Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

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Okay thank you I will try looking there again. I would like to use them I think that they look better. Can I use the abs pipe? I don't know if the abs is harmful or not?
 
You can use ABS without any problem. You need to use the proper glue to connect ABS to PVC (FWIW plumbing codes do not allow this for good reason )
 
Okay thank you for the advice. Is there another thread you are following or answering questions on skimmers?
 
zoa... There are a lot of skimmer threads. I had one of my own regarding my 6' beast. The short fat skimmers are a lot more popular though :) I suggest starting a skimmer thread if you have DIY skimmer questions. Most of the usual suspects will stop in and help/
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13389457#post13389457 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by markhilken
Nice artwork!! What program did you use?
Click to expand...

I used autocad 2007 to do the drawings and renderings. Some of the pipe parts were available from Charlotte Pipe, the rest I had to build or modify.
 
FirstContact, that is what I did. I wanted the inside box to be as small as possible to keep the tank clear of clutter. The inside is 1/4" black acrylic 20"wide x 5" tall x 1.5" deep so it does not interfere with the lighting at all or cast a shadow. The outside box is 3/8" clear acrylic 20"wide x 6" tall x 6" deep and they are held onto the tank with four 1" bulkheads which allow the water to pass also. The only reason I didn't go coast to coast is the tank is drilled for cl and has two returns on each side. Works perfect with Bean's design!
 
On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 10:39 PM, Mike
wrote in an email:

Hi, I'm about half way reading your thread but I wanted to ask you a quick question to clear up some concerns.

I'm going to setup a 75gallon tank, upgrading from my 40, i'm not a huge DYI but if i research enough I'm sure I can mange.

1. Your overflow, it looks like the lip does not have any teeth? Do you ever get fish/snails etc swim into the overflow?

2. What is the easiest way to make the overflow for a 75gallon tank, would it just be okay to use glass or would acrylic be best? (my understanding is its hard to hold acrylic in place to glass cause the sealant is made for glass to glass?)

3. How is the water level determined, is the exact point of the lip of the overflow the point the water level will be in the tank, or will it be higher than this?

4. I'm still a bit confused on the differ types of drains you have going, I think i understand the siphon overflow, does this mean that the drain must be submerged under what in the sump or the siphon will break?

5. the 2nd drain is not a siphon right? so does this one have to be submerged also? or is it better to have it not submerged so it can allow air to escape?

6. Have you messed with the idea yet of direct feeding your skimmer? I have a H&S external being fed by my lifereef overflow box and i think it works pretty well, but i am unsure how I would be able to impliment this into your design, unless i have the 1st drain go completely into the skimmer? and then the 2nd drain feed the remaining water into sump?

7. If i read your write up correctly using 1.5 bulkhead and 1.5 pipes is the prob the best??

Thanks!!!!
Click to expand...
1) Yes, the snails come and go as they please. Blennies and other slim curious fish sometimes go over. Damsels, basslets, and other less curious fish go nowhere near it. I have never lost or hurt a fish... they find their way to the sump and I move them back to the display. Most fish only make the trip 1-2 times and they learn not to go for the ride after that.

2) Glass will be much easier to work with. Have it cut 1/8" - 1/4" so that you can fit it in place and seal it with silicone.

3) No more than 1/4" or so higher, depending on the flow. Place the TOP of the overflow weir at the BOTTOM EDGE of the trim and you will never see the water line and have PLENTY of room for flow.

4) No the siphon will not break. You want it just slightly submerged so that it does not splash. Submerge it too far and it will be hard to start.

5) It should also be slightly submerged so that it does not splash.

6) I can not direct feed my skimmer because it is 6' tall. Directly feeding the skimmer from the siphon is certainly possible. The 2nd (open channel) standpipe should allow the systme to self tune fairly well.

7) The pipe size depends on the flow. I am using 1" bulkheads with 1.5" pipe. The larger the open channel pipe, the more flow it can handle silently.
 
Also... do me a big favor folks. If you have questions about this design, post them here instead of my email or PM. It makes it easier to answer and in the same process helps others who may have the same questions.

No questions are dumb questions... just post them here so we can all benefit.
 
Hi Robertifly,

Thanks for the post! I have been finding it very difficult to get an electrician interested in my small job of putting outlets in the basement. My wife is backing away from the idea of a larger fish tank when she realized the cost commitments. My 46g is still at my townhouse as there's no outlet for it in the basement and my wife will not have it elsewhere in the house. If and when I finally get it to my wife's home, the overflow will be my first project.

All the Best,
FirstContact
 
Alright Bean, I've been trying to PM you with my question, but to no avail, so here goes:

First, let me say that I love the overflow, as well the sound information you have given in many of the threads you participate in.

To my question - it's probably covered somewhere in the thread, but it seems a simple question and there is potentially a whole lot of reading to find it - Is there any drawback, or other reason, why the method you outlined wouldn't work for the following scenario:

I just purchased used a 45g cube (~24"x~24"x~18"). There is an overflow built into it. The overflow is a top to bottom rectangular overflow similar to many AGA set ups. Here's what's unique: there are no holes drilled in the glass. The previous owner used it as the "sump" (return pump was located back there). To add more complication to the situation, the overflow has a baffle within it to most likely to keep bubbles from the pump. I didn't include them, but there are teeth in the overflow too. I can take some pics too if that would help.

What do you think?

I drew this up to help illustrate the situation I am in. Let me know if the image doesn't show. It's where I think that the 1" bulkheads would need to go in the back pane of glass.

I appreciate the help. Thanks!

Craig

45gbeanoverflowsetup-1.jpg
 
i just read skimmed through this thread...will go back and read it when i get time but i like it a lot....i have a 75 gallon with 3 1inch holes and this is a perfect set up for me...but can i use 1.25 drain pipe instead of the 1.5 like you have in your diagram.

thanks for this SWEET thread. and i am sure you said this already but where would you recommend the 3 drain leading to. i have a sump set up like so skimmer/return/refuge. well my build thread is my red house. thanks for the house.
 
I have thought about doing something very simular to this with my drain. I have two 1" drains coming from the bottom of box. Use one for siphon, bulkhead to pipe with a valve on the end. The other straight pipe about half the hieght of box to bulkhead. Roughly how much water can move through a 1" pipe with no air? It's like 600gph with air? My backup plan was to use a 3/4" siphon and the two 1" pipes for failsafe. I plan to move about 1500gph.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13472998#post13472998 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PaulieWalnuts
i just read skimmed through this thread...will go back and read it when i get time but i like it a lot....i have a 75 gallon with 3 1inch holes and this is a perfect set up for me...but can i use 1.25 drain pipe instead of the 1.5 like you have in your diagram.

thanks for this SWEET thread. and i am sure you said this already but where would you recommend the 3 drain leading to. i have a sump set up like so skimmer/return/refuge. well my build thread is my red house. thanks for the house.
Click to expand...

You can use the 1.25 inch plumbing if you like. There should not be that much diffrence. Bigger is always better for the open channel though. All thread drains should lead to the intake compartment of the sump, you could hwoever, send the open channel to the refugium and/or tee of the siphon to the skimmer. Some people have used part of the siphon flow to feed a skimmer with success, though I have not tested it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13473100#post13473100 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PaulieWalnuts
and do you have a build thread i would love to see a 75 in wall
Click to expand...

No build thread... but will sometime get the build photos posted to my website in the gallery section and maybe a writeup in the articles sections... it all takes time.
 
Deed done .. now finally ordered a new un-braced 'Starfire' tank 110x 55 x 62/59 ( cm) with a coast-to-coast external overflow 8x15 (cm) ( drilled in bottom of overflow for 3 'BeanAnimal' channels' and a single return.). Hardest bit was convincing the guy to do 'no teeth'!!

Thinking aloud ... what syphons should I use ... copy the master and rotate through 90degrees ? .... to utilise the narroe space or some other similar methodology?

All views interesting if not always understood:eek2:
 
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