussing the ideology behind the overall project. I’m working with a corner in my apartment that, while certainly capable of supporting a gorgeous reef tank, will be difficult to use as a result of the apartment’s design. It will be a pentagon corner, so like this:

the apartment has a window that goes from one room to another… not really sure why… and so the windowsill and window itself interrupt the usable wall space. Also, it has an extruding fake fireplace that interrupts the wallspace on the other wall of the corner. Both give me about 43” of room so a normal 4’ tank design won’t work.

Therefore this is the maximum size I can fit in said space. And if it has plumbing off the back, it will stick out in at least one of the two directions and thus be nonviable.

Normal stand

 

[All_talk]

Looks like a cool setup. I was thinking that if you could move it off one wall and hide that with trim it could open up some options. But I get wanting to maximize the dimensions. If you could space it off a wall just a enough for the returns (1.5" or so) you could bring them over the top of that tank. Some people don't like the look of over-the-top returns, but they would be covered but a typical canopy.

Another option for reducing the number of holes would be "concentric drains". I and some others on this board have conceived of them, but I don't think I have seen one built yet. I am planning on one for a freshwater build in the future to convert a standard "reef ready" tank with two holes, to a Bean Animal style drain. The basic idea is detailed in the included drawing. The version shown is based on a 1 1/4" bulkhead with a 1/2" center line. The pipe sizes (and flow areas) can be adjusted for individual setups. For your setup this might reduce six holes to three.

Gary

 

[BaliReefBox]

if you google sump design there are literally 1000's of ways to plumb it. It depends on what suits your needs with uv, reactors etc. I would be putting a manifold inon the return with 3 to 4 outlets. this should help future proof the sump for future equipment additions. A manifold is just a T off the return line with SOVs.
I drilled mu tank and only have a durso and emergency drain along with a return. works well for me and is quite

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

On my return pump, I Tee’d off the Pump, running through a BioReactor, through the UV, into the Filter Sock, that’s in my Return Pump Chamber. That’s the only filter sock in the System. I can judge the flow on the tumble of the Media. Been working fine for three plus years now. The more holes in the tank, the higher risk of failure. Also you are going to need enough space,to clean the back of the Tank and house wall Salt Creep Happens.