Will this Herbie overflow work?

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Hello all I have a reef ready tank drilled through the bottom with 2 overflow boxed. (150 gallon tank) I want to do a Herbie system drain and wanted to know if this would work with the main siphon drain on one side and the emergency drain on the other with a return on each side. Any info would be great.

See attached picture.

 

[Brando5185]

Very hard to balance this way.

 

[thegrun]

I agree, it can be done but it's very tricky. You have to get the height of the emergency drain just right. It takes a lot of playing around and isn't very stable You are better off going over the top (back) with your returns and using all 4 holes for drains.

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Hmm...okay I really cant go with the return line up the back as the tank will be sitting against the wall flush. Would it make more sense to have 1 return, 1 full siphon and 2 emergency drains? I guess this would be more like the bean animal?

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Or, would it make sense to have 2 full siphons and 1 emergency drain and 1 return?

 

[mcgyvr]

I'd do the bean setup..
What size bulkheads though?
Any chance of doing the returns up/over the side of the tank near the back corner?

 

[nereefpat]

Seams like everyone always wants to do Herbie the hard way.

The best/proven way is to run a return over the back. The tank doesn't have to be away from the wall much more than 3/4".

 

[ICE JUICE]

just run the bean setup

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

just run the bean setup

When you say just run the bean set up are you talking about the way I have it drawn? Or run a different way? I cant really do the return over the back and I think it looks terrible.

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Seams like everyone always wants to do Herbie the hard way.

The best/proven way is to run a return over the back. The tank doesn't have to be away from the wall much more than 3/4".

When you say the hard way what do you mean? I really don't like the return up over the back I think it looks horrible and I don't have a lot of room

 

[nereefpat]

When you say the hard way what do you mean? I really don't like the return up over the back I think it looks horrible and I don't have a lot of room

The "hard way" for the reasons mentioned by thegrun and brando. I have dual herbies, and they work awesome.

I don't know what you mean by looking horrible...you can't see the pipes behind the tank, assuming your tank has a background. And like I said, you only need a little more than 3/4".

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

The "hard way" for the reasons mentioned by thegrun and brando. I have dual herbies, and they work awesome.

I don't know what you mean by looking horrible...you can't see the pipes behind the tank, assuming your tank has a background. And like I said, you only need a little more than 3/4".

ok so in doing it this way would I have a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow with the return coming up the back. I guess you're right you would never see the pipe. Would you ever drill a return hole in the back of the tank between the overflows for the return??

 

[nereefpat]

ok so in doing it this way would I have a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow with the return coming up the back.

Yes, or even multiple returns if you wanted.

I guess you're right you would never see the pipe. Would you ever drill a return hole in the back of the tank between the overflows for the return??

You sure could.

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Ok everyone, your input has been great and it looks like the safest way to do it is a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow and run a pvc return line up the back. I'm thinking I may drill a hole in the back between the overflows for the return line to come through. Basically for esthetics value.

 

[water is wet]

Just one siphon in each overflow and an emergency drain in one with the return in the other.

 

[nereefpat]

Ok everyone, your input has been great and it looks like the safest way to do it is a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow and run a pvc return line up the back. I'm thinking I may drill a hole in the back between the overflows for the return line to come through. Basically for esthetics value.

I like your plan. The bean system was suggested because it's "better." But it requires drilling several holes and removing/patching existing overflows.

For drilling, in case you didn't know:
Get your bulkhead first, so you know what size of hole saw to use. The EDGE of the hole needs to be AT LEAST 1 diameter lower than the top of the tank.

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Just one siphon in each overflow and an emergency drain in one with the return in the other.

Is this what you use in your tank? Do you have a picture?

 

[water is wet]

Like you i'm in the process of setting up a new tank, mine is a 120 with dual overflows and that's how i'm going to plumb it. My previous tank was a 500 gallon with a single 16" overflow in the middle with two siphon's one emergency and one return. It worked well and I don't see any reason why this won't work.

 

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Like you i'm in the process of setting up a new tank, mine is a 120 with dual overflows and that's how i'm going to plumb it. My previous tank was a 500 gallon with a single 16" overflow in the middle with two siphon's one emergency and one return. It worked well and I don't see any reason why this won't work.

Thanks for the input, what size PVC are you using?

 

[water is wet]

1" for the drains and 3/4" for the return. I'm going to reduce the flow in one of the drains down to less than half and make my adjustments with the other.