Help Setting This Up

casper1875

Member
I have no idea if this will work or not. Here's the pictures of my stand with the sump and TidePool II for a fuge. It's really tight in there. I have a 180 gallon tank with two overflows in the rear corners. How do I hook all of this together? I have an MSX200 skimmer in 50 gallon sump and a Mag 18 pump for the sump. I want to have a refugium in the TidePool II. There is already two holes in the TidePool. Can I connect them to the sump?







 

mr_x

Active Member
well, you could split the overflow(s) to drain into both the sump, and the tidepool, and then end up at the return, where i see a magdrive sitting.
you'll need 4 bulkhead fittings and some pvc, along with atleast 2 unions.
 

casper1875

Member
So facing the tank with the sump on the right I have the overflow go into the right side of the sump and the left side overflow go into the TidePool. And connect the sump and Tidepool together and have the water return from the Mag pump. Will the mag be enough for both the returns on the tank?
I know what a bulkhead is and the old system had a 1" pvc pipe. What are unions? How many ball valves will I need?
 

mr_x

Active Member
well, 4 ball valves between the sump and tidepool, with 2 unions between them(unions are a male/female connection with a gasket in between, so you can disconnect hard pvc without having to saw it in half in thwe event of maintenance/upgrade...
i would put a ball valve after the overflow(s) too, incase you wanted to cut the flow off for maintenance/waterchange...
i don't know if the mag will be enough. what size is it?
 

mr_x

Active Member
i think it will be plenty. you can cut down and/or raise the amount of water going into each chamber with the drain ball valves if need be.
 

flricordia

Active Member
will without a doubt have to install a ball valve to reduce the flow on the Mag 18 return to tank. Will be too much full force for the 2 overflows.
 

casper1875

Member
What about adding a spray bar at the top of the tank? I was thinking about running some pvc up the outside of the overflow boxes. That way it won't show in the back of the tank, and I can add some more flow to the tank.
The last picture is where I wanted the tank to go, but we could not get it level, so now a change of plans. I'm going to make some room screens to put behind the tank. The plus side to that, it will give me total access to the tank. I'm going to give the TidePool a good cleaning tonight and do the final cleaning of the tank this weekend.
 

mr_x

Active Member
don't use a spray bar. use loc-line. you can T them off and use 2 pieces.
then you can direct the flow like powerheads...like this-

i disagree about the mag18. i have a mag24 and 2 overflows and i run it wide open.
 

casper1875

Member
I just got back from Home Depot and it was not fun. My husband doesn't have a clue nor do I. All I have is 1" pvc and 1/2" pvc pipe. I know the old set up was done with 1" pvc.
The tank came with 2 of the things that you have a picture of. I was going to use those. I bought the 1/2" pvc to make a spray bar. I thought that a spray bar was used to help with the flow in the tank. It was only a few dollars so I'm not out much if I don't use it.
I'm just having a bad day. I was hoping to have it set up this weekend and get some water in it. I don't even know if the tank will hold water. I bought it used and it looks like it was sitting for awhile. I just don't know anything about plumbing. I looked at the ball valves, but there is not much room between the sump and the tidepool. The holes do not line up. I'm going to go and clean the tidepool and maybe just kick back for the rest of the night. Maybe things will look better in the morning.
 

big

Active Member
Sorry about the bad day..............
On the pluming side of this issue. When using code 40 PVC work with some practice pieces before taking on the tank system if you have not used it before. Use a good cleaner solvent and then the PVC cement on your joints. AND DO NOT use it indoors the vapors are really bad on us !!!!!!!
Remember too that this stuff is almost instantly a permeate bond. Mistakes can require cutting and redoing stuff and we all have done both if we have done much working with this stuff.
Also as mentioned the "Unions". Those are joints that can be taken apart for service of a pump etc. Be sure to use them at pump connections and any place too that seems that they may be needed.
Not to scare you but if this is your first time working in this kind of stuff. Get it right the first tme, measure twice cut once. And remember how bad you would feal to wake up to a half empty tank because of a sump leak....
Do not rush this work it is important to have it just right........
 

casper1875

Member
Got the tidepool clean. No more Home Depot. I'm going to the LFS and get what I need. At least I know they have bulkheads. A friend of ours is a plumber. He doesn't know anything about aquariums, but I'm sure he's use to working with pvc.
Mr X I'll see what I can find. You know where I'm going, it's only a few minutes from my house.
Big, thank you for the advice. I knew this was not going to be easy. I really do want to do this right.
Our youngest son races tonight, so there will not be any updates until tomorrow. Thanks again guys for your help.
 

mr_x

Active Member
casper..if you have any trouble at TFP, you can order loc-line direct from the manufacturer. i think i have a few lengths laying around as well. do you ever get out to THR? they have a nice selection of plumbing parts also.
 

casper1875

Member
No I've never been there. I want to check it out sometime. Things just got alittle worse tonight. My son's engine blew on his racecar. No spare cash this week. Thank you Mr X.
 

morval

Member
cant help with the plumbing. just have to say that the room the tank is going in looks like a jail cell...nice paint job
 

casper1875

Member
I have to put the tank in the basement and I need to save some money, so I painted the concrete blocks. I am hoping I can pull the room together. I've never been to jail. Do you think I could teach them to sponge paint and add some color?
It's only 7:00 in the morning. Stop making me laugh.
 
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