# Plumbing question - from a plumbing noob.



## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Hope the SW people are looking here...wanted to post under Marine since they do all the cool plumbing, but this is for a FW tank so...

I have a 75G that is being relocated in a basement currently under renovation.

I have an external DIY PVC CO2 reactor with my heater inline and all I have running into my tank are filter lines and 1 cord for a Koralia. My plan was to locate the tank very close to the wall and run hoses through a small opening into the furnace/utility room on the other side of the wall so the only thing in the living area would be my tank and light. Filter, heater, pump, reactor would all be serviced from the utility room.

Then I got to thinking how nice looking (aquascaping aside) some of the tanks that Tom Barr does with hard plumbing and nothing running over the lip of the tank, no filter inlets running down the back glass etc.

I am considering/investigating hard plumbing my reactor and filter through the back of the tank. The bottom is tempered, so I know I won't be going that route.

Is there any reason not to put 4x 3/4" bulkheads say ~6" above the bottom of the tank, out the back glass? Intake and output for a filter and reactor/heater loop. It would be easily hidden by plant and I'd use splitters and lock line to play with returns. The flexibility that would offer might mean I can ditch the Koralia as well so nothing running into the tank over the lip. I know the pressure at the bottom of the tank is higher than it would be for overflows at the top of the tank, but it wouldn't be any different/worse than plumbing through the bottom would it?

Is this just a pipe dream?  (pun intended)

Are there are any good "_Dum_bing for plum_mies_" sites?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

That would work fine 

Just make sure you don't put the holes too close together, or to an egde of the glass. I think the rule of thumb is that the hole should be no closer than 1.5 times the diameter of the hole to an edge or another hole.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

1.5 times for edge distance, good to know. I was looking at more like 3-4 times - hence my 6" for a 3/4 bulkhead. When there is no redundancy to something like this, paranoia is justified IMO.

I have gear that uses 5/8 on both in and out and a 2217 that's 5/8 in 1/2 out, but I don't really want to limit myself so I was thinking of installing 3/4" threaded bulkheads and using adapters to suit the respective hose sizes. Is that possible? I'm not sure where to start tracking down the parts for this.

Is it as easy as a trip to JJ Downs (for example) with a sketch of what I want to do or will I need to look elsewhere for bulkheads and such. Where do reef and SW folks (west end especially) find plumbing parts?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yep, it'll probably be better if you start with 3/4" bulkheads and head down, as it'll allow you to use different parts later on if you choose so.

At JJ Downs, you can make a list of what you need from the lists lists of products on their website. You'll find most PVC parts you'll need for the project in one place.

The 1/2" connectors and adaptors are easy to find - however that 5/8" Eheim tubing is going to be a doozie to connect perfectly - maybe with a 3/4" hose barb connector and clamps? Heat the tubing to stretch it over the 3/4" hose barb and reinforce it with band clamps?


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