Noob Plumbing Question

[Tanque Verde]

I have no experience with sumps, so please forgive this question:

 

is it possible to run a return through a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank? I understand that stockman standpipes are used to make outlets possible on the bottom, by preventing power-loss drainage. Is there a comparable system for returns? Are there other prohibitive or undesireable considerations?

Thanks.

[SPS20]

If you are going to return through the bottom glass, make sure you either use a very good check valve (don't skimp as it will drain your tank if it fails) or you plumb the return line from the bottom to near the surface to prevent the tank from emptying in the event of a power failure or pump failure.

 

FWIW, I don't trust check valves. All it takes is a grain of sand wedged in the valve and an hour-long power outage while you are at work, and your tank is toast.

[bdare]

You can plumb closed loop returns through the bottom.

[121a]

you will need an overflow box, well you don't but it makes it look better, and some pvc adaptors/pipe, then you need to raise it up to water level.

[bdare]

you will need an overflow box, well you don't but it makes it look better, and some pvc adaptors/pipe, then you need to raise it up to water level.

Se habla engles?

[Tanque Verde]

Thanks for these replies so far.

 

SPS20, your suggestion of running a pipe up toward the water level is essentially what I was getting at with my question about a return-version of a stockman. So long as I raise a pipe to prevent powerloss drainage, have I covered my bases?

 

bdare, the closed-loop is my other option.

 

Essentially, I want to run an "equipmentless" tank with outlet and inlet in the bottom. My first option would be a closed-loop with canister filter, hiding the bulkheads behind rocks (this in emulation of Ninjafish's and Jemram's cubes.) The biggest downside is that ATO gets tricky (both Ninjafish and Jemram ran dosing pumps that were either expensive and/or irregular to the aquarium hobby).

 

My second option would be a sump, plumbed with a stockman standpipe and a stockman-like return. The disadvantages--that I know of--would be the high-rise pipes, which I *might* be able to hide in or behind rocks, but those would have to be tall rocks and might skew my aquascape. There might be other disadvantages too . . . so I would welcome considerations on the feasibility of a return drilled through the bottom.

 

121a, you've lost me. I'd prefer not to do an overflow.

 

So my questions for all others who wish to chime in is, what is the feasibility of and what are the concerns for a return drilled through the bottom? If I raise a pipe up to near the top of the waterline to prevent powerloss drainage, have I covered my bases, or are there any other unusual concerns?

 

Again, many thanks.

[mmelnick]

My first concern would be to make sure that the bottom glass is not temepred. But really I would recomend an overflow stand or box as well. If you are going to do something, do it right the first time. You'll really wish you had later.

 

And I can't really even see my overflow stand unless I really look. I used ABS and painted the back of the tank black and it just blends in.

 

[121a]

121a, you've lost me. I'd prefer not to do an overflow.

 

i see you never mentioned what you were doing with a return. I would go with the sump option, gives you more water and more room to store tank essentials.

 

simply put yes you can drill a return on the bottom and use pvc to raise it up to the top of the water so in case of pump failure it won't drain the tank. Check valves are pretty unreliable. Or you can drill the back of it you won't really notice it.

[Matty1124]

if you just do pvc up to the top of the tank your going to get major slurping sounds from it, and i dont mean sounds you will get used to... im talking a constants toilet flushing... you want to do some type of stockman/durso drain to reduce that

[Matt Peacock]

Seeing as OP was discussing Fish's tank, it would be worthwhile to mention he's quite a big advocate of the Herbie method to silence a standpipe.

[Matty1124]

^ i dont even know what that means... but i do see that he was talking about a return... just make it go up super high in the tank