Plumbing return lines

[somekindabonita]

Does anyone have return lines plumbed over the edge of their tank rather than drilled?

We have a 180 gallon drilled for an overflow box (setting up a bean animal), but there's no return plumbing holes drilled. The prior owner said they ran their returns just over the edge - curious to see examples of how people do it!

We'll be hard piping at least this upper portion of the return to limit any possibility of it getting knocked out of the tank. I am building a canopy, so can hide most any ugly plumbing needed inside.

 

[Montiman]

I have always used 1 of these to go over the back.

CPR Aquatic U Tube Return

U Tube Return 1'

www.marineandreef.com

 

[RocketEngineer]

I built my own. I had two outlets over the tank rim so it sits flat. HTH

 

[Even Further]

Mine is a piece of of PVC I heated and bent in a U shape. No nozzles or lock line, just pipe end that terminates at the water line.

 

[somekindabonita]

Mine is a piece of of PVC I heated and bent in a U shape. No nozzles or lock line, just pipe end that terminates at the water line.

Very clean looking! Do you hear much water flow with it being right at the edge of the water? I imagine you don't get much siphoning into your sump when your return pump is down!

 

[HockeyRooster]

I do. Works fine even if it isnt as pretty as a drilled return.

 

[Even Further]

Very clean looking! Do you hear much water flow with it being right at the edge of the water? I imagine you don't get much siphoning into your sump when your return pump is down!

The end is at least 1/4" below the water line. No noise at all. Yeah drain back into the sump isn't bad at all.