trying to plumb a tank...

[salty160]

so i just wana confirm...

If you drill lets say a 1inch hole how big should your bulkhead be?

and how big should the pvc be?

I have another ? should i attach tubing to my return pump and lead the tubing over the rim of the tank into the water.

Or lets say i have a return pump with an outlet of .5 an inch should i glue a pvc pipe of .5 an inch to it, and lead the pvc back into the tank via bulkhead?

hope i dont sound to dumb lol, just first time plumbing a tank from scratch

[reeftanknewbie]

I would suggest before doing anything do more research on here to see what people are doing. You need to establish how much flow your planning on moving through the tank first based on size etc... This will help you determine gallons per hour needed for proper flow. Do a search for your size tank and see what others are doing then come back with a list of questions if still unclear. Also you should give us more info about your setup so we know what advice we are providing is appropriate. Sorry to sound unhelpful but I learned for myself to do the research and form good questions gave me the best help from others.

[reeftanknewbie]

Read this for some help.
http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx

[Pearson]

If you drill lets say a 1inch hole how big should your bulkhead be?

You go by the size of the bulkhead. A 1" bulkhead, sch 40, needs a 1 3/4" (45 mm) holesaw. (diamond coated)

and how big should the pvc be?

If the bulkhead is 1", 1" pvc will fit. 3/4" bulkhead, 3/4" pvc.

I have another ? should i attach tubing to my return pump and lead the tubing over the rim of the tank into the water.

A lot of people do this. There isn't any issues but find a way to secure the plumbing.

Or lets say i have a return pump with an outlet of .5 an inch should i glue a pvc pipe of .5 an inch to it, and lead the pvc back into the tank via bulkhead?

You can but that can add up to a lot of holes in your tank. It's up to your comfort level on how many holes you are wanting in your tank.

hope i dont sound to dumb lol, just first time plumbing a tank from scratch[/QUOTE]

It's kinda intimidating but I enjoy it. I would suggest reading stickies and soaking up as much info from this site as possible. There are a lot of people how will help you.

I would suggest before doing anything do more research on here to see what people are doing. You need to establish how much flow your planning on moving through the tank first based on size etc... This will help you determine gallons per hour needed for proper flow. Do a search for your size tank and see what others are doing then come back with a list of questions if still unclear. Also you should give us more info about your setup so we know what advice we are providing is appropriate. Sorry to sound unhelpful but I learned for myself to do the research and form good questions gave me the best help from others.

True. :thumbsup:

[salty160]

thanks guys!

i wish i can tell you how much flow i want, but i dont have the tank on hand, i actually just had my house sold, and I wana upgrade to an reef with some sps/ and an anenome or 2. I plan on having something in the 100-125 gallon range.

[Twistofer]

First, decide on the size of your tank. IMHO, reefs require a sump, skimmer, etc. I believe reefs should have between 8 -12 times the DT volume/hr in flow. And that depends on your stocking level/bio-load. Some people would advise a sump that is between 25 and 35% the volume of your DT.

[reeftanknewbie]

First, decide on the size of your tank. IMHO, reefs require a sump, skimmer, etc. I believe reefs should have between 8 -12 times the DT volume/hr in flow. And that depends on your stocking level/bio-load. Some people would advise a sump that is between 25 and 35% the volume of your DT.

Agreed. And I found great success with doubling the size of my skimmer and lots o flow and light. Look at what guys like Sanjay and mike palleta are doing. Simple yet successful sps large reefs. I personally run the palleta method with and oversized skimmer miracle mud/refuge with macro algae. Very stable ore a longer period of time vs other more. Expensive methods of reef keeping ....just my option.

[Metal Man 1221]

i would suggest before doing anything do more research on here to see what people are doing. You need to establish how much flow your planning on moving through the tank first based on size etc... This will help you determine gallons per hour needed for proper flow. Do a search for your size tank and see what others are doing then come back with a list of questions if still unclear. Also you should give us more info about your setup so we know what advice we are providing is appropriate. Sorry to sound unhelpful but i learned for myself to do the research and form good questions gave me the best help from others.

+2