plumbing question (1 Viewer)

[inigomontoya]

Quick question. I have a frag tank that I am plumbing into my main system. This one is a little different than my other as I am not using an overflow. There is a hole on the side of the tank (8 inches tall tank ) and I drilled another next to it. I am going to use these as the drains- one primary and the other as a backup. The drain will just run straight to my main tanks sump using spaflex.

Question- I already have bulkheads in place and was going to just use a 90 to drop to the spaflex. Would I get better flow if I make it more of a standpipe than just a 90 coming out of the tank? This is all external with no overflow similar to how most fish stores run their tanks in tandem. Just wasn't sure if adding a "T" and capping the top and putting a small hole for air rather than a 90 straight down would make a difference or be necessary?

The only difference would be the top portion and wasn't sure if that helped flow/noise or not. A lot of herbies/beananimals/dursos do have that top portion but I have seen stores that don't.

 

[steveb]

I don't think it would matter much one way or the other..

But you really want surface skimming if at all possible... Can you put a small overflow in?

 

[d2mini]

The way you were originally planning it is all I had on my old setup. Actually I only had one drain. The frag tank was somewhere around 20" cubed.
I had plenty enough flow, no overflow and surface skimming never seemed to be an issue. But I also wasn't trying to send a lot of flow through it. Never saw a reason to. The single 1" pipe was plenty. And noise wasn't an issue.
The T/cap may help with noise. This varies from setup to setup, too many variables.
The herbies don't have it because it's a siphon. No air in the pipe to make noise.
The bean animal has the cap with airline on the open channel, but for a different reason.
In the interest of keeping everyone happy in the house, I think I'd just go ahead and do the cap with airline. Might as well, right?
As long as air is entering the pipe somewhere, it shouldn't make a difference in flow either way.

 

[TexanReef]

Wouldn't the flow rate be affected more by the volume of water into the frag tank from the feed pump? Would think all the other considerations would ensure there is enough drainage to prevent an overflow and adjust the noise settings.


Scott

P.S. Yes, I should be working...shhh, don't tell.

 

[inigomontoya]

I don't think it would matter much one way or the other..

But you really want surface skimming if at all possible... Can you put a small overflow in?

I'm with Dennis- not as worried about the surface skimming, the return will be plumbed off my reef tank return so should be skimmed water and I will have a powerhead so should still get decent turnover. At most one or two fish for algae clean up duty.

The way you were originally planning it is all I had on my old setup. Actually I only had one drain. The frag tank was somewhere around 20" cubed.
I had plenty enough flow, no overflow and surface skimming never seemed to be an issue. But I also wasn't trying to send a lot of flow through it. Never saw a reason to. The single 1" pipe was plenty. And noise wasn't an issue.
The T/cap may help with noise. This varies from setup to setup, too many variables.
The herbies don't have it because it's a siphon. No air in the pipe to make noise.
The bean animal has the cap with airline on the open channel, but for a different reason.
In the interest of keeping everyone happy in the house, I think I'd just go ahead and do the cap with airline. Might as well, right?
As long as air is entering the pipe somewhere, it shouldn't make a difference in flow either way.

Yea and this might help me phrase my question differently since it wouldn't be a full siphon and air is coming in with the water, "what point does that upper portion (on a T versus a 90) serve? Does is just introduce a means to control the amount of air for noise?

Wouldn't the flow rate be affected more by the volume of water into the frag tank from the feed pump? Would think all the other considerations would ensure there is enough drainage to prevent an overflow and adjust the noise settings.

Scott

P.S. Yes, I should be working...shhh, don't tell.

Me too... I am not worried about the spilling issue especially with my return coming off a t with a ball valve so it will be adjustable, more just wondering if there is a real benefit to going the T route versus what I already had dry plumbed (obviously easy enough to change now-though not later).

 

[reeftopia]

I had 2 drains on the tank behind that tank. there was about 3/8 difference in height. my flow was totally handled by the first drain a couple of time the calupera would break loose and restrict flow in which case the second drain picked up the slack. Should you T I would increase the pvc by a size after the T. Another way to handle it would be to put an elbow on the inside with a pipe about a ft long and capped, with many smalled drilled holes enough that no way they all could get clogged

 

[steveb]

or use perf pipe FILTRATION PRODUCTS PIPE