Tony.Bates Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 just making a shopping list for plubming supplies (need to get some so I can plan how big the holes in my tank should be) What are you folks using for bulkheads in your tanks? I'm thinking that the hansen SFTFT fitting might be the go? http://www.hansenproducts.co.nz/product ... /SFTFT.htm (This is for a 400-500l marine tank using 10mm glass) Chimera - I think this is what you are using correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 These are what I use, and from other tanks I have seen are pretty commonly used by others. There has been a bit of discussion on how to install them, I removed the rubber seal from mine and used a bead of silicon on the inside of each side, as the fitting is tightened up the silicon spreads out and makes a really solid seal. Others do the same but leave the rubber in and silicon all 4 contact surfaces. Either way is fine really. Because you are using these fittings I assume your going to use pressure plumbing, which is a good move. Be careful which taps you use, the best seem to be the black ones with blue handles, sorry I have no idea what the brand is but they aren't hansen. Other cheaper taps can jam, usually off, I have a white one with red handle that you commonly see in shops and it is a pain in the @#$. You can get all these bits from Mico, in Wlg atleast they are by far the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 i got these from miro really good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 So have you decided which overflow design to go with? There is a comprehensive discussion there. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 haha, yes, I have been reading the "passionate" discussions regarding Durso vs full syphon with avid interest At this stage I'll be going with an overflow box, with a single durso draining through a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Nice, I decided to go the way of the full siphon. Silence is pretty important to me. By the look of your design plans your going to use closed loops. How are they going to work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I've unashamadely stolen Chimera's tank design - an Oceans motion 4 way wave maker with 2 outflows into a single pipe into the OM, then one under coral return, and 3 returns in the top of the tank. I've planned a dry chamber in the main body of the tank to run the piping from the cabinet below to the hood level for the retuns. I didnt want the tank to be out from the wall to cater for the return piping, so this seemed like a good solution. Hope that makes sense, if not I'll pull some more plans out of CAD and see if pictures do a better job of explaining!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I would also like to have the tank against the wall, but I would to it by having the pipes go through the bottom of the glass, asked about in other thread. That makes sense so that bottom pipe is a spray bar rather than an intake. What pump are you planing on using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I dont know about pumps yet - I have done a little research, but have to sit down and figure out how many bends, and how many feet, and do all the sums to figure out how many weeks pay my return and closed loop pumps are going to cost me!!! I'm not very good with math so keep an eye out for the "idiot trying to figure out his flow rate" post in the near future!! hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Yeah, I am in the same boat, I've been scouting around for a bigish pump (enough for three closed loops) that is uber quiet. In the US they rate this pump called ReeFlo Dart. It's way to grunty for my setup, might still be overkill for your tank you should look into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Those taps slappers has are the ones. Again strongly suggest you use these and don't try and save a couple of $ here I use laguna UP7 and Ehiem pumps neither are completely quiet, but IMHO both are pretty good. Quiet pumps depend as much on how well you can mount them as much as anything. Pies has his closed loops timed to not be running during the hours in the evening he is sitting in the room with his tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 I'm not very good with math so keep an eye out for the "idiot trying to figure out his flow rate" post in the near future!! hehe This stuff is easy to figure out. You just don't bother and buy monster pumps, 500-1000lph here or there makes very little difference. The way I have done it is to say I want about 20 times turn over in the tank, tanks about 1000l, return pump (UP7) rated at 7000lph or something, say 6000lph allowing for headloss etc, so want another 14000lph out of loops, power heads etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 haha, I like the approach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 thoses taps weren't badly priced about 15$ each (trade) i think from memory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted April 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Another question - what size should I be using for these fittings? They seem to come in a number of different sizes - I found them in 20mm, but that seems a bit small? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 I used 32mm pressure plumbing, I think it was over kill but 20mm would have been far to small for me. I figured I could alway reduce plumbing to match the pump etc but can't increase the size if I found I needed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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