melev

When I set up the 400g, I had plans to make the water changes something less involved. I bought a high-end dual-head dosing machine, with the goal to automate water changes during the night on a regular basis, but I had trust issues with such a device and never got it fully installed.

Over the past 15 months, when I needed water from the 265g poly tank, I used some spaflex tubing, pointing it into the sump's return zone and then opened a valve to refill what was removed. That section of pipe was often in my way, and I kept thinking I should drill a hole in the sump's vertical wall so a more permanent solution would be at my disposal.

Saturday night, I got motivated to drill a hole. The sump is 3/8" cast acrylic. I checked my plumbing fittings and found a matching uniseal that would work with the 1" spaflex hose. To keep the shavings from going everywhere, I drilled from inside the sump, letting the acrylic shavings float on the surface of the water I was about to pump out. As soon as the hole was drilled, I inserted the uniseal into it.

Pulling out the same trusty bottle of Astroglide that makes everyone chuckle, I lubed up the fitting and forced the spaflex into the uniseal.



The shavings were netted out of the sump, and I siphoned used tank water from the sump's return zone and skimmer zone, letting it flow down the french drain and away from the house. I opened up the valve and the new clean saltwater poured into the sump, this time without concern where the pipe was pointed or that it could flop out and spill on the floor.



I should have done this a year ago. It was a very simple task, and makes my life easier plus it looks better. I may later change out the pipe with black spaflex to match the system.