Diy AIO Pico tank help

[Chaozu]

I’m planning on building a custom AIO about 5-6 gallons and only 8” in height. It’s my first time ever building a tank and have no experience with the plumbing whatsoever. So I have a few questions for those who’s familiar with custom tanks. 

 

1. - Should I go with a 1/4 or a 1/2 loc line NPT connector? Also what is the 90 degree elbow called that should go on the other side of the wall for my pump line? 

 

2. - With either options, how big does my return hole need to be for a perfect fit? 

 

3. - Around how low from the top of the tank should I have the hole at? 

 

Thanks in advance for the help. 

[RedCrow]

I’d use a threaded bulkhead through the wall and then use plastic PEX fittings for everything else. Much more customizable and the parts are readily available at your local hardware store. 

[jservedio]

On 12/16/2019 at 12:30 AM, Chaozu said:

I’m planning on building a custom AIO about 5-6 gallons and only 8” in height. It’s my first time ever building a tank and have no experience with the plumbing whatsoever. So I have a few questions for those who’s familiar with custom tanks. 

 

1. - Should I go with a 1/4 or a 1/2 loc line NPT connector? Also what is the 90 degree elbow called that should go on the other side of the wall for my pump line? 

 

2. - With either options, how big does my return hole need to be for a perfect fit? 

 

3. - Around how low from the top of the tank should I have the hole at? 

 

Thanks in advance for the help. 

You want to use 1/2", not the 3/4" - the 3/4" is huge. You have a few options since it's an AIO and doesn't need to be 100% water-tight. The sleekest looking would be to toss a silicone O-Ring on the DT side of the NPT connector and use a plastic nut on the backside. From the NPT connector inside the back chamber, use a 1/2" threaded male 90 to hose barb and use flexible tubing to your return pump. If you want to, you can use a bulkhead instead.

 

For height, it doesn't really matter as long as it's above the water level in your return chamber. The closer to the surface, the less pressure is going to be put on your seal.

14 minutes ago, RedCrow said:

I’d use a threaded bulkhead through the wall and then use plastic PEX fittings for everything else. Much more customizable and the parts are readily available at your local hardware store. 

PEX is not a good choice for this - besides needing the expensive crimper you will never use again unless you are a plumber, how the hell are you going to get it inside the back chamber of an AIO? Use flexible Vinyl tubing and hose barb connectors like every AIO manufacturer and hobbyist does. Your return pump isn't coming with a PEX connector, but does come with a hose-barb connector...

[RedCrow]

30 minutes ago, jservedio said:PEX is not a good choice for this - besides needing the expensive crimper you will never use again unless you are a plumber, how the hell are you going to get it inside the back chamber of an AIO? Use flexible Vinyl tubing and hose barb connectors like every AIO manufacturer and hobbyist does. Your return pump isn't coming with a PEX connector, but does come with a hose-barb connector...

I’m not recommending PEX be used. I’m recommending PEX fittings. The fittings are barbed, and you can use vinyl or silicone tubing with the barbed fittings. 

[jservedio]

11 minutes ago, RedCrow said:

I’m not recommending PEX be used. I’m recommending PEX fittings. The fittings are barbed, and you can use vinyl or silicone tubing with the barbed fittings. 

Buy why PEX connectors over regular barbed fittings made specifically for the type of tubing being used? They are the same price (or cheaper), same availability at HD or Lowes, and the barbs are much larger and bite harder into flexible tubing. Am I missing out on some cool plumbing secret here?

[RedCrow]

Regular barbed fittings are PEX fittings. The fittings come in both brass and plastic. For obvious reasons you don’t want to use brass. 
 

edit: 

perhaps they were two different things at one point, but I’ve never seen a hardware store selling two different types barbed fittings. If they’re close enough in type, the stores likely discontinued selling a particular type. 

[jservedio]

3 minutes ago, RedCrow said:

Regular barbed fittings are PEX fittings. The fittings come in both brass and plastic. For obvious reasons you don’t want to use brass. 
 

edit: 

perhaps they were two different things at one point, but I’ve never seen a hardware store selling two different types barbed fittings. If they’re close enough in type, the stores likely discontinued selling a particular type. 

The "barbs" on PEX fittings are flat and short with the profile of the fitting being straight - they are designed to have PEX pipe crimped down on top of it. Hose Barb fittings are triangular in shape, tapered, there are (usually) more barbs. They come in different profiles for different types of usage - but it bites way better into Vinyl and Silicone tubing so it won't pull out easily. I've done tons of plumbing work with PEX in my house and have done plenty of flexible plumbing in my reef and never had trouble getting the correct fittings for either at Home Depot. They are definitely different.

 

Barb Fitting:

 

PEX Fitting:

 

 

[RedCrow]

Okay those are a lot different from each other than I remember them being. You sir are correct. That being said, OP can still make do with PEX if it’s more accessible 

[Chaozu]

On 12/19/2019 at 10:26 AM, jservedio said:

You want to use 1/2", not the 3/4" - the 3/4" is huge. You have a few options since it's an AIO and doesn't need to be 100% water-tight. The sleekest looking would be to toss a silicone O-Ring on the DT side of the NPT connector and use a plastic nut on the backside. From the NPT connector inside the back chamber, use a 1/2" threaded male 90 to hose barb and use flexible tubing to your return pump. If you want to, you can use a bulkhead instead.

 

For height, it doesn't really matter as long as it's above the water level in your return chamber. The closer to the surface, the less pressure is going to be put on your seal.

 

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed as I wanted to avoid a bulkhead. Since it’s a small tank would a 1/4” work better than the 1/2”?Or it doesn’t really matter. 

[MainelyReefer]

Using a 1/2” pvc coupling(slip/slip or slip/thread) in the wall would enable you to get a barb/slip 90 that you could easily slide in and out like on an IM tank to attach the pump and have it be easily removable/reusable.  Personally I would use the 1/2” slip/thread coupling and put the threaded side towards the display, get a 1/2” loc-line male adapter, a 1/2”x1/4”x1/4” y reducer and put two 1/4” RFG nozzles on it.  You could always try a smaller coupling in the wall too if 1/2” is too large to operate smoothly in a cramped AIO rear sump. Also please don’t use the pex fittings previously recommended as if the tube pushes off I will be catastrophic to your tank potentially.  

[jservedio]

On 12/19/2019 at 8:46 PM, RedCrow said:

Okay those are a lot different from each other than I remember them being. You sir are correct. That being said, OP can still make do with PEX if it’s more accessible 

I wasn't try to call you out or anything like that - I know you've made an AIO yourself like I did so for sure you know what you're doing. I was legitimately confused thinking I was missing out on something!

 

You are right they will absolutely do if you can't find barbed.

[jservedio]

13 hours ago, Chaozu said:

 

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed as I wanted to avoid a bulkhead. Since it’s a small tank would a 1/4” work better than the 1/2”?Or it doesn’t really matter. 

1/4" is tiny and fittings are much harder to find locally and you are going to be extremely limited with your return pump choices without adapter fittings. 1/2" will give you way more flexibility pump wise and flow wise. I personally wouldn't use it on a tank your size, but it works fine on my 2g.

[RedCrow]

9 hours ago, jservedio said:

I wasn't try to call you out or anything like that

I know you weren’t and I have no hard feelings. Knowledge is power in this hobby, and you taught me something new.