Anyone got a 42-45mm Diamond Drill bit?

[Feelers]

Damn I thought I'd found a 50mm one with a 35mm one for $30, but they chrome plated it for some reason - so its for "ornamental uses only"

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... d=51339466

Weird.

[Ira]

Durso wall thickness is unimportant. I have used glass on my first tank and it was 4mm. I use perspex now, and I use 5mm because it was what they had, would happly have gone down to 3. My 2nd tank used 10mm perspex and its too think, so i'd reccomend 5ish, easy to work with.

Pie

Yeah, there's no pressure on the overflow except around the top where the water level difference is. Well, no pressure other than from being hit by any currents in the tank. You could probably do it with some plastic film as long as you had the top few inches held tightly in place.

[Feelers]

I just went and bought the hason fitting, and basicially everything needed for the overflow side of things - $80 without a ball valve.

Bloody expensive, its not even pressure pipe and that includes a discount too!

The durso is 40mm, and so is the hanson bulkhead fitting - the guy on www.dursostandpipes.com says that you need a wider durso than the bulkhead- mine are the same, is this going to be ok?

I did know about this, but I'm thinking (and hoping) that the pipe is so wide that it wont be a problem. Otherwise It'd go from a 40mm bulkhead to a 50mm durso - which is humongous, and seems ridiculously large to fit in the tank.

I also got a screw top valve for it(not an end cap), to hopefully make adjusting the air flow easy.

[suphew]

No you need to go bigger with the durso for it to work. Mine looked huge too, didn't think it would ever fit in the tank, but you will need it if you ever run that pump in anger.

Welcome to the joys of plumbing, ask Chimera how much he has spent on plumbing :lol:

[Feelers]

Did you try the same size? I just really cant be bothered busing all the way back there :cry: .

50mm is huge - what are the measurements of the durso "corner" in your tank? Is it guaranteed not to work the way it is now?

Good thing about Mico at least is I can take it back.

[PETEYPLECO]

I work for an abrasives importer in Auckland who brings in Diamond Core drills siutable for this job - we dont sell direct to the public but if you go to one of our distibuors they will get one in from us. Let me know where you are located?

[Feelers]

Thanks man, but no longer on the search, - someone has kindly offered for me to borrow their one.

Which is good - I need all the money I can muster to spend on blasted plumbing. :lol:

[suphew]

from the durso site. looks like you MIGHT be ok running the same size because of the tank size, but I could see any point risking it and have to buy a whole bunch more plumbing

"If you have a 1 inch bulkhead the standpipe needs to be larger than the bulkhead to work correctly. I get a lot of e-mail questions on why this is. Honestly, I'm not sure. Typically if you use 1 inch PVC pipe on a 1 inch bulkhead you get poor results. (Some exceptions with smaller low flow tanks.) Take my word on it and use 1¼ inch PVC pipe. For very large tanks with large return pumps however, there does not seem to be any need to oversize the standpipe for larger bulkheads such as 1.5 inch. Larger bulkheads can use PVC pipe & fittings that match the size of the bulkhead. (I consider tanks in the 350 gallon and up good candidates for 1.5 inch bulkheads). "

[Feelers]

Ok sweet, I did read through that but I didnt read this part correctly..

For very large tanks with large return pumps however, there does not seem to be any need to oversize the standpipe for larger bulkheads such as 1.5 inch. Larger bulkheads can use PVC pipe & fittings that match the size of the bulkhead. (I consider tanks in the 350 gallon and up good candidates for 1.5 inch bulkheads). "

So I think thats means im ok...... hurrah

I wont glue anything, I'll make sure its all sweet before I commit myself haha.

[chimera]

dont glue the entire fitting. screw the 90 degree elbow into the bulkhead fitting and assemble the actual durso U and top piece with glue, but just push fit the assembled durso into the 90 degree elbow. always nice if you need to remove it for maintenance or pull out your pliers

[suphew]

I would leave glueing the whole thing, for a while at least, Mine isn't glued and was so glad because I had put the 'T' upside down which screwed up the flow and had to much length above the 'T' which put the water level in the over flow too low. I was able to adjust it all because I hadn't glued it, otherwise I would have had to either live with it or replace all the bits.

I only risk you take by not glueing is if you have a power cut, you will dump the normal amount down into your sump but with the durso leaking you will slowly get more water, if you overflow box is sealed well it wont be a problem.

[chimera]

I would leave glueing the whole thing, for a while at least

true, leave for a while til you get it right. push fit is sufficient enough for now and if it leaks a little bit its obviously not gonna matter. typically it should just work, but if need to change u r screwed... and we all know how expensive plumbing is 8)

[Feelers]

I had a chat to Tm about my durso plans - and he suggested another option. In his tank he has 2 standpipes. The first one is lower down and the bulkhead is only 25mm, so it cant take all the flow (Up7's! ).

This means the excess water fills up till the top one. So you get one complete siphon, and one stand pipe that doesnt take much of a flow "load", which means it's quieter. (This will be in the overflow box)

Like so..........

Any thoughts on this? I have everything I need for the 40mm durso - but I can take it back - and get that large refund. :lol:

Also got a basic plan of the lighting plan for the tank. Two t5 4ft units, 2 blue blubs one white and one red. (apparantly these are available)

With these ballasts are you able to turn on only one of the bulbs? I'd want the red on at night/on a switch (it might be going in my room and I like sleep)

[chimera]

should work fine, so long as you have a ball valve on the shorter standpipe. i assume the taller one will be a normal looking durso that draws water upwards and has a hole on top

[Feelers]

Ball valve on the shorter standpipe?

[Pies]

And then when the power goes out the sump overflows every where.

And then when a snail/piece of nori/large fish gets stuck on either of the stand pipes the top tank over flows.

And then the top pipe, as diagramed is going to be so noisey you won't want to be in the same house.

Feelers - I'm going to give you some advice, since you havn't had a tank before. There are doezens on designs for getting water to the sump, dozens. Some work better than others. An overflow box with a stand pipe is the smartest and safest method. I've seen dozens on designs and i've yet to see one work better or have more benifits than an overflow box and stand pipe. The durso will silence the stand pipe. Its the perfect soultion. Don't take this the wrong way, but what your descibing above is just silly. The overflow box and standpipe works, its why 99% of people with sumps use it. Whatever reason you think we use them is wrong, we use them because it is the BEST soultion, which means anything else is not the best.

Have I got my point accross? I'll say no more on the subject.

Pie

[chimera]

And then when the power goes out the sump overflows every where.

how?

And then when a snail/piece of nori/large fish gets stuck on either of the stand pipes the top tank over flows

2 pipes gotta be better than 1

And then the top pipe, as diagramed is going to be so noisey you won't want to be in the same house

how?

An overflow box with a stand pipe is the smartest and safest method

thats what he has, but with dual standpipes

[chimera]

Ball valve on the shorter standpipe?

Yes, if the short pipe were too big it might take all the flow and the taller one does nothing (or if you decided to change your return pump) Because i always expect the unexpected i would put a ball valve on both. Say you notice a leak in the overflow box, at least that way you can also shut off the entire tank without losing all water (depending on where the leak were however) I currently have one on my ('single piped') overflow and will be doing the same on the tank upgrade. The way I look at it is i'd hate to lose $1,000's worth or corals and fish for the sake of a $30 ball valve.

[suphew]

You must have a ball valve on any plumbing coming from a hole in the tank, otherwise you will never be able to shut it off. What happens if your sump leaks, or plumbing etc??

I'm guessing you want the cheapest option? Why double the number of ball valves, holes, pressure pipe, etc, to save yourself a T and 90 bend? Doesn't make sense. Plus as Pies says 99% of sump setups use durso's do you really want to play with some uncommon idea on your first one?? I'm not saying it wont work fine, but I would be going with the numbers game.

[chimera]

im not picking up on where pies and suphew are coming here, as far as I can see you ARE using durso's (at least in your text you say you are, your picture shows differently - a durso has a U bend on top of it), the only difference here is you are using DUAL standpipes (although the lower one would not need to look like a durso, the taller one must) am I correct in assuming this is what you are wanting to do?

i cant see this being a problem, the lower durso taking the brunt of the flow and the top durso for additional silencing. i would add a strainer (a cap on top of the pipe with holes in it) to the lower standpipe. make sure the taller standpipe is an actual durso design, ie: the U bend with hole in the top. ball valves are a must.

[suphew]

Again what would be the point? A single durso will do the job, he's just doubling the cost for no reason.

The lower pipe can't be a durso because you need the air and level correct for it to work so it would have to be just a pipe. And the upper one would have to be a durso otherwise you will get all the noise problems or you have to restrict the flow so it doesn't suck air, then you run the risk of over flowing the tank.

[Feelers]

Ok sorry I wasnt clear on what my plans were.

Well, I have this plumbing currently sitting around. ---

1x 25mm hanson bulkhead, 25mm pipe, and 25mm durso peices.

(I know you are supposed to have the durso thinner than the bulkhead BUT there is a narrowing of less than 25mm in the peice that plugs into the bulkhead - dont know whether this is enough though.)

I also have 1x 40mm hanson bulkhead, and 40mm pipe with 40mm durso peices.

From speaking with Tm, he said his system is like the picture, although I think he said he had an elbow on the bottom pipe. He also said it's quiet.

The problem with the big durso is I will have to get a big hole - and therefore buy the drill bit. I dont think Tm has one big enough, although I could always dremmel it out.

The problem with the little durso is it may not work (according to the website).

The point of having the shorter tube - it cant take all the flow but it means the upper tube (with the air/water mix) takes less - meaning it's quieter.

With the plumbing I currently have I can hopefully have a good safe system(appart from the ball valves)

So here is my freshly formulated idea - 40mm durso, with a higher 25mm pipe for redundany. SOund good?

I gotta sort out a drill though if I go for this

[Pies]

I know you are supposed to have the durso thinner than the bulkhead BUT there is a narrowing of less than 25mm in the peice that plugs into the bulkhead - dont know whether this is enough though

The stand pipe needs to be larger, not smaller.

Pie

[Feelers]

I dont see how it could make a difference where the narrowing is - in this case its next to the bulkhead instead of in it.

This is the peice I am talking about

There is definately a thinning in this peice- looks like to 20mm to me.

Edit : just checked - this peice thins to exaclty 20mm - I used 20mm pipe for comparison and its the same.

This would then widen into the hanson fitting.

[suphew]

So here is my freshly formulated idea - 40mm durso, with a higher 25mm pipe for redundany. SOund good?

I gotta sort out a drill though if I go for this

Again way double the price for no gain??? You don't need redundancy because a durso works, that is why most people use them.

I dont see how it could make a difference where the narrowing is - in this case its next to the bulkhead instead of in it.

My understanding (but then the guy that invented it doesn't know why it works like it does) is that the standpipe has to be larger than the plumbing below it, not just a restriction at the bulkhead. But anyway why try and second guess it, you have a formula that works, unless your happy to waste $ trying out stuff that has been tried before just stick to the formula.