My hoses on the supply and return were nasty and caked with poo. Since I am replacing them would it be better to hard pipe them or go back with the hose type that it was ran out of before? Would it matter either way? Also on my 180 tank with 2 returns that are 1" PVC coming out of the bulk heads what size pump should I be running to get the water from my sump back into the tank. The supply lines are 3/4" and there are two of them.
Couple of questions on the rebuild
- Thread starter youtoo54
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
It's personal preference. I prefer using PVC because it's cheap, and I tend to make a lot of mistakes! :lol: I also find PVC easier to use. Some people find the vinyl tubing easier to work with, though. The vinyl tubing is more expensive, so if you are a poor planner like me, you may end up buying it over and over until you get it right! :D
navyguyame
Reefing newb
I started with vinyl tubing but like bifferwine i make lots of mistakes and now have my plumbing done with pvc. I think i paid maybe 20 bucks total.
parrotchute
DUSTOFF MEDEVAC
PVC can't collapse under negative pressure, either.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You need to factor in the amount of water your overflows can move (approximately 1200 gallons per hour) and get a pump that is rated higher than that, to account for head loss. Then you will put a ball valve after the return pump to dial it down, if need be. I like the Eheim and Mag Drive pumps. If you go to an online store (like Marine Depot), it will show you the gph after head loss is taken into account for each pump. You will need to estimate the distance that the water needs to travel from the pump to your tank when buying it.
