mcgyvr
New member
Go ahead.. keep that in your tank.. You will learn alright..
Your kids say..."Dad.. why is the floor covered with water"..
And you can respond "Dads learning kids"
You have been warned..
:deadhorse:
PVC overflow to fast for pump?
- Thread starter Hawke1974
- Start date
Go ahead.. keep that in your tank.. You will learn alright..
Your kids say..."Dad.. why is the floor covered with water"..
And you can respond "Dads learning kids"
You have been warned..
:deadhorse:
Then don't read them, and definitely don't reply if you have nothing to add besides Negativity... I'm experimenting.... came here for guidance... was offered several Ideas, and am going to utilize those Ideas...
There is no way you should spend $100 on a overflow box. Check with some local fish stores and see if they have any used stuff..... probably pick one up for $25-50. They also pop up on ebay as well as craigslist however used from a LFS will more then likely be the cheapest. I threw a temporary QT tank together in my garage and paid $25 for my hang on the back overflow box.
Just be sure its a overflow box that will not loose siphon WHEN the power goes out! Been there.... done that.... coming home to a pump thats running dry &/or is friend plus a bunch of water on the ground sucks!!
Just be sure its a overflow box that will not loose siphon WHEN the power goes out! Been there.... done that.... coming home to a pump thats running dry &/or is friend plus a bunch of water on the ground sucks!!
I'm heading over to a LFS here in a bit.... he said he's got a few different used boxes to choose from for $35.
mfinn
Active member
Good.
I hope there are some good ones to pick from.
Finding one that won't lose the syphon is very important. ( you probably know that already).
Lifereef was mentioned because it is considered the best of the hang-on overflow boxes.
How about experience?
I ended up with 20 gallons of water on the floor when I was living in my parents house because of a design identical to this. Ruined the floor and ceiling on the floor below. It ended up costing them over $1000, and I was in the doghouse for quite some time.
I hate threads like these because people think that they'll be the one to perfect a design that has failed countless others in the past, when in reality, they just become one of the many that fail.
I am glad to see that you're going with a legitimate DIY overflow.
Understood.... I didn't mean to sound like a D*** when I posted that... but I found a guy on craigslist that has a real overflow box, 15g sump and all the pumps and plumbing for $75 ... not sure of the brand or anything but by the looks of it.. it's retail ... I posted a thread in the Noob forum asking if that was a good deal or not.. after researching the acrylic sumps online... i'd say it's worth $75 alone... I'll let you all know how it turns out and offer the specs when I get the parts in hand...
One word of caution: Make sure it's not the CPR overflow. It requires a vacuum on the priming nipple at all times. The U-tube style overflows don't require this vacuum and are generally more reliable.
ericarenee
New member
Op if you do 3 things you can make that work.
1 MOST Important !!! Get a uplift pump (see thing to do 3)
2. Put the over flow into the tank .. Put a t at the water level of the tank.. put two strait pieces at each end of the t With a cap on each end. NEAR Where you want the water level in each piece of strait pipe cut a slot from the start of the t to the cap.. This will skip the water from top of the tank.. ( DRY FIT AND TRY SO YOU CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS..
3 most important .. IMPORTANT!!! at the VERY TOP DEAD Center point where the over flow comes over the top of the tank Drill a small hole clue in a rigid tube or bulk head to connect to the above uplift pump.. You should prob put a check valve between the two as well. as a bit of extra protection..
NOW With all the above followed Your overflow will NOT Over run your pump .. But be sure you do NOT have a pump that can over run the over flow..
That is where it can get complicated due to head height type of plumbing number of twist and turns on your pipes and OF course pump pressure resistance .. a 300 gph pump is useally 300 gph at 1 foot over head..
Good Luck.. YOU Are on the right Track.. a few more tries and you will be there.. For the Record i have my Tanks Drilled.. If its a small tank it could be Cheaper to replace the tank Remember the cost of replacing floors and so ON IF IT Fails..
Guys above dont be so mean to him.. Many people have been using these things for years . They Do work
Thanks all
1 MOST Important !!! Get a uplift pump (see thing to do 3)
2. Put the over flow into the tank .. Put a t at the water level of the tank.. put two strait pieces at each end of the t With a cap on each end. NEAR Where you want the water level in each piece of strait pipe cut a slot from the start of the t to the cap.. This will skip the water from top of the tank.. ( DRY FIT AND TRY SO YOU CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS..
3 most important .. IMPORTANT!!! at the VERY TOP DEAD Center point where the over flow comes over the top of the tank Drill a small hole clue in a rigid tube or bulk head to connect to the above uplift pump.. You should prob put a check valve between the two as well. as a bit of extra protection..
NOW With all the above followed Your overflow will NOT Over run your pump .. But be sure you do NOT have a pump that can over run the over flow..
That is where it can get complicated due to head height type of plumbing number of twist and turns on your pipes and OF course pump pressure resistance .. a 300 gph pump is useally 300 gph at 1 foot over head..
Good Luck.. YOU Are on the right Track.. a few more tries and you will be there.. For the Record i have my Tanks Drilled.. If its a small tank it could be Cheaper to replace the tank Remember the cost of replacing floors and so ON IF IT Fails..
Guys above dont be so mean to him.. Many people have been using these things for years . They Do work
Thanks all
asudavew
Active member
I used one like yours for awhile. I used 1-1/4 pvc and the pipes inside the tank were u shaped So it drained from the surface. It worked fine until a snail entered the pipe and clogged it. After that I added netting over the top.
It's simply a siphon and will drain like any other siphon. Drill a hole at the top on the outside U. Add a threaded fitting. Attach a toms aqualifer. That will pull the air out and keep the siphon from stopping.
Make sure you keep your return pump up high in your sump. Just in case the siphon breaks or the drain gets clogged. If it's high up in the sump it can only return so much water before it runs dry. Hopefully avoiding an overflow of your display tank.
It's simply a siphon and will drain like any other siphon. Drill a hole at the top on the outside U. Add a threaded fitting. Attach a toms aqualifer. That will pull the air out and keep the siphon from stopping.
Make sure you keep your return pump up high in your sump. Just in case the siphon breaks or the drain gets clogged. If it's high up in the sump it can only return so much water before it runs dry. Hopefully avoiding an overflow of your display tank.
Couldn't you just insert that intake into a larger diameter pipe that is sealed at the bottom and effectively create an "overflow" situation?
like this... ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52avNct51gM
like this... ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52avNct51gM
I'm considering doing something similar, but my situation is a little unique in that my intake wouldn't be in the main display,but in an internal filter area that is already fed and limited by an "overflow"...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/album.php?albumid=8238
advancebc29
New member
I did a pretty good write up on PVC overflows and did some extensive testing even in harsh conditions. My conclusion was that even the slightest change can alter their performance and after weeks of work I went with a lifereef overflow and did never had a problem once in 2.5 years.
If you want to see my experience search for pvc overflow in google and it should be the 4th result. Title is My DIY PVC overflow.
If you want to see my experience search for pvc overflow in google and it should be the 4th result. Title is My DIY PVC overflow.
