How Long Did It Take You To Design Your Plumbing Plans?

[dotcommer]

I am curious to see how much time was spent designing the plumbing specs for your reef tank.
What size your tank is?
Would you do things differently next time?
Did you draw it on paper, did you use a cad program?
Did you consult with a professional or Forums?
Hard or Soft plumbing, or combo?
Lastly, what would you suggest to others planning their design?

If you still have your plumbing designs, post them here.

[gordonheimer]

Subscribed. I am about to plumb a 120 and would love to see everyone's planning.

[Goss]

I learned from reading threads on this website and googling pictures of plumbing setups.

Here is mine almost done:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2310362

[eyesinthedrk]

Plan? I don't understand this word, plan.

[dotcommer]

Originally Posted by Goss

I learned from reading threads on this website and googling pictures of plumbing setups.

Here is mine almost done:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2310362

Build looks nice. Great job.

[crn005]

Originally Posted by eyesinthedrk

Plan? I don't understand this word, plan.

Haha literally. I planned everything else out thinking the plumbing should be straight forward. It wasn't. I even got it finally all worked out (bean animal style) and after cementing in my gate valve, unions, and all and then realized that my full syphon and secondary standpipes had their elbows cemented in up instead of down. Stupid mistake indeed. The tank will be gutted and re-plumbed come Monday.

[Mudbeaver]

I'm not good at plumbing at all, my last tank exploded when i was gone for several weeks and i have no explanation because when i came back the mess had already been cleaned up so i had no clues to look at. And the people here where just mad and not cooperative. 3 condos where flooded mine and two below mine. The mushroom took into the walls and the renovations when into $143 000 damages for the 3 condos. Insurances went ballistic, the neighbors went ballistic , we went to court, short story, it was a year in jail or 5 years without any animals or water tank of any kind in my flat. So i am very nervous doing a system half way blind and by myself. So i hired an engineer who does tanks systems and has this business on the side, and he knows my situation and he's on the record you see. I was a first offender with no money. The judge was very accommodating it was a suspended sentence but I wanted a clean record to be able to cross the border and get good stuff from the states, lol especially macro-algae, we don't have any in Canada.

So now its being done and its custom build the manufacturer sheet is full so I'm waiting for my tanks as of now.

[keithhays]

I am curious to see how much time was spent designing the plumbing specs for your reef tank.
What size your tank is?
Would you do things differently next time?
Did you draw it on paper, did you use a cad program?
Did you consult with a professional or Forums?
Hard or Soft plumbing, or combo?
Lastly, what would you suggest to others planning their design?

If you still have your plumbing designs, post them here.

I spent months on the actual design and I used all of the above, but in the end paper was the most useful.

I would recommend hard plumbing for a 300 gallon system with many true unions. Keep the design as simple as you can. Run the system with only fresh water for a while to get everything in place. This helps iron out the kinks in the system. On the gravity size of your plumbing make sure every aspect is redundant and its gravity only flow capacity is several times what your stated requirements are. If you calculate 1" pvc will work, go with at least 1.5". Remember when you actually start running plumping you will quite frequently find you made assumptions on space you didn't realize you made. Dry fit the whole thing first.

My system has two 6ftx2ft display tanks connected by gravity to a primary sump. That sump is connected to a secondary smaller sump which is for a skimmer and is powered by an Iwaki and then fed back to the primary sump by gravity.

Videos are here:
AQUAC EV-400 with Iwaki 55 RLT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=-oL34dssLmc

48x24 ReefCreations Sump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=cyYdwgez_NM

Display system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=mQrMIucKt88

I don't have it in video, but you will want to go ahead and plan a substantial autotop off system and a saltwater exchange system. This added two 55 gallon plastic drums, a 6 stage RODI, a mixing pump and 3 peristatlic pumps to the equation.

[Mr_N1ce]

Originally Posted by Mudbeaver

I'm not good at plumbing at all, my last tank exploded when i was gone for several weeks and i have no explanation because when i came back the mess had already been cleaned up so i had no clues to look at. And the people here where just mad and not cooperative. 3 condos where flooded mine and two below mine. The mushroom took into the walls and the renovations when into $143 000 damages for the 3 condos. Insurances went ballistic, the neighbors went ballistic , we went to court, short story, it was a year in jail or 5 years without any animals or water tank of any kind in my flat. So i am very nervous doing a system half way blind and by myself. So i hired an engineer who does tanks systems and has this business on the side, and he knows my situation and he's on the record you see. I was a first offender with no money. The judge was very accommodating it was a suspended sentence but I wanted a clean record to be able to cross the border and get good stuff from the states, lol especially macro-algae, we don't have any in Canada.

So now its being done and its custom build the manufacturer sheet is full so I'm waiting for my tanks as of now.

Wow, that's a terrifying story mate. I'm always so afraid, that I miss a dripping element that could mess up my whole floor.
Good luck with your new build

[dotcommer]

Originally Posted by Mudbeaver

I'm not good at plumbing at all, my last tank exploded when i was gone for several weeks and i have no explanation because when i came back the mess had already been cleaned up so i had no clues to look at. And the people here where just mad and not cooperative. 3 condos where flooded mine and two below mine. The mushroom took into the walls and the renovations when into $143 000 damages for the 3 condos. Insurances went ballistic, the neighbors went ballistic , we went to court, short story, it was a year in jail or 5 years without any animals or water tank of any kind in my flat. So i am very nervous doing a system half way blind and by myself. So i hired an engineer who does tanks systems and has this business on the side, and he knows my situation and he's on the record you see. I was a first offender with no money. The judge was very accommodating it was a suspended sentence but I wanted a clean record to be able to cross the border and get good stuff from the states, lol especially macro-algae, we don't have any in Canada.

So now its being done and its custom build the manufacturer sheet is full so I'm waiting for my tanks as of now.

Wow, now that is a story. I am glad to hear you are back on track and that everything worked out. Thank God for Insurance.

[dotcommer]

Originally Posted by keithhays

I spent months on the actual design and I used all of the above, but in the end paper was the most useful.

I would recommend hard plumbing for a 300 gallon system with many true unions. Keep the design as simple as you can. Run the system with only fresh water for a while to get everything in place. This helps iron out the kinks in the system. On the gravity size of your plumbing make sure every aspect is redundant and its gravity only flow capacity is several times what your stated requirements are. If you calculate 1" pvc will work, go with at least 1.5". Remember when you actually start running plumping you will quite frequently find you made assumptions on space you didn't realize you made. Dry fit the whole thing first.

My system has two 6ftx2ft display tanks connected by gravity to a primary sump. That sump is connected to a secondary smaller sump which is for a skimmer and is powered by an Iwaki and then fed back to the primary sump by gravity.

Videos are here:
AQUAC EV-400 with Iwaki 55 RLT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=-oL34dssLmc

48x24 ReefCreations Sump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=cyYdwgez_NM

Display system
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=mQrMIucKt88

I don't have it in video, but you will want to go ahead and plan a substantial autotop off system and a saltwater exchange system. This added two 55 gallon plastic drums, a 6 stage RODI, a mixing pump and 3 peristatlic pumps to the equation.

Nicely done, there is a lot of time that went into that system.

[matt_97055]

I just stood back and threw some pipe at it along with some flex pipe and said that will work. lol I then had to re plumb it. hehe

[Mudbeaver]

Originally Posted by Mr_N1ce

Wow, that's a terrifying story mate. I'm always so afraid, that I miss a dripping element that could mess up my whole floor.
Good luck with your new build

Originally Posted by dotcommer

Wow, now that is a story. I am glad to hear you are back on track and that everything worked out. Thank God for Insurance.

Yes thanks, while I'm waiting I'm redoing the floor with terracotta tiles with a special salt resistant sealer and I'm having an air-exchanger put in for the winter, here in Canada their' s a lot of moisture and the humidity sticks to the windows in the winter and becomes inches thick so to prevent that a dehumidifier and air-exchanger are the norm here. In revenge we don't really need chillers lol.

[fltekdiver]

Spent a week talking to everyone on here, asking questions, watching plenty of you tube videos to plumb my 120DT with a 40 Gallon Breeder Sump

Here's a video of it, since then, I spray painted all the plumbing gloss white

System is 95% filled as of today for the first time


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IpBRVlqZQWM&feature=plcp

[biecacka]

On my 240 I'm setting up it will be simple. Spa flex from tank straight to sump and spa flex from pump back to tank. I admire the beautiful plumbing set-ups on here are amazing but I like simple for me


Corey

[Get Hooked]

Originally Posted by dotcommer

I am curious to see how much time was spent designing the plumbing specs for your reef tank.
What size your tank is?
Would you do things differently next time?
Did you draw it on paper, did you use a cad program?
Did you consult with a professional or Forums?
Hard or Soft plumbing, or combo?
Lastly, what would you suggest to others planning their design?

If you still have your plumbing designs, post them here.

I used True Union Ball Valves to control drain and return pump flow. Knowing what I know now, for my scenario, I would have used Gate Valves instead. Better fine tuning.

Also, I ran my reactors off of my main pump. I'm going to change it and run my reactors on their own pump. This will limit problems when the reactor media is changed - my issue is that I'm then having to fine tune the flow again (using ball valves, ugh!) to find the equilibrium between drain flow and return flow.

I used spa flex for return - very happy with it. I straight piped PVC in drain line - happy with it. I see no need for spa flex or tubing on a straight piped drain line.

Megaflow Overflow accessory kit - the durso is not that great and neither are the bulkheads that come with it. I bought better bulkheads. The durso, it can be good, but in my case required too much time to tune it perfectly and I ended up having to insert a 3/8ths non-flex tube into it to reduce air pockets in the durso.

I designed it all myself, and know nothing about plumbing, and I am quite pleased all that I learned and how well it actually came out.

Good luck!

[dotcommer]

Originally Posted by Get Hooked

Also, I ran my reactors off of my main pump. I'm going to change it and run my reactors on their own pump. This will limit problems when the reactor media is changed - my issue is that I'm then having to fine tune the flow again (using ball valves, ugh!) to find the equilibrium between drain flow and return flow.

Good luck!

Could you explain this further? Is it an internal pump or external pump, how it is plumbed etc..

[dotcommer]

I decided to go through and find pics of different plumbing designs and post them here, so we have a quick resource at RC to quickly view different plumbing designs

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]

[dotcommer]