Modular Marine Plumbing

[Prevailing Reef]

I’m in the process of plumbing for a modular marine overflow. How do you typically plumb a bean animal style overflows?

Should I get a gate valve a ball valve and then leave one channel open for the emergency?

I see some people plumb a gate valve on 1 drain, a ball valve on the other and keep the other open.

Why a ball valve and not 2 gate valves?

 

[Caravanshaka]

I’m in the process of plumbing for a modular marine overflow. How do you typically plumb a bean animal style overflows?

Should I get a gate valve a ball valve and then leave one channel open for the emergency?

I usually do one lower in the box with a strainer, which has a gate valve for creating a siphon. Another higher one in the box, also with a strainer, to set the water height inside your box...this will just have a trickle after setting your siphon line correctly. The 3rd is an emergency drain, above your water line and leave enough clearance for water to flow into it.

 

[Prevailing Reef]

I usually do one lower in the box with a strainer, which has a gate valve for creating a siphon. Another higher one in the box, also with a strainer, to set the water height inside your box...this will just have a trickle after setting your siphon line correctly. The 3rd is an emergency drain, above your water line and leave enough clearance for water to flow into it.

So do I need a ball valve in addition to the gate valve or just a gate valve?

 

[Caravanshaka]

So do I need a ball valve in addition to the gate valve or just a gate valve?

I only ever run 1 gate valve on the main siphon drain. The other 2 you can leave clear of any valves

 

[Prevailing Reef]

I only ever run 1 gate valve on the main siphon drain. The other 2 you can leave clear of any valves

What reason would there be to run more valves than just 1 gate valve?

 

[Caravanshaka]

What reason would there be to run more valves than just 1 gate valve?

I can't think of anything. Possibly Maintenance? close the ball valve and check that the emergency is running correctly?

 

[Blue Ring Octopus]

Following along. I spoke with Trent from Crystal Dynamic Aquarium builder in Oceanside, he stated that the main drain has a ball valve and the secondary has the gate valve, he tunes it with the gate valve. I have to put my Modular Marine overflow on my tank.

 

[Prevailing Reef]

Following along. I spoke with Trent from Crystal Dynamic Aquarium builder in Oceanside, he stated that the main drain has a ball valve and the secondary has the gate valve, he tunes it with the gate valve. I have to put my Modular Marine overflow on my tank.

That’s interesting. I’m trying to understand why you would need a ball valve on anything. It is my understanding now that for a Bean Animal (Modular Marine), you only need a gate valve on your main siphon and the other 2 with no valves.

I am getting ready to plumb my Modular Marine this weekend.

 

[JoshH]

Following along. I spoke with Trent from Crystal Dynamic Aquarium builder in Oceanside, he stated that the main drain has a ball valve and the secondary has the gate valve, he tunes it with the gate valve. I have to put my Modular Marine overflow on my tank.

That is an extremely unusual way of plumbing a drain setup... as mentioned above the usual way is gate valve for fine tuning on the main drain and no other valves are really needed. I did add ball valves on my BA setup so I could remove the plumbing if needed for cleaning purposes and to check to make sure the emergency features worked properly. But nothing related to the drain operation...

 

[Blue Ring Octopus]

You could text Crystal Dynamic in Oceanside and they use the modular marine overflow in most of their tanks so they are very adapt to using. them.

 

[shookONES]

I’m a huge fan of soft plumbing. IME, it’s quieter and easier to mess with down the road, if the need arises. I’m also a fan of these MM overflows. The construction and design is leagues better than the competition. The only noise that comes from this setup is the subtle sound of water falling ~1” in the ‘in-tank’ overflow box. I’ll remedy this with a piece of coarse sponge when motivation strikes HAHA

 

[shookONES]

And inside the box. Main (siphon) drain has no stand pipe, just a strainer directly on the bulkhead. I found a durso for the secondary drain to be the quietest. The emergency is just a tall piece of PVC.

 

[nickkohrn]

And inside the box. Main (siphon) drain has no stand pipe, just a strainer directly on the bulkhead. I found a durso for the secondary drain to be the quietest. The emergency is just a tall piece of PVC.

I was thinking of doing exactly this. I’m not sure why I see so many Bean Animal overflow configurations with U-style plumbing on the main drain. It seems that a simple strainer would work well.

 

[ca1ore]

I’ve been running a 36” MM overflow for a couple of years. I had it modified to run multiple siphons, but the basic operation is not conceptually different than a standard bean. Main siphon has a screen in the bulkhead at the bottom of the external box, but no pipe or U tube. It has a gate valve down at the sump to adjust flow. Secondary does have a U tube inside the external box so that I can set the water level. I did put a ball valve on the secondary right under the tank, because i initially found it useful as a way to test the emergency. I almost never use it though. I did oversize the stand pipe in the external box above the emergency bulkhead to ensure that the box could never overflow. No valve of any kind on the emergency.

 

[shookONES]

I was thinking of doing exactly this. I’m not sure why I see so many Bean Animal overflow configurations with U-style plumbing on the main drain. It seems that a simple strainer would work well.

It doesn’t make much sense to me either. Siphons work best with as straight flow as possible. Why purposely force the siphons to zig-zag down a U pipe under full siphon is beyond me.

 

[ca1ore]

The purpose of the U tube on the siphon is to help prevent an air vortex. In some cases that may be useful, not in others.

 

[Caravanshaka]

Keeping it simple. Left is the trickle, center is the emergency, right is the siphon. Gate valve to control the siphon with just a strainer in the box. Simple 45 degree elbow with a strainer on the trickle, and a coupler on the emergency near the top of the box.

 

[NancyFish]

I’ve been running a 36” MM overflow for a couple of years. I had it modified to run multiple siphons, but the basic operation is not conceptually different than a standard bean. Main siphon has a screen in the bulkhead at the bottom of the external box, but no pipe or U tube. It has a gate valve down at the sump to adjust flow. Secondary does have a U tube inside the external box so that I can set the water level. I did put a ball valve on the secondary right under the tank, because i initially found it useful as a way to test the emergency. I almost never use it though. I did oversize the stand pipe in the external box above the emergency bulkhead to ensure that the box could never overflow. No valve of any kind on the emergency.

Looks like you have different size pipes on the drain. I just ordered the 1200 MM but it’s 3/4” pipes, I don’t see how that can hit 1200 overflow. Was thinking of doing 3/4” to 1” connector but worried maybe I shouldn’t.