Plumbing question

[Fishy_mcfish]

What’s the best way to plumb two returns to run off of one pump? I just purchased this tank and previous owner had two separate pumps running. I’d rather just run one.

 

[Fish Styx]

Just T-off the return line from the single return pump and run the pipe accordingly.

Poorly drawn diagram*

 

[Tamberav]

Ya I just T mine. Two pumps add redundancy though is probably why he did it.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

Just T-off the return line from the single return pump and run the pipe accordingly.

Poorly drawn diagram*

Haha it’s better than mine I was trying to do! That’s why I just uploaded the original pic instead of my Mickey Mouse drawing where my return pump sits in my sump it will be under the return line on the left side of pic. So should I use a 45 on the return on the right side and have that pipe run at an angle closer to pump before the “T”

I also just considered doing vinyl tubing with a Y and getting hose barb fittings for the returns

 

[Fish Styx]

Haha it’s better than mine I was trying to do! That’s why I just uploaded the original pic instead of my Mickey Mouse drawing where my return pump sits in my sump it will be under the return line on the left side of pic. So should I use a 45 on the return on the right side and have that pipe run at an angle closer to pump before the “T”

I also just considered doing vinyl tubing with a Y and getting hose barb fittings for the returns

Tubing works just as well and you don't have to mess around with crazy bends in a hard piped scenario.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

Tubing works just as well and you don't have to mess around with crazy bends in a hard piped scenario.

True. I just hate the cost of the tubing

 

[Fish Styx]

True. I just hate the cost of the tubing

Agreed, but how much are you willing to pay for convenience?

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

You can look at my tank thread to get some ideas running same overflow and two returns. I did a single 1" to a 3/4 split.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

You can look at my tank thread to get some ideas running same overflow and two returns. I did a single 1" to a 3/4 split.

Nice! I’ll go check it out

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

You can look at my tank thread to get some ideas running same overflow and two returns. I did a single 1" to a 3/4 split.

Awesome looking tank! And nice macro shots! I suck at taking pics of my corals Were all those pics taken with that microscope you posted the link for?
And any chance you have pics of the plumbing on the backside once it was all together?

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Awesome looking tank! And nice macro shots! I suck at taking pics of my corals Were all those pics taken with that microscope you posted the link for?
And any chance you have pics of the plumbing on the backside once it was all together?

Sorry just the ones posted. But from the pump it went 4 inch silicone tube, T to manifold, check valve, ball valve, reducer to 3/4 Y then to each side. With a few unions. Unions are your best friend.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Awesome looking tank! And nice macro shots! I suck at taking pics of my corals Were all those pics taken with that microscope you posted the link for?
And any chance you have pics of the plumbing on the backside once it was all together?

Tried to get a couple pics during lunch. Hopefully this helps

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

I’ve been tinkering with the plumbing today and just having massive brain farts. I had a manifold setup from another tank but it was big and had extra stuff on it I wasn’t going to need so I hacked it up and came up with this for the new tank. Far right would be where the return pump connects, then T’d off to two valves for reactors possibly later on and then the next T will be going to a uv sterilizer and then a 90 out the back of the stand to connect with the return lines . What do you guys think? See any issue with this setup this way?

 

[BZOFIQ]

I strongly recommend you stay with 2 pumps for your returns.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

I strongly recommend you stay with 2 pumps for your returns.

Why do you recommend this over one big pump?

 

[BZOFIQ]

Why do you recommend this over one big pump?

Because pumps fail.

The rule of redundancy is one is none and two is one.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

I strongly recommend you stay with 2 pumps for your returns.

So could I use the bigger pump and run it through the manifold and to one return and then just get a slightly smaller pump to run just the one return

 

[BZOFIQ]

So could I use the bigger pump and run it through the manifold and to one return and then just get a slightly smaller pump to run just the one return

Yes, absolutely.