Plumbing question to make wife happy

[Drouse]

I have a 250 gallon room divider. It has a glass euro-bracing with a center brace that is visible in the display because the water level is too high. The tank is looking great, super colors on the coral, fish are fat and happy but the wife is complaining because all she sees is the center brace.

The problem is that I have to reduce the flow from the pump too much make the display height low enough to make the brace not visible. I don't want to ramp down the pump and reduce the flow.

I have (2) 1 1/2 inch standpipe in the overflow. The overflow has no teeth to enlarge.

If I unscrew the 1 1/2 standpipe and use 2 2 inch standpipes with a reducer at the threaded bulkhead would that help the outflow significantly or is the flow limited by the size of the bulkhead?

It is going to be a pain to change especially if it doesn't work.

Thanks
Dave

 

[billsreef]

The flow will be limited by the bulkhead.

 

[GuySmilie]

A picture's worth a thousand words.

 

[IPT]

it'd take a LOT of flow to max out (2) 1 1/2 pipes. Larger dia pipes reduced to go thru the same sized bulkhead won't change anything. If you have the traditional setup, there is some sort of edge/weir/or toothed wall the water goes over to reach where the standpipes are, correct? By reducing the flow it will make the thickness of the water going over the wall less, and effectively lower the water level. The only other way (I can think of) would be too lower the wall level (not so easy if it's glass) or make it bigger/longer. The more linear area the water has to go over the thinner it will be (ie. same GPH over a larger area=less water per sq/in). Another alternative, though maybe unsightly would be a HOB overflow box from Lifereef. It'll halp carry the load and you don't need to worry about floods or failures.

 

[Drouse]

Great points. I was hoping for another answer. It is a typical wall overflow (glass). I have the standpipes in a durso mode. I doubt they are maxed out in flow.

I have raised and lowered the overflow water level with changing the hole diameter in the cap without much change.

I may have to switch out the pump (less flow) and add another powerhead in the display.

Thanks

Dave

 

[Kshack]

Is the water level in the overflow box lower than the tank? If not, you need to reduce the size of the air intake which will create a suction and lower the level in the box to lower than the tank. This will reduce the level of the tank to the overflow wall. If you are close you can put a valve on the pump to close it off some. If the level is already lower, then you need to lower the wall height or live with it.

 

[mbbuna]

i would just add more flow with power heads. i have the same problem and have the return throttle back. ive been wanting to cut some of the teeth out of the over flow but the tank is doing really well with the amount of return flow it has now so i dont think i want to mess with it

 

[chrismhaase]

Is the return through the overflow? ie one drain and one overflow? If so then you can make them both drains and plumb the returns up the side.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Folks:

Lets step back and consider what is going on here:
If water is FLOWING OVER the overflow weir and dropping down into the box, then the plumbing has nothing to do with the problem.

The problem is the actual height of the weir. As somebody already mentioned, the higher the flow rate, the thicker the sheet of water flowing over the weir will be.

The ONLY way to resolve the issue is to lower the weir, or use a smaller return pump.

On the other hand, if the water in the overflow box is backed up so high that the weir is not functioning (the water in the overflow box is at the same level as the tank water) then the overflows need to be adjusted.

 

[chrismhaase]

Looks like it is time for the Dremel.... You can chop off a little and use plastic gutter guard in place of the teeth

 

[BeanAnimal]

From the first post in the thread:

The overflow has no teeth to enlarge.

 

[chrismhaase]

my bad

 

[JNye]

bean is right. so what is the difference in between the 2 water levels, inside the overflow box and outside of it, if it is the same and maybe backing up higher than the overflow box, doubt it, you could have an obstruction in the pipe, it didn't sound like that but just wanted to throw it out there in case.

 

[BeanAnimal]

No problem chris

It just appeared that most of the respondants did not get a good picture of what was going on. I was just trying to get it all back on track.

 

[Drouse]

I think I may have found an out. The tank manufacturer has a solid glass wall for the overflow. He did silicone an acrylic black piece in front of it for cosmetic reasons. The plastic piece rises about 1/8" above the glass.

I will take a dremel and even the two out, effectively lowering the wall by 1/8". It may be enough and it would save the hassle of working with the glass.

Would scoring the acrylic with an exacto knife on the display side prior to using the dremel help make a smoother cut or should I just file the rought edges down after the dremel?

 

[Drouse]

Sorry...the overflow water level is lower than the display tank.

 

[BeanAnimal]

What about removing the acrylic and then cutting it to size?

 

[Drouse]

It was heavy-duty siliconed to the glass wall. I am afraid that if I tried to separate them I'd damage the integrity of the silicone of the overflow wall of the or crack the glass.

It may even be able to be filed down, if I go at it slow. I am wondering if that small of a height change over 24 inches will significantly lower the display height.

It is the proverbial "if it aint broke, don't fix it", so I don't want to create to many problems for the solution.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Lowering the overflow 1/8" will lower the water in the tank 1/8"

That is unless you roughen the surface up and create resistance.

What size return pumps are you using?

 

[Drouse]

It was heavy-duty siliconed to the glass wall. I am afraid that if I tried to separate them I'd damage the integrity of the silicone of the overflow wall of the or crack the glass.

It may even be able to be filed down, if I go at it slow. I am wondering if that small of a height change over 24 inches will significantly lower the display height.

It is the proverbial "if it aint broke, don't fix it", so I don't want to create to many problems for the solution.