picked up some bulkheads....

[reefermike1]

think its about time to drill my hex tank!!! bought 2 1" bulkheads and im gonna drill 2 drain lines. one will be the main drain with a screen in the tank and a valve regulating it, the other will have a 90deg fitting going up to the max waterline as a safety so the tank cant overfill. thinking of drilling both of them only a few inches from the top and then running the line outside the tank, plus i want to get the strainer thing as close to the surface as i can. if this all goes smooth id probably expect to see a cls in the near future once i get comfortable with the whole idea of drilling!

[JennM]

I would not suggest putting a valve on the drain line. You always want that wide open without any impediments or you could risk having the tank fill faster than it can drain.

There are "bulkhead kits" available that come with the bulkhead, an elbow and an intake screen. You can turn the elbow and screen to get the desired water level in the tank (within the radius of the bulkhead)

Here's a picture


Jenn

[JennM]

In addition - if you're going to have a redundant drain for "just in case" I'd suggest putting a screen on that too - just in case. You'd be amazed what can crawl onto an open drain if it has the opportunity - anemones, snails... been there, done that, mopped... (in the store).

Jenn

[reefermike1]

well i was gonna use the valve just so that it wasnt all loud and gurgling, that kit u posted is what i got. then the safety drain would be so that it wouldnt overflow if the pump did somehow overflow the main drain. anyway i can cut down on gurgling without a valve?

[JennM]

Well if you cut down the flow, you'll potentially have more issues than the gurgling

Unfortunately there aren't too many options when doing it that way.

You could get an internal overflow box (not a hang-on).... drill the tank farther down and put in a Durso or Stockman style standpipe, but that involves more work and $$ and you'll need to either build an internal overflow box or get one made.

I don't know of a Stockman mod for your application - but it may exist. Hopefully somebody else can chime in here.

I made a redundant drain that's anemone-proof (out of necessity - had some encounters with anem vs. drain in the shop... no anems were harmed, but I had some serious water on the floor.

I had the 1" bulkhead coming into the tank on the top corner, similar to what you likely have planned. I had a 1" piece of pvc a few inches long coming out of that, and I put a 1" tee on it (sticking up and down). I took a piece of honeycomb pipe (the kind used in old-style internal overflow boxes - I'll see if I can find a pic), and put a piece of that in each end of the Tee, and put a 1" cap on each end.

If an anemone crawls onto the submerged end of honeycomb pipe and clogs it (or anything else clogs it), the water rises to the top half of the drain assembly (which is above the water line, but below the top of the tank) and the water drains without the tank overflowing. It worked when another anemone "tested" it for me a few days after I built it. Only one drain/hole but a failsafe. I have so much water noise in the store I can't tell you if it keeps it quiet - however, the added ventillation from the top half of the tee may work sorta kinda like a Durso or Stockman.

Looked for a pic of the honeycomb pipe - struck out so far but if I find one I'll post it.

Jenn

Jenn

[bosscrab]

Are these things desigined to be used w/out an overflow box? That would leave more room in the tank. I was planning a coast to caost inside my tank would this be better?

[JennM]

Yes those bulkhead kits are designed to be used without an overflow box.

I've been looking for a pic of the honeycomb pipe to no avail. They did away with it when they brought out the Durso style standpipes in AGA and Oceanic tanks. I've got some of it around the store, and I use it for a bunch of different things.

If I think of it when I go to work today I'll post a picture of my drain mod.

Jenn

[reefermike1]

still trying to get up the courage to get started, i am excited about the added room and doing away with the overflow box. i just dont trust taht syphon tube, ive lost a couple gallons of water on the floor sofar, luckily nothing major yet. the whole thing with the valve is that i should be able to partially close it with the return pump running full blast so that the water can stay just over the top of the drain but not rushing in. so ill have no air and no noise at all in the drainline, then the backup drain is incase the valve does somehow become clogged and the drain is too restricted, then the waterlevel will rise to the top of the 90 elbow and drain down the second drainline. which should make enough noise to alert me that somethings wrong without having to soak up water on the floor!

[JennM]

I understand what you're attempting to achieve - I just think there are easier/better ways of doing so. I'll try to take a picture of my modified drain when I go to work - it only requires one hole.

I'd still caution you about putting a barrier in your drain pipe - you *need* that to be wide open at all times or you will end up with more water on the floor.

And yes, hang-on overflow boxes are notoriously fallible - "overflow" being the operative word.

Jenn