Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

[rrasco]

I don't think that will work because you need a siphon, an open channel, and an emergency. You can't have a siphon if they are all connected, air will be introduced into the line and break the siphon. Plus, you are eliminating the fail safe b/c this all funnels to one pipe, if it gets clogged then your emergency channel is useless. While this may make it quieter than a single drain, it would probably not be silent and is no safer than a single standpipe.

 

[PortlandReefer]

Can I run the two into one and then the emergency by it self?

 

[rrasco]

You can run them both as open channels, but then it won't be quiet and may not handle the flow the siphon and open channel can. You can run one siphon and one open channel with no emergency, but then you're running a herbie and not a bean.

 

[PortlandReefer]

The emergency can drop into any part of the sump correct due to it only active if need correct? I could dump the first two in socks and the emergency in to the middle of the sump if this correct.

 

[rrasco]

Correct. Ideally, the emergency never gets used. Possibly during the first few minutes, but that is not always the case.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Is that your setup in the photo? As mentioned, it is not setup to function as my system is designed. While the middle pipe may siphon, it will only siphon to the horizontal pipe where air is introduced from the other two standpipes. It may "work" but it does not work as my system was designed and really offers (as mentioned) very little in they way of redundancy, as the single horizontal pipe is a single point of failure. That is not only a problem with regard to the inlikely event of a clog, but also significant flow restriction due to turbulance caused by educted air and the fact that the (3) standpipes can easily interact with each other, possibly creating tuning and stability problems.

 

[fns]

I am planning on building a thin internal overflow box about 1.5", and having an external overflow box with the piping to save space inside the tank. I was wondering if 2 2" holes dilled on the back of the tank would suffice for about 1500gph on my 180? Would that be overkill?

 

[uncleof6]

I am planning on building a thin internal overflow box about 1.5", and having an external overflow box with the piping to save space inside the tank. I was wondering if 2 2" holes dilled on the back of the tank would suffice for about 1500gph on my 180? Would that be overkill?

Refer to the drawing just a couple posts above yours. Two holes for that size tank, will not work very well. The drawing above, is a layout for an internal/external system.

 

[stormrider27]

John, the internal box in your excellent drawing looks to be around 6 inches deep, is it necessary to have the box that deep or will a shallower box work as well or nearly as well as a deep box?

Thanks!

 

[uncleof6]

John, the internal box in your excellent drawing looks to be around 6 inches deep, is it necessary to have the box that deep or will a shallower box work as wel as a deep boxl?

Thanks!

PS Bean your input is always welcome and appreciated too!

I am Jim lol, The internal portion starts an inch down from the top of the glass. You don't want to fill the tank to the brim. The internal, is 4 5/8" deep. This is due to the distance the holes must be spaced from the top of the glass, and with the water level at the center of the holes. I centered the holes in the internal portion. This arrangement works very well. If you use black glass (preferred) or acrylic for the internal, and you paint the back of the tank black, you will never see the internal. And with a footprint of only 2.5 - 3 inches, you are not losing significant real estate.

 

[stormrider27]

Jim, sorry for the name screw up and thank you for another well thought out will written explanation!

 

[fns]

Refer to the drawing just a couple posts above yours. Two holes for that size tank, will not work very well. The drawing above, is a layout for an internal/external system.

wow... i feel like a dummy. i have no idea how i missed that... dangit! :uhoh3:

 

[jfane1]

Bean... wow great post. I am up to page 68. So far I have not seen anyone ask this question. I can't drill my glass tank. Could I run this over the back? I have a 224 tank with a 75g sump. If this won't work can you suggest something else that will? Thanks in advance for your help. I plan to read the whole thread.

 

[nurjrk]

Planning on doing an end overflow on my 20L and would like to tee off the drain line to feed my fuge, would this cause a start up problem?
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[rrasco]

On which drain? I don't think a siphon would work very well with a tee. If you did it on the open channel, it wouldn't get much flow to the fuge, if any. Why don't you just tee off the return with a ball valve to the fuge?

 

[TheFishMan65]

It can cause problem on the siphon. One person reported the fuge got siphoned down to the level of the other chamber. Some have reported no problems. It just depends.

 

[nurjrk]

Was thinking on teeing off the siphon drain. I wanted raw water for the fuge, but don't want to create a problem with start up. My other option is to tee off the return line. I guess off the return will be just as well, ALL the return water does not go through the skimmer so...I'm sure there will be enough raw water entering the fuge.
Thanks

 

[afgun]

I use a wye in my siphon line to feed my refugium and the skimmer chamber; you can see it on the left:

Both ends are submerged in constant-depth water <1" and air purges in about 30 seconds at pump startup. The only issue encountered has been crabs and snails getting stuck in the gate valves that are below the wye (used for tuning and balancing flow). Better containment in the tank itself likely would correct that.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I think it may depend on how much flow you have. I can picture in my head where a slow flow might allow water in the fuge to siphon back into the sump. I think a strong flow might prevent this. I really don't know what the cause is or is not

 

[afgun]

I use separate fuge and sump tanks. I have a siphon between them as well. I solved the issue you raise by having a weir in my refugium and the siphon from there to the sump.