Well I decided to stop thinking and start building, I'm going for the sump in the base idea, Thanks John P. So to make that work I had to redesign the return line to the tank, I was going to have a vertical spray bar, but with the sump if the pump were shut off the tank would drain down to the bottom hole and flood the sump, and seeing that the smallest checkvalve is half the size of my sump I decided to run the return up to the surface and put a tee on it to divert it two directions. Now the goal was to not have any hardware showing in the tank I decided to make all of the in tank plumbing out of clear tubing, It should disappear when the tank is filled.
The first thing to do was to make a clear Tee out of Lee's 5/8" aquarium tubing.
After some cutting and fitting I got a pretty good fit.
A little acrylic cement (Thickened) and I have a Tee
The next item I needed was an overflow to drain the tank into the sump, I used the hard clear tubing again to make a standpipe, I notched the top for a strainer effect.
The reason I use the 5/8" tubing is that it fits a 1/2" CPVC fitting. I am making some small bulkhead fittings out of the following parts.
I went to the hardware store and brought home some 1/4" pipe hose barbs, 1/2" CPVC Couplings, Nylon washers and some Rubber washers. The nylon washer fits on the hose barb to give it a better shoulder then the rubber gasket is cut down to match the nylon washer and that is the outside half of the bulkhead fitting. For the inside half I use a 1/2" CPVC coupling and glue a short peice of 1/2" CPVC pipe in one end and cut off flush.
Once you have the coupling done clamp it in a vise so you can tap the double wall end out to 1/4" Pipe
Use alot of soapy water as you tap the plastic for lubracation.
The finished product looks like this.
The next thing to do is drill the tank to accept the bulkhead fittings, another advantage to the small fittings is a 5/8" hole insted of a 1 1/8" hole for the 1/2" bulkhead fitting you can buy. When drilling acrylic I like to use a step drill, I find they have less tendancy to crack the acrylic.
Here are the fittings installed.
and with the overflow and return installed. I will just use a little silicone grease to seal the clear tubes into the bulkhead fittings, this will leave me a little adjustment.
Well thats it for tonight, Pump and heater should be here this weekend.
As always comments, criticism, and ideas always welcome.
Brian