40 Breeder Return & Drain Bulkhead Sizes?

[WVReefJunkie]

I am drilling a 40 breeder for extra filter media and was thinking of putting a one inch bulkhead for the return and a inch one half bulkhead for the drain. The return will branch off my existing one inch return line from my main display. It is powered by a Vectra M1. All I have for the drain is a schedule 80 bulkhead and it is huge. It will have low flow from the return because I will control it with a gate valve. Think I should put a smaller bulkhead for the drain?

 

[Instigate]

The rule of thumb is to make your drain twice the size of your return.

 

[Borg]

I'm about to drill my 40 breeder but I can't make my mind up on hole sizes.

I have an old internal overflow box. roughly 800gph. Im thinking 1" drain and two 1/2" returns. The overflow box will be in the center.

plan b, 1 1/2" drain, 2x 3/4" returns.

plan c, 1" drain and 3/4 return

decisions decisions

 

[ChrisNH]

In my 40b I have 1” drain and probably well less then 200 gph through the sump and have the bean animal gate valve fairly closed to get it silent. There is also an emergency 1“ drain. I would not think going to 1.5” would do you any good Unless you have a torrent going through the sump.

if you mean the bulkhead that is pretty big and dictated by the overflow box. i have this https://www.fijicube.com/products/low-profile-external-overflow-box-600pgh and it came with the hole saw.

i have a single 3/4“ return and that also seems more than sufficient.

 

[TDEcoral]

I use a bean animal style overflow on my 40b with 1 inch drains. It's way overkill and I plumbed my new 75g with 3/4" drains. Unless you have insane flow, 3/4" at full siphon can handle it easily. Return is also 3/4", but that will be determined by what return pump you use.

 

[Borg]

I plan of using enthrone of these..
sicce 3.0
vectra s1
mag pump

700-800 gph range

 

[Kfactor]

I'm about to drill my 40 breeder but I can't make my mind up on hole sizes.

I have an old internal overflow box. roughly 800gph. Im thinking 1" drain and two 1/2" returns. The overflow box will be in the center.

plan b, 1 1/2" drain, 2x 3/4" returns.

plan c, 1" drain and 3/4 return

decisions decisions

c

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I use a bean animal style overflow on my 40b with 1 inch drains. It's way overkill and I plumbed my new 75g with 3/4" drains. Unless you have insane flow, 3/4" at full siphon can handle it easily. Return is also 3/4", but that will be determined by what return pump you use.

Given your experience with your 40B/20 sump, would you advise getting an animal bean 800 gph or 1200 gph with Modular Marine? They told me there is no minimum flow rate for the 800 gph. Or one of the overflows at Fijicube?

 

[ChrisNH]

700-800 gph range

That seems like a lot for a 40B. I think the common advice is to look for 3x-5x flow. You may wish to do some more research on that.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

That seems like a lot for a 40B. I think the common advice is to look for 3x-5x flow. You may wish to do some more research on that.

The smallest animal bean that I have found is Modular Marine at 800 gph. I don't want to run that much water so can you set things with a much lower gph like 400- 600 range? This is all new to me.

 

[ChrisNH]

Yes the overflow represents the max. The actual flow is based on your return pump minus loss from plumping. So i have a 600gph max from the overflow but 200gph actual from the pump.

 

[Borg]

I'm picking up a trigger systems sump, sapphire 26 tomorrow . New, $200
a little over kill for a qt tank, but sometimes you gotta pull the trigger when a deal comes up.
like how I through that pun in...lol

yeah 7-800 mph is a little extreme. Ill just have to check my equipment storage facility a.k.a basement for a smaller pump.

 

[Borg]

That seems like a lot for a 40B. I think the common advice is to look for 3x-5x flow. You may wish to do some more research on that.

my first tank was a 40 breeder . eshopps 800 gph overflow. sicce 3.0 pump. Fish didn't mind it
of course they didn't mind it, what are they gonna do, write their governor? They have no thumbs.