Plumbing
As per the photo below my tank has a weir in the back left corner. It is bottom drilled with 4 holes.
The previous owner had it set up as a Durso standpipe (25mm) with an emergency drain (20mm), plus 2 returns (15mm) running off a single return pump.
I will be switching things up a bit - Herbie setup with the siphon on the 20mm and the emergency on the 25mm. From what I have read the throughput of a 20mm siphon will far exceed a 25mm durso and the consensus seems to be that the emergency drain should be the larger of the two pipes. Chosen Herbie setup as I already had two holes and didn't want to do any glass drilling, plus once setup properly from everything I have read the Herbie setup will be quieter, safer and more stable.
A little undecided about the returns. The dual return setup is quite cool, but I am wondering whether I will be better served by using one of the two return holes for a water change drain that will double as a way to remove the bulk of the detritus that ends up in the bottom of the weir. This should also simplify the plumbing somewhat (no need to split return plumbing coming off the pump, no need to find a place to tee off a water change drain).
If I went with the above idea I would have a ball valve under the bulkhead, then a length of flexible tubing, then another sort of inline valve as a secondary safeguard against water spilling everywhere.
Any thoughts on the above? I am still a reefing newbie and this is the first time I have had to do any plumbing, so any constructive criticism or share wisdom is very welcome.
The previous owner had it set up as a Durso standpipe (25mm) with an emergency drain (20mm), plus 2 returns (15mm) running off a single return pump.
I will be switching things up a bit - Herbie setup with the siphon on the 20mm and the emergency on the 25mm. From what I have read the throughput of a 20mm siphon will far exceed a 25mm durso and the consensus seems to be that the emergency drain should be the larger of the two pipes. Chosen Herbie setup as I already had two holes and didn't want to do any glass drilling, plus once setup properly from everything I have read the Herbie setup will be quieter, safer and more stable.
A little undecided about the returns. The dual return setup is quite cool, but I am wondering whether I will be better served by using one of the two return holes for a water change drain that will double as a way to remove the bulk of the detritus that ends up in the bottom of the weir. This should also simplify the plumbing somewhat (no need to split return plumbing coming off the pump, no need to find a place to tee off a water change drain).
If I went with the above idea I would have a ball valve under the bulkhead, then a length of flexible tubing, then another sort of inline valve as a secondary safeguard against water spilling everywhere.
Any thoughts on the above? I am still a reefing newbie and this is the first time I have had to do any plumbing, so any constructive criticism or share wisdom is very welcome.
