sump return

[djtuzik]

if I wanted to have the return lines go over the side of aquarium and go close to the buttom to create more flow? I will cut a small air hole close to the top to prevent anti siphone. Any draw backs besides visually?

 

[Ron Reefman]

None.

I even run mine down the inside back glass of the tank in a big 'square' S shape. It's drilled with lots and lots of tiny holes that all spay out into the tank. I call it a spraybar and it's behind a rock wll that goes almost to the waterline on the back glass. It's been running for 5+ years now and worked very well. My chiller returns are at the bottom front of the tank and pointed up and back toward the LR wall.

 

[djtuzik]

thx
thats a need idea.
I don't plan to build a rock wall but you gave me an idea
Do you you think putting spray bar on top be better or worse than the regular loc line method?

 

[BrettDS]

if I wanted to have the return lines go over the side of aquarium and go close to the buttom to create more flow? I will cut a small air hole close to the top to prevent anti siphone. Any draw backs besides visually?

Yeah, a small hole near the top is all you need, but make sure it's under the water line by a little bit or it may let air into the line as the return pump is running and you'll get bubbles all over everything. Then test it and make sure that when the return pump is shut off the water level gets down to the hole and then the siphon breaks and the line fills with air. It's normal for a few gallons to drain from the DT into the sump when this happens, so make sure you have room in your sump for the water that will be coming down.

Also, note that the hole is an anti siphon hole and your goal is to prevent a siphon... not to prevent anti siphon

 

[Ron Reefman]

The difference between a spraybar or a loc line with both at the top... I'd do the loc line.

As for the anti-siphon hole. Try to make it very close to the water surface. Consider making the hole big enough to 'thread' in a small JonGuest 90 degree elbow with one end threaded. If you do the hole in the side of the pipe, you can now set the outlet of the elbow up or down right at the water surface. 1) it makes waves on the surface which helps with oxygen in and CO2 out of the water, 2) makes for almost immediate breaking of the siphon. It's easy to do and the elbow is available at Lowes for a couple of dollars.