AAAAKKKK Plumbing!

[Picasso]

I don't now why my brain won't figure out plumbing a tank! I can write computer programs, play a musical instrument, Hook up computers and stereo components..... I've read the same darn chapter in "The Reef Aquarium, Science, Art, and Technology" by Delbeek and Sprung a thousand times and for some reason all I get is.... "The water, blah, blah, blah, blah......blah, good circulation." My LFS guy says to just use a HOB on my 55 gallon but now that I'm getting a real stand for my tank I want a refugium, sump (whatever that is) and a place to put my protein skimmer to GET RID OF MY AIR BUBBLES! Do I want to drill? Do I want one of those draining box things? YUCK!

Catherin

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

You can drill if you want. But you'd have to take everything outta your tank.

Get a HOB overflow box. It's easy and doesn't look too bad. It consists of 2 boxes, one inside your tank and one outside on the back, a U Tube siphons the water from the front box to the back box. Then you'll have a tube going from the overflow into your sump. TA DA!

 

[Picasso]

You can drill if you want. But you'd have to take everything outta your tank.

Get a HOB overflow box. It's easy and doesn't look too bad. It consists of 2 boxes, one inside your tank and one outside on the back, a U Tube siphons the water from the front box to the back box. Then you'll have a tube going from the overflow into your sump. TA DA!

This is for my new tank, nothing in it yet! I heard those U tube things can flood your house

C

 

[yote]

I ran an overflow box with the U-tube siphon and never once had any problems with it.It never lost siphon unless I pulled the tube out to clean it.

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

I think that any overflow device could flood your house.

I drilled a 1/8 hole in my return nozzle so that whenever, if ever, I loose power it won't drain any water from my DT into the sump. It'll suck air instead of water, thus preventing an overflow of water.

I dersperately need to clean my U tube :shock:

 

[andysgirl8800]

Plumbing is the part of my tank set up that took me the most amount of planning. Can't tell you how many hours I spent going up and down the plumbing isle at Home Depot dry fitting too many PVC pieces to count. My tank was already drilled, so I went with a Durso standpipe design. That took care of removing the water from the tank. What was a lot harder was figuring out how to put the water back IN the tank. I took a lot of pictures of my setup, including my custom sump/refugium. Would be happy to share if it would help you.

 

[Rcpilot]

Catherine,
Take a look at my 29g frag tank build in the Tank Showcase forum.

https://www.livingreefs.com/rcpilot-29g-frag-tank-t21142p10.html

The real work starts on the bottom of page 10. I didn't want the J-tube thing so I elected to drill it myself with a $9 hole saw from Hong Kong. I can post a link to a video of me drilling my tank if it would help.

 

[dcantucson]

Hang in there. You'll get it!