125g Dual Overflow Design w/pics

[mwalker0420]

Here are some pictures of my ideas. I have a 125g DT with 55g refuge/sump below. My sump is designed like melvs 55g sump w/ center return. What are your opinions on the designs? Which one would be better? Feel free to criticize and give new ideas.
All Pvc
View attachment 39572
Spaflex and Pvc
View attachment 39573

Thanks,
Matt

 

[eww]

Will you be running drains on both sides all the times or will one serve as a back up/emergency drain if the other gets plugged?

 

[mwalker0420]

Will you be running drains on both sides all the times or will one serve as a back up/emergency drain if the other gets plugged?

As of now i will be using the mega flow kit, so yes there will be two drains.

 

[holdendaniel]

Anybody have good source LOCAL to get some 3/4 and 1" spa flex(flex pvc) or have extra?

 

[eww]

I don't know if you have one up there but McLendons Hardware carries it. The Lowes down here in Puyallup has it as well but I don't know if they all do.

 

[fishoutofwater]

check pool/spa supply, home depot or lowes. i would run the first one and use gate valves on each drain. I am running a similar on mine.

 

[holdendaniel]

thanks i hav tried the local lowes and home depot as well as ace hardware but they all stock 1 1/4 1 1/2

on my personal tank i was only able to get 3' sections of 3/4 spa flex at spa store

 

[holdendaniel]

you like the idea just keeping with hard pvc for the drain no spa flex? then put gate valves x2 on the drains where they drop into the sump?

 

[Myteemouse]

I dont like the idea of putting two drains into one then back to two..
you should use gate valves on both and tune one for the sump and one lower for the fuge side..
that way if one plugs the other ill still roll strong

 

[holdendaniel]

very nice thanks adam that would be much easier to just straight down out of overflow with gate valves easy

 

[eww]

+1 to Myteemouse. IMHO I would avoid running two drain lines into one common drain. I have a single overflow with two drain lines. One drain runs continuous with a valve. The other just trickles once in a while when needed and if I totally shut down the main drain simulating a plug the second drain totally handles all the flow and make a lot of noise doing it so i know there is a problem immediately and if I'm not home it will work fine until I get there. The really nice thing about this setup is it is totally silent. All we hear is a low hum of the skimmer and return pumps which will go away once we can upgrade those two items. Please note... I am a total noob but what I have seems to work fantastic. Thanks to all the reading and help from others on here.

 

[NWDiver]

Hey Matt,
I don't see any adventage to using flex on the drain lines unless it is easier for you to install. Flex is nice for the return where you want to reduce drag from fittings.
The 1st. design is how mine is setup, less one valve.
Melev has (I think) moved away from this and now drains to one location with a bubble tower, and adds water to the fuge with a line from the return controlled with a ball valve. His take is that skimmed water is better into the fuge than water direct from the display.
I would avoid adding a valve to both sides (Mine is on the fuge only) this lowers the risk of an overflow at the tank, though it does mean that you have to tune for noise at the top.

 

[mwalker0420]

Thanks for all the input, sorry i didnt get back sooner, I decided on having both drains flow into my skimmer area to allow all my water to be skimmer before sending some flow over to my refuge via another pump or teeing off my return. I havent decided. I put up some pics of the design on my thread in the members showcase.