280g Plumbing advice

[Rufus2112]

So I am putting together this 280g, I am not that experienced. how should I plumb this? Would like to utilize just the 4 drilled holes, the bracing and lids make HOB a bad plan.

Left side is a Fluval fx5, right side is a large wet dry. I dry fit this piping set up just to experiment. From left to right: 3/4" return from fx5 canister, 1" drain to fx5, 1" durso drain to wet dry, 1" return from wet dry (spraybar).

1. I wanted a large spray bar across the length of the tank, originally it was for the canister, but was thinking of joining it with the other return for the wet dry, just making sure I included enough holes for adequate flow. If I check valve both sides to avoid back flow, will this work? Thoughts?

2. All pipes will be painted black, and I am going to build an internal overflow around the durso. Most of this will end up hidden, the tank was already drilled with four holes in the floor for 1" bulkheads.

3. Tank is euro-braced and contains an black plastic floor insert. The bracing in the corners and the floor panel are making the internal overflow add-on complicated, any thoughts or ideas?


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[Egon]

1) Your tank is set up for two "closed loop" systems (canister filters).

2) Check valves don't work all the time and if possible you should try to avoid them.

3) If you go with two separate filters don't combine the returns into one spray bar, your pumps will fight each other and you will lose efficiency.

Okay, if this was my tank I would just go with two canister filters and be done with it.

If your really want to set up a sump it's possible. Your drain is the limiting factor because you don't want to drill more holes so I would use all 4 holes as a drain going into one sump. Run the drains all the way to the surface (no check valves).
Note: The drains don't have to go straight up from the bulkheads to the top of the tank. You can add bends into the plumbing and move the drains to the corners of the tank. Put a 90 right at the bulkheads and another 90 at the corners of the back of the tank. The plumbing can be hidden with sand and drift wood. Have the drains drop into 1 or two filter socks, then bio balls, basically a standard sump. Go as big as possible. The sump return can go up the back and over the top of the tank and into one long spray bar across the top of the tank (no check valves). My sump returns I like to waterfall them into the tank. This pushes the clean water down and away from the sump drains that are now at the surface. I also like to use a bubbler near the drain plumbing to lift "poo" and stuff to the surface so the drains will collect it.

Picture is my 360 with the bubbles going up the back and the center "waterfall" is two 1" return lines just above the waters surface pushing water down and agitating the surface.
Keep updating this thread I want to see what you do

 

[knobhill]

I agree w/ egon on using 2 FX-5s or and FX-5 and some sort of other canister. That would be the easiest.

If you want to make it complicated, adding a wet/dry wit a single 1" drain is not going to get you a lot of flow. Perhaps using two of the 1" drains or enlarging the 1" drain to 1.5" or 2" would suit you better. If you used two of the 1" drains, just run the return from either your sump or fx5 behind and back into the tank.

 

[Rufus2112]

Wow, thanks for the suggestions! I've got a few great ideas already. I have been going back and forth over how to build an internal overflow for a few weeks! I will post a few more pics as I go. Thanks for the ideas!


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[Rufus2112]

Here is inside the 40inch stand


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[Rufus2112]

I mean here

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[Rufus2112]

So egon,

If I use your drain idea, for the wet dry, what would the noise be like? Can you use a durso stand alone with no overflow wall?


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[Egon]

I would just enlarge the end with a 2" or 3" pipe kinda looking like a shower head on the top. Cut slots in the open/top part so just water will flow down the pipe kinda like an overflow would have slots. Your going to need to use all those holes in the tank for the drain or your just not going to have enough flow.

If you want to get fancy you can put all the plumbing on the outside of the tank. Just run your plumbing up the back. Drawing below so you can get an idea

 

[Rufus2112]

So if I am going with a stand drain, what about this? I wouldn't have to cut slots for teeth with the drain plate, right? Although it looks like an ashtray, it would flow better without teeth and I could bring my water level higher which would look better because I have no tank trim.

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[Egon]

That should work.