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

[shellsea]

Trying to attach 3 pictures. 2 are of the emergency drain where I put a T and 90 on the durso it came with and the other is a shot of the suction line w/ strainer on it. Disregard the cap in upper left of shot. That is a male adaptor with cap that I used to keep snails from coming in the previous hole for the old return.

 

[BlackShark087]

What do you think about my version of overflow - Siphon + Wet Durso Beananimal tricked

 

[ca1ore]

It's quite funny to go back and read the beginnings of this thread, and the debates about how this cannot possibly work ..... :lol:

 

[Herbie]

What do you think about my version of overflow - Siphon + Wet Durso Beananimal tricked

Just leave the elbows off the top. No reason for them. If you put the right threaded fittings at the top, they make screw in screens for them .........BRS usually has them .

BTW, your measurements look about right for the difference between the drain pipes .

 

[Herbie]

It's quite funny to go back and read the beginnings of this thread, and the debates about how this cannot possibly work ..... :lol:

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:


:thumbsup:

 

[Bill Nye]

It's quite funny to go back and read the beginnings of this thread, and the debates about how this cannot possibly work ..... :lol:

I was just going to comment on the same thing. A bunch of people giving poor Herbie a hard time about it. My favorite was the guy claiming you NEED air in the line or it won't siphon...:fun2:

 

[BlackShark087]

I was just going to comment on the same thing. A bunch of people giving poor Herbie a hard time about it. My favorite was the guy claiming you NEED air in the line or it won't siphon...:fun2:

LoL, but actually considering that I Have both corner as you see on picture, And I dont want to adjust constantly Thats seam a good way to plumb it?

The air line is cut just over the U to have a precise siphon engagement.

Do you think on the Full Siphon I should drill a hole over the U to let the air got out easily ?.

 

[BlackShark087]

Just leave the elbows off the top. No reason for them. If you put the right threaded fittings at the top, they make screw in screens for them .........BRS usually has them .

BTW, your measurements look about right for the difference between the drain pipes .

Yeah those Mesure let me remove the Elbows anytime so I am just having fun trying plumb it a way that need not much tuning, Btw this set up will be on both side of the tank.

 

[Bill Nye]

LoL, but actually considering that I Have both corner as you see on picture, And I dont want to adjust constantly Thats seam a good way to plumb it?

The air line is cut just over the U to have a precise siphon engagement.

Do you think on the Full Siphon I should drill a hole over the U to let the air got out easily ?.

If you are running a full siphon system there is no need to have a U (I assuming you mean a durso type standpipe). No air will enter your drain because it is fully submerged. Because this is at risk for clogging you run an emergency drain in case of blockage.

I am not sure how you will be plumbing your dual drains but I have a corner RR tank that I changed to a herbie and I never really have to adjust it. I run my emergency drain slightly wet and that helps alleviate a lot of the adjustments you'd need to make.

 

[BlackShark087]

Ok thanks

 

[BlackShark087]

here they are in place..

 

[shellsea]

Height looks good for the true syphon but you really do not need the 90. a strainer type fitting on top of that would be better and prevent entry by snails etc.
the emergency height again because of the 90 means you have to tune down the flow to just under the opening. The waterfall from the teeth of overflow will make noise. You could reduce it by getting rid of the 90 and have the top of pipe just a half to one inch below teeth. don't forget the gate valve for flow adjustment. Mine not needed often but when it does the gate valve is the key. Good luck.

 

[btb72]

I have a 120g with the all 4 holes (return/overflow) drilled in the middle. Is there any way you could transition this to a herbie overflow?

 

[shellsea]

I have a 120g with the all 4 holes (return/overflow) drilled in the middle. Is there any way you could transition this to a herbie overflow?

I don't see any reason you could not. I would wait for other opinion of those more experienced with plumbing but I would guess 2 full siphon and 2 emergencies???

 

[IdahoCindy]

My four-hole "modified Herbie" has been running flawlessly for over 2 years. They are at opposite ends of the tank, though. On the left, the large hole is being used for the return flow and the smaller one is a full siphon. On the right, the small hole is full siphon and the large one is the emergency. I have gate valves on both full siphon pipes. Once dialed in, it runs silently. I am able to turn the power off during a water change, turn it back on and not have to change any gate valve settings at all. It always seems like a miracle when I turn on the power and water starts rushing into the overflows, there is massive bubbling from the emergency pipe, and suddenly the bubbling stops, both siphons kick in and - SILENCE. Pure bliss.

 

[pelphrey]

Hoping I can get some pointers on the herbie! I'm running this drain on a 27 gallon cube with the eshopps nano cube sump. Both drains are 1'', main drain has the strainer on it. I modified the sump (you can see in the red the section I cut out) to better fit my plumbing. The sump originally came with a filter sock and 2 filter pads. I have removed all 3 to increase water flow. When the water enters the sump it goes in 2 directions. The 1st being into the fug which then travels directly into the return section. The 2nd direction is the filter sock compartment (no filter sock) into the skimmer section and into the return. I am running a sicce 1.5 return pump and the eshopps psk75 skimmer.

My siphon (main drain) works flawlessly. The problem is my return chamber fluctuates heavily and is very inconsistent. So inconsistent that I haven't added an ATO yet, I don't want to create a flood and create huge swings in salinity.

I've thought about adding a "T" to the return pump with a ball valve and either directing the water into the skimmer section or directly back into the return section to see if this will help. Before I make any modifications to the return plumbing I wanted to ask here before hand.

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[Herbie]

That is a strange sump design ..........its kind of hard to see exactly where the water is actually flowing.
To get a Herbie overflow to be consistent, you are going to have to find a way to keep the overflow part of the the sump (where the overflow pipes dump into the sump) at a consistent water level . Usually this is achieved by a water dam of sorts with the overflow going towards the rest of the sump. Likewise the return pump chamber should be at a constant water level as well, and thats ideally where the top off sensor / float for the ATO should be placed.

Also, the gate valve would be easier to adjust and keep the system quieter if it was placed as low as possible . Below the bottom union would have been a better location .

 

[mtman58]

Hey Pelphrey.. I am a native of Harlan County,Ky... Just wanted to say, go UK Wildcats!!

 

[pelphrey]

That is a strange sump design ..........its kind of hard to see exactly where the water is actually flowing.
To get a Herbie overflow to be consistent, you are going to have to find a way to keep the overflow part of the the sump (where the overflow pipes dump into the sump) at a consistent water level . Usually this is achieved by a water dam of sorts with the overflow going towards the rest of the sump. Likewise the return pump chamber should be at a constant water level as well, and thats ideally where the top off sensor / float for the ATO should be placed.

Also, the gate valve would be easier to adjust and keep the system quieter if it was placed as low as possible . Below the bottom union would have been a better location .

The water level in the first chamber stays pretty consistent. My return chamber is the problem. I'll get some better pictures of the sump and post them. Thanks for the input!

Hey Pelphrey.. I am a native of Harlan County,Ky... Just wanted to say, go UK Wildcats!!

Good afternoon! The basketball team is looking good so far, just need some minor improvements!

 

[soulpatch]

Sounds like your return pump is stronger then your drains can keep up with. Just throw a ball or gate valve on it to cut it back some which should stabilize your sump water level.

I assume your return pump is pumping out the sump which overfills your tank and the emergency on the herbie activates with the full siphon filling your sump back up which repeats the process. Cutting back the return pump should solve it all.