Return without Using Loc-line.

[randyadammartin]

I am doing the plumbing on my 300 gallon peninsula. Below is a depiction of all the holes that are already drilled on the aquarium. I am going to be using the 2.5" as the main drain line, and a 1.5" as a emergency drain line. This leaves me 2 x 1.5" on one end of the tank and 1 x 1.5". All of these holes are inside of an internal overflow box. The far end of the tank has a single 1.5" hole drilled through the bottom. Each side of the tank gets its own Ecotech L2 Pump.

Everyone and there mother seems to use loc-line and a bulkhead to terminate the return line, problem is it only goes up to 3/4. I don't want to choke down a 1.5" pipe to 3/4 and create head pressure unnecessarily.

What I'd like to see is how people are doing the returns without loc-line. I am a visual person so pictures would be great.

- Randy

I searched and I couldn't really find any good examples....

 

[danreef55]

I am doing the plumbing on my 300 gallon peninsula. Below is a depiction of all the holes that are already drilled on the aquarium. I am going to be using the 2.5" as the main drain line, and a 1.5" as a emergency drain line. This leaves me 2 x 1.5" on one end of the tank and 1 x 1.5". All of these holes are inside of an internal overflow box. The far end of the tank has a single 1.5" hole drilled through the bottom. Each side of the tank gets its own Ecotech L2 Pump.

Everyone and there mother seems to use loc-line and a bulkhead to terminate the return line, problem is it only goes up to 3/4. I don't want to choke down a 1.5" pipe to 3/4 and create head pressure unnecessarily.

What I'd like to see is how people are doing the returns without loc-line. I am a visual person so pictures would be great.

- Randy

I searched and I couldn't really find any good examples....

You can build you one easily.

 

[mfinn]

Everyone and there mother seems to use loc-line and a bulkhead to terminate the return line, problem is it only goes up to 3/4. I don't want to choke down a 1.5" pipe to 3/4 and create head pressure unnecessarily.

There is 1" loc line.

Jumbo 1in Modular Hose | Vivid Creative Aquatics

vividcreativeaquatics.com

 

[randyadammartin]

There is 1" loc line.

Jumbo 1in Modular Hose | Vivid Creative Aquatics

vividcreativeaquatics.com

Thank you for providing the link. Still gonna choke down a 1.5” pipe though mate

 

[randyadammartin]

You can build you one easily.

The video was handy, however I see this is for “hang over glass”. My return lines come up from the bottom of the tank, and then make a 90 degree out through an internal overflow. With this in mind do I need all those 90s? What’s their purpose in this application ? It seems like they would just add unnecessary head pressure.

Randy

 

[C_AWOL]

The 90s will create less head pressure than loclines considering the inner diameter of 1.5" pvc. You can just leave the return output open or add 2 90 street elbows or a 90 street + 45 to direct it as desired if you're not going to use powerheads as your primary source of flow.
I generally don't do much to my returns to maximize output flow for better water processing and just use other means to reduce dead spots (powerheads/closed loop)

 

[danreef55]

The 90s will create less head pressure than loclines considering the inner diameter of 1.5" pvc. You can just leave the return output open or add 2 90 street elbows or a 90 street + 45 to direct it as desired if you're not going to use powerheads as your primary source of flow.
I generally don't do much to my returns to maximize output flow for better water processing and just use other means to reduce dead spots (powerheads/closed loop)

You can also use threaded fitting that enable movement (by hand) so you can align in the direction you want and alter the position if you desire

 

[GSPClown94]

Would this work? Use a Y connector then on each of the outputs have a reducer and loc line.

 

[Sean Clark]

You could use some 1 inch CPR Aquatic eductors
cpraquatic.com/eductors

 

[danreef55]

Would this work? Use a Y connector then on each of the outputs have a reducer and loc line.

Yes it would work. The issue is do you want to have better flow or increased higher velocity.
1" for flow **edit and less back presure on the pump
3/4" for velocity

 

[randyadammartin]

You can also use threaded fitting that enable movement (by hand) so you can align in the direction you want and alter the position if you desire

How come some 90s face up and others face down? They are all returns right ? Wouldn’t you want them facing all down so they don’t shoot water out of the tank upwards ?

 

[danreef55]

The ones facing up are the drain lines.

 

[randyadammartin]

You could use some 1 inch CPR Aquatic eductors
cpraquatic.com/eductors

I like this. I didn’t even know something like this existed.

… being it looks like all accessories are a max of 1” and I have 2 x 1.5” on the internal shadow box wouldn’t really notice a huge difference choking them down to 1” ?

 

[randyadammartin]

Also the previous owner of this tank used “closed loop” I really don’t see how it matters if I take the water from the sump or take it directly from the tank . The fact is the far side of the tank has a 1.5” return line , its own pump, and a 5 way pvc splitter all 1.5” .

What’s the advantage to having it draw water directly from the tank vs the sump ?

 

[mboley]

Thank you for providing the link. Still gonna choke down a 1.5” pipe though mate

Not if you split it to two or three outlets. Put a ball valve on each for control.

 

[danreef55]

Also the previous owner of this tank used “closed loop” I really don’t see how it matters if I take the water from the sump or take it directly from the tank . The fact is the far side of the tank has a 1.5” return line , its own pump, and a 5 way pvc splitter all 1.5” .

What’s the advantage to having it draw water directly from the tank vs the sump ?

The intake of the closed loop sump is typically low in the tank. If the loop wasn't closed it would drain the tank contents to the level of the intake if the pump should fail. Closed loops are a good thing

 

[C_AWOL]

Also the previous owner of this tank used “closed loop” I really don’t see how it matters if I take the water from the sump or take it directly from the tank . The fact is the far side of the tank has a 1.5” return line , its own pump, and a 5 way pvc splitter all 1.5” .

What’s the advantage to having it draw water directly from the tank vs the sump ?

If it's drawing water from the sump then it's no longer a closed loop. If the pump ever fails then all the water will back drain through any of the holes that were being fed by that pump back into the sump. In the case of a regular overflow drain, usually best practice is for the sump to be able to handle that amount of back flow but if the feed hole for this former closed loop is lower in the tank then it can back flow a significantly larger amount that most peoples sumps cannot handle.

If the pump is connected to the tank itself then there's no open holes for the water to back flow.

This is an example of a closed loop. Water is drawn from the display directly and re-fed into the tank for the purposes of improving circulation alone in the system. As long as no plumbing leaks there is no where for the water to go gravity or otherwise in the event of pump failure.