need plumbing/sump suggestions on 92 gallon acrylic for overstocked cichlid setup

[Oughtsix]

I would consider plumbing the emergency drain directly into the sump and bypass the filter pad. Using a Y to join the two will only make things more complex and less fool proof.

"What if" there is a clog after the two overflow lines join... you will have a spill.

As far as the ball valve goes... I would suggest you design the sump for ease of maintenance. Every once in a while (once a year?) you will need to pull the sump for a cleaning. Will having ball valves make that easier?

 

[TimTheWiner]

Makes sense, it would only be about 3" though from the split to where it dumps in top of bioball tower. That's also the widest part of the drain, so theoretically if something were to get lodged it would likely happen at the barb fitting where the diameter reduces slightly. Probably wouldn't make a difference having it drain later in the sump. I could bypass the balls and have it run to the first baffle of the sump. I'm guessing a low profile strainer is still a good idea at the top of the Herbie emergency pipe since this is the highest and would seem mostly likely to suck in a dead fish or other surface debris. Attached a crappy paint drawing illustrating my initial idea

 

[twentyleagues]

Yeah don't plumb them together. Asking for a failure on a system that should be safe. Drill a hole in the top plate and use a bulkhead to make it look good or drain it to a different part of your sump. A little unfiltered water is better then a flood. Also you shouldn't really get any flow in the emergency drain maybe a trickle.

 

[TimTheWiner]

Ok. Should be easy enough to cut another hole in that top plate and just run a separate 90 to it, or I may replace both with 45s. I'm seeing a LOT of reg ball valves with pretty bad reviews at Home Depot and even on Amazon. Is there a trusted brand that won't leak around the lever or should I just do gate? All the schedule 80 gate valves have perfect reviews but then I'd need to use schedule 80 for everything right

 

[twentyleagues]

I've never had an issue with a ball valve leaking. But on your siphon you'll want to use a gate valve. I don't remember if schedule 80 is compatible with the others I know the thin one 30 I think is not.

 

[Oughtsix]

Ok. Should be easy enough to cut another hole in that top plate and just run a separate 90 to it, or I may replace both with 45s. I'm seeing a LOT of reg ball valves with pretty bad reviews at Home Depot and even on Amazon. Is there a trusted brand that won't leak around the lever or should I just do gate? All the schedule 80 gate valves have perfect reviews but then I'd need to use schedule 80 for everything right

I would not plumb your emergency overflow to the trickle plate. That is just more junk you have to move and fight with when you clean the filter pad. Just plumb the emergency overflow to the second compartment of the trickle filter or to the 20g tank. The emergency overflow should be just that... only used when something has gone wrong.

I have never had a problem with a PVC ball valve leaking and I have used many of them. PVC ball valves are made to handle 50psi... in an aquarium the most they will be subjected to is 4 or 5 psi.

I have used a few gate valves and only selected them because their overall length is considerable shorter than a ball valve... but if length isn't a consideration then I just go with the ball valves.

 

[TimTheWiner]

I was mainly thinking of that setup because at least with the you tube clips I've watched, the emergency does have a constant flow to it and I didn't know how much overall that accounted for (10%, 25%, 50%). Is there really no need for any kind of valve to close that line off if need be? I could certainly just keep it all flexible and dump it into the second part of the tower chamber. Even if it was plumbed into the lid I just figured the hole lid can lid off and away for maintenance.

 

[twentyleagues]

I was mainly thinking of that setup because at least with the you tube clips I've watched, the emergency does have a constant flow to it and I didn't know how much overall that accounted for (10%, 25%, 50%). Is there really no need for any kind of valve to close that line off if need be? I could certainly just keep it all flexible and dump it into the second part of the tower chamber. Even if it was plumbed into the lid I just figured the hole lid can lid off and away for maintenance.

That's why I said to the top too. But yes put it where ever you can to make your life easier. As for flow through it you should set it up to take water only if something happens to your main drain other then that a few drips at any one time maybe. As for ball valve versus gate valve, gate valves are more fine tunable smaller adjustments then a ball valve but either will work.

 

[TimTheWiner]

I guess my confusion lies in the mixed info I've been reading and seeing on a completely dry emergency vs a constant slight trickle to alleviate surface scum within the overflow. Even Herbie himself admitted to setting up many this way on a Reef Central thread I was reading. IF this method was utilized and perhaps the top of the emergency encountered a full clog (imagine capped off) wouldn't the water level in the overflow just drop to the height of the main drain or would the DP actually flood?

 

[TimTheWiner]

And does it seem acceptable that my emergency is 1/4" smaller ID than the main?