TheFishMan65
New member
Gee might would did you do edit the Quote 
. That would be no elbows. They won't be needed in the overflow box.
. That would be no elbows. They won't be needed in the overflow box.
NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!
- Thread starter Herbie
- Start date
mightymizz
New member
Ok, Ill try taking out the elbow on the main drain and see what happens. Thanks for your help!
TheFishMan65
New member
No No No, I mean no elbows will be needed in the "twom hole on top of each other design".
The only thing to try in the current design is to shorten the length of pipe. The deeper it is the more head pressure and the harder it is to get the air out.
The only thing to try in the current design is to shorten the length of pipe. The deeper it is the more head pressure and the harder it is to get the air out.
mightymizz
New member
Oh, I see. Yea, it seems when I have a shutdown of the return pump, there is air that gets into the line and only is able to get out by me manually opening the gate valve more, then once it catches up, closing it back to its normal rate of flow.
I have spa flex tubing after the gate valve, so I will need to see if I can find a way to hold it higher up in the water instead of just hanging in the sump about four inches.
Thanks again.
I have spa flex tubing after the gate valve, so I will need to see if I can find a way to hold it higher up in the water instead of just hanging in the sump about four inches.
Thanks again.
TheFishMan65
New member
Drilling a small hole at the water line can also help.
mightymizz
New member
I assume you mean the sump waterline? Not up on the display tank waterline?
TheFishMan65
New member
Yes sump water line
So my question is I've got a 210 AGA reef ready tank with dual overflows. the tank is already set up with a sump in the basement, but the noise is killing me.
The overflows look like this, the standard aga megaflow overflows.
http://www.aquariumcenter.biz/store/product/306408/210-Gallon-Black-Reef-Ready-Aquarium/
I really don't want to redo the plumbing. I just spent a pretty big chunk of change doing it, and the tank is too close to the wall to run new lines up for returns.
Basically I have my two drain lines going into the sump...then then pump going back up to the returns.
Would it be possible for me to just use one drain in one overflow for the siphon and the other drain in the other overflow for the emergency drain? and just leave everything else the way it is?
The overflows look like this, the standard aga megaflow overflows.
http://www.aquariumcenter.biz/store/product/306408/210-Gallon-Black-Reef-Ready-Aquarium/
I really don't want to redo the plumbing. I just spent a pretty big chunk of change doing it, and the tank is too close to the wall to run new lines up for returns.
Basically I have my two drain lines going into the sump...then then pump going back up to the returns.
Would it be possible for me to just use one drain in one overflow for the siphon and the other drain in the other overflow for the emergency drain? and just leave everything else the way it is?
RocketSurgeon
New member
water must run through both overflows, or the water becomes stagnate.
das75
New member
don't have a AGA but duel overflow with primary in one chamber, emergency in other and works great.
Was concerned about the stagnant water thing so was going to raise the lip height of the overflow with emergency but never did. What I did do was drill a hole in the side of the emergency drain standpipe so I have a small but continuous movement of water. My sump can easily handle the full volume of the chamber in a power outage but I still drilled it up near the top of the standpipe and have a 1/4"OD tubing running to the bottom. Since hole is near top, that's my siphon break
Was concerned about the stagnant water thing so was going to raise the lip height of the overflow with emergency but never did. What I did do was drill a hole in the side of the emergency drain standpipe so I have a small but continuous movement of water. My sump can easily handle the full volume of the chamber in a power outage but I still drilled it up near the top of the standpipe and have a 1/4"OD tubing running to the bottom. Since hole is near top, that's my siphon break
OK, so I've basically tried everything that everyone has suggested in order to quiet this down. But its still not as quiet as I want. So here's where I need help.
I'm gonna do the Herbie method. I've checked the tank and I do have enough space to add returns behind and over into the tank.
Since I've got dual overflows. Is it possible to use one return the way I am now, and just make one drain the siphon, the other drain the emergency, and make the other return an extra emergency drain as well?
Or is it better to make each overflow a siphon and emergency drain and run returns up and over the tank.
Which do I use for the siphon and which to use for the drain, taking into consideration each over flow has 3/4 for the return and 1" for the drain.
I'm gonna do the Herbie method. I've checked the tank and I do have enough space to add returns behind and over into the tank.
Since I've got dual overflows. Is it possible to use one return the way I am now, and just make one drain the siphon, the other drain the emergency, and make the other return an extra emergency drain as well?
Or is it better to make each overflow a siphon and emergency drain and run returns up and over the tank.
Which do I use for the siphon and which to use for the drain, taking into consideration each over flow has 3/4 for the return and 1" for the drain.
TheFishMan65
New member
You do not want stagnant water. So I think you need to use one drain (3/4) in each overflow for a drain Ted and then the valve. You can then have one emergency assuming it takes the flow.
Hello everybody.
I am new here but I have been lurking around on this great forum for quite some time reading and reading and... reading.
After about ten years of planted tanks I am now planning my very first reef tank and, I must admit, my head spins with a million questions.
Is going to be a small tank, only 33 gallons - a cube of 50x50x50cm, on which I want to use Herbie's overflow design
I plan on using:-
- drains drilled into the back wall (with bulkheads)
- no overflow box
- strainers on the drain pipes for increased protection
- an Eheim Compact Plus return pump rated at 250 to 500gph (adjustable flow) in order to achieve a minimum 10x turnover of tank's volume through the sump.
The available rigid PVC pipe sizes here are 0.78", 0.98" and 1.26" OD (sorry but we use metric here - it's OD 20, 25 and 32mm - bigger sizes also available).
However the internal diameter of these pipes is only 0.67", 0.83" respectively 1.07" (sorry again for these dimensions).
Another problem would be that the ball valves (we do not have gate valves) for the 0.78 and 0.98 OD pipe has the same internal diameter of only 0.67" so IMHO not much benefit using 0.98" pipe.
My questions are
- what pipe size should I use for the drain and return
- how far apart the two drain bulkheads should be
Thanks beforehand for your help.
Gabriel
I am new here but I have been lurking around on this great forum for quite some time reading and reading and... reading.
After about ten years of planted tanks I am now planning my very first reef tank and, I must admit, my head spins with a million questions.
Is going to be a small tank, only 33 gallons - a cube of 50x50x50cm, on which I want to use Herbie's overflow design
I plan on using:-
- drains drilled into the back wall (with bulkheads)
- no overflow box
- strainers on the drain pipes for increased protection
- an Eheim Compact Plus return pump rated at 250 to 500gph (adjustable flow) in order to achieve a minimum 10x turnover of tank's volume through the sump.
The available rigid PVC pipe sizes here are 0.78", 0.98" and 1.26" OD (sorry but we use metric here - it's OD 20, 25 and 32mm - bigger sizes also available).
However the internal diameter of these pipes is only 0.67", 0.83" respectively 1.07" (sorry again for these dimensions).
Another problem would be that the ball valves (we do not have gate valves) for the 0.78 and 0.98 OD pipe has the same internal diameter of only 0.67" so IMHO not much benefit using 0.98" pipe.
My questions are
- what pipe size should I use for the drain and return
- how far apart the two drain bulkheads should be
Thanks beforehand for your help.
Gabriel
das75
New member
for pipe size take a look at BeanAnimal's calculator and figuring for a Herbie you'll be valving back, but just a 1" can give a fairly high flow.
Does anyone know if it matters if your gate valve is closer to your bulkhead or closer to where the pipe ends and drains into the sump? I have a really good location for my gate valve but it is directly underneath my bulkhead. The gate valve would almost touch it actually. Was just wondering if there were pros/cons vs. the 2 options.
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