Need some plumbing ideas!

[Lurchin_Urchin]

So I just got a new tank, it's a rimless L48"xW18"xH14" drilled tank. It's going to go in a cabinet that's built in to the wall of my house. The cabinet top is L64"xW24"xH34".

The dilemma I'm currently having is that in overflow plumbing is on one side of the tank and the return plumbing is on the other side of the tank. I'm trying to figure out how to run it so it doesn't look so janky. It will run underneath the cabinet where there's a large area where the sump will go.

I've considered doing a PVC tubing, running that along the bottom of the aquarium, then to the back where it would join with PVC pipe, and doing the same thing on the other side and having them meet in the middle behind the aquarium. But even still it would likely be pretty noticable.

Anybody have any ideas to have both sides run under the cabinet without being an eyesore?

 

[FUNGI]

a drawing would help visualize this....as I tried to understand, but don't know why it would meet in the middle, etc etc.

 

[Lurchin_Urchin]

Heres a poorly drawn basic schematic of what I was possibly thinking.

 

[FUNGI]

ohhhh....is your tank going to have sand? if so, alll of the stuff underneath will be hidden anyway....otherwise, yes do it like you planned....PVC pipe schedule 40

 

[Lurchin_Urchin]

ohhhh....is your tank going to have sand? if so, alll of the stuff underneath will be hidden anyway....otherwise, yes do it like you planned....PVC pipe schedule 40

yeah its going to have a 2-3" sand bed. I guess I was trying to debate whether there was a better way to hide the plumbing when its going down the side of the tank, like having a 90 degree turn right at the overflow and return ports, run that to the back of the tank and then down the corners. I'll attach a pic of that as well. My only worry would be that there is too many turns/overcomplicated.

 

[FUNGI]

agree too many corners for things to get stuck in......
sides are painted? or clear......

 

[Lurchin_Urchin]

agree too many corners for things to get stuck in......
sides are painted? or clear......

It's clear all around it

 

[FUNGI]

maybe get clear pipe......

 

[FUNGI]

what size tubing?

 

[Lurchin_Urchin]

That's what I'm thinking, at least for the plumbing that's out in the open above the cabinet. The plumbing it came with are these huge black corrugated tubes that are not going to go well inside of a white cabinet.

 

[Lurchin_Urchin]

what size tubing?

It currently has 1" ID tubing.

 

[FUNGI]

Tennessee Valley Products​

Schedule 40 clear pipes and connections......i.e. 1" x 7'....$40.00

 

[FUNGI]

or just get some cheap clear vinyl tubing....

 

[ScottD]

I’d be concerned about using clear tubing that’s visible. Overtime you’re going to get algae and junk clinging to the sides with no way to clean it without taking it apart and will be visible through the clear tubing. I’d try just using a colored pipe that doesn’t stand out and make it as clean looking as possible to make it less noticeable.