Will a Beananimal Work with Dual Overflows?

Biggar

Biggar

New member
My system will be dual overflows, with all for holes as drains.

Almost every Beananimal set up I have seen is used on a single overflow system. Is there a reason for that?

Apparently, one drain will be doing almost all the work(the full syphon drain). The other durso with airline just picks up the slack. And the last one is mainly used as a fail safe and to help purge the system when turning on the return pump.

If most of my water is draining on one corner flow, the other overflow might get backed up and really overflow!

If anyone has this type of beananimal on corner overflows, im interested how it is working.

Or if some can explain if this will work, I would like to know.

Thanks Mike
 
Bump
I guess no one has tried franks and beananimals on two overflows.

Maybe this will work?

One overflow: Full siphon and emergency drain
Second Overflow: Two air regulated durso's
 
Possible solution

Possible solution

Apparently, Beananimal is only relevant to a LARGE main drain which the perfecto tank lacks

May try this
The Herbie Overflow
hybridbeananimal.jpg


The Herbie is a system designed to use both the holes in a standard overflow to work as the first two stages of a full Bean-Animal. Follow these plans, and you can expect to have a system whose noise level and safety are second only to the true Bean-Animal.


Remember that first stage of the Bean-Animal? We will be using the larger of the two holes in your tank to replicate this stage (Right of diagram.) The key to this one is for it to get silent full siphon. The plumbing for this one should just be a strait pipe inside your overflow that only reaches about half way up. On the bottom side of the tank plumb in a ball valve so you can tune it back and be sure to run the plumbing all the way down into the water.


The second stage of this system is where it starts to diverge from a Bean-Animal (Left of diagram.) This stage will catch all extra water that the first doesn't, so you want it to be up higher in your overflow housing. I like for the top of it to be about three inches below the top. The plumbing for this one will come straight up and turn 180 degrees back towards the bottom. This makes it so the open end where the water is flowing into the pipe is submerged and thus silenced. On the bottom side of the tank, there is no ball valve needed, but be sure to also plumb this one into the sump water.


Now as most of you have probably already noticed, this system takes away your return line hole. To get around this, simply plumb your return line up and over the rim of the tank.



A couple more tips:



I like to use bulkheads that are slip on one end and threaded on the other. This way you can thread the upper plumbing into the bulkhead and be sure it seals well but is also removable.



Always glue your plumbing! It can be very annoying to take apart and glue later, so just do it now and avoid salt creep colonies created by plumbing drips.





If you have any questions about this system feel free to send us an email, and we will get you on the right track



Happy reefing!



-Michael Rice
 
I used the Herbie method on my tank, an it's awesome, not a peep of water noise, only thing I hear is the humm of my pumps. I only have one overflow box, not two like you. I believe you will have to take both overflows, and join them together, then put a gate valve after the joint. Trying to balance two separate overflow boxes will be a PITA. Use a gate valve, not a ball valve, makes it 1000 times more easy to equalize the system. I had a ball valve at first, an switched to a gate valve. Bulk reef Supply has an explanation of it in a vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv3u0Sa1tk
 
marcelft said:
I used the Herbie method on my tank, an it's awesome, not a peep of water noise, only thing I hear is the humm of my pumps. I only have one overflow box, not two like you. I believe you will have to take both overflows, and join them together, then put a gate valve after the joint. Trying to balance two separate overflow boxes will be a PITA. Use a gate valve, not a ball valve, makes it 1000 times more easy to equalize the system. I had a ball valve at first, an switched to a gate valve. Bulk reef Supply has an explanation of it in a vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv3u0Sa1tk
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I hope I can avoid that equilibrium problem. Yea, gate valve would be better to help get the siphon dialed in correctly.

I think this is going to be trial and error at this point.
 
Am I correct didn't we discus almost this same thing when you were here at my place? Isn't a bean animal overflow with returns over the top what I suggested and showed you how to do when you were here? I thought we even drew it up......If you still need assistance give me a call.
 
I have a 150 gallon DT and a 75 gallon sump. I have 3- 1.5inch holes spread across the back of my DT. The center hole is my return and the outside two i used the bean animal. I do have a DIY coast to coast internal. On the far left drain that drains vertical down to my sump, on the far right drain is plumbed at a 45degree angle. The vertical drain has a 90 degree fitting tuen down with a valve to put under a vacumm and handles 95% of the 2000gph return. The other drain has a 90degree fitting turned up as a emergeny drain that catches the last 5% and drains at a angle to be whisper quiet.

It might be frowned upon but it works great for me and in power outage the emergency drains carries most of the return until the vacumm is created within the first few seconds.

The drains are a 1-3inches under the water in the sump and have very little amount of bubble from the emergency drain and none from the other.

If needed i could take pics of my setup to show you if that would help.
 
mrx66699 said:
Am I correct didn't we discus almost this same thing when you were here at my place? Isn't a bean animal overflow with returns over the top what I suggested and showed you how to do when you were here? I thought we even drew it up......If you still need assistance give me a call.
Click to expand...

Yes Matt, we did discuss this. As stated above, not sure a bean animal is designed for dual over flows. If one hole is meant to drain most of the water, that means my 1" pipe on one side will be doing most of the work, creating an equilibrium issue?

Herbie seems more relevant for my application as it utilizes 2 siphons. Can one 1" inch siphon drain 2500 GPH+? I read more like 800-1200gph

I did call and left you a message, have not heard back from you. About 4-5 days ago. Would like to hear from you. Hope your project is going well
 
Hey...didnt see the message or def would have gave you a call :confused:. Since its dry and your in the build process how come you don't just take out those two corner overflows and put in a coast to coast and be done with it. Now you can run a more efficient skimming overflow and put in exactly what you want instead of trying to compromise back and forth with something that's not your first choice.
 
mrx66699 said:
Hey...didnt see the message or def would have gave you a call :confused:. Since its dry and your in the build process how come you don't just take out those two corner overflows and put in a coast to coast and be done with it. Now you can run a more efficient skimming overflow and put in exactly what you want instead of trying to compromise back and forth with something that's not your first choice.
Click to expand...

No biggie about the call. I dont want to tamper with the dual over flows. I actually like how the overflow pulls from the middle of the tank and top, plus its already installed for me.

Just wanted to know the most efficient way to get a large amount of drainage as quietly and safety as possible. If I upgrade the external pump in future, I want to know the plumbing will not need to be changed, just the turn of a gate valve.

Im off Friday, I was planning on doing the plumbing that day. If you have a few mins, swing by. Im about 3 miles away.
 
Hey Mike!


What did you end up doing about the plumbing? I am in the same boat right now, trying to plumb my 125 gal with dual corner overflows. From reading a bunch of threads, it looks like a beananimal wont work, but a herbie would.

How is your experience?
 
Gayle. The bean animal will work just fine as it matters not which side the emergency drain is on as long as all three stand pipes are at the correct heights .....difference between the two systems your compareing is not just the quietness the importance is in the true full siphon with backup
 
gkugelman said:
Hey Mike!


What did you end up doing about the plumbing? I am in the same boat right now, trying to plumb my 125 gal with dual corner overflows. From reading a bunch of threads, it looks like a beananimal wont work, but a herbie would.

How is your experience?
Click to expand...

I ended up going Herbie. A full siphon on each side controlled by gate valves under neath. The two other drains are back ups(durso style, which never get used).

When you cut the Herbie pipe, make it about 12" tall. That way your full siphon begins further down in you corner overflows. preventing sucking air.

Only have to adjust the gate valves when the flow changes in my reactors. That is because the reactors are ganged into the return pump. But rarely touch them.

If you run this setup in safe mode. With the gate valve allowing most flow into the sump, you might pull air down the full siphon pipe. A filter sock can help control air bubbles if you chose this route. Depends on your sump set up and bubble traps, etc.

For me, its flawless and quiet. Going strong for 2 years with no water spillage
Hope this helps.
 
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