Clear Tubing and Large Pumps

[woz9683]

I want to plumb a new system with a clear rigid pipe of some sort, but I don't want to have to worry about it yellowing over time if it gets hit with a little UV light or getting brittle if a little ozone gets into a line. Also, parts of the system are going to have up to 16 feet of head pressure on the lines. Considering all this will I be able to use a clear PVC (sch40 or sch80) or Acrylic (cast or extruded, what thickness?)?

Also, I know I've seen an equation for determining the diameter of a pipe to accomodate a certain amount of flow, but now I can't seem to find it. Could someone please remind me what it is?

And finally the pumps. Could someone recommend a pump capable of 5,000gph+ (output) even with my 16 feet of head. And I was also curious about the setup Mr. Suijlekom mentions in his February 2006 TOTM article where he uses a pump underneath his tank that switches direction, and pumps up to 7,500gph. How would this be plumbed, and again what kind of pump could be used to obtain the ability to switch direction like that?

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

[Jasontkd]

why do you want to use clear tubing? with clear tubing you will get algae buildup in the tubes that can cause trouble down the road. This can one, clog your pipe, and two, create water peratmeter problems

[woz9683]

1. I thought it would look interesting to be able to see the water flow
2. It's going to be dimly lit, if at all, most of the time so algae will have a hard time growing
3. If I can find a pump that large, it will have 5,000+gph of water moving through it which should also make it tough on the algae

Anyway, it was just a thought. It's probably going to turn out to be too costly anyway. I was just looking for some legitimate suggestions, especially on the pumps? Please, anybody?

[fade2black]

1. You can't see a clear liquid flow through a clear pipe :)

2/3. You would be surprised what conditions algae can grow in!

[woz9683]

Ok, points taken about the pipes. However, the type of pipe is irrelevant if I can't pump any water through them. So, i could still use some info about who makes these larger volume pumps, or where I can find them, and about one that switches direction.

[vishboy]

Sequence(pump) and Ocean Motions(change direction).