Bulkhead Sizing and Plumbing

[lightnb]

I have many questions about bulkheads and plumbing. This will be my first drilled tank and sump. The tank is a 90G AGA/Aquon. I plan to use it for plants and maybe Discus. (but if that falls apart, I may just fill it with mbuna. Or make it salt water. Or get an Oscar. Or who knows.) In short, I want to drill it once, and have it be versatile enough for different configurations of fish.

Here are my questions:

1. Bulkheads come in screw and slip, on the inside and outside. Why do I want one vs the other? Do screws leak? Do you use Teflon tape with screws?

2. Does "2" Bulkhead" mean it fits 2" PVC Pipe, or that it fits in a 2" hole?

3. Is there any reason not to make the overflow bigger than it needs to be (aside form cost)? The price difference between 1", 1.5", and 2" fittings seems trivial compared to the time it would take to re-drill. Why not install (2) 2" overflows and been done with it? Then I can use a smaller pump and switch to a bigger pump later without re-plumbing (or not) depending on my needs?

4. How does expansion affect head rating of a pump? ie. a 3/4" pump outlet goes into a 2" pipe. It has less pressure, but is it less flow at the same height, or just a "softer" output?

5. Arrangement of ins and outs in the tank. We need flow so that there are no stagnant areas, but if the overflow is a skimmer at the top and the jet is at the top, doesn't the water just circulate at the top but get stagnant at the bottom? Should the jet be on the bottom to blow the water up? Should there be more than one drain and/or more than one jet? Should the drain be a bar? Should the jet be a bar?

6. Can anyone confirm that AGA 90G tanks (ones that are not pre-drilled) are not tempered on the sides? There's a way to do it with a laptop, 12 pairs of polarized sunglasses, a microscope, and a complicated procedure for seeing patterns in a clear pane of glass... But for those of us without a laptop, 12 pairs of glasses, and 50 years to master eastern meditation, I think it would be faster to get a, "I can personally confirm that I have drilled my own 90G AGA tank and it did not explode" from a forum member.

7. Bulkheads come in heavy duty and not heavy duty, and some are "extra heavy duty". Some are schedule 40 and some are schedule 80. Some people say you can use two screw together PVC pipes from Home Depot with a rubber washer. I don't want water dripping on the floor, but don't want to spend a bajillion dollars if not needed too either. Recommendations (preferably based on first hand experience)?

8. The diamond tipped (or is it coated?) hole saws come in a variety of prices. Some are $15, some are $200+ (for the same size!). I'm guessing there are quality concerns, but also markup factors. Looking for recommendation for where to buy. I imaging I may make about 20 holes with it over my lifetime.

Hopefully I can figure out what to order, since drilling is the next step in this project and I can't order until I know what it is I need!

 

[DIDYSIS]

See below-

I have many questions about bulkheads and plumbing. This will be my first drilled tank and sump. The tank is a 90G AGA/Aquon. I plan to use it for plants and maybe Discus. (but if that falls apart, I may just fill it with mbuna. Or make it salt water. Or get an Oscar. Or who knows.) In short, I want to drill it once, and have it be versatile enough for different configurations of fish.

Here are my questions:

1. Bulkheads come in screw and slip, on the inside and outside. Why do I want one vs the other? Do screws leak? Do you use Teflon tape with screws?

Its called Threaded and slip, Yes always with threaded fittings you use threat tape to make sure they are fully sealed, I go to Lowes and get the pink heavy duty stuff and it always treats me well. I use threaded always, never slip.


2. Does "2" Bulkhead" mean it fits 2" PVC Pipe, or that it fits in a 2" hole?

2inch bulkhead means it will fit a 2inch pipe, the hole required for a 2inch bulkhead is much larger, when you buy the bulkhead they will say what size hole they need most of the time.

3. Is there any reason not to make the overflow bigger than it needs to be (aside form cost)? The price difference between 1", 1.5", and 2" fittings seems trivial compared to the time it would take to re-drill. Why not install (2) 2" overflows and been done with it? Then I can use a smaller pump and switch to a bigger pump later without re-plumbing (or not) depending on my needs?

Your talking a very small tank I do not see any reason for you to be doing 2inch pipe as its overkill, most 90 gallon tanks are one inch.

4. How does expansion affect head rating of a pump? ie. a 3/4" pump outlet goes into a 2" pipe. It has less pressure, but is it less flow at the same height, or just a "softer" output?

I have other work to do look for someone else on this one. But honestly you will not be looking at this as your pump will probably be one inch from it and that will be your water jets going into the tank at one inch maybe 2 of them, probably looking for a 800-1000gph pump for the tank and that will work really well. You will not have a one inch pump then going to two inch then back to one inch for any reason that I would be aware of, I think you are thinking of the tank return and that piping would be the same from the bulkhead to the sump and same for from the pump to the tank.

5. Arrangement of ins and outs in the tank. We need flow so that there are no stagnant areas, but if the overflow is a skimmer at the top and the jet is at the top, doesn't the water just circulate at the top but get stagnant at the bottom? Should the jet be on the bottom to blow the water up? Should there be more than one drain and/or more than one jet? Should the drain be a bar? Should the jet be a bar?

Point the water in and around where you want, you cant have the water jets at the bottom as that will drain your tank unless you want to get real creative, can be done but takes more work and a particular setup.

6. Can anyone confirm that AGA 90G tanks (ones that are not pre-drilled) are not tempered on the sides? There's a way to do it with a laptop, 12 pairs of polarized sunglasses, a microscope, and a complicated procedure for seeing patterns in a clear pane of glass... But for those of us without a laptop, 12 pairs of glasses, and 50 years to master eastern meditation, I think it would be faster to get a, "I can personally confirm that I have drilled my own 90G AGA tank and it did not explode" from a forum member.

Ask the tank maker and look at the tank to see what they say and what is marked as tempered. Why not find a tank pre drilled and setup reef ready?

7. Bulkheads come in heavy duty and not heavy duty, and some are "extra heavy duty". Some are schedule 40 and some are schedule 80. Some people say you can use two screw together PVC pipes from Home Depot with a rubber washer. I don't want water dripping on the floor, but don't want to spend a bajillion dollars if not needed too either. Recommendations (preferably based on first hand experience)?

Again small tank but get real bulkheads, The 80 vs 40 do matter for hole size required for them.

8. The diamond tipped (or is it coated?) hole saws come in a variety of prices. Some are $15, some are $200+ (for the same size!). I'm guessing there are quality concerns, but also markup factors. Looking for recommendation for where to buy. I imaging I may make about 20 holes with it over my lifetime.

Like all tools some are great some are trash, wanting to drill more holes in a life I would find a nice set personally.

Hopefully I can figure out what to order, since drilling is the next step in this project and I can't order until I know what it is I need!

 

[aldiaz33]

Edit: Kevin beat me to it!

We basically say the same thing, but I'll leave it up. Hope this helps (in red).

I have many questions about bulkheads and plumbing. This will be my first drilled tank and sump. The tank is a 90G AGA/Aquon. I plan to use it for plants and maybe Discus. (but if that falls apart, I may just fill it with mbuna. Or make it salt water. Or get an Oscar. Or who knows.) In short, I want to drill it once, and have it be versatile enough for different configurations of fish.

Here are my questions:

1. Bulkheads come in screw and slip, on the inside and outside. Why do I want one vs the other? Do screws leak? Do you use Teflon tape with screws?

A1. I like threaded so that you don't have to destroy the bulkhead if you have to remove it for whatever reason. I've used teflon without any problems, but if you have a stubborn leak, try using Rector Seal #5. It's rated for potable water and does a good job at sealing threads when teflon isn't cutting it.

2. Does "2" Bulkhead" mean it fits 2" PVC Pipe, or that it fits in a 2" hole?

A2. A 2" bulkhead will fit 2" pipe and 2" pipe fittings and it will need a larger than 2" hole. The size of the hole that needs to be drilled to accommodate the bulkhead will depend on the type of bulkhead you are using. Some bulkheads will require a larger hole depending on the type of bulkhead you are using; typically schedule 80 bulkheads will require a larger hole than a standard ABS bulkhead. Check out this link for more details on bulkhead sizes and hole size: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/plumbing/bulkheads.html

3. Is there any reason not to make the overflow bigger than it needs to be (aside form cost)? The price difference between 1", 1.5", and 2" fittings seems trivial compared to the time it would take to re-drill. Why not install (2) 2" overflows and been done with it? Then I can use a smaller pump and switch to a bigger pump later without re-plumbing (or not) depending on my needs?

A3. No reason not to go big. Oversizing drains is always better than undersizing, but I agree with Kevin...2" is huge for a 90G. I would say max, go 1.5"

4. How does expansion affect head rating of a pump? ie. a 3/4" pump outlet goes into a 2" pipe. It has less pressure, but is it less flow at the same height, or just a "softer" output?

A4. Upsizing plumbing from the pump outlet will result in less friction within the pipe. Less friction = less head (pressure) which = more flow. Click on the "tips and pump sizing" PDF for a good read on the subject at the following site: http://www.reeflopumps.com/sealinstallothertips.html

5. Arrangement of ins and outs in the tank. We need flow so that there are no stagnant areas, but if the overflow is a skimmer at the top and the jet is at the top, doesn't the water just circulate at the top but get stagnant at the bottom? Should the jet be on the bottom to blow the water up? Should there be more than one drain and/or more than one jet? Should the drain be a bar? Should the jet be a bar?

A5. I have my returns coming in from the top of my tank and it circulates all areas of the tank very well. I prefer to setup tanks this way, but you can also have the return coming in from the sides near the surface facing towards the front or sides of the tank...once that water hits the side of the tank, it's pushing water down, then once it hits the bottom panel the water will flow towards the back of the tank in a continuous loop. You obviously don't want your return aimed right at the overflow skimmer, but other than doing something like that, you will get good circulation.
WARNING: having your return at the very bottom of the tank will mean that when you turn your pump off, or you have a power outage, that water will siphon out of your display tank until the siphon is broken (until it sucks air); your tank will essentially be drained by the back-siphon, causing a flood (since it's not likely that your sump can handle the entire volume of your display.Keep your returns near the water's surface to avoid overflowing your sump. Check valves are not reliable; I would never trust one. They also add head pressure which reduces your pumps output.

6. Can anyone confirm that AGA 90G tanks (ones that are not pre-drilled) are not tempered on the sides? There's a way to do it with a laptop, 12 pairs of polarized sunglasses, a microscope, and a complicated procedure for seeing patterns in a clear pane of glass... But for those of us without a laptop, 12 pairs of glasses, and 50 years to master eastern meditation, I think it would be faster to get a, "I can personally confirm that I have drilled my own 90G AGA tank and it did not explode" from a forum member.

A6. Sorry, can't help you here, I have no idea.

7. Bulkheads come in heavy duty and not heavy duty, and some are "extra heavy duty". Some are schedule 40 and some are schedule 80. Some people say you can use two screw together PVC pipes from Home Depot with a rubber washer. I don't want water dripping on the floor, but don't want to spend a bajillion dollars if not needed too either. Recommendations (preferably based on first hand experience)?

A7. Schedule 80 Bulkheads from BulkReefSupply are awesome. I am using 6 of them on my tank (all 2") with no issues. Not only is the plastic bulkhead itself much beefier so that it's less likely to crack, the rubber seal that comes with it is also much beefier than the standard ABS bulkheads. I would recommend schedule 80, but honestly, both should work fine...schedule 80 is just a little better IME.

8. The diamond tipped (or is it coated?) hole saws come in a variety of prices. Some are $15, some are $200+ (for the same size!). I'm guessing there are quality concerns, but also markup factors. Looking for recommendation for where to buy. I imaging I may make about 20 holes with it over my lifetime.

A8. I can't provide much help here since I've only drilled acrylic, but I would bet the cheap ones will likely not hold up very well over time. I would probably go with a mid-price hole saw if you are looking to do ~20 holes. You might not be able to get 20 holes out of the cheapest ones.

Hopefully I can figure out what to order, since drilling is the next step in this project and I can't order until I know what it is I need!

Tip: don't go crazy tightening the bulkhead. I have only gone hand tight and have been able to get leak-free seals. If you have to use a tool, I would only go about 1/8 turn after hand tight so that you don't crack the bulkhead.

Good luck!

 

[DIDYSIS]

I knew someone would be doing similar and I had to type fast, lol

Alex always has good info with plumbing. Maybe in another life he was a plumber.

Edit: Kevin beat me to it!

We basically say the same thing, but I'll leave it up. Hope this helps (in red).



Tip: don't go crazy tightening the bulkhead. I have only gone hand tight and have been able to get leak-free seals. If you have to use a tool, I would only go about 1/8 turn after hand tight so that you don't crack the bulkhead.

Good luck!

 

[Jc1119]

I knew someone would be doing similar and I had to type fast, lol

Alex always has good info with plumbing. Maybe in another life he was a plumber.

No, but I sorta was lol.

And I agree with the above. I run 1" lines on my 220 and have no issues. Over sizing the plumbing by too much can make it harder to make the system quiet.

Unless you like the sound of a hot tub nearby, it's something to consider.


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[lightnb]

Hi eveyone, thanks for the answers.

1. I think I'll get the screw kind then, so I can reuse them. Do you ever put silicone around them?

2. I think this is solved. The trick will be matching the bulkhead to the bit.

3 + 4. It sounds like the main concern is noise, but doesn't pose any functional problems. Since this take will be planted, I imagine lots of plant clippings will go over the overflow.

The reason I was asking about over-sizing returns and about using 2" pipe was out of a desire to only have to buy one hole saw. In the not too distant future, I also plan to drill a 125G for a heavily stocked Malawi tank which will need heavy waste processing. I also have a dream of connecting several 40Bs together with 2" bulkheads that the fish can swim through. So if I can get away with 2" for everything, overflows, returns, fish tunnels, that would be preferred since the bits seem to be the most expensive part.

5. Do you use a bar on either the skimmer or the return? You put one one onside of the tank and one on the other? I've seen some designs that have an overflow on each side, and a return in the middle, and some with a return on both sides and an overflow in the middle. Is there a reason for this?

6. I have figured out how to check for tempered glass. So I should be able to solve

7. If I use a schedule 80 BH, do I need Schedule 80 pipe? Also with a threaded BH, I would need a slip to thread adapter to glue on to the pipe so it can screw in, right?

8. As far as bits, I've found $15 bits (glass-holes.com, ebay) and $155+ bits (jehmco.com). There doesn't seem to be much middle ground.


Jc1119: On your 220, what type of fish? Do you have just one 1" in and just one 1" out?

 

[Jc1119]

I have 2 drains and 2 returns in that one. Durso drains. Centrals and plecos, but..... It's also on a drip dripping 1/3 tank volume daily. It kind of has an advantage ....

I run just about every style setup there is. The 220 and 300 have dual internal overflows with dual returns in the far corners angled down about 45 degrees. Herbie drains on the 300 Durso on the 220.

My 135 is plumbed Beananimal style and runs river style....side to side. My
120 is basic eshopps hob with a single return plumbed to the button of the display. Siphon breaks and check valves on every setup.

Sch 80 and sch 40 has same outside diameter for the most part. It's the inside diameter that's different, but don't skip the primer step. It'll ensue a good bond between sch. 80 and sch. 40 pipe and fittings. My 135 is all sch. 80 excelon with sch 40 fittings and drains. Works fine.


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[lightnb]

Sch 80 and sch 40 has same outside diameter for the most part. It's the inside diameter that's different

Is the inside bigger or smaller?

 

[Jc1119]

Is the inside bigger or smaller?

Sch 80 is a thicker wall, so a little smaller inside. Just on pipes and fittings.

I believe the bulkheads require a different hole size but I'm not 100% on that. I've always used sch 40 on everything except the excelon which is clear sch 80 and unions.... I usually go sch 80 on them just to be safe.


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[duanes]

If you go to a site like jehmco.com, they have bulkheads, for different size pipe, and explain how big a hole needed for the right size bulkhead, and will explain what size drill bit you need for that size pipe and hole.
I bought a more expensive drill bit, and am glad I did, because I am now in the process of drilling all my tanks. And have drilled 8 tanks so far, from a 20 gals. 50s up to 120s.
I like to drill on a side panel, having water enter on the opposite side, because I keep mostly riverine cichlids that live in a directional flow environment.
My influent pipes from pump to tanks are 1/2" to 1", but my overflows are 2". I have tried some smaller outflow pipes, but I find them too easily clogged by debris, plants, snails or a dead fish, or combination of all, that can make the main tank overflow, consequently starving the pump and burning it out, if not noticed until the sump drains.