Plumbing Help 142 Fiji Cube

[TwoDogsOneReef]

I just bought a Fiji Cube 142 gallon tank. I am getting into saltwater after having fun with a 29 gallon tank. I currently have bought the Fiji Cube 142 Full Package EXT. I am curious for the plumbing setup. I really appreciate the help. I am super excited. I have 160 lbs of rock dry rock and have Carib Sea Special Grade sand. 2 Nero 5's, 2 Radion Pro R30's and 1 Radion Pro R15 for the middle. I think I should have enough light. I bought the factory lightbar for them. Let me know if I should have any concerns please.

Fiji Cube 142 Gallon Rimless EXT Glass Aquarium Tank Package

Click the link below for the product description. https://www.fijicube.com/pages/ext-large-package-page

www.fijicube.com

Plumbing Fitting Kit - 142G EXT or Large Size Tank

Get your plumbing fitting kit here at a discounted price. These plumbing kits are used in our Fiji Cube aquariums and they will fit your aquarium plumbing needs. The table below shows what you will get in this plumbing bundle. This plumbing fitting kit is included in our 142G EXT aquarium full...

www.fijicube.com

 

[blaxsun]

So what are you curious about?

 

[shakacuz]

if you bought the setup, it should come with what’s needed regarding plumbing

 

[TwoDogsOneReef]

Sorry for the late reply. What I am wondering is where I should connect the unions as well as the gate valve. I believe I have the gate valve figured out now, but it's more so the unions for me. I had a 29 gallon tank before that just had a hang off the back skimmer and no sump, so this is definitely a massive step up. If you have any suggestions for beginner stuff as well, please let me know. I've dove deep into 52 weeks of reefing already by BRS.

 

[sunken3]

there are a ton on videos showing different ways to plumb your aquarium,,, some are better than others for sure. The unions offer a great way to remove equipment from the system without the need to cut pipe and redo a bunch of stuff... so think about what may need to be removed at some point and put unions between them and the system. for example your pump could fail or need to be cleaned.. if you are using hard plumbing to your sump a union is perfect there. if you have any inline items surround it with a union (eg algae scrubber). I suggest if hard plumbed with a dc pump ... go pump, union, check valve (you could union there if you have space), then up to the tank. if it is an ac (non controllable pump) you may also want to put a valve in so you can slow down the flow if needed.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Do NOT use a check valve. They don’t work in a reef aquarium because things like sponges and feather duster worms grow in the plumbing and will jam the seat open. They are just too unreliable to trust. Please avoid.

 

[sunken3]

Do NOT use a check valve. They don’t work in a reef aquarium because things like sponges and feather duster worms grow in the plumbing and will jam the seat open. They are just too unreliable to trust. Please avoid.

I disagree wholeheartedly.. these can fail for sure, but if you don't have one and the rest of your plumbing hasn't been properly "setup" you will absolutely end up with water all over the house. keep them clean. just adjusting a return hose nozzle downward a little in your tank could cause 10% more of your water volume to drain into your sump in a power outage. unless you have a greatly over-sized sump running at a low water level, I am not sure how else you would protect against overflow with no power. If you have a better method, I am definitely open to learning.

 

[RocketEngineer]

The better method is the proper setup. It’s having the sump outlets at the surface, pushing anything on the surface into the overflow. And when you first fill a system, it’s really easy to get the correct amount of water into both the tank and the sump to prevent them from flooding.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

The better method is the proper setup. It’s having the sump outlets at the surface, pushing anything on the surface into the overflow. And when you first fill a system, it’s really easy to get the correct amount of water into both the tank and the sump to prevent them from flooding.

I know this is an old post from the OP but I agree I have an undersized sump for this exact tank and I was concerned about backflow but also understand the risks associated with check valves. Since I know I’m bad at cleaning equipment I just ensured my return nozzles are flush with the water surface and was careful not to overfill the tank. It’s easy enough to simulate a power outage, I just filled until there was enough water that my return pump didn’t suck in air and baffle high enough for my skimmer so I didn’t need a skimmer stand. For reference I have the trigger system platinum 26 gallon sump for my 142 gallon external overflow Fiji cube DT.

When I turn off the return pump and skimmer I still have like 4-5 inches of room for more water.

Like one of the BRS videos on plumbing said, if you’re going to use a check valve make sure you get one that is easy to remove or take apart so you can maintain/clean it.