NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!

Hi,
I use to live in a large flat on a third floor.... Was divided quite on an Ã"šÃ‚«open spaceÃ"šÃ‚» loft model...

My tank at the time was a 90 gal with a corner overflow inside the tank and a 1 1/2 overflow hole and bulkhead at the bottom of it (a was new in the hobby and it was recommended by my LFS at the time).

The noise was absolutely unberable as it filled in the entire flat.
I then used the ball valve method (stiil recommended as a solution by my LFS) at the time that restricted the flow and did give me absolute silence... but I soon discovered that it wasn't safe as I came back from work one night and my corner flow Ã"šÃ‚«boxÃ"šÃ‚» was almost filled!!!!! Which means... my tank was almost filled . Got in just in time to stop a flood by reopening the valve a bit... Lucky me.

I would have go on with that method if it had been planned in advanced, because at that point I coulnd't figure how to drill a safety second hole in my corner box overflow (my tank was up and running!).

I then changed to a durso pipe...

So this method does work im my experience as long as your safety system is fully efficient.

The only disadvanyage i see to it is that i think the gurgling and bubble issue is quite a good thing to the tank itself as it mixes the water an oxygens it (my sump is a Miracle mud refugium: the water enters in chamber 1 before crossing the algea chamber).

Now my tank is in the living room and the filtration is in the basement (i moved!!!).

But it is a method I will probably adopt because I'm upgrading my tank soon....

Thanks Herbie for sharing this!

Beluga
 
Alright here I tested this meathod one last time on a HOB overflow.
First I set the flow at about 500 GPH. The syphon works great and makes a ton of noise. Next I start to close return valve until noise stops and water equalizes in outside box. And this is what happens.......

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58279226@N00/137886176/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/45/137886176_2b388e4f80_o.jpg" width="400" height="535" alt="durso" /></a>

then slowly......

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58279226@N00/137885748/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/55/137885748_5a9ed35af7_o.jpg" width="400" height="299" alt="flowin" /></a>

and then and you really need to give me credit for turning my back to the tank to pick up the camera.......

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58279226@N00/137885746/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/45/137885746_e31de1bbb4_o.jpg" width="400" height="299" alt="omg" /></a>

But guess what if I close the main return completely then water starts to flow from the durso to the sump.

Convince me that a syphon can work with this:confused:

Dan
 
dandy7200
O.K. now we are getting somewhere.
First off.........your inner overflow box looks very low to me. My box is towards the top of the tank and the tank water level is still 1/2 inch from the rim.
I still dont think that has any affect on why the emergency is not working though. Your main drain to the sump IS the bottom bulkhead right??? If so.........Good. Get rid of that durso set-up at the top bulkhead.........no need for it.........its just an emergency drain. Make sure the emegency drain has its own 1" drain line going directly to the sump ABOVE the sump water level. Make sure the emergency drain is not clogged in some way.........no need for a valve on the emergency line either! The emergency bulkhead/line should never see any water flow unless the main is "dialed in" wrong or the if the main line becomes clogged.
Thats it..........it has to work. Lets just keep it simple. I suspect that durso in the emergency line has something to do with the problem.........OR your drain line coming from the upper bulhead is clogged in some way.
Let me know how you make out.
Later...........Herbie
 
It is set up the way you described. I think the differance here is that I am using a slimline box and I just can't get enough water pressure inside to push down on the main drain. I am determined to make this work so last night I did this.....

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58279226@N00/137885743/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/45/137885743_34ed4ba2a0_o.jpg" width="400" height="299" alt="slot2" /></a>

to my tank :smokin: . I am just going to build a extrenal overflow with glass and sell the whole lifereef thing.

Dandy
 
It's funny, I was already running the no second drain method when I stumbled onto this thread. I am pretty paranoid about a flood. I do not have a standpipe and also have a corner overflow.

I think that a good idea for this is to install a float switch that is connected to the return pump and will turn it off in the event of a clog. That is what I am planning on doing. What do you guys think?
 
That would be my ONLY emeergency backup. Do you think it is better/safer to bear the noise or do you think that the float switch is sufficient?
 
Dandy, is that a glass tank you just cut? If so, (just a warning, if you already did what I'm about to describe, ignore this). Did you incorporate rounds in the corners of the cut? If so, all's good. If you have really tight corners in that cut and its glass, be forwarned, that tank is a time bomb.

Either way make sure you set it up in an area that is OK if the tank breaks. Run it for a few days filled up just to be safe. I've read of disasters of tanks cut for external overflows.

BTW, I have one and it has been running for about 6 months, but there were others that didn't have the same luck.

Again if you already know this sorry to babble on......
 
Thanks for the heads up. The corners are rounded a little and polished the best I could. There is a piece of 1/4" glass laminated to the back of the tank just below the cut and I think I may get a piece cut for the inside as well. I haven't filled it yet and when I do it will still be about 4 months before I stock it so if I lose the tank it's not a huge deal there will just be rock and water in there.
 
Herbie,

I am disappointed that this thread did not make "Thread of the month"...

People are more interested in eye-candy than in true solutions to real problems... oh well... next time.. :o :o ;)



-Nathan
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7345540#post7345540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nathan
Herbie,

I am disappointed that this thread did not make "Thread of the month"...

People are more interested in eye-candy than in true solutions to real problems... oh well... next time.. :o :o ;)



-Nathan
Click to expand...

Me too, but don't worry we will try to keep it on the front page for you!
:rollface:
I should be doing a wet test again this weekend. I'll report back the results of the new setup.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7341143#post7341143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Waxxiemann
That would be my ONLY emeergency backup. Do you think it is better/safer to bear the noise or do you think that the float switch is sufficient?
Click to expand...

Float switches don't have a good reputation for being reliable but it can't hurt.

I don't think you will be much safer, but if you can sleep better under noise than under stress, then yes it is better:) I should say "unnecessary stress" BTW. But hey I am stressed out for nothing all the time like everyone else, just not this one once I tried it out:)
 
Waxxiemann,
I think since your float switch will probably never touch water except if the drain is clogged it will remain reliable for a very long time. I would test it periodically but, many people run this with no backup and sleep just fine.
 
I have been following this thread for some time without posting and I do have a very similar setup yet with a refugium set next to the aquarium and being drained by two lines. the upper one is an emergency line and is set without any ball valves. The lower one was without ball valves and always had air getting sucked as water was always at mid level of the intake tube. Tried putting an elbow but that caused more problems because air made a pressure in the elbow and water got higher and higher without the aire being pushed. I did remove the elbow and added a ball valve to the lower pipe only and it was a pain but I did manage to dial it to drain a bit less than what the pump is sending to the refugium. basiaclly what happens is that slowly water start to rise in the refugium. the more it rises the more pressure it causes in the pipe and water will then drain a bit faster till it reaches a certain equilibrium state where water in the refugium is in between the two lines. It's been working great since two years with the added difficulty that we have very frequesnt power failures. and it takes 1-2 minutes for the generator to kick in and by then water has drained from the refugium to the starting point and it's working 99% of the times. and if it doesn't it usually drains more water which only results in some noise so I just dial it again ( my parents can do this when I'm away too) on rare instances water did not start in the tube due to air getting stuck in so then the emergency drain kicks in and I hear the gurgling sound of it as it's without a valve. so basically not a single flood.
 
I have been running my system like this for about a year and a half, but just slightly different then you do. I went though a lot of PVC trying to quiet down my sump. One day as an experiment I disconnected my pump from the return line in the sump, and ran the return over the back as described in your first post. The 3/4" line that was the return became my main drain with a standpipe in the overflow a few inches below the water level in the overflow, and the water just trickled into the Durso to control the level. I have no screens, but if my 3/4" line did plug, my 1" Durso would handle the flow. Great thread Herbie!

Dandy7200
What did you cut your tank with? Did it work?

Rob
 
Danndy from what it looks like with the emergency overflow mounted sideways you wount be able to use the whole pipe size till the water lvl reches to top of your overflow box, this being the case the take lvl needs to be higher that the top of your emergency overflow which from the pictures would cause your tank to over flow. With it being sideways it drasticaly limited on how much flow it can handel unit it is fully submerged
 
While I am sure that I could have eventually got the syphon to work with this setup I decided that I really just needed to get out the dremel and get to work.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58279226@N00/173627058/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/62/173627058_c05dfc16ef_o.jpg" width="600" height="449" alt="cl-back" /></a>

The external overflow has three drains, 1 primary on a gate valve, one backup, and one extra (you never know).

My tank runs silently!

You can find more details of my setup here.

I really hope this makes Thread of the month! It got my vote :).
 
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