Hard Plumb or Soft Plumb? That is the question

[hypermikie]

I'm getting ready to plumb my 70g system and I am debating which way to go.

I have one internal overflow, with the return pushing back out to a 1/2" Sea Swirl.

In addition, it is drilled for a closed loop with one intake and two outputs.

Should I hard plumb with PVC or Soft Plumb with high quality flex tubing?

Pros and Cons?

[Fast Eddie H]

I like the soft just because you can still move things around. If you need to move your pump, you don't have to take apart any connections. Tha's just my humble opinion though.

[benray4fun]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9374686#post9374686 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fast Eddie H
I like the soft just because you can still move things around. If you need to move your pump, you don't have to take apart any connections. Tha's just my humble opinion though.

agree with this smart man...

Think about moving or having to disassemble...soft plumb- just take apart and reuse when you set-up

Hard plumb- hacking possibly for hours, making a mess and having to buy all the stuff again if your gonna set-up elsewhere.

Once I had to hack it off when I hard plumbed, I learned real quick.
Don't hard plumb unless you don't have to hack it off to disassemble, just my agreement with super Fast Eddie...:D

[Travis L. Stevens]

I prefer Hard Plumb without glue. This makes it quick and easy to take apart, reusable, stays in place, and less likely to kink or have problems if you accidently bump it.

[illal]

i currently have mine setup with soft plumming...easier took about 2 minutes to setup :p and i can rearrange my return if needed

[hypermikie]

So why do so many people Hard Plumb? What benefit does it give?

My first thoughts were soft plumb, flexible, no glue, easy to re-arrange, easy to fit and adjust lengths. I have always used soft plumbing in the past.

But I see so many build threads with the builders usign hard plumbing and wonder as to why?

[michaeldaly]

I had soft plumping, but upgraded it to hard plumbing.

Soft clear tubing will look rather disgusting after a few months, as light causes things to grow inside it, all together I think the hard plumbing looks neater and more professional.

[stereomandan]

The hard plumbing supports my closed loop better. I used soft plumbing for my sump return and overflow to my sump.

Dan

[useskaforevil]

i use black opaque soft plumbing, since i dotn have an insane amoutn of flow im not worried, and its near impossiblw for stuff to grow inside it, or at least it takes longer

[Fast Eddie H]

I agree that most of the time, it is done mainly for aesthetic reasons. Hard plumbing tends to look a bit more professional than the soft, but I still like the freedom of movement afforded by the flexible hoses.

[Frick-n-Frags]

soft plumbing for sure. also all the bends flow easier vs sharp corners. I do not want a 3-day ordeal when swapping out a sump tub or adding/removing a tank. To isolate a tank to feed or thoroughly clean, I merely move the return over to the overflow box and BAM, tank cut off in 2 seconds.

also my large corrugated sump hose drains are very quiet.

[silverwolf72]

I used both, hard for areas I wanted the plumbing out of site; like at the top. and soft where I had more room and needed bends.