Plumbing problems

[the curious]

OK...on my new 90 I've decided to have my filtration gravity drain into a bucket, that will be full of live rock, then overflow to my sump. I have finally hooked everything up, but the water flow going to the bucket is filling up faster than it overflows. :boo:

The output from the bucket to the sump is just a pvc pipe. If I were to put a "T" halfway down the line, that dropped to the refugium area, would that help me out?

I painted the bucket black with the intentions of it being a semi-cryptic zone. That being said, maybe a direct overflow is too much flow for my desired application. I have a lower powered powerhead that I could run from the sump to the bucket but i was hoping to keep down the amount of powerheads in my sump...I'm already looking at having 4 down there.

That would probably fix my current predicament. I could just run the overflow from the DT straight to the sump...like a normal person...but...I'd really like to make my plan work, without just giving up and going for the simple option.

 

[cbj25]

Got any pics?

 

[the curious]

2ruble;850065 wrote: how big is the drain from the bucket to the sump? It can only drain as fast as it can drain you know?

so if you've got a one inch drain to the bucket and then a half inch drain to the sump... then it's probably not going to keep up

Its all 1" plumbing...which is why I figured it would work just fine.

 

[the curious]

Ok...so right now you can see the grey plumbing coming out of the bucket. I just replaced the original plumbing to see if this flexible tube would work any better...it did...but still not quite good enough.

Second picture is what originally was coming out of the bucket. I even put a level on it, and it is slightly tilted in the desired direction.
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[cbj25]

my thoughts...

to me it looks like the problem is prob is where the bulkhead comes out of the bucket. It is smaller than 1" at a point inorder to get the flex hose on. and because it is horizontal and not vertical, the flow rates are different that the drain from your tank.

solutions:

either use the t like you posted earlier OR

use an 1.25 or 1.5 bulkhead on a bucket with bigger flex tubing.

 

[the curious]

Yup...you are absolutely right. the bulkhead gets smaller than 1". I think I'll just go get a new 1.5" bulkhead and I'll be in business. For now I have just taken the bucket out of the loop and am overflowing directly to the sump with flexible tubing.

That being said...my 90 Gallon is officially running as of about half an hour ago. woo hoo!!! No leaks, and everything fits as anticipated.

Thanks CJ and 2ruble

 

[cbj25]

the curious;850117 wrote: Yup...you are absolutely right. the bulkhead gets smaller than 1". I think I'll just go get a new 1.5" bulkhead and I'll be in business. For now I have just taken the bucket out of the loop and am overflowing directly to the sump with flexible tubing.

That being said...my 90 Gallon is officially running as of about half an hour ago. woo hoo!!! No leaks, and everything fits as anticipated.

Thanks CJ and 2ruble

no problem, glad its all up and running, i got some coral for ya when it is cycled...

 

[the curious]

Wow...I really appreciate that.:up: I have close to 150 lbs of cycled rock and the black sand from my 65 that is full o critters, so I should be in business here soon.

thanks guys

I'm gonna make a thread about my build for the 90 once all these kinks are straightened out.