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SinCityReefer
02/11/2016, 03:05 PM
Hi RC,

My new SCA 120 arrived today!!! I've got holes for three 1" bulkheads, how would you plumb this bad boy up?

1) - Use all 3 drains and run a BeanAnimal, sending the return line up the back of the tank.
2) - Use two drains and run a Herby, using the 3rd for the return.

Breadman03
02/11/2016, 03:18 PM
Bean. No question.

SinCityReefer
02/11/2016, 03:36 PM
2nd question, how critical is it to avoid horizontal runs on drain plumbing? If it do it out of PVC id have two elbows and ~ 12-16" of horizontal run to get to the sump. Otherwise it would be flex tubing after the ball valves.

camaroguy
02/11/2016, 04:50 PM
I have a small amount of horizontal on all 3 of my return lines (running bean animal style system). They are all after a 2.5ft drop though, and I feel that the weight of water coming down the drop would push any air in the smaller horizontal section out just fine.

I have not had any problems with the setup in about a year now. I run 1" bulkheads at the aquarium, directly into 1 1/4" pipe all the way to the sump.

Looks like this:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8725/17026631265_150a8b949a_b.jpg

I didn't have the room to do 45's here to avoid the horizontal runs.

SinCityReefer
02/11/2016, 05:30 PM
Sweet, thanks!

3rd question, i see some people install 3 ball valves, and some people just 1. As i understand it you only need to adjust 1, but what about sump/tank maintenance.? Do you ever feel like you need a way to shut off all 3?

camaroguy
02/11/2016, 05:53 PM
There is no real need to shut off all 3 during maint operations. I just shut off the return and let all 3 drain.

Jerett83
02/11/2016, 06:08 PM
Can you run Bean Animal with the bulkheads on the bottom panel of the tank? I did a ton!! of research when I setup my bean animal and maybe Im missing something but I think your gonna have to run a Herbie with that style over flow

camaroguy
02/11/2016, 06:15 PM
Sure he can run them that way. It doesn't matter where the pipe exists the tank. It only matters where the inlet for the pipe is.

In this case he will have to run through the bottom of the tank, and all the way up to the water line for the inlet.

There may be space issues with this, I don't know. I would bet you could turn them different directions and make it all work. It will take some careful planning and test fitting though.

SinCityReefer
02/11/2016, 06:17 PM
:) Sweet thanks...

I'm an engineer so I'm all about planning :)

SinCityReefer
02/11/2016, 11:36 PM
Also, I' m reading that the full siphon elbow be placed 1" below the bottom of the overflow box.

To be clear, in my situation, id be talking about the top edge of the elbow being 1" below the bottom of the teeth on the overflow,? Correct?

Thanks!

paal
02/12/2016, 01:21 AM
Are you planning to have an elbow inside the overfow box for the full siphon?

As I understand it, the idea behind that elbow is to prevent the siphon from making a vortex and sucking air / making noise. This would be a problem in shallow overflow boxes, but since your box is the full height of the tank, you could just place the siphon way lower than the water level (which is determined by the open channel standpipe)
Most of the few people struggling with their Beananimal overflow seem to have issues getting the full siphon to purge air during startup before the open channel takes too much of the flow. Having the full siphon placed low would eliminate that potential problem.

So… I would run a straight full siphon low in the overflow box / Elbow on the open channel / Straight dry emergency.
(Less elbows also frees up more space inside you box :) )

SinCityReefer
02/12/2016, 01:36 AM
Oooooo.... :) :) :) Yeah, that sounds like an awesome way to go, that box was going to be tight with 3 Tee/Elbow fittings at the top.

So in a sense, it would look like a Herby, with the 3rd being a durso style top (with the air tube).

ReefTeacher
02/12/2016, 07:43 AM
I had no idea how used to floods I had gotten until I installed my BeanAnimal about 4 years ago. I haven't had one since. And completely silent once tuned!

RocketEngineer
02/12/2016, 08:18 AM
To expand on the valve setup, you only need one valve which goes on the siphon. That valve should be a gate valve, not a ball valve, as a gate valve provides much finer adjustments to allow you to set the water level exactly where you want it.

SinCityReefer
02/12/2016, 12:19 PM
Is there any method to picking which drain will be which? Is is normal to make the center drain the full siphon? Is there a reason to do it a different way? Does it even matter?

RocketEngineer
02/12/2016, 03:09 PM
Nope, doesn't matter. Mine has the siphon in the middle because that pipe ended up perfectly straight down while the other two have jogs. You want the siphon to have as few bends as possible but that is a recommendation, not a requirement.

theMerchant
03/14/2016, 04:52 PM
Hi RC,

My new SCA 120 arrived today!!! I've got holes for three 1" bulkheads, how would you plumb this bad boy up?

1) - Use all 3 drains and run a BeanAnimal, sending the return line up the back of the tank.
2) - Use two drains and run a Herby, using the 3rd for the return.

do you have pictures of your setup once plumbed? Im working with a SCA 75g witht he same 3 holes.

thanks

SinCityReefer
03/14/2016, 05:20 PM
http://thereef.breaz.net

I've been keeping my build log up here. Lots and lots of pictures! Good Luck!

And BTW, I LOVE the way the setup works. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

theMerchant
03/14/2016, 05:52 PM
http://thereef.breaz.net

I've been keeping my build log up here. Lots and lots of pictures! Good Luck!

And BTW, I LOVE the way the setup works. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!


thank you for the link, nice build.
So the drains should be water level? Do you have a picture of the drains in the over flow?

BTW, are you having PO4 issues? I heard people needed to nuke the Pukani first.

thanks again.

SinCityReefer
03/15/2016, 12:04 AM
The "Durso" or Open Channel drain is what sets the water level in the overflow. Set it at a height to make your overflow box quiet. I had to mess around with this a bit, 1/2" up and down till i found the sweet spot. The emergency is about 1/2" above this. The full siphon line (in the middle for me) is about 5.5-6" below the "Durso intake".

Im cooking this rock in display, I've got nothing else to do, so the lights stay off (actually just installed my light today) and ill hit a couple 100% water changes, add my sand and "cycle" it proper. I get less flack from the wife this way, shes not a fan of the trashcans pumping stinky rock

eugnandez
03/15/2016, 01:21 AM
I just shut off the return and let all 3 drain.http://financeisok.com/3ce7.jpghttp://financeisok.com/ht11.jpg
http://financeisok.com/dh.jpg

homer1475
03/15/2016, 05:34 AM
I'm in the process of setting up an SCA 80 RR tank. I tried the beananimal method, but didn't have enough room in the built in overflow, and didn't like the idea of the returns going over the back and over the rim. Ended up setting it up herbie style, and it works perfectly fine and is dead silent.

Mr. Brooks
03/15/2016, 10:29 AM
Herbie's can work very well. They just require an occasional tweak every now and then. Bean animals are more forgiving in regards to adjustments. They don't need to be as finely tuned as Herbies do to stay quiet.