Hezam
Community Member
Hello Everyone,
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a wonderful time. I've been trying to design this my reef tank for a year now, I went big and I am struggling with plumbing. I have like 500 tabs open in my PC and I am starting to get really dizzy trying to incorporate everything. I am doing the plumbing by my self for the first time. Lots of firsts here tbh.. I need some guidance. I think I have the drain nailed down, 3 drains from drilled modular marine overflow in the middle of the tank with one gate valve. I am confused with the return, I want to include: Manifold for future reactors, Future chiller in-case I need it, the Lifeguard UV 90W, Some type of auto water change system for the future also. I have a Sicce SDC 9.0 pump. Powerful pump should be able to handle all these solo right? I am also down to get another pump for the manifold or chiller if needed.
Quick questions:
- Not sure if drains need to be behind returns of in front, it looks a bit crowded there. I may need to raise the manifold very high and a bit forward to make space for the drains. I have space under the tank, I have a 40in high stand and a 18in high sump.
- UV has to be plumbed inline through main return right? I've seen some people plumb with a T and half goes to main display and half goes back to sump with a manifold, that's not efficient right? I am doing everything from scratch so I have total control.
- Chiller better NOT to be plumbed directly to Display right? I've read that the chiller is better plumbed back into sump so cold water cant be dumped directly into the corals. Will this setup I have work? Its not directly under sump and within a cabinet on the right.
- I want to be able to do water changes more easily. Not necessarily auto water changes but I don't want to carry buckets. I have a window nearby with a drain, I am thinking of running a pipe (from where though, take a T from the return?) directly to the drain. I can run a valve from the return pump to block water going into display tank and open into drain.
The problem lies with getting the saltwater back in. I have no space for a giant mixing station near the reef tank, not sure how to plumb water back in. I can use gravity and make a mixing station outside where the window drain area is, but I am not sure I wanna store water subjected to the elements of cold and heat of the outdoors. Maybe I can just settle for easy drain but still mix a brute trashcan and haul it to the tank. Another idea I had is I can do a mixing station in the laundry room nearby and use a garden hose to fill? its not close to be honest but I can get like a 20ft hose and do a permanent mixing station. Only problem with this is that I need to get another powerful pump to pump the water back in. Its not an Auto water change but at least I don't have to carry buckets.
Any plumbing advice? I am read hundred of posts and taken into account the general advice, lots of unions, dry fit first, extra fittings just in case, hanger to hold the pipes, drain bigger than return.
Any help would be appreciated.
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a wonderful time. I've been trying to design this my reef tank for a year now, I went big and I am struggling with plumbing. I have like 500 tabs open in my PC and I am starting to get really dizzy trying to incorporate everything. I am doing the plumbing by my self for the first time. Lots of firsts here tbh.. I need some guidance. I think I have the drain nailed down, 3 drains from drilled modular marine overflow in the middle of the tank with one gate valve. I am confused with the return, I want to include: Manifold for future reactors, Future chiller in-case I need it, the Lifeguard UV 90W, Some type of auto water change system for the future also. I have a Sicce SDC 9.0 pump. Powerful pump should be able to handle all these solo right? I am also down to get another pump for the manifold or chiller if needed.
Quick questions:
- Not sure if drains need to be behind returns of in front, it looks a bit crowded there. I may need to raise the manifold very high and a bit forward to make space for the drains. I have space under the tank, I have a 40in high stand and a 18in high sump.
- UV has to be plumbed inline through main return right? I've seen some people plumb with a T and half goes to main display and half goes back to sump with a manifold, that's not efficient right? I am doing everything from scratch so I have total control.
- Chiller better NOT to be plumbed directly to Display right? I've read that the chiller is better plumbed back into sump so cold water cant be dumped directly into the corals. Will this setup I have work? Its not directly under sump and within a cabinet on the right.
- I want to be able to do water changes more easily. Not necessarily auto water changes but I don't want to carry buckets. I have a window nearby with a drain, I am thinking of running a pipe (from where though, take a T from the return?) directly to the drain. I can run a valve from the return pump to block water going into display tank and open into drain.
The problem lies with getting the saltwater back in. I have no space for a giant mixing station near the reef tank, not sure how to plumb water back in. I can use gravity and make a mixing station outside where the window drain area is, but I am not sure I wanna store water subjected to the elements of cold and heat of the outdoors. Maybe I can just settle for easy drain but still mix a brute trashcan and haul it to the tank. Another idea I had is I can do a mixing station in the laundry room nearby and use a garden hose to fill? its not close to be honest but I can get like a 20ft hose and do a permanent mixing station. Only problem with this is that I need to get another powerful pump to pump the water back in. Its not an Auto water change but at least I don't have to carry buckets.
Any plumbing advice? I am read hundred of posts and taken into account the general advice, lots of unions, dry fit first, extra fittings just in case, hanger to hold the pipes, drain bigger than return.
Any help would be appreciated.
