Plumbing a 120 g

[becca_vienna]

I am in the planning process and I am looking for ideas, experiences, advice, good products to use etc.

Have a basic idea of what I want to do. Will have the tank drilled and an internal overflow.
Going to be a pretty big project, but can't WAIT to have it all set up

Aiming for aproximately 1200-1400 gph flow rate. Will be using my current 35 gallon as the sump.

In need of ideas for return piping!

 

[davesolo29]

pvc at lowes.
i dont know about london, but here in kw, nobody sells pvc except for lowes.

 

[phi delt reefer]

+1. Lowes is the best place for PVC. They got it all, except bulkheads but u can swing over to incredible aquarium which is across the street and pick em up there.

 

[copperkills]

If I had to do it again I wouldnt do an internal overflow...bean animal for sure!!!

 

[Duke]

pvc at lowes.
i dont know about london, but here in kw, nobody sells pvc except for lowes.

Here in Sarnia, tsc is the place for pvc stuff. I got a bunch at the London one down the road from bills too

 

[spyd]

If you want it dead silent, use the Herbie method with an internal overflow. One pipe stand cut lower in the overflow that is full siphon and one cut just above the water level you want to keep in your tank. You will then need to go over the top with the return line though or have some additional holes drilled in the back pane of your tank. The full siphon line would need a PVC gate valve. They are not cheap but you will have a dead silent tank.

Definitely PVC piping for the entire system. You can also use Spa Flex for your lines. You can get it at Lowes as well. I hard piped my return lines and used a combination of hard pipe and Spa Flex for the drain lines.

 

[becca_vienna]

Thanks everyone!!

Spyd, I really like the Herbie method, it will definitely be utilized haha!

 

[unibob]

+1. Lowes is the best place for PVC. They got it all, except bulkheads but u can swing over to incredible aquarium which is across the street and pick em up there.

+1 for lowes and PVC.  You could go to IA but If you wanted a 2" bulkhead you would prob be sold a 2.5" bulkhead haha

 

[shipwreck]

Lowes is a major rip off for PVC prices. If you need something quick many home hardware stores carry white PVC fittings for half of lowes prices. Plasco on dundas st out past the airport has every fitting you could want as well as pipe in schedule 40 and 80. 

Bulkheads are best found at Skyview pools on highbury.  They carry 1.5" Hayward bulkheads in thread/thread and slip/thread.

 

[phi delt reefer]

Lowes is a major rip off for PVC prices. If you need something quick many home hardware stores carry white PVC fittings for half of lowes prices. Plasco on dundas st out past the airport has every fitting you could want as well as pipe in schedule 40 and 80. 

Bulkheads are best found at Skyview pools on highbury.  They carry 1.5\" Hayward bulkheads in thread/thread and slip/thread.

good thing i didnt glue all that pvc together... I'll check HH tonight!

 

[shipwreck]

Not every HH store carries it. I know grand bend and st Mary's do but stratford doesn't. No idea about the London stores.

Plasco beats them all as they do wholesale as well. For my current project I bought fittings by the case.

 

[jroovers]

There are lots of 120 build threads on RC that you can look up for plubming ideas.  I have a 120 with external overflow - two drains, one return line.  Drains split off into the skimmer section and fuge section of the sump, with a return section in the middle for pump with return.  I PVC'd it all with schedule 40, with the exception of spa flex from the pump to a true union valve hard PVC'd in.  If you can use true unions at either end (near overflow and at the sump end), you'll save yourself some grief if you need to do a tear down and/or maintenacne.  I've gotten all my PVC in west London from Lowe's and from TSC.