Plumbing thoughts

[Sac39051]

so my Aqueon 150 has 2 overflows, total of 4 holes drilled for 1" plumbing. This setup is presumably for 2 out, 2 in (one in each overflow). I don't like the idea of having a maximum of 650 GPH flowing out out of only 2 1" pipes.

My question is, would there be any downfall to me using 3 1" drains and only 1, 1" return? It would simplify the return plumbing since it would not have to be split in 2, and I have the potential for 1800ish GPH, which I like

Have not really seen it done, so there must be some sort of downfall I am not thinking of? Or have I just not looked hard enough?


***side note I was going to go with the Fluval SP4 pump...but the SP6 is even cheaper online than the 4...would the SP6 be way too much?

 

[Sarmo]

use all four for drains and do the return over the top.... but yes your idea would work fine

 

[duanes]

I agree with Sarmo, there is no need to use a drilled hole for return, much better use as a 4th outflow.
I always run PVC over the top, makes for better surface agitation and gas exchange.

 

[Sac39051]

Sound is also a concern, I would like everything to be silent. Does 4 intakes equate to four times the noise?

What about the flu all sp6, too much pump still?

 

[mudbuttjones]

Open stand pipes are loud. Putting downward facing elbows on the drains helps with noise. (Durso style)

you can alternatively run 1 drain as a full siphon which will handle a bulk of your flow. Put a ball valve or preferably a gate valve on the siphon drain to dial it in and hit that quiet sweet spot where ypu reach equilibrium.


Heres a close up of my over the back returns. They are quiet when submerged also.


Finished product discretely painted black with krylon fusion. Almost invisible


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[noside]

Up your stand pipes and drain pipes to 1.5" it makes a difference even on a 1" bulkhead. I've got no problem running over 2000gph on my corner flow tank with only 2 drains.
If you keep your stand pipes up hi it will keep them quiet and if you drill the side like mine with a vent on the top you'll be even better off. No adjusting needed no valves needed at all the drains adjust according to how much flow I put back into the tank on there own.

I really love this setup never have to worry about making any adjustments. Water changes are a breeze as is feeding just push a button pump shuts down 15 mins later everything is back to running without me touching a thing.

If you're still a firm believer in the you only can flow as much as your smallest diameter, look up the venturi effect and Bernoullis principle. A step down in ID creates a pressure difference which leads to accelerated flow. And since in no way unless your running huge 20' vertical pipes is the velocity surpassing the speed of sound so the choked flow level is never actually reached.

 

[mudbuttjones]

I needlessly over-engineered my single overflow in my 90.

A 1" siphon
A 1.5" emergency pipe on a 1" bulkhead

I drilled a 3rd hole, 3/4" bulkhead, it buffers water fluctuations between the siphon and emergency drains. It is lower flow maybe 150gph in an open channel (non-siphon). I usually flow a small trickle of water down it. There is a vent tube that loops over the rim of the tank. If the water level rises it sucks water instead of air and converts to a full siphon and the 3/4" drain can flow 5-700gph on its own, before even getting the emergency pipe wet.

Long story short its dead silent.. no issues. Brainless automatic restarts after water changes. Set it and forget it. Just check the strainers for debris occasionally.

It looks over complicated but with 4 holes and dual overflows on your tank its much more simple

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