Plumbing Problems

scbill

scbill

New Member
Hi all! I am switching my 125G from a canister to a sump/fuge. I am plumbing mostly with 1" PVC but want to add some 1" reinforced vinyl tubing for flexibility as far as return/overflow placement. The problem is I cannot find any connections to move from Tubing to PVC at Lowes, Home Depot, or my local plumbing store. Has anyone plumbed with both 1” tubing and PVC?
I can up empty searching the net also.
 
PEMfish

PEMfish

Well-Known Member
I've never had a problem finding these parts at Menards, they are usually dark gray.

1 - Google Product Search

I am not sure what size pump you have, but if it requires 1" pipe then it is too small. If it is the right size pump for a 125g them the pipe it too small for the pump.

What brand / model / size return pump do you have?

I would go bigger with the pipe because if you ever want to upgrade then you will have to tear out all this pipe and redo it. I have 1.5" all around on my 75g.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
scbill said:
Hi all! I am switching my 125G from a canister to a sump/fuge. I am plumbing mostly with 1" PVC but want to add some 1" reinforced vinyl tubing for flexibility as far as return/overflow placement. The problem is I cannot find any connections to move from Tubing to PVC at Lowes, Home Depot, or my local plumbing store. Has anyone plumbed with both 1” tubing and PVC?
I can up empty searching the net also.
Click to expand...

What you plan can work, but you loose a lot of flow with the hose barbs to PVC tubing.

The far better choice is flexible PVC pipe, also know as SPA tubing. It glues up just like normal PVC pipe, but it can bend. Here is an example (offsite) - Flexible PVC Tubing& Clear Flexible Vinyl Tubing: Online ordering

If you use the material, you should use a glue made for it, but the regular stuff will work, if you glop it up a lot.

To be able to take it apart like where it connects to a pump, use unions or true union ball valves.

While we are on the subject of glueing PVC pipe, I should point out that clear PVC primer and PVC cement are available. This will avoid all the purple runs on the pipe they you seem to get using the normal primer.
 
Last edited:
cioutlaw

cioutlaw

Well-Known Member
PEMfish said:
I've never had a problem finding these parts at Menards, they are usually dark gray.

1 - Google Product Search

I am not sure what size pump you have, but if it requires 1" pipe then it is too small. If it is the right size pump for a 125g them the pipe it too small for the pump.

What brand / model / size return pump do you have?

I would go bigger with the pipe because if you ever want to upgrade then you will have to tear out all this pipe and redo it. I have 1.5" all around on my 75g.
Click to expand...

Disagree, He didn't say he was running a closed loop or using this for flow, 1" is more than adequate for a sump/fuge on a 125G tank.
 
F

fiveldsp

Member
I just redid my plumbing today using 1" pvp pipe and 1" tube. The hardest thing to find was the pvp-to-tube adapters. At Lowes at least, they are in the section where they sell sump and well pumps. The thing I did notice after redoing my plumbing is that my pump is pumping back into the tank quick than my siphon can drop the water to the sumps so I am actually going to double up on siphon tubes that go over the top of the tank to help it out. Unfortunately... U-shaped 1" plastic rigid tube is not something you can find easily in stores.. at least not where I am.

Best of luck bud, and don't forget your shut off valve in your plumbing for emergencies.
 
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