Input on 15 gal plumbing and Durso Stand Pipe

I am upgrading my 6 gal to a 15 with a 29 gallon sump/fuge. I will list my ideas, and then put the questions at the end. I am going to install one, one inch drain bulkhead and two or three 3/4 inch bulkheads. Have one left corner overflow with a external durso design stand pipe made with one inch pipe. One return split into two or three bulkheads will come back from the sump.

My questions

-Is a one inch bulkhead good for the drain, and should I go with 3/4 or 1/2 inch returns?

-What size pipe should I use for the stand Pipe? I saw on Durso's page he says to uses 1 1/4 for a 1 inch bulk head, but i dont know if it matters since it is the external type.

-Does the overflow box have to be any bigger than just big enough to take out the bulkhead if needed?

-Would a center box be better, or a triangle shaped one?

-Two or Three return bulkheads?

-any any input on experience with

locline or a DIY spray bar?

More questions to come once these are answered.

C. Jerome

is the drain bulkhead in a box, or just by itself?

I am going to build a box

Come on folks, can a few people just take a look and tell me what they think, I will be posting a plan in the main forum later today to see if i can get more response

C. Jerome

Originally posted by C Jerome

I am upgrading my 6 gal to a 15 with a 29 gallon sump/fuge.  I will list my ideas, and then put the questions at the end.  I am going to install one, one inch drain bulkhead and two or three 3/4 inch bulkheads.  Have one left corner overflow with a external durso design stand pipe made with one inch pipe.  One return split into two or three bulkheads will come back from the sump.  

 

My questions

 

-Is a one inch bulkhead good for the drain, and should I go with 3/4 or 1/2 inch returns?

 

-What size pipe should I use for the stand Pipe? I saw on Durso's page he says to uses 1 1/4 for a 1 inch bulk head, but i dont know if it matters since it is the external type.

 

-Does the overflow box have to be any bigger than just big enough to take out the bulkhead if needed?

 

-Would a center box be better, or a triangle shaped one?

 

-Two or Three return bulkheads?

    -any any input on experience with

     locline or a DIY spray bar?

 

More questions to come once these are answered.  

 

C. Jerome

1: Go with the 1" drain and 1/2" returns(2)

2: Use a 11/4" stand pipe on the 1" bulkhead

3: the "box" only has to be big enough for the pipe only

I use a 11/4" pipe in the center/back of my 40gal with a overflow box (If you can get some 6"or 8" pvc pipe cut in half) even better

then I have a SCWD on the two returns going to the top back of each corner

Works awesome and you have alternating current!

Hope this helped

Thanks for the input littleoceans, and if you get a chance check out my plan

My Plan Post in the General Forum

Just to clarify, when you say go with the one inch drain you mean, a one inch bulkhead but with a 1 1/4 (is there such?) inlet and pipe going down to the sump. And for the return, do a 3/4 inch out of the sump to the pump and then split it to 1/2 inch. I would like to do the squid but I dont know if i can afford it at the moment.

One concern I have with the two top return lines is that ditritus will build up on the rocks and spicificly behind them. Any sugestions?

C. Jerome

1 question..why the external Durso ?

can you not drill the bottom ?

The show tank is a regualr AGA 15 gallon. I could drill the bottom, I am just trying to reduce the size of the overflow box and save tank space.

Jerome

o.k. I understand you trying to save real estate.

A friend and fellow reefer has an external Durso on his tank due to a tempered bottom.

Compare to my internal, his is way noisy, and he had a hard time balancing his flow.

His has a 1" street ell inside the skimmer box feeding a 1-1/4x1-1/4x1" tee. Also required him to have something like 12" clearance behind the tank...

Just a thought...

Dunno if this helps

It does help, because it is in my bed room and I want to be able to sleep, some water noise is okay, i alredy have it from another tank, but i would like the durso to be quiet.

Everyone thinks you need to make a durso out of PVC. This PVC takes up alot of space inside an aquarium...so then people come up with external versions that take up even more space....outside the aquarium...looking like plumbing for a toilet...and this is actually louder.

Believe me, I know. On reefcentral I suggested an alternative, but before I had a chance to even post my solutions I got blasted by a MarkS and told how incompitent I was upon just posting the idea. So it my solution got canned...suppose he didnt want to realize he was overinflating himself with his toilet plumbing he was advertising as his idea in two threads and multiple CG drawings. (just taking a guess that you may have seen these threads...referring to the "external durso" and all.)

Truth is you can keep the durso internal...and with very little space. I have used bent acrylic, cut up PVC pipe sections, and in this case...a 1.5" segment of 1" hose cut down the side and wedged inside the overflow box...then drilled a small hole to prevent syphons from happening. Hope it helps...

wetworx...

that looks like it has merit... can you go into a little more detail ?

maybe a quick drawing ?

wetworx - I'd also be very interested in seeing more detail on your ideas. I've been trying to come up with a minimal sized internal overflow and have not had much inspiration so far.

well, here goes. heres a typical overflow setup...taking up valued space in a nano.

heres my way...and the good news is since all the noisy areas are kept inside the tank, it's very quiet.

wetworks, that looks interesting and like it would work, I may have to try that. With the external durso, i saw that one you are talking about with all the weird bends in, i was not talking about that one but about just one with an external stand pipe, see my plan in the general forum and let me know what you think

My plan in the general forum

I see. You are still using the PVC elbow. No problem with that...but if you want your box to take up less space you do have the option of removing the PVC elbox and going with something smaller. Best of luck.

Wetworx,

Do you still have an external standpipe feeding out the back of the tank? I'm FINALLY getting serious (again) about building myself a tank and since I'm going 20L (ATM) I want to take all of my equipment out of the tank.

Is this method set up on your own tank? Could you post/pm/email some pics?

The external standpipe is dependant on the need for it... which is determined by the flow. I have found that if the flow is very high then the standpipe on the back is sorta necessary (the one in the box has too much turbulence around it to suck air in well). However, if the flow isnt as high, then the air tap built into the box is enough. That is why on my first diagram the outside standpipe is represented with a dotted line. Sorry, no working examples right now, as I am down to a 60cube and a 10gallon...neither that need this. I have used it in the past however...with fine results.