dumb question

[trillyen]

ok on my 75 gl tank I made a return PVC fitting around the upper back rim of the tank it looks so cool I wanna redo my 125 gl the same way but I have 2 returns on this tank

Would it be ok If I hooked the 2 of them up to the same return line PVC and placed them up around the upper rim and 45 degree them down the far left and right side

Would this benifit me some or would it mess things up

 

[edwing206]

You're asking if you can split the return right? If so, then yes.
I have one on the far left, one on the left, one on the far right and one on the right.
0-------0---------0---------0
^That's how I have mine. Not sure if the crappy diagram helps. :lol:

 

[trillyen]

so all of them are on and in the same PVC piping kinda like a closed loop or a spray bar with multiple returns all tied in on the same return PVC line

Is that benifical??

let me know yaw

Is it to much

 

[dnjan]

I'm probably a bit dense today, but a picture or a drawing would help me visualize what you want to do.

thanks

 

[trillyen]

ok will do tomorrow night cause I'm off to bed now thanks alot

 

[trillyen]

ok cool im adding pics a lil sonner than expected call me anxious i guess....ok my 125 went from these returns that were on to seperate return lines...

to this that is all plumbed into 1 main return line after the returns both hit the top rim of the tank kinda like a spray bar with 2 returns on each end instead of 1..

i was wondering if this would help or HURT me in any way

here is what my 75 has under gone so far!!!

any ideas for anything i could do different would be cool but im pretty happy and excited with my current set up!!!

i also finally added salt to my qt tank

and am planning to do a pvc design in there for hiding places for the fish

its all coming to get her now, lol
thanks alot to you guys, but any new ideas would be greatly appreciated

thanks ahead of time
Trillyen

 

[dnjan]

I would split your top bar in half, with one return supplying each half (by two returns, I assume you mean you have two return pumps). It is not a good idea to have two pumps trying to force water into the same thing (the common return piping you show).

Also (can't tell for sure from the pictures), be sure to include a shut-off valve (ball valve) between the return and the pump, and a true union between the ball valve and the pump. That way you can have one pump shut off and completely disconnected for maintenance while still maintaining some flow in the tank.

 

[apollothesun]

Looking Good Trillyen!

 

[trillyen]

Dang that sucs of looks so cool the way it is I gotta try and come up with a way to redo it dog gone it

Any ideas???

I like the stability of having them both on the same line dont have to worry about them going no where

Now that you say that though it dont seem like such a good idea and is a shut off valve really necessary I will probably end up getting a couple any way

 

[dnjan]

With shutoff valves you can take one pump out for replacement/repair and keep the tank running. Without shutoff valves, the dead pump will act like a siphon, reducing the water level in your tank (just like when you turn the pumps off.

With two (identical?) return pumps running, I am sure that you will keep a spare as well, but you will still be glad you have shutoff valves to make maintenance/pump replcement easier.

 

[dnjan]

Dang that sucs of looks so cool the way it is I gotta try and come up with a way to redo it dog gone it

Any ideas???

One thing yo could do is get a coupling (connector) for the PVC tubing, and cut a circle of plastic (1/16" thick is enough) the same diameter as te inside of your connector. Glue it in, and then have the two pieces of PVC going across the back of your tank go into it. Looks like a continous pipe, but flow doesn't go from one side to the other. Of course, you may want to add another outlet so you have an even number (same number fed by both pumps).

 

[trillyen]

hey thanks Apollo

Thank you to dnjan and congrats on your award you earned it well done

As far as my return though I think I'm gonna leave it how it is but put a shut of val in the middle where I got the three way PVC thing and close the val that will save me some rethinking and I may just add a couple more openings for the returns to spray out at like about 3 on each side

 

[trillyen]

is that ok???

 

[Damsel13]

I don't know a thing about plumbing but I love the shape of your 125 gal.. Can't wait to see it full of water!

 

[trillyen]

thanks damsel everything has really came along great thanks to you and some others

I'm hoping to finish up on everything tonight

 

[krisfal]

Looking forward to seeing it with water

 

[trillyen]

LOL you and me both krifal LOL

Man plumbing this thing was almost as fun as watching my fish swim ya know I am really enjoying all the maintance and its just so cool to look at it and think man I did that

I went out to day and got some cross PVC and a few ball vals to redo my plumbing a bit since I was told that its not a good idea to have 2 pumps pushings water through the same lines. I thought that it would be ok though since the two lines of water wouldn't really meet until they were over the top rim if the tank, and right where they would meet at I had a opening that would do what I thought would add more flow to the tank

Come to think of it are you sure that I still can't do this set up like this since the two flows of water really dont meent til there over the top rim of the tank like in the picture the two things that are setting up over the back of the tank are the two separate lines of water and in the middle of that long line in the center of the tank is a crimped out let that would release the compressed water.


Not trying to second guess any one I was just wanting to explain exactly how the set.up was so there was no confusion if iyd still not ok ok prepared

Thanks

trillyen

 

[james734]

you can do it it's just not advised. 1. you would have 2 pumps pushing water into the same area and would be creating head pressure against each other and could basically lower the flow of the pump. 2 if one pump was to fail the other pump would simple push water back out into the sump and not into the tank. 3. the tank would drain back drain into the sump which would would happen anyway if both pumps stopped, but this would do if one pump stopped also. Thing to remember here is water will flow the path of least resistance. So by looking at the pinched output nozzles you created by heating the PVC and squeezing it and regular 3/4" pipe. Where do you think the least path of resistance is?..... Of course it's the wide open 3/4" PVC. So now imagine you go away for a weekend, week, etc. and one pump fails. You'd have no water circulation at the tank until either the failed side was closed off with a valve or the pump was fixed. That could be up to a week if your on vacation. Who ever is feeding the tank while you are gone might not even know there was a problem.

Like it was said earlier, you can do it, but it's just not advised. You can have 2 return pumps but the best and safest thing to do is have them not connected on the return side.

Does that make any more sense?

 

[trillyen]

wow guess I never really thought of one of my pump quitting on me thanks foe thanking of I'd for me James your good at that

good thing I did get those crosses today at lowes I'm gonna redo the flow but not change the design I'm just gonna put a shut off val in the middle and on the bottom piece of the cross that I replace the three way with I'm gonna put a 90 and there it is

Thanks alot FAM

Well until next time wish me luck

 

[james734]

No problem. Looking forward to seeing water in this thing..