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

[Powederblue]

Bump

 

[reef_only]

Bump

You certainly can. That is what I've been using. Basically you keep your current drain and adding one siphon and it will serve the purpose and add safety as now you have 2 drains instead of one.

 

[Powederblue]

My question is will the 1.5 drain be enough as my perm siphon.
Reef-only could u post a pic please

 

[Powederblue]

Sorry i ment the 1/2 inch.

 

[cherubfish pair]

I'm jumping in late on this thread, but I just found this entire site.

This is restating the obvious, but the key to this setup running quiet that nobody explicitly mentioned (unless I missed it) was that the drain line now runs liquid full from the overflow standpipe to the restrictring valve. After that, there is still air in the line, but the controlled "release" from the valve allows the water to flow along the pipe walls, rather than in some kind of transitional flow between empty and liquid full.

Rufio: You're comment about the restrictions and standpipe height is incorrect.
For this setup, the standpipe height has zero to do with the level in the overflow. As you've seen, the level in the overflow is controlled by how far the valve is closed. You could run this setup with only a bulkhead and the emergency standpipe and get exactly the same results. (NOTE: You might need a vortex breaker on the bulkhead. The strainer usually functions as one.)

Since the drain is liquid full from the valve to the level in the overflow, the static head at the valve is the same regardless of the standpipe height. If take a cardboard mailing tube in the pool with you (open on both ends) and hold it vertically against the bottom, the pressure is going to be the same inside and outside the tube, regardless of how tall it is (as long as it's totally submerged).

Dual Overflows: For everyone with dual overflows, does each line drain individually into the sump, or do you tee them together?

What are people using for vortex breakers?

 

[Sebastian83]

Planted tank with Herbie method

Planted tank with Herbie method

Hi, Stumbled on the Herbie design from watching some youtube videos. I didnt see anyone using HOB overflows in this thread, probably missed it, but thought I'd share what I did with an Eshopps 1000.

My Discus 120g planted aquarium resides next to my couch, so the noise of my previous overflow (Eshopps 800) was really annoying. So upgraded to the 1000 and used the Herbie method, problem solved.

In the overflow itself I have one of the inlets with no standpipe, and the other with a staight 8" pipe. The line with the empty inlet goes into a gate vale (3/4 inch threaded) and goes from the 1" pipe to 1/2 inch. I may add a strainer to the empty inlet, but so far the plastic mesh I added to box inside the aquarium is preventing any of my small tetras from getting sucked in.

The 1/2 pipe takes about 99.9% of the water, the emergency line just drips a bit from water leaking under the standpipe. It only took a few minutes to dial in the correct flow and very easy to adjust if needed. I would not recommend a ball valve, that will be very difficult to adjust.

This is much quieter than my previous setup and has the added bonus of limiting C02 loss which is important in a planted setup.... not so much in a reef though. See attached pics on my setup.

Hope this helps someone

 

[Rinkrat]

I am attempting to sketch out my plumbing situation right now wish me luck!

 

[DownwardDawg]

I am attempting to sketch out my plumbing situation right now wish me luck!

Good luck!!!

 

[cherubfish pair]

Sebastian83:
[welcome]

 

[devildog999]

Someone please tell me why in the heck this is not a sticky?!! This needs to be a sticky!! I have been reading this entire thread for the last 6 - 7 hrs (I'm at work, amazing the things you can do to make 14 hrs go by quick) and am thankful I found this thread. Never would have found it had it not been posted in recently. In the almost year I have been here, I have never seen it. Mods, why not sticky??!!! :deadhorse:

 

[cherubfish pair]

Does anyone have these standpipes in their overflow with the Aqueon MegaFlow overflow system?

I think the pipe with the screen can be raised or lowered by sliding up and down. This can be used to fine tune the level in the overflow especially to find the sweet spot as to where the cascading sounds start from the overflow water fall. I would want the pipe at the bottom of this range to minimize noise but high enough to capitalize on the least amount of water to fill the sump when power is off.
http://www.aqueonproducts.com/assets/009/13794_400wh.jpg

 

[sammy77]

Someone please tell me why in the heck this is not a sticky?!! This needs to be a sticky!! I have been reading this entire thread for the last 6 - 7 hrs (I'm at work, amazing the things you can do to make 14 hrs go by quick) and am thankful I found this thread. Never would have found it had it not been posted in recently. In the almost year I have been here, I have never seen it. Mods, why not sticky??!!! :deadhorse:

The links to the pics don't work either...

 

[Hal]

Can anyone point me to a solution to avoid having to constantly adjust my gate valve on the main drain? Every 2-3 days it seems like the water level in the tank is too high, or the water level in the overflow is too low. I'll turn the gate valve 3 degrees or so (i.e., a really small adjustment) to compensate and it fixes itself for awhile until I need to make the next adjustment.

The drain already has a T on it before it enters my sump. One leg of the T is an air vent (breaks the siphon?) and the other leg is submerged in the sump. For this reason I don't think it has anything to do with the water level in my sump.

I love my Herbie, but this is starting to drive me crazy!

 

[watertown16]

What if I want to drill the side of the tank, how do i position the pipes inside the overflow box. I have heard the emergency overflow's L shaped pipe faces up, and the primary overflow's L shaped pipe faces down am I correct

 

[cmantis]

Is there a parts list somewhere?

I want to do this to my 40g breeder tanks. I am trying to figure out what to order from savko.com to accomplish this. If possible I would like to make it modular for when I move and use flexible tubing since it will be on shelving to make it easier to run to the sump. Thanks.

 

[wildman926]

Hi, Stumbled on the Herbie design from watching some youtube videos. I didnt see anyone using HOB overflows in this thread, probably missed it, but thought I'd share what I did with an Eshopps 1000.

My Discus 120g planted aquarium resides next to my couch, so the noise of my previous overflow (Eshopps 800) was really annoying. So upgraded to the 1000 and used the Herbie method, problem solved.

In the overflow itself I have one of the inlets with no standpipe, and the other with a staight 8" pipe. The line with the empty inlet goes into a gate vale (3/4 inch threaded) and goes from the 1" pipe to 1/2 inch. I may add a strainer to the empty inlet, but so far the plastic mesh I added to box inside the aquarium is preventing any of my small tetras from getting sucked in.

The 1/2 pipe takes about 99.9% of the water, the emergency line just drips a bit from water leaking under the standpipe. It only took a few minutes to dial in the correct flow and very easy to adjust if needed. I would not recommend a ball valve, that will be very difficult to adjust.

This is much quieter than my previous setup and has the added bonus of limiting C02 loss which is important in a planted setup.... not so much in a reef though. See attached pics on my setup.

Hope this helps someone

I do, on both of my tanks, 110g and 150g. Ball valves are very easy to adjust as the adjustment is initial, set it and forget it.

 

[Jeffatpm]

I wanted to ask an opinion on using my 3/4 inch lines in my overflows to run as my main drains on my 210 - will these drain enough water to keep up with my return pump?

I have two overflows, each with a 1" and a 3/4" bulkhead. Was thinking to have the 3/4" as the main drain; either plumbed together or separate, one of the 1" for the return pump, and the other for the emergency drain.

Thoughts?

 

[DogueDeBordeaux]

I have dual overflows with two 1" bulkheads in each, so 4 total.
I can do 1 herbie and 1 emergency in each overflow.
For the herbie drains I have two 1" gate valves. Can I Tee the two 1" lines together after the gate valve to 1 1/2" pipe. So, each drain in 1" gate valve then Tee with 1 1/2" pipe to sump. Or, should I just order the 1 1/2" gate valve. Will it be that easier to adjust with one gate valve?

 

[lastduke]

Can anyone point me to a solution to avoid having to constantly adjust my gate valve on the main drain? Every 2-3 days it seems like the water level in the tank is too high, or the water level in the overflow is too low. I'll turn the gate valve 3 degrees or so (i.e., a really small adjustment) to compensate and it fixes itself for awhile until I need to make the next adjustment.

The drain already has a T on it before it enters my sump. One leg of the T is an air vent (breaks the siphon?) and the other leg is submerged in the sump. For this reason I don't think it has anything to do with the water level in my sump.

I love my Herbie, but this is starting to drive me crazy!

bump for this, i have the same question. as the water level never really adjust itself in a small range. even hairly touched the gate valve would end up with a either too high or too low water level. I don't have a T in the drain lines. two 1/2'' drain go to the sump directly.

 

[moab]

Would be cool to see some pictures of how different people have done this and also plumbed everything into the sump. There are always the way to do things that works best. I'm going to setup a tank like this with a sump soon.