New to me 110 center overflow ?'s

[Skeet59]

So here we go. I bought a 60"x18"x24" glass tank that had been overtaken by hair algae. I have cleaned and soaked everything with vinegar. My conundrum begins with this tank being a center overflow.

1.) I'm wondering what the head pressure is going to be with one center overflow w/ a 2" bulkhead and how I can increase it to hopefully get to >15x's turnover per hour.
2.) I'm not a hydraulic engineer but I do understand gravities effect on water. If I increase the depth of water in the center over flow How much of an increase will I see in my gph?
3.) Do I experiment with the drain in the overflow with a cross and reducers to raise the water level and have it drain with pressure on it?

Will I be trying to reinvent the wheel and/or be making a noisy system?

 

[Shawn O]

How many bulkheads are there in the tank?

 

[Skeet59]

There is just one 2" bulkhead. There two 1" returns in the top rear corners.

 

[Shawn O]

Wow, that sure is an interesting setup. Many folks here will often suggest running your returns up and over the back and using all three holes for your drains. I don't really know what would be best with a 2" in the overflow and a pair of 1" at the top. If I were trying to make it work I'd say install an up-turned 90 elbow for emergency, one down for full siphon and the 2" for your open channel, making a make-shift BeanAnimal.

 

[mcozad829]

Some tanks were designed around the durso system and yours sounds like one. Use the one hole in your overflow for the drain via durso standpipe and use the back corners for the returns (split of course). Nothing wrong with a durso people used them for years before the bean animal craze began.

 

[Skeet59]

Ok mcozad, thank you. The standpipe is missing so I'm trying to scheme up a set-up of a standpipe or variations there of.

 

[mcozad829]

ok do an internet search for durso stand pipe and I'm sure you will find a diagram that will make it clear but your looking at about 15 minutes and $15 to make, it is one of the easier plumbing aspects you'll do in this hobby.

 

[Skeet59]

I really like the sound of that!! Is there anyway to increase the amount of outflow or am I pretty well stuck with what I have?


Edit: imagine that, I found a great post on RC from a while back that has all the info I need. Thank you

 

[Bent]

Some tanks were designed around the durso system and yours sounds like one. Use the one hole in your overflow for the drain via durso standpipe and use the back corners for the returns (split of course). Nothing wrong with a durso people used them for years before the bean animal craze began.

As a guy who had a 2.5" single durso flood his house back in the day over a weekend after a conch blocked it, and the ATO kept running and the RO/DI kept making water. I wouldn't advise a single durso. I ended up with a massive flood from the second story and had to drain my life savings to fix the house.

Just say no to the single durso.

Just drill the thing and put a dual durso at the very least, a herbie would be better. But either is better than a single. There is zero fail safe on a single durso. Zero.

Edit:
Durso drains are very loud too, at least all mine have been. So keep that in mind.

 

[mcozad829]

As a guy who had a 2.5" single durso flood his house back in the day over a weekend after a conch blocked it, and the ATO kept running and the RO/DI kept making water. I wouldn't advise a single durso. I ended up with a massive flood from the second story and had to drain my life savings to fix the house.

Just say no to the single durso.

Just drill the thing and put a dual durso at the very least, a herbie would be better. But either is better than a single. There is zero fail safe on a single durso. Zero.

Edit:
Durso drains are very loud too, at least all mine have been. So keep that in mind.

durso drains are not that loud if done properly, set at the right level etc etc. I think your just as likely to bust a seam in your tank as you would be to clog your durso, but hey its not my tank. Putting a little screen cover over the overflow quickly prevents that issue though.

 

[mcozad829]

I really like the sound of that!! Is there anyway to increase the amount of outflow or am I pretty well stuck with what I have?


Edit: imagine that, I found a great post on RC from a while back that has all the info I need. Thank you

no problem

 

[Skeet59]

Here she is 2 months in...

 

[Skeet59]

And sunset

 

[panhandler01]

Some tanks were designed around the durso system and yours sounds like one. Use the one hole in your overflow for the drain via durso standpipe and use the back corners for the returns (split of course). Nothing wrong with a durso people used them for years before the bean animal craze began.

I agree with mcoz. when you get your durso set up put a suction strainer on the downturned elbow to greatly reduce the chances of conchs, or whatever else clogging your drain. I think Marine Depot or Marine and Reef has various sizes of strainers.