First Time Plumbing Advice

Shrooms · May 8, 2026

First time plumbing a tank, would like some advice and criticism on my plan. This is a rough mock using extra PVC so it’ll be redone no matter what. My biggest concern as of now is using too many fittings. I have a Sicce 3.0 SDC for my return and it’s looking like it’ll be a bit undersized.

All the PVC/Bulkheads are 1 inch. I have five 90 degree elbows and eight 45 degree elbows. One Tee fitting above the pump.

Clamps will be along the stand just under the unions for the overflow and just above the gate valves on both return drains.

I’ve got two Cepex 1 inch ball valves on the return drains to stop flow if I ever have to remove anything connected to them.

One Spears 1 inch gate valve just above the primary bulkhead in the sump.

I have extra unions I can plumb in, just don’t know where and if even needed.

So any advice and tips will be greatly appreciated, build thread will hopefully be up soon!

UncommonSense · May 8, 2026

Shrooms said:
I have a Sicce 3.0 SDC for my return and it’s looking like it’ll be a bit undersized.

This depends on tank size!

The 3.0 looses about 50% of its flow rate in an unrestricted pipe at 3.2ft of head height… that means you’ll get <=400gph observed at the display…

The next step up is the 6.0, which looks to flow a hair over 1,000gph at 3.2ft head height, which is right on the upper end of what 1” sch.40 PVC will flow via our hobby style pumps! (That is to say, it’s ideal if the tank is over 120-ish gallons!)

Shrooms said:
I’ve got two Cepex 1 inch ball valves on the return drains to stop flow if I ever have to remove anything connected to them.

These may be somewhat redundant, as the return plumbing will void itself of water back into the sump once the return pump is turned off, assuming the return plumbing/nozzles in-display are set up correctly to break any return plumbing back-flow (siphoning from display to sump) during return pump shutdown!

Shrooms said:
I have extra unions I can plumb in, just don’t know where and if even needed.

I’d add unions to the return lines at the same height as the drain unions, so the tank can be physically decoupled from the stand/sump if needed!

— the last thing I can think of would be using 1.25” silicone hose vs. 1” for your vibration mitigation ( if you opt for the SDC 6.0), because barbed fittings are more restrictive in inside diameter than equivalent rigid pipe!

Shrooms · May 8, 2026

UncommonSense said:
This depends on tank size!

The 3.0 looses about 50% of its flow rate in an unrestricted pipe at 3.2ft of head height… that means you’ll get <=400gph observed at the display…

The next step up is the 6.0, which looks to flow a hair over 1,000gph at 3.2ft head height, which is right on the upper end of what 1” sch.40 PVC will flow via our hobby style pumps! (That is to say, it’s ideal if the tank is over 120-ish gallons!)

These may be somewhat redundant, as the return plumbing will void itself of water back into the sump once the return pump is turned off, assuming the return plumbing/nozzles in-display are set up correctly to break any return plumbing back-flow (siphoning from display to sump) during return pump shutdown!

I’d add unions to the return lines at the same height as the drain unions, so the tank can be physically decoupled from the stand/sump if needed!

— the last thing I can think of would be using 1.25” silicone hose vs. 1” for your vibration mitigation ( if you opt for the SDC 6.0), because barbed fittings are more restrictive in inside diameter than equivalent rigid pipe!

So my display is 40 gallons and has about about a 20 gallon sump.

Flow in the display isn’t much of an issue since I have two Nero 3’s. It’s more of running the pump at its highest setting to circulate enough water is what I’m worried about.

The two ball valves are dual use I guess not only as a union but to close off water and be able to remove the entire return setup like you mentioned.

I will be utilizing soft plumbing on the return pump for exactly that reason.

Lastly, thank you very much!!!