Plumbing anxiety

Billgasser

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I’m planning on replacing my Red Sea tank before “something happens “.
I have been looking at all the usual tanks and have decided on GlassCages. My anxiety is I have never plumbed a tank. They were all pre- plumbed like Red Sea. The GC tank I’m looking at has an internal overflow and 2 schd 40 bulkheads. I have watched videos and read about plumbing but not sure about the best way to do this. I’m planning on breaking down my RS and placing the new tank in its spot, while my corals, rock, sand and fish watch me lose my mind. I have maybe bitten off more than I can handle. For the safety of my animals this needs to be done as quickly as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Dry fit the pipes before cementing everything together. Use primer and cement on both the pipe and fitting. Let it cure for 24 hours and test it. If it leaks, it will probably be slow. Just turn the tank off and redo it. Use a lot of unions so you only have to replace sections, not the whole thing. If it doesn’t leak right away, it’s probably not going to.
 
I’m planning on replacing my Red Sea tank before “something happens “.
I have been looking at all the usual tanks and have decided on GlassCages. My anxiety is I have never plumbed a tank. They were all pre- plumbed like Red Sea. The GC tank I’m looking at has an internal overflow and 2 schd 40 bulkheads. I have watched videos and read about plumbing but not sure about the best way to do this. I’m planning on breaking down my RS and placing the new tank in its spot, while my corals, rock, sand and fish watch me lose my mind. I have maybe bitten off more than I can handle. For the safety of my animals this needs to be done as quickly as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I’d suggest starting by working out a temporary livestock holding tank, such as a plastic stock tank! — such a thing can even be drilled to drain into your existing sump!

It’s been my experience that no 50+ gallon tank upgrade happens end to end in one day… at least not when things are being done even remotely correctly! Usually, it seems to take a week or two to really get the new tank set up and stable after all the rearranging! (For example, one defective part? Too bad. You’re stuck waiting for a new one to ship in many cases!)


Once you have your livestock and rock in a solid holding system, you can proceed to take your time breaking down the old system, and installing the new one! (getting the stand leveled out, getting the tank and sump installed, Plumbing everything, wiring, leak checking, etc…)

— the old Red Sea tank may be easiest to get out without help if you simply cut it apart to glass panes with a razor blade, moving the panes out one by one! Then, you can donate them to a glass cutter, or save them for future projects!



Regarding plumbing, there are numerous ways to go about it, but do know that you will need to cement some pipe into some fittings to get custom plumbing fitting and looking nice!

Here’s a recent discussion on the subject to hit some points I’ll likely miss here (post #155, #167, etc…):

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/box-of-crayons.1114489/page-8


— I recommend using bulkheads which have threads on the nut side of their body, this allows you to actually disassemble the plumbing down the road to replace the rubber water seal “gasket” on your bulkheads without cutting any plumbing! (If you cement a pipe/fitting into a bulkhead, you have to cut said fitting off to remove the bulkhead from the hole in the tank glass!)

— design your drains first, they perform best with minimum amounts of pipe parallel to the ground, and should never gain elevation during each pipe’s path… the return plumbing can go in after the drains; it’s pressurized, thus less important to make a straight shot with!

— you will likely want more elbow fittings on hand than you think you need (both 45* and 90* elbows), just so you can get a bit creative with where pipes end up going! Also, unions are your friend! Anywhere where you’d have to cut the plumbing to take it apart, a union creates a quick-disconnect! (Unions are also great against bulkhead fittings, allowing you to decouple plumbing from tank, and helping to keep the bulkheads from loosening/starting to leak if the plumbing gets yanked on!)

— you will not be able to easily bottom-out a pipe all the way to the shoulder inside a “slip” (aka “socket”) style fitting unless cement is used, or the fitting is physically oversized, thus defective….

Because you cannot reasonably get the pipes and fittings all pressed fully together prior to final cementing, I find that using slightly undersized pipe lengths works well to mock things up, getting the pipe going exactly where you want with pipes just friction fit into fittings…

This allows you to measure the length of each pipe, from fitting lip to fitting lip. That is the target amount of final pipe between two fittings… you simply measure/add each fitting’s socket depth (measured from socket lip to socket shoulder) to the total pipe length… this is your final cemented target pipe length!

— I tend to go one cemented joint at a time, working my way along a pipe run getting each joint together while periodically test fitting to make sure I haven’t made an errors anywhere… I don’t recommend trying to do multiple cemented joints simultaneously unless you absolutely have to, as this is a good way to make a mess and need to redo a pipe!


I’m definitely forgetting several things here, but that should be enough to help you start wrapping your head around the concepts!

— Don’t be afraid to ask if you have any general, or specific questions, either!
 
I can't offer advice but only encouragement, many of us have been there, I plumbed my first and only tank a few years ago, no experience and not a diy guy at all. I was as anxious as you, but do the research watch a couple of youtube videos, prepare yourself and be slow and methodical, you'll get it done, good luck.
 
I’d suggest starting by working out a temporary livestock holding tank, such as a plastic stock tank! — such a thing can even be drilled to drain into your existing sump!

It’s been my experience that no 50+ gallon tank upgrade happens end to end in one day… at least not when things are being done even remotely correctly! Usually, it seems to take a week or two to really get the new tank set up and stable after all the rearranging! (For example, one defective part? Too bad. You’re stuck waiting for a new one to ship in many cases!)


Once you have your livestock and rock in a solid holding system, you can proceed to take your time breaking down the old system, and installing the new one! (getting the stand leveled out, getting the tank and sump installed, Plumbing everything, wiring, leak checking, etc…)

— the old Red Sea tank may be easiest to get out without help if you simply cut it apart to glass panes with a razor blade, moving the panes out one by one! Then, you can donate them to a glass cutter, or save them for future projects!



Regarding plumbing, there are numerous ways to go about it, but do know that you will need to cement some pipe into some fittings to get custom plumbing fitting and looking nice!

Here’s a recent discussion on the subject to hit some points I’ll likely miss here (post #155, #167, etc…):

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/box-of-crayons.1114489/page-8


— I recommend using bulkheads which have threads on the nut side of their body, this allows you to actually disassemble the plumbing down the road to replace the rubber water seal “gasket” on your bulkheads without cutting any plumbing! (If you cement a pipe/fitting into a bulkhead, you have to cut said fitting off to remove the bulkhead from the hole in the tank glass!)

— design your drains first, they perform best with minimum amounts of pipe parallel to the ground, and should never gain elevation during each pipe’s path… the return plumbing can go in after the drains; it’s pressurized, thus less important to make a straight shot with!

— you will likely want more elbow fittings on hand than you think you need (both 45* and 90* elbows), just so you can get a bit creative with where pipes end up going! Also, unions are your friend! Anywhere where you’d have to cut the plumbing to take it apart, a union creates a quick-disconnect! (Unions are also great against bulkhead fittings, allowing you to decouple plumbing from tank, and helping to keep the bulkheads from loosening/starting to leak if the plumbing gets yanked on!)

— you will not be able to easily bottom-out a pipe all the way to the shoulder inside a “slip” (aka “socket”) style fitting unless cement is used, or the fitting is physically oversized, thus defective….

Because you cannot reasonably get the pipes and fittings all pressed fully together prior to final cementing, I find that using slightly undersized pipe lengths works well to mock things up, getting the pipe going exactly where you want with pipes just friction fit into fittings…

This allows you to measure the length of each pipe, from fitting lip to fitting lip. That is the target amount of final pipe between two fittings… you simply measure/add each fitting’s socket depth (measured from socket lip to socket shoulder) to the total pipe length… this is your final cemented target pipe length!

— I tend to go one cemented joint at a time, working my way along a pipe run getting each joint together while periodically test fitting to make sure I haven’t made an errors anywhere… I don’t recommend trying to do multiple cemented joints simultaneously unless you absolutely have to, as this is a good way to make a mess and need to redo a pipe!


I’m definitely forgetting several things here, but that should be enough to help you start wrapping your head around the concepts!

— Don’t be afraid to ask if you have any general, or specific questions, either!
This 100% ^^^^

I have found over several tank swap outs that if you need to put the new tank in the same place as the existing one, setting up a temporary holding tank makes things much less stressful.
A simple kiddy wading pool. A rubbermaid stock tank ( in my area are livestock feed stores that sell off brands of stock tanks and are cheaper than rubbermaid )
All these temp tanks need is a heater and circulation.
Setting up the new tank can be done over a couple days.
I like to set the new tank up in my garage and plumb it. Then do a freshwater test over a couple days, before doing anything with the old tank. Get the plumbing done and tested before the move.
 
This 100% ^^^^

I have found over several tank swap outs that if you need to put the new tank in the same place as the existing one, setting up a temporary holding tank makes things much less stressful.
A simple kiddy wading pool. A rubbermaid stock tank ( in my area are livestock feed stores that sell off brands of stock tanks and are cheaper than rubbermaid )
All these temp tanks need is a heater and circulation.
Setting up the new tank can be done over a couple days.
I like to set the new tank up in my garage and plumb it. Then do a freshwater test over a couple days, before doing anything with the old tank. Get the plumbing done and tested before the move.
All great suggestions from everyone. Talking to Glass Cages today and work on what I’m planning. Looking like I’m going bigger. Moving from RedSea 250 to 48” long and would love 24” deep. Also thinking a 60” cabinet for sump and all the stuff.

Do you not hook up lights when the corals and fish are in temporary housing?
What do you suggest about sand ?
 
All great suggestions from everyone. Talking to Glass Cages today and work on what I’m planning. Looking like I’m going bigger. Moving from RedSea 250 to 48” long and would love 24” deep. Also thinking a 60” cabinet for sump and all the stuff.

Do you not hook up lights when the corals and fish are in temporary housing?
What do you suggest about sand ?
If you are just talking about a day or 2, I wouldn't worry too much about lighting. Ambient room lighting will be plenty. Be just like a couple cloudy days out on the reef. If you were concerned, maybe a room floor lamp?
Always new sand.
Rinse it until you are sure it's cleaned, then rinse it again.
Add it first to the new tank, and very slowly and carefully add water and rock. Not going to be able to do much about the sandstorm that will occur. But just do everything in your power to minimize it.
 
If you are just talking about a day or 2, I wouldn't worry too much about lighting. Ambient room lighting will be plenty. Be just like a couple cloudy days out on the reef. If you were concerned, maybe a room floor lamp?
Always new sand.
Rinse it until you are sure it's cleaned, then rinse it again.
Add it first to the new tank, and very slowly and carefully add water and rock. Not going to be able to do much about the sandstorm that will occur. But just do everything in your power to minimize it.
Should my current rock that is in my aquarium be sufficient so it doesn’t have a partial cycle with new sand. I may add some bio media, balls or plates in my sump until the big move. Can’t hurt
 
Should my current rock that is in my aquarium be sufficient so it doesn’t have a partial cycle with new sand. I may add some bio media, balls or plates in my sump until the big move. Can’t hurt
New dry sand will not cause a cycle.
 
Do you not hook up lights when the corals and fish are in temporary housing?
How temporary is this going to be? If its just a few days its probably fine. If its going to be for a week or two, or more, you'll want lights.
 
Do you not hook up lights when the corals and fish are in temporary housing?
How temporary is this going to be? If its just a few days its probably fine. If its going to be for a week or two, or more, you'll want lights.
 
How temporary is this going to be? If its just a few days its probably fine. If its going to be for a week or two, or more, you'll want lights.
Hopefully just a couple of days.
 
If you have the floor space to work, you can get all of the plumbing done while the other tank is up and running, then remove the livestock and drain it to move. It may save you a couple of days and will give you all the time you need in the event something unexpected comes up.

I do not recommend doing plumbing work while rushed or on a holiday weekend - that is exactly when you will need a piece and one isn't available.
 
I’m hoping to to dedicate a week from start to finish. Going over what is involved is overwhelming. Since I’m placing the tanks in the same place makes it much more challenging..
 
I’m hoping to to dedicate a week from start to finish. Going over what is involved is overwhelming. Since I’m placing the tanks in the same place makes it much more challenging..
Anymore than a couple 2-3 days and I would find/borrow a temporary light for the holding tank.
Make a list of all the steps/chores in the order they need to be done.
 
I’d suggest starting by working out a temporary livestock holding tank, such as a plastic stock tank! — such a thing can even be drilled to drain into your existing sump!

It’s been my experience that no 50+ gallon tank upgrade happens end to end in one day… at least not when things are being done even remotely correctly! Usually, it seems to take a week or two to really get the new tank set up and stable after all the rearranging! (For example, one defective part? Too bad. You’re stuck waiting for a new one to ship in many cases!)


Once you have your livestock and rock in a solid holding system, you can proceed to take your time breaking down the old system, and installing the new one! (getting the stand leveled out, getting the tank and sump installed, Plumbing everything, wiring, leak checking, etc…)

— the old Red Sea tank may be easiest to get out without help if you simply cut it apart to glass panes with a razor blade, moving the panes out one by one! Then, you can donate them to a glass cutter, or save them for future projects!



Regarding plumbing, there are numerous ways to go about it, but do know that you will need to cement some pipe into some fittings to get custom plumbing fitting and looking nice!

Here’s a recent discussion on the subject to hit some points I’ll likely miss here (post #155, #167, etc…):

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/box-of-crayons.1114489/page-8


— I recommend using bulkheads which have threads on the nut side of their body, this allows you to actually disassemble the plumbing down the road to replace the rubber water seal “gasket” on your bulkheads without cutting any plumbing! (If you cement a pipe/fitting into a bulkhead, you have to cut said fitting off to remove the bulkhead from the hole in the tank glass!)

— design your drains first, they perform best with minimum amounts of pipe parallel to the ground, and should never gain elevation during each pipe’s path… the return plumbing can go in after the drains; it’s pressurized, thus less important to make a straight shot with!

— you will likely want more elbow fittings on hand than you think you need (both 45* and 90* elbows), just so you can get a bit creative with where pipes end up going! Also, unions are your friend! Anywhere where you’d have to cut the plumbing to take it apart, a union creates a quick-disconnect! (Unions are also great against bulkhead fittings, allowing you to decouple plumbing from tank, and helping to keep the bulkheads from loosening/starting to leak if the plumbing gets yanked on!)

— you will not be able to easily bottom-out a pipe all the way to the shoulder inside a “slip” (aka “socket”) style fitting unless cement is used, or the fitting is physically oversized, thus defective….

Because you cannot reasonably get the pipes and fittings all pressed fully together prior to final cementing, I find that using slightly undersized pipe lengths works well to mock things up, getting the pipe going exactly where you want with pipes just friction fit into fittings…

This allows you to measure the length of each pipe, from fitting lip to fitting lip. That is the target amount of final pipe between two fittings… you simply measure/add each fitting’s socket depth (measured from socket lip to socket shoulder) to the total pipe length… this is your final cemented target pipe length!

— I tend to go one cemented joint at a time, working my way along a pipe run getting each joint together while periodically test fitting to make sure I haven’t made an errors anywhere… I don’t recommend trying to do multiple cemented joints simultaneously unless you absolutely have to, as this is a good way to make a mess and need to redo a pipe!


I’m definitely forgetting several things here, but that should be enough to help you start wrapping your head around the concepts!

— Don’t be afraid to ask if you have any general, or specific questions, either!
This, especially temporary housing so you don't have to rush things. Being rushed is just going to increase stress and anxiety. I won't give plumbing advice because I'm a hack and my work while functional is usually interesting to look at as long as someone isn't OCD, they might have an anxiety attack lol.
Not sure if it's been mentioned but I would fill the system with fresh water and run it for a while to check everything out. That way you can leak test everything and get the return flow tuned so the overflow is as quiet as possible.
I just moved out of my failing reefer 300 my second and last RS tank.
 
With all the online how-to's its far less daunting than a person might think.
The finished product ideally has as few turns as possible and while hard plumbing is what was likely included with your Red Sea kit, you also have the option of using flexible hose for the longer runs (example: the run from your return pump to the return outlet to your display.
With either process be it hard or soft plumbing allow cure time before putting into service.
 

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