I Was Told The Only Dumb Question Is The One Not Asked

Kev The Fish Keeper

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Hello Reefer Family, Im new and still learning. The question I have is, the drain pipe is on the left and the return is on the right. I believe the return is a 3/4" male. Can I connect a PVC to the return or do I need to connect a hose then PVC?
20200529_192602_HDR.jpg
 

BighohoReef

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That would be for a hose. You’ll also want to get a hose clamp if you decide to go that route. If you want PVC you’ll want to get a new attachment for the right (return side). Your local hardware store will have everything you need. For research you can look at standard PVC parts on BRS.
 

Afrashz

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You need to put a hose, you could replace that fitting with a pvc slip bulkhead if you prefer pvc
 
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Kev The Fish Keeper

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Thanks for the advice. I dont know if I want to replace the bulkhead. I leaked tested it and it was fine. My skills are limited. I dont want to disturb the integrity of the tank.
 

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vetteguy53081

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Intended for a hose BUT you can modify by unscrewing the hose barb and screwing a female outlet to which you can attach regular pvc piping to.
 

Albertan22

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Those bulkheads are installed upside down which is probably why they are siliconed in. Having the rubber gasket on the outside like that is sketchy imo, better to have the water compressing them than pushing out on them. I would replace the bulkheads but that’s just me.
 
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Kev The Fish Keeper

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Those bulkheads are installed upside down which is probably why they are siliconed in. Having the rubber gasket on the outside like that is sketchy imo, better to have the water compressing them than pushing out on them. I would replace the bulkheads but that’s just me.
Albertann, thanks for the reply. Didn't realize that. Im not comfortable with changing bulkheads. Think that's beyond my DIY limit. Not sure what to do now....
 

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Albertann, thanks for the reply. Didn't realize that. Im not comfortable with changing bulkheads. Think that's beyond my DIY limit. Not sure what to do now....
Hi @Kev The Fish Keeper welcome to R2R! I’m fairly new to reefing (less than a year) and have learned that you’ll get a lot of great advice and answers to your questions. But couple of things I’ve also learned. This is a very knowledgeable and opinionated group. So separate fact from opinion. Then make your decision based upon what makes sense for you.

Sounds like you‘re comfortable keeping the barb fitting and using a hose. Go for it!
 
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Kev The Fish Keeper

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Hi @Kev The Fish Keeper welcome to R2R! I’m fairly new to reefing (less than a year) and have learned that you’ll get a lot of great advice and answers to your questions. But couple of things I’ve also learned. This is a very knowledgeable and opinionated group. So separate fact from opinion. Then make your decision based upon what makes sense for you.

Sounds like you‘re comfortable keeping the barb fitting and using a hose. Go for it!
@mike550 thanks for the advice...
 

Albertan22

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Hi @Kev The Fish Keeper welcome to R2R! I’m fairly new to reefing (less than a year) and have learned that you’ll get a lot of great advice and answers to your questions. But couple of things I’ve also learned. This is a very knowledgeable and opinionated group. So separate fact from opinion. Then make your decision based upon what makes sense for you.

Sounds like you‘re comfortable keeping the barb fitting and using a hose. Go for it!
The barb has nothing to do with the fact that someone installed the bulkheads upside down. That is a fact. Another fact is that it was not water right hence the silicone mess around them. You can mount a barb fitting into a bulkhead by just gluing a barb fitting into the slip end of the bulkhead. Someone got lazy and reverse installed the bulkhead so they could use a threaded barb and made a right mess out of it.
 

Albertan22

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Albertann, thanks for the reply. Didn't realize that. Im not comfortable with changing bulkheads. Think that's beyond my DIY limit. Not sure what to do now....
A bulkhead is just a big nut and bolt (except the bolt is hollow) it’s a super easy install. All you need is a pipe wrench. Getting the old ones out may be tricky since the nut is down inside the overflow.
 
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Kev The Fish Keeper

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A bulkhead is just a big nut and bolt (except the bolt is hollow) it’s a super easy install. All you need is a pipe wrench. Getting the old ones out may be tricky since the nut is down inside the overflow.
I think that will be a tricky fix. It looks like the return pipe glued to the bulkhead and not slip fitted

20200529_214648_HDR.jpg
 

Albertan22

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Wow, what a mess. It looks like there may be silicone on the inside too. I agree that’s not an easy fix at all. If you are comfortable that it’s water tight then your instinct to leave it alone might be best. I would keep a close eye on it though and watch for leaks. I’d also make sure to position the sump below that so that if it does leak it’s just dripping into the sump.

For the record, this is a bulkhead:
image.jpg


The rubber piece is supposed to be inside the tank compressed between the smooth part of the fitting and the glass. The nut tightens against the bottom.
 
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Kev The Fish Keeper

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Wow, what a mess. It looks like there may be silicone on the inside too. I agree that’s not an easy fix at all. If you are comfortable that it’s water tight then your instinct to leave it alone might be best. I would keep a close eye on it though and watch for leaks. I’d also make sure to position the sump below that so that if it does leak it’s just dripping into the sump.

For the record, this is a bulkhead:
image.jpg


The rubber piece is supposed to be inside the tank compressed between the smooth part of the fitting and the glass. The nut tightens against the bottom.
Got cha, I filled the tank and and let some water in the overflow and let it sit for a week no leaks, but I hear ya about being cautious. The sump 30g will be under the tank. Thanks for the advice and knowledge.
 

Bo.

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I'm hoping this is a used tank, right? Looks like previous owner couldn't stop leaks from improper installation and used a lot of silicone to "fix" the issue.
 

Mastiffsrule

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Hi,

The way someone set up your tank they meant to use vinyl hose for the return to fit to the barb and vacuum hose to fit to the white adapter for the return. I say if it passes water leak test and smaller tank it would make plumbing easy
 
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