Reefs.org Forums

[desertfish]

Hello, need opinion on my plans of plumbing new 80gal tank. I'm going to have my glass tank drilled for two 1 inch bulkheads in the corners just below the water line. Then have two 1/2 bulkheads drilled 1 foot from each side inward on the back for returns that will be fitted with 1/2 MPT ball joint connectors. Then connected to that will be 1/2 ball joint "Y" fittings, then finally 4 1/2 round nozzles. That way the returns will be shooting in four differant directions. I hope that way I will be able to cut back on the powerheads in the tank for circulation. Is going to be too many holes on the back of the glass?
Thanks for any replies,
David

[2poor2reef]

Hi David. Not getting any replies so I'll post my thoughts. Don't know how many holes it takes to weaken glass but if you decide it is a problem you could use one sea swirl in place of the two drilled returns. If you aren't familiar with them they are motorized returns which swivel slowly 90 degress or so and mount on top of a pane using a bracket. You can get y's and such for the outlets. Just a thought.

[desertfish]

2poor2reef, thanks for the reply. But like your name implies I can't afford those sea swirl's. Like to get any other opinions before I take the tank to the glass shop tommorrow.
Thanks,
David

[percula]

For the price of the holes and bukheads for the returns and lockline (plastic is expensive), you could probably afford a seaswirl, but any ways... sounds ok, Id do it a lil different, but it would cost alot more... sounds good to me, have fun!

[lawndoctor]

I did almost the exact same thing on my 37 gallon All Glass tank (30" long x 12" wide x 22" high, with tempered bottom which cannot be drilled). I drilled for two 1" bulkheads near the center of the back wall of the tank about 3" below the tank top, then drilled and installed an overflow box from an overflow kit (the kind of kit with the "U" tube) inside the tank on the back wall over the holes. These drain to the sump at about 400 gallons per hour. Then, I drilled for two 3/4" bulkheads, one at each end of the back wall of the tank, for the returns. I used modular piping for the returns, so that each 3/4" bulkhead connects to modular piping which runs the full 12" across both sides of the tank. I put a 1/2" modular piping outlet nozzle on each of the four conrers of the tank. I paid a glass shop about $50 to drill the four holes (but it was at my own risk). The overflow box was $50. The four bulkheads were about $40. Works great. Never had any problems in almost two years. I prefer using the overflow boxes this way rather than the usual overflow boxes supplied by the tank manufacturers (which run from top to bottom in the tank) because (a) they take much less room in the tank and (b) I don't like the idea of having the overflow take in water at the level of the sand bed, which most do now. I like the modular piping for the returns because (a) their direction(s) can be changed easily and (b) no powerheads are necessary. I am upgrading to a 55 gallon this summer and will probably be using Sea Swirls to get more erratic movement. But if you don't want to use Sea Swirls, I think doing it the way you've/I've described is a great way to go. Good luck.