Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

[hbash]

Not sure about how to setup the pipes for my particular overflow. The tank is 72" long with a 48"x12"x5.5" overflow box. The box has three 1.5" threaded bulkhead fitting evenly spaced through the bottom.

I have every flavor of 1.5" PVC pipe and fittings I could muster and I am reading that the best placement of the standpipe elbows puts them quite close to the bottom of the overflow box. If I did that I think it would necessitate having the water level in the box low, say 6" and an associated noise produced by the water overflowing into the box.

So, having said all this and with my existing box and fittings, can I raise the three standpipes such that I have about 9"-10" water level in the box with the sanitary tees lined up such that the two downward elbows are .75"-1.0" below the surface and the upward facing elbow would be about about an 1.75"-2.75" dry waiting for the rising "tide"?

This would mean putting about a 6" straight pvc pipe between the tees and the box's bottom bulkheads.

Also, on the way back I have a Quiet One 6000 connected to a check valve to a spitter to two 1"HB x 3/4" threads to 3/4" bulk heads on top left and top right. Should I look for a higher output pump like one of these DC pumps like a Waveline dc-12000 or Jebao dc-12000?


Please advise on this and thanks.

 

[uncleof6]

Overflow water level in a running/adjusted system is ~the middle of the down turned elbows to a little below the top of the down turned elbows. How far the elbows are up off the bottom of the overflow is functionally irrelevant. The discussion over this topic, of late anyway, has concerned folks wanting to jam everything together for the smallest package possible, which myself, I don't think is a good idea. The second part of the discussion is how high off the bottom but still keep critters from going down the drain, and the third part is if the elbow is too close to the bottom, it will restrict the flow. Personally, I think the whole topic gets too much press time...

So yeah, put your elbows where you need them to be...

On the pump, more flow is always better, and a better quality pump is always a good idea. I have never run a Jebao pump, but I know that the RLSS DC pumps are way better than the Quiet One...also centrifugal pumps like large pipe diameters so you should do a bit of thinking on your return system, because 3/4" is just too small.

 

[hbash]

My tank is being built for me and I am pretty sure that the 3/4" bulk heads have been drilled and the glass back has gone for tempering. So, I may be out of luck regarding increasing the size of my bulk heads.

 

[MidwesternTexan]

My tank is being built for me and I am pretty sure that the 3/4" bulk heads have been drilled and the glass back has gone for tempering. So, I may be out of luck regarding increasing the size of my bulk heads.

Gone for tempering? the bottom?

 

[uncleof6]

My tank is being built for me and I am pretty sure that the 3/4" bulk heads have been drilled and the glass back has gone for tempering. So, I may be out of luck regarding increasing the size of my bulk heads.

Why did it go for tempering? If the tank was being built right it should not need to be tempered....

 

[hbash]

Misreading

Misreading

Why did it go for tempering? If the tank was being built right it should not need to be tempered....

Sorry about the duplicate line. Not sure how I managed that nor how to delete this entry.

 

[hbash]

Misreading

Misreading

Why did it go for tempering? If the tank was being built right it should not need to be tempered....

Nope. The back of the tank after the notches for the overflow and the return holes we discussed are drilled the manufacturer send that pane of glass (the back) for tempering. According to that manufacturer, after drilling the glass gets weakened and so by tempering after the modifications to it, the pieces strength is greatly increased.

To quote my remark - "...the glass back has gone for tempering"

 

[hbash]

Gone for tempering? the bottom?

Not sure how you folks are thinking I posted tempering the bottom...

 

[uncleof6]

Nope. The back of the tank after the notches for the overflow and the return holes we discussed are drilled the manufacturer send that pane of glass (the back) for tempering. According to that manufacturer, after drilling the glass gets weakened and so by tempering after the modifications to it, the pieces strength is greatly increased.

To quote my remark - "...the glass back has gone for tempering"

Sorry, but the what the builder told you is nonsense...custom tanks are hardly ever tempered for any reason, and in over 20 years of building custom tanks, I never had a reason to temper one....

The only truth there is the tempering increases the tensile strength of the glass... but if the tank is "engineered" right, there is absolutely no point to the extra expense incurred....

Incidentally, I was aware of which panel supposedly needed tempering

EDIT: I do need to add a proviso to this: it only applies if the builder has followed the rather straight forward safety guidlines concerning any fabrication work done, and the glass thickness is appropriate for the size and configuration of the tank... e.g. it is being built right...

 

[shaggss]

Hi uncle

Just wondering if its ok to use tinted glass for aquarium builds. I'm planning a 4 x 2 x 2' and would like to use black glass for the back pane.

Thanks in advance!

 

[uncleof6]

Hi uncle

Just wondering if its ok to use tinted glass for aquarium builds. I'm planning a 4 x 2 x 2' and would like to use black glass for the back pane.

Thanks in advance!

WAY OFF TOPIC!!!!!! not even in right field—somewhere between the parking lot, and the shopping center next door......

Glass is glass. Does not matter what the color is; black glass is not black, but a very dark green due to the high iron content...

 

[shaggss]

WAY OFF TOPIC!!!!!! not even in right field—somewhere between the parking lot, and the shopping center next door......

Glass is glass. Does not matter what the color is; black glass is not black, but a very dark green due to the high iron content...

Hahah thanks uncle! I would say its on the other side of the world.....

 

[TroysTanks]

Hey guys,

I am starting my own tank, and I definitely like the idea of the beananimal overflow system. I am currently working on my sump design, and I just wanted to get advice and make sure it is compatible with the beananimal overflow.

My sump will be made from a custom aquarium (28in long x 9.5in wide x 13in high), and I also like the idea of having skimmer > return > fuge.

I was thinking about using this design, but I have heard others say that the water level in the skimmer section should never fluctuate, and it should always remain constant so that you can turn the return pump off and not have to turn the skimmer off.

According to this design, it appears that the water will fluctuate in the skimmer section, is that a problem? I also know that I want to save enough room for the drain down.. which may lead me to edit the fuge design. Any recommendations to keep a similar layout and have it optimally functional?

I am planning on having the skimmer section about 8in long, the return 10in, and the fuge 8in.

 

[MidwesternTexan]

At least my slightly off topic post had to do with an Overflow. Not a sump.

Since most bottom panes are tempered- hence wondering if he was having the bottom tempered.

FWIW

 

[uncleof6]

At least my slightly off topic post had to do with an Overflow. Not a sump.

Since most bottom panes are tempered- hence wondering if he was having the bottom tempered.

FWIW

Overflow yes, this drain system no. This thread is about a drain system, not really overflows in general.

I don't think I picked on you over the tempering thing...

 

[uncleof6]

Hey guys,

I am starting my own tank, and I definitely like the idea of the beananimal overflow system. I am currently working on my sump design, and I just wanted to get advice and make sure it is compatible with the beananimal overflow.

The sump is irrelevant to the operation of a siphon system. The only part the sump plays is how far into the sump should the drains go: 1" or less below the water surface.

My sump will be made from a custom aquarium (28in long x 9.5in wide x 13in high), and I also like the idea of having skimmer > return > fuge.

I was thinking about using this design, but I have heard others say that the water level in the skimmer section should never fluctuate, and it should always remain constant so that you can turn the return pump off and not have to turn the skimmer off.

According to this design, it appears that the water will fluctuate in the skimmer section, is that a problem? I also know that I want to save enough room for the drain down.. which may lead me to edit the fuge design. Any recommendations to keep a similar layout and have it optimally functional?

I am planning on having the skimmer section about 8in long, the return 10in, and the fuge 8in.

Off topic in terms of the drain system.

Quickly, that is a very small tank to use as a three section sump. The water level in the skimmer section must be kept stable, unless you like unstable skimmer operation; what you read is a bit far fetched however as a reason for it. Sump design is simple, and the less complicated it is, the better. But you have the basic idea...

 

[TroysTanks]

Alright, thanks for the info! Sorry about the off topic post. I am still trying to navigate the correct place for everything, and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing some crucial yet hidden piece of the sump that is necessary for the beananimal to work properly haha.

 

[uncleof6]

Alright, thanks for the info! Sorry about the off topic post. I am still trying to navigate the correct place for everything, and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing some crucial yet hidden piece of the sump that is necessary for the beananimal to work properly haha.

There isn't a piece of the sump that has anything to do with the drain system. (Unless the water level varies in the section the drains dump into, which is usually the skimmer section, and the skimmer requires a stable water level to operate properly.)

 

[hbash]

Ok. I have done a fair amount of reading these threads and am at or near the point where I can start to cut some pipes in preparation for the new tanks setup.

Based on my reading, it seems that the elbows center line should be between 2.5" - 3.75" from the waterline waterline (top of the overflow box). Since my box has two 18" notches which are 1.5" high, should the calculation for the waterline be from the top of the overflow box minus 1.5" for the notches or from the top of the overflow box?

 

[Bjanzen]

The waterline needs to only be about center line of the bulkheads..... IMO. If possible the coast to coast style overflow box is far superior with this system