Ideas About This Multi-Tank System

N

need2ball

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
116
4
48
I am setting up a 4 tank system on metal racks and have never plumbed multiple tanks together. This is a basic design of how I think I will be doing it unless you fine folks at MFK can give me either better ideas or tell me I'm an idiot for plumbing it this way. Please let me know your thoughts as I have never attempted this before.

I have 3 different outlets in the system because I want to be able to alter the water level in my tank at any point in time, I will be using ball valves to open and close them depending on where I want the water level. For the inlets I will be using gate vavles (I think that's what they are called - the ones with the nobs)

Anyone with experience on this subject: What are your thoughts?
Also, if you know of any good articles on this subject you can link me to, please do.



 
mudbuttjones

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
1,375
58
66
Wisconsin
Looks good. You may want to reconsider the bulkhead configuration. Unless you have stand pipes on elbows your max water level will probably be somewhere around the lowest bulkhead, but you have the right idea with multiple drains.
:edit: reread and saw your mention about ballvalves and water level

And I wouldn't have the tanks share drain pipes unless it was extremely oversized. Like 2" or 3" pvc. If you're trying to pile all of it into a 3/4" or 1" pipe in an open channel drain you're gonna have a bad time.

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N

need2ball

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
116
4
48
qguy said:
Try to imagine

1. What will happen when 1 pump fails ?
2. What happens when 1 tanks drain clogs
Click to expand...
1. I plan to use check valves on the inlet pipes coming from the pumps so if the pump fails, no big deal, water won't get syphoned back to the wet/dry and the water level will rise a bit in the wet/dry until the water level in the tanks it was supplying water to drops below the drain hole.

2. I don't think the drains would clog because I would be using those cone shaped elongated screens (don't know what they are called) and I won't have any plants in the tanks BUT if on the off chance it did get clogged I think I might be sh*t out of luck. The water level in the clogged tank would rise and probably over fill until enough water was pumped out of the system and then my expensive pumps would be running dry until I figured it out.

What is the proper way to safeguard against this???

mudbuttjones said:
Looks good.

And I wouldn't have the tanks share drain pipes unless it was extremely oversized. Like 2" or 3" pvc. If you're trying to pile all of it into a 3/4" or 1" pipe in an open channel drain you're gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...
I am aiming for about 600 GPH per tank, I'll be using 40 gallon tanks so it would give me about 15x turn over per hour. Based on http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/DIY_Plumbing_101#Why_PVC.3F I should be good if I use 1.5" drain pipes but 1.75" would probably be better for the side pipes that are vertical leading into the wet/dry. Since these pipes would need to handle water coming from 2 tanks, they would need to be rated for 1200 GPH. I would also be using this sized pipe connected to the pumps.

Am I missing anything with this thinking?
 
mudbuttjones

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
1,375
58
66
Wisconsin
need2ball said:
1. I plan to use check valves on the inlet pipes coming from the pumps so if the pump fails, no big deal, water won't get syphoned back to the wet/dry and the water level will rise a bit in the wet/dry until the water level in the tanks it was supplying water to drops below the drain hole.

2. I don't think the drains would clog because I would be using those cone shaped elongated screens (don't know what they are called) and I won't have any plants in the tanks BUT if on the off chance it did get clogged I think I might be sh*t out of luck. The water level in the clogged tank would rise and probably over fill until enough water was pumped out of the system and then my expensive pumps would be running dry until I figured it out.

What is the proper way to safeguard against this???



I am aiming for about 600 GPH per tank, I'll be using 40 gallon tanks so it would give me about 15x turn over per hour. Based on http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/DIY_Plumbing_101#Why_PVC.3F I should be good if I use 1.5" drain pipes but 1.75" would probably be better for the side pipes that are vertical leading into the wet/dry. Since these pipes would need to handle water coming from 2 tanks, they would need to be rated for 1200 GPH. I would also be using this sized pipe connected to the pumps.

Am I missing anything with this thinking?
Click to expand...
1.5" would probably be good for that gph. I've never seen 1.75" , 2" should be the next step up. 1.5" may be a better option just due to the price of fittings.

You just need the pipe large to accommodate the air in the plumbing and allowing it to bleed out. It's basically a 2 way street, water going down and air going up. If I'm not running a full siphon drain I like having some "breathing room" so I don't get all the gurgling noises.


As long as your returns are high enough in the tanks they won't be able to back drain much of anything. I'd skip the check valves as they probably aren't needed

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N

need2ball

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
116
4
48
Thanks for the input. Does anyone know about the clogged drain issue? How are you supposed to safeguard against that?
 
Q

qguy

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2009
895
100
76
Vancouver. Canada
need2ball said:
Thanks for the input. Does anyone know about the clogged drain issue? How are you supposed to safeguard against that?
Click to expand...
I use an aluminum diamond screen thats rolled into a pipe and inserted inside the pipe to prevent any large objects from blocking the drain.
 
C

Chaz88

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 21, 2010
695
0
16
Iowa
One way to overcome a clogged drain is to have an extra drain above your normal water level. It buys you time if your primary clogs up. With your setup if you were using the middle or bottom drain you could just leave the one above it open for a backup.
 
N

need2ball

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
116
4
48
Chaz88 said:
One way to overcome a clogged drain is to have an extra drain above your normal water level. It buys you time if your primary clogs up. With your setup if you were using the middle or bottom drain you could just leave the one above it open for a backup.
Click to expand...
I was thinking this exact thing! I've got another good thread going here I'm thinking I will T off of the top drain to safeguard when the water is at the top, and I wont even need a ball valve on this one and then as I open the lower ones I will leave the ones above it open for insurance.

Awesome concerns and advice guys... this is exactly why I wanted to run my set up by the MFK community before I set it up :thumbsup:
 
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