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Unread 11/11/2018, 07:11 PM   #1
HarlequinTusk
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Looking for advice with water change plumbing

For my previous (1st floor) tank, I used a python siphon attached to my basement utility sink that created the siphon by running water. My new setup is similar in the sense that the tank is still on the 1st floor and the equipment sits below in the basement. I could still use a python siphon, but I won't be vacuuming the sand like before as I'll be using a cleanup crew. I will be drilling the back of my tank for a beananimal setup and was playing with the idea of putting a bulkhead drain halfway down the tank that would stay plugged until needed. When ready to drain the tank, I'd replace the plug with a bulkhead strainer and the water would gravity drain down to the basement utility sink. I don't plan on doing 50% water changes, more like 10% or 20%, but having it that low would give me the option of 50% if ever needed. Does this sound like a good idea? If you have a better idea, please share.


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Unread 11/11/2018, 07:45 PM   #2
neilp2006
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Looking for advice with water change plumbing

Equipment sits below n the basement?

If your sump is 2-3 feet above the drain for your utility sink (are you using an ejector pump, or does it tie in to your waste stack?) id drill the sump as close to the bottom as possible and put a 90 facing up. Then have different lengths of pvc standpipe for 10, 15, 20 gallon changes.

No extra bulkheads or visible strainers in your DT. And you don’t get your hands wet unplugging it to put on the strainer.

I have a basement sump that has s 29g as the first chamber receiving water from my BA overflows. I have a 1” bulkhead about an inch from the bottom, with a valve and a run of pvc to my utility sink ejector pump. Turn off my return pump, turn valve, drains 26 gallons in 4 minutes. I then have a refill line in my water station plumbing- open that valve turn on recirculating pulp and I refill in 6 minutes.

Post 93, 118 in my thread has pics/vids


Neil’s in wall 180 with basement fishroom
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url...0&share_type=t



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Last edited by neilp2006; 11/11/2018 at 07:54 PM.
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Unread 11/11/2018, 10:49 PM   #3
HarlequinTusk
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neilp, I'm not sure I'm following what you are suggesting. My dt is on the first floor, my sump is in the basement (directly underneath) on a bench, my utility sits a few inches lower than the sump. My plumbing from the sump will allow me to pump return water to multiple locations (1) back to the display tank, (2) to the manifold running the skimmer, and other filters, and (3) to the utility sink. Note, number (3) is not plumbed yet, but it's in my tentative plan. So as long as I can get the dt water into the sump, I can pump it out to the utility sink. The bean animal overflow will only allow so much water to drain. I'm trying to design for those times that I want to drain half the tank. I see the following options (1) have an additional drain (or tie it into the emergency drain) that gravity feeds from halfway down the display tank, (2) drop a temporary pump into the dt that will pump water up and over the side of the aquarium and then down to the sump or sink, or (3) use a python siphon hose. I couldn't get the url you supplied to work.


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Unread 11/12/2018, 07:40 AM   #4
HarlequinTusk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlequinTusk View Post
I couldn't get the url you supplied to work.
Ah...reefcentral astericked out the reef 2 reef. I found it by doing a google search on "Neil’s-in-wall-180-with-basement-fishroom.390436" which was not edited out. I'll look over that thread tonight.


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Unread 11/12/2018, 10:44 AM   #5
jacksonpt
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Personally, I'd be more apt to put the drain line as part of the sump or return pump rather than the display. IMO, fewer holes in the display is better.


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Unread 11/12/2018, 03:06 PM   #6
billdogg
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I have the tank and sump in the living room. I find it very easy to use my always trusty Python Siphon down to the utility sink in the fish room. I don't even turn on the water to create the siphon anymore - just submerge 18" or so of the tubing in the DT and allow it to fill with water, put your thumb over the end and then pull all but the end out of the tank and allow gravity to do it's thing. If anything, it's quicker than the P.S. faucet adapter.


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Unread 11/12/2018, 05:41 PM   #7
HarlequinTusk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacksonpt View Post
Personally, I'd be more apt to put the drain line as part of the sump or return pump rather than the display. IMO, fewer holes in the display is better.
I have the ability to drain my sump into the utility sink...using the return pump...but I still need a method to get half the DT water down to the sump.


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Unread 11/12/2018, 10:16 PM   #8
laverda
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I don’t think it is worth the risk of having a hole that low in your tank just to do water changes.


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Unread 11/13/2018, 07:48 AM   #9
sde1500
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Look into using a peristaltic pump. I have one hooked up in my basement. Dual heads, one pumps water out of my NSW brute and into my sump, while the other pumps water out of my sump and down the drain. 50 GPD capacity per head, so I just have it kick on for 30 minutes every day. Only thing I need to watch out for is running out of NSW now.


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Unread 11/13/2018, 09:00 AM   #10
jacksonpt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarlequinTusk View Post
I have the ability to drain my sump into the utility sink...using the return pump...but I still need a method to get half the DT water down to the sump.
is that a requirement for you, or just a "I might want/need to do it on occasion thing"? If the latter, there are easy ways to do it that, IMO, outweigh the risks of an additional and lower hole in the tank.

But almost everything in this hobby, to some degree, balances risk with convenience, cost with ease, etc... so it's mostly up to you.


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Unread 11/13/2018, 09:41 AM   #11
Vinny Kreyling
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You can make a "hook" with a strainer that hangs over the glass for a drain.
Mark it @ the levels you want & use a hose from there to a drain line to wherever.
IF you wanted to get specific you could make 1 for each level & it would break siphon there & stop. I do this all the time on a water change using 1" pvc & hose.


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Unread 11/13/2018, 10:18 AM   #12
jacksonpt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling View Post
You can make a "hook" with a strainer that hangs over the glass for a drain.
Mark it @ the levels you want & use a hose from there to a drain line to wherever.
IF you wanted to get specific you could make 1 for each level & it would break siphon there & stop. I do this all the time on a water change using 1" pvc & hose.
When I used to do water changes from my display, I did something very similar. I bought a ball valve and used spare PVC parts I had laying around and made something that was super easy, reliable, and never ended up with tank water in my mouth.


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Unread 11/13/2018, 02:45 PM   #13
HarlequinTusk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacksonpt View Post
When I used to do water changes from my display, I did something very similar. I bought a ball valve and used spare PVC parts I had laying around and made something that was super easy, reliable, and never ended up with tank water in my mouth.
Were you using a pump? How did you get the siphon started?


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Unread 11/13/2018, 02:56 PM   #14
jacksonpt
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I can't find a pic off hand, but picture a durso standpipe.



Put a small airline valve at the end of the airline (9).
Put a ball valve at the bottom of the pipe (1)... make sure it's below the bottom of the tank.

Close the ball valve, hang pipe on side of tank, suck air out of pipe. Close the airline valve, open the ball valve, woooosh.


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Current Tank Info: 38g (mostly LPS) with a 20g sump/fuge and all the other standard goodies
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