mudskipper1
Trust Me I'm an Engineer
Well about 5-10 times your tank volume every hour is a decent starting point, but it just depends on the pump you buy, factor in head loss, and give a little extra capacity on the drain.
NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!
- Thread starter Herbie
- Start date
No matter how much I fiddle, I always get a very very small amount going into the emegency pipe, or I slowly lose siphon to the main drain. So I choise to allow this small trickle down the emergency tube. Is this a problem? I am running a 1 inch full siphon tube, and I have a 1 inch emergency tube, and two 3/4 returns.
I am assuming that you want to leave a dorso off of the emergency tube, because you do not want anything to restrict the flow down this emergency drain. Is this right?
I am assuming that you want to leave a dorso off of the emergency tube, because you do not want anything to restrict the flow down this emergency drain. Is this right?
TheFishMan65
New member
What is the height difference in the opening?
The only problem I see might be a build up in the emergency. Then when you need it the emergecny can not drain enough water.
The only problem I see might be a build up in the emergency. Then when you need it the emergecny can not drain enough water.
Actually right now it looks dead on. The water is sitting at the edge of the emergency and not going down. Right now I have about 2 inches hieght difference between the two. With that said my drain pipes are capable of 600 gph in the traditional sense. My return pump is giving me about 550 according to the calculator on this site. So in theory, one pipe can handle my full return volume with a little reserve. I am still tweeking the system, the water does not have salt in it yet even and I just got it to temperature this morning. I see the concern about buildup, and had not thought of it, new to salt here.
I posted this also, but I was debating putting in a emergency "Herbie" float switch in the overflow. If the water in the overflow goes too high, it turns the return pump off. Add a second failsafe to the system.
TheFishMan65
New member
The problem with the Herbie is as the amount of water changes (evaporation, removing a rock, spills, etc) in the sump the pump has to work harder or easier and more or less water gets returned to the tank.
IMHO ideally you want the emergency to be as high as possible, but still capable of forming a siphon with out forming a vortex. Kind of hard to prove since as soon as the siphon is formed it will suck out all the water. The main drain should be as low as possible such that you don't hear the water dropping into the weir. If there is enough surface area and it stays laminar this could be fairly low. This gives the most difference in height between the drains and allows for the most fluctuation in water volume.
Auto top off can help with evaportion.
IMHO ideally you want the emergency to be as high as possible, but still capable of forming a siphon with out forming a vortex. Kind of hard to prove since as soon as the siphon is formed it will suck out all the water. The main drain should be as low as possible such that you don't hear the water dropping into the weir. If there is enough surface area and it stays laminar this could be fairly low. This gives the most difference in height between the drains and allows for the most fluctuation in water volume.
Auto top off can help with evaportion.
Tony Romano
New member
Thanks. I ajusted the siphon to emergency overflows so they are now 3 to 3 1/2 inches apart. MUCH easier to fine tune. Now the emergency is sitting about 1/2 inches below the overflow teeth, and the overflow water level is about 1/2 inch below that. So no emergency overflow at all. Nice and quiet, except for the antisiphon hole in my returns which are now about 1 1/2 inches above the water level (mine is a used tank and the pervious owner had drilled them in the overflow area). Might have to plug and lower them. The emergency should be low enough now that it could also get full siphon if need be.
I feel your pain! :fun5:
I have since added my EuroReef RS250 skimmer instead of that teeny Sealife systems one
My understanding is, that for RR systems with 2 holes in the overflow box, then you would just return the water from the sump over the top?
Or possibly, I can drill a hole for a return on the other side of the tank? Any negatives to using a drilled hole or is it better to go over the top?
Sorry, I was out of this hobby for 6-7 years now and just getting back in and there seems to be a ton of new stuff to catch up on.
Or possibly, I can drill a hole for a return on the other side of the tank? Any negatives to using a drilled hole or is it better to go over the top?
Sorry, I was out of this hobby for 6-7 years now and just getting back in and there seems to be a ton of new stuff to catch up on.
TheFishMan65
New member
Only issue I can see is if the return is not water tight (gets a crack) during a power failure it could drain the whole tank. Likely to happen probably not, but I thought I would point it out.
prskiller
New member
?
?
It's probably somewhere in this thread although I have not yet finished reading it.
My questions are with my Aqueon 210 with two megaoverflows can I tee up the two 1" main drains into the gate valve. Should I go to 1-1/4" pipe before valve or after or 1" throughout to sump?
Help:wavehand:
?
It's probably somewhere in this thread although I have not yet finished reading it.
My questions are with my Aqueon 210 with two megaoverflows can I tee up the two 1" main drains into the gate valve. Should I go to 1-1/4" pipe before valve or after or 1" throughout to sump?
Help:wavehand:
Do you think it would be a problem with the two 1" siphon drains tee into one or should I just run the siphon drains separately each with its own gate valve?
Rhodes19
New member
Ok, read entire thread.:wildone:
Found the answer on page 47 thanks to PowermanKW and Rhodes19 regarding plumbing a dual overflow. Will be ordering parts and get my 210 up and running.
Sorry I missed your post, I could have saved you some searching. Glad you found it though.
Plumbing Question
Plumbing Question
Would this work or should I change some thing? I have 1 ½" main drain that I'm planning on teeing off the fuge to feed it some dirty water rather then having the return feed the fuge.
This is what I'm thinking main drain to tee then gate valve to skimmer section. Also should I reduce the pipe size going from the tee to the fuge or keep it the same size 1 ½". And should I use another gate valve or can I get a way with a ball valve before the fuge section.
Plumbing Question
Would this work or should I change some thing? I have 1 ½" main drain that I'm planning on teeing off the fuge to feed it some dirty water rather then having the return feed the fuge.
This is what I'm thinking main drain to tee then gate valve to skimmer section. Also should I reduce the pipe size going from the tee to the fuge or keep it the same size 1 ½". And should I use another gate valve or can I get a way with a ball valve before the fuge section.
das75
New member
here's a picture of mine. Have about 70% to the sump controlled by the ball valve on the vertical leg. Ball valve on the horizontal is so I can isolate the fuge (have used as a QT by adding HOB skimmer and heater). I just left everything at 2".
Last edited:
TheFishMan65
New member
For silence both ends need to be under water. There is a risk of forming a siphon in that case (actually highly probable). So in the event of a power failure both the sump and the fuge will goto the same level (unless the siphon is broken). Someone also said that they had this problem while the pump was running, but I don't remember how they fixed it.
das75
New member
does happen, that's why I don't run the drain to the bottom of my fuge. I get siphon break after an 1" drop in my fuge with the power off, no problem here with pump on.
TheFishMan65
New member
das75, Looks like a nice setup. Could you do a test for me? Open the flow to the sump all the way. Does this cause the fuge to be siphoned out? Just trying to decide the root cause of what I think PowerMan and some others may have reported.
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