Little did most of us know when we first entered the reef aquarium hobby that we would quickly become proficient plumbers. Between plumbing sumps, multiple systems together and simply performing water changes, the world of aquarium plumbing can quickly overwhelm newcomers and salty veterans alike. Through the years I’ve plumbed hundreds of aquariums, dozens of water changing systems and have inhaled enough PVC cement fumes to inebriate a herd of elephants. This post covers some of the ‘trade secrets’ that aid in efficiently plumbing any system with Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC), and can help establish of plan of action prior to necessitating fifteen trips to your local hardware store. First let’s look at the various types of PVC used in our hobby. Upon inspecting PVC options there’s no doubt that you’ll encounter several wall thicknesses of tubing and fittings. The main two wall thicknesses we commonly deal with are Schedule (Sch.) 40 and Sch. 80 PVC. Wall thickness determines the maximum pressure the PVC tubing/fitting can handle. Even with high pressure rated pumps we aren’t coming close to approaching the maximum pressure rating of Sch. 40 PVC in home aquaria, so why even talk about Sch. 80 PVC? Aesthetics. A few years ago we started to witness a plethora of builds being shared on reefing forums utilizing gray Sch. 80 PVC which looked great by avoiding unsightly white PVC with obnoxious lettering printed all over it (note most Sch. 80 has black lettering however it blends into the gray). It’s important to realize that we are deterring flow by using Sch. 80 PVC, and certainly raising the cost of our build considering many Sch. 80 PVC fittings cost double or triple the amount of Sch. 40. For the most part Sch. 80 is used strictly for looks, but there is something to be said about Sch. 80 PVC valves. They’re built more robust than their Sch. 40 counterparts which will aid in longevity. We’re now starting to see more offerings of colored PVC; black is available from several suppliers (Savko being my go-to) and colored PVC options from Pimped Out Aquariums. Ultimately the choice between Sch. 40 versus Sch. 80 plumbing is a personal opinion. When planning your plumbing make sure to utilize unions wherever necessary. This allows painless removal of pumps and other equipment for maintenance, along with easing any dreaded aquarium move that may take place in the future. … More:
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