Please help me plumb my Mag 9.5 to 3/4" seaswirl

[Gooli]

I cant believe it took me a year to figure out that i need to use 1.25/1.50 tubing for my mag 9.5 - i feel pretty dumb :(

i've been getting bubbles coming out of the return to the tank...i think i know why now - pump is cavitating...i'm currently using 3/4" vinyl tubing.

anyways...im partially ignorant about plumbing...can someone please explain to me what parts i need to plumb a mag 9.5 (3/4") to a 3/4" seaswirl using 1.25/1.5 tubing? can i get away with vinyl tubing w/o pvc?

thank you

[BigJPDC]

Goo - I have the same setup, as you know. It really helped me to sketch it all out first, and I have a few extra parts left over. =)

I did the following:

FT=female threaded.
MT=male threaded

Mag9.5 --> 3/4"FT -1" MT adapter --> 1" union --> 1" MT-hose barb adapter --> 1.25" ID clear plastic hose --> 1" MT-hose barb -3/4" MT adapter --> SS.

no, there isn't any water in the tank still, so I can't comment on microbubbles. =(

jp

i am an idiot - there is no ballvalve on the return pump, I was combining things in my head - this should be edited to replect that now.

[BigJPDC]

I also think it's time to reverse engineer the return bulkhead on the MegaFlow, and run the SS return up through there, instead of outside the stand and in back of the tank.

jp

[Gooli]

BigJPDC..thanks for helping me out here :)
follow up questions:

1. when u say "MT Adapter" - is that a "bushing" ?
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=FT2554

2. so when you go from pvc to hose..it takes you up .25" as far as tube diameter?

3. i was gonna ask how come u didnt do 1.5" - but after doing the head loss calc, it looks like you only gain like 7gph

[BigJPDC]

1. That looks right. The 3/4 part goes on the Mag, and the 1" part goes into the union. I was going to take a picture but I can't get it out of the union, and it's not even taped. =(

2. It seems to work that way, yes, that 1.25 ID vinyl tubing fits over the 1" barbs once you warm them up.

3. I think I just read on RC somewhere that people had success without going to 1.5". I have 1.5" braided tubing for the overflow.

Heading out to HD tonight to see about a bulkhead and PVC for the return line through the MegaFlow. I don't like how it looks at all snaking around the back of the tank. I'll try to go hose from the Mag to the bulkhead, then PVC up to about tank height, then hose again to the SS.

Let me know how it goes for you. Aren't you using your return for a secondary overflow?

jp

[Gooli]

uhmmmm...
:...warm them up." ?

by the way...why do u care about snaking tubes when they are BEHIND the tank ? :)

[BigJPDC]

=) If you soak the tubing in hot water for a minute or two, they glide right over the hose barbs.

Good point, maybe it's just more obvious to me because I can see the side and back of the tank from where I am while the tank is being put together. It'll be a much cleaner look - I'll post some pics.

I am thinking that hard PVC might be the way to go here from the overflow to the SS, using two 45 degree bends. Still use hose in the stand.

jp

[Gooli]

good luck..put up some pics later :)
BTW, when i went to HD and asked for a Bulkhead, they looked at me like deer in headlights...i ended up ordering from marinedepot

[BigJPDC]

No kidding - I hate that place. I've been there twice now today. The first time I got everything for 1.25" pvc and fittings to the SS, and when I tested I found out the 1.25 fitting is really 1.5" in diameter so wouldn't fit through the return hole in the MegaFlow.

So then I got what I'd need for a 1" setup and the bulkhead screw on the AGA bulkhead doesn't fit on that fitting either.

Why in the world doesn't AGA give you a 1" bulkhead for the return? I'll have to order from MD myself. Which one did you use?

jp

[Gooli]

u know what...i take it back...the bulkhead came with my durso pipe.
but it should be this one...call them and ask to be sure..they're good about these kinds of things
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=FT1135

[BigJPDC]

I am pretty sure folks here on RC have made bulkheads for their MF tanks using threaded adapters. The problem I am seeing is that the ones I have will nt completely screw together. Tomorrow at dawn I'll fire up the RC search engine. =)

I'm going to hacksaw off about 1/2" of the male threads (the part that would be in the tank sticking through to the stand, and see if that allows me a tighter fit. If so, then I have everything I need except one more adapter for the hose barb to the Mag95.

jp

[BigJPDC]

Well this half was easy enough.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/585/105579IMGP5176a.jpg

It looks like I live in a cave, but the fish tank is in the basement while I work on the stand and everything. I used two 45 degree bends instead of one 90, hoping to minimize the flow restriction.

I hope to work out the bulkhead issues and maybe do a water test soon.

jp

[Gooli]

cool..

i went to HD tonight...the had the poolspa flex tubing which was 1.25", however it doesn't fit over the hose barb adapter very well - only on the very tip - doesnt go all the way in like the vinyl tubing...it is very flexible - i like that - easy to work with...no a big fan of rigid pvc \ vinyl.

i'm gonna try to find 1.5" poolspa flex tubing to see if that will work

[Gooli]

BIGJ....look like this won't work for me:
1" MT-hose barb adapter --> 1.25" ID clear plastic hose

we must be using different hose-barb adapters because the 1" MT hose bard goes only with 1" ID hose...i need to get a 1.25" MT-hose barb adapter

[BigJPDC]

Ugh - you are correct! The 1" HB is connected to 1" ID tubing. I got confused by looking at the 1.25" stuff I have for the MegaFlow overflow bulkhead.

I am surprised nobody has commented on return plumbing 1" up the megaflow . . .

jp

[Gooli]

are u using the megaflow kit that AGA sells? if you do, you may want to switch to the durso from dursostandpipes.com - i tried both and the durso in my opinion gives you better flow