Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing? (select all that apply)

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 108 56.3%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 100 52.1%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 54 28.1%
  • None.

    Votes: 41 21.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 11 5.7%

  • Total voters
    192

Timfish

Crusty Old Salt
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
4,069
Reaction score
5,391
Location
Austin, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
None. The simpler the plumbing can be designed the more foolproof it is. My prefered design is two small submersable return pumps each with seperate flexable tubing return lines. Return lines are set so there is minimal siphoning back to the sump in the case of power failure.
 

Fred A.

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 8, 2023
Messages
65
Reaction score
55
Location
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Unions so every piece of equipment can be easily removed for servicing. I've never had a leak. Ball valves (blue handles, not red) for pumps. I don't use check valves because sooner or later they will fail to completely shut.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
96,707
Reaction score
215,505
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
It so happens , I had yet another power outage last night as we had heavy wet snow and I yelled "my Tank!". I finally got to my cell phone and ran to the sump and not an ounce of water got past this valve- A true savior !
 

Michael White

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
142
Reaction score
159
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Each valve has it’s place based on your application. Check valves are fine as long as you understand their limitations and clean them properly the same as you “should” be cleaning your pumps. Clear body flapper types with dual unions are actually better ime because you can see and access them for maintenance, and they don’t bind from debris like the float type. Ball valves are for isolation and are a poor choice for throttling flow. Gate valves are very effective at metering flow for a reef tank drain or return bypass applications but also tend to collect debris on the incoming side of the gate, effecting the flow rate. Simply cycling them full closed to full open once a month is a good way to keep them clear. Removing and cleaning them at least annually would be prudent. The same goes for ball valves but that’s less critical for them. Ball valves should be at least single union for removal and cleaning but double union valves are best. Cheap sealed ball valves without unions have been short lived in my past aquariums and always seized when I really needed them to isolate water so I never use them now. So right tool right job. Small tanks with simple durso overflow and drain setup and dc return pump usually doesn’t need any valves. Once you get into bigger tanks or really push more flow and want it quiet in a herbie or bean animal overflow, you start needing valves. I run a bean animal overflow with a basement sump and dual ac return pump for the 15’ of head pressure. I need all three types of valves because of this configuration. I hope this helps somebody. I learned this over 20 years of spilling water and splicing lots pvc for changes when things didn’t work correctly.
 

B&CinB.C.

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 20, 2024
Messages
280
Reaction score
1,762
Location
B.C. Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I still don't have water in the tank ,(hopefully this weekend), but I just finished installing a manifold in the supplied plumbing for my tank . There's a gate valve on the main drain and other than that I used tru-union ball valves. I thought about installing check valves but after reading on here that you can't trust them decided not to.
 

Attachments

  • Tank pumbing with manifold.jpg
    Tank pumbing with manifold.jpg
    181 KB · Views: 32

NancyFish

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 21, 2024
Messages
371
Reaction score
97
Location
conneticut
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ive had ball valves all along and within the hour will be placing a check valve in the plumbing which just arrived from BRS
Two power outages in 5 weeks prompted me to order this

1711645794920.png
How are you liking them? I read a few people say they’re unreliable or something??
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
96,707
Reaction score
215,505
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
How are you liking them? I read a few people say they’re unreliable or something??
So far only one outage and met my expectation. Love it thus far
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
96,707
Reaction score
215,505
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
Do they actually need to be cleaned or self reliant?

I never even thought about how to plumbing setup can be affected in power outages. Just thought the tank would be without power
I know 3 others who have had them running 2 or more years and never cleaned them but stated still work like a champ when they shut down for maintenance.
I myself will use a tube brush at least twice a year to assure free flow
 

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A RARE/UNCOMMON FISH, CORAL, OR INVERT? SHOW IT OFF IN THE THREAD!

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top