Show me some DIY sump plumbing

[Katrina71]

Looking to plumb the Miracle Tank. 93 gallon cube tank with a center overflow. Mind sharing some pics? We are trying to decide on equipment, schedule, and color.

 

[shamrock]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-index.55815/
check out the plumbing section under this sticky. lots of videos on youtube that might give you some ideas. i'm in the same boat and those are some of the resources i've used.

good luck

 

[Katrina71]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-index.55815/
check out the plumbing section under this sticky. lots of videos on youtube that might give you some ideas. i'm in the same boat and those are some of the resources i've used.

good luck

Thank you.

 

[Katrina71]

My son and I will be plumbing this together with guidance. We've both worked with PVC, just on standard stuff like sinks and water lines though.

 

[Katrina71]

This tank is so beautiful, we want the plumbing to be as well.

 

[caas1496]

I highly recommend having some of the flex PVC on hand in case you end up with pieces that dont quite line up. The plumbing here is for a bean animal drain and dual returns from a single return pump

 

[Fishko]

You dont have to buy the colored stuff you can just use krylon fusion spray paint and they will be reef safe once cured. (Im only sure for kyrlon fusion). I went the extra route and even build my own sump to fit such a small space because i wanted everything to be silent. Honestly a small trickle from a hob real got to me. So i used a herbie overflow dead silent with my sicce return.

[ATTACH

 

[Fishko]

Also include soft tubing connecting your return to the hard plumbing to improve with sound.

 

[Silent]

Going green!

 

[WVNed]

Color is your choice, it all works the same. I use white because it is the cheapest and commonly available at a store nearby when I want to do something on a Sunday.
All the drains in my house are schedule 40. I am sure it is good enough for my fish tank.
Keep the piping as short as possible and avoid horizontal sections.
Keep the piping as straight as possible.
Never have a section where the water goes up and then down. It will trap air.
Flex PVC is nice but it is also like wrestling a python. It has to be subdued firmly. Heat helps relax it and form it.

How well it works silently without issue is what is beautiful to me. Not the colors, symmetry and parallel runs.
I have many feet of pipe with water flowing in it. It has to work well.
The 240 is done with flex PVC mostly

The 75 is done with regular PVC with a short flex section to get an incline on a long run.
You can buy short repair sections of flex PVC with ends already on them at Home depot.

 

[rioreef]

I highly recommend having some of the flex PVC on hand in case you end up with pieces that dont quite line up. The plumbing here is for a bean animal drain and dual returns from a single return pump

Who made your sump?

 

[caas1496]

Who made your sump?

I designed and built the sump in a standard 20G long tank. Took me a while but was a fun DIY project!

More details here if you are interested:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/custom-20g-long-sump-design-feedback-wanted.601665/I need to update this thread...

 

[Bigtrout]

Just put a 40 breeder sump under my 75 gallon freshwater planted. I made a herbie with a hob eshoppes pf-1200 heres some plumbing pics.

I used the thinwall pvc. Class 200 which has a bigger inner diameter. Still rated to 200psi. The best return pumps cant make even a quarter of that so thinwall works.

Just measured and prebuilt everything...hanging there to dry a bit

Sump installed and piping fasten to back of stand.

Standpipes in the overflow box

Finished plumbing ready for water.

 

[Yates273]

Here’s a few

 

[shamrock]

My son and I will be plumbing this together with guidance. We've both worked with PVC, just on standard stuff like sinks and water lines though.

loving the family effort on that! :D

 

[shamrock]

@OP

i was scavenging gumtree/craigslist and found some free tanks or some really cheap tanks which i'm going to experiment on. get some experience with drilling and cutting glass and using silicon for the first time. needless to say i'm not handy at all, but it's an experience none the less. ;Nailbiting

 

[Katrina71]

My son decided. Red pvc pipe. So red, black, and grey. Now to decide what should be grey and what to be black. We also decided to plumb with a manifold from the start.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Just finished my first attempt at aquarium plumbing..... A 120 with a 40b sump and a beananimal exotic marine overflow.

I ran out of red at the end. :confused:

Use unions where ever you can! Also, get some solid mounting clamps to hold the pvc in place and take some strain off of the bulkheads/glass.

 

[samnaz]

Here’s mine... (not quite finished yet, still have to glue and paint the return).

 

[siggy]

Red you say? I just happen to be tripping over some yesterday ;)
I liked the manifold idea, If you can find a molded one. I built a three outlet manifold and the tees eat up space, then I only ever used one. Also, you have to position the tees up or down or the ball or needle valve with a barb will end up over the middle of your sump and interfere with the skimmer or reactor. I ended up plugging 2 off.