Need some suggestions

[NCSadist]

I've been out of the hobby for some time and looking to set up a 36gal bowfront aquarium that I kept. I'm in the process of planning it all out, but I could use some help with one of the bulkheads I had drilled out originally for the aquarium (not sure what I was thinking way back then). It was suppose to be the return water supply from my sump, but its drilled near the bottom of the back glass, as shown in the pic below.

The hole is a little hard to see in this pic, but sits in the bottom left hand corner.

The original idea was something like this:

Using the return flow pipped under the sand bed to direct water flow to different areas of the tank. But now, I see this as a flood just waiting to happen.

I know why I put the bulkhead in for the return water, I don't like pipes etc hanging over the glass, but drilled near the bottom, I could smack the back of my head, lol

Any ideas?

I thought about running the pipe up the corner and having the water return near the surface, like most sane people would do. But hate the thought of the ugly pipe sticking out of the sand bed.

What do you guys and gals think? Any creative ideas.

 

[Bifferwine]

I would have the pipe coming up to the top, but put rocks in front of it so you can't see it.

 

[austingunkel]

Agreed just hide your plumbing

 

[RockStacker]

You could look into installing a check valve on the return line.
However, I am not sure if it would work in this particular application because that is a lot of water wanting to backflow into the return line if the pump dies.
I do not even know if there is a check valve that size.

Other than that, you could install a pipe going up and have your spray bars angled downwards from just under the surface of the water.

 

[NCSadist]

They actually do make check valves that size, but I think people question their actual effectiveness, and if memory serves, there is a metal disc used in the check valve.

I have an idea of drilling two more holes. one at the top corner of the tank for the actual return water supply. The second inside the overflow box, and making a closed circuit with that hole ... I've just never drilled glass before, makes me a little nervous. And the lfs that I use to go to for such things has closed down. Maybe one of the local glass shops in town can do it.

 

[Bifferwine]

They make all-plastic check valves made specifically for aquariums. They sell them at Marine Depot.

I think you are going hole crazy. A 30 gallon is too small for a closed loop system. Stop it with the drilling of even more holes and use the ones you've got already! With every additional hole you drill, you are decreasing the integrity of the glass and the structure more and more. :mrgreen:

 

[NCSadist]

I have an idea, although I don't like the curing time, but if I run a pipe up the corner with an elbow at the top for the water return would take care of any flooding issues. But, I don't much care of the look of the pipe.

So, what I'm thinking is some DIY liverock molded inside the tank, run it up the corner to hide the pipe. Make it look like something natural.

I though of using real live rock rubble along with epoxy to hold it together, but even done carefully, I'm seeing a lot of dead spots and a LOT of epoxy.

Sound good?