Where to get bulkheads and barbed inserts?
- Thread starter AquaVaj
- Start date
HD has 3/4" threaded barbed inserts but they look too cheap to put trust in. Especially at the point where the return line attaches to the bulkhead. It flexes if I squeeze it.
Do I need to make the connection at the bulkhead and standpipe water tight? They were just slipped into the bulkheads. I was thinking I should put some silicone around it to make it water tight but not permanent.
Do I need to make the connection at the bulkhead and standpipe water tight? They were just slipped into the bulkheads. I was thinking I should put some silicone around it to make it water tight but not permanent.
Got a leaky bulkhead. Not at the connection but at the seal due to sand getting in between. Instead of just retightening the drain bulkhead I decided to redo the emergency one too since I saw a lot of sand around it. Fixed the drain one but now leaking on the emergency. Arrgh.
However I think there's a flaw with how the overflow is designed that may prevent you from using a herbie drain even though there's 2 drain holes. It appears that the T return standpipe sits below the waterline and will block the emergency standpipe from opening above the waterline. I guess I can use a 1" ID flexible vinyln hose to curve around the T. I see a member doing a build with a similar tank so I'll check with him first on how he did his.
However I think there's a flaw with how the overflow is designed that may prevent you from using a herbie drain even though there's 2 drain holes. It appears that the T return standpipe sits below the waterline and will block the emergency standpipe from opening above the waterline. I guess I can use a 1" ID flexible vinyln hose to curve around the T. I see a member doing a build with a similar tank so I'll check with him first on how he did his.
Yeah make sure to have the area absolutely clean. Also, over-tightening the bulkhead can cause the gasket to warp and not seal properly. Should be hand tightened snug and just a small amount of tightening by wrench afterwards. Take a pic and post it of the herbie set up. as long as the emergency drain is higher than the drain pipe then you're fine. Just might need to have the drain pipe lowered a little.
So I took out the leaky bulkhead and replaced with a new one and flushed the overflow clean of sand. No more leak. I don't have the plumbing yet to finish the full emergency drain but went ahead and put in the standpipe for it. Somehow I thought the waterline in the overflow would be just below the weir cutouts so I cut the E standpipe to be just above that. Way too high so I'll have to go back and cut it shorter when I do the rest of the plumbing. The way it is right now the overflow would be flooding and tank level rising before it starts to drain.
Even though I had everything except the sand in totes with a powerhead running I still caused a minicycle since I took a few days to get it all back up. Will pick up a bottle of bio-spira today and dump it to help speed up the cycle. Got a few fish in a pretty small 20g QT that I really need to get out.
Even though I had everything except the sand in totes with a powerhead running I still caused a minicycle since I took a few days to get it all back up. Will pick up a bottle of bio-spira today and dump it to help speed up the cycle. Got a few fish in a pretty small 20g QT that I really need to get out.
