$15 PVC Overflow

[yellow77]

To raise/lower water level, couldn't you just adjust A/N height
btw great idea

[Rikko]

Hah! I love it! Thanks for posting this!

[tboned]

anything I can do to help

besides the there should always be a cheaper way to do the expensive stuff

[Freed]

So what size pipe do I need used with a double of one of these to get about 1500=1800gph? I have a mag 18 for my return which puts out about that much at roughly 5' of head. Anyone? Thanks.

[pvtschultz]

Honestly Freed, if you are running something that large with that expensive of a pump and all, I would think about drilling the tank. Thick tanks are a lot easier to drill (so I've heard anyways) and you can do it with it full of water (there was a thread on here a while ago doing it). That is my $0.02 anyways.

[Freed]

Too much stuff and too much to lose for me to drill with it full of all my corals and such. I have an overflow that works fine right now but if this works better, then I am willing to try it. Just need more info is all. Not enough room for me to drill or get a drill in my tank. Thanks for your $0.02 though.

[Herbert T. Kornfeld]

NOT A NEW IDEA. I made one years ago based on this guys web page...http://www.nd.edu/~lego/grp2/www/reef_diy.htm

[tboned]

I personally would use dual overflows with 1 1/4" pipes

[tboned]

Originally posted by Herbert T. Kornfeld
NOT A NEW IDEA. I made one years ago based on this guys web page...http://www.nd.edu/~lego/grp2/www/reef_diy.htm

I love that thing

that is the one I found When I was reasearching overflows

I like how you can prime both overflow pipes at one time

[Inflames]

I dont understand the need for some much pipe after the initial intake. Unless its for HOB and stability purposes.

[pvtschultz]

You need the back side plumbing to maintain the siphon over the top of the tank so that when the power goes out and comes back on, it will self start again. Personally I think that it is a great idea and am thinking about building one since there really isn't that much to lose. My current overflow box doesn't skim the surface very well so I would like to build one and see if it works better than the one that I am using now.

And Freed, thank you for not going off. I reread my comment and it could have been misplaced/directed. Personally when I buy my final tank, it will be a reef-ready tank so I don't have to worry about overflows anymore.

[richard55]

here is mine.

Does it look correct??

[Freed]

Originally posted by pvtschultz

And Freed, thank you for not going off. I reread my comment and it could have been misplaced/directed. Personally when I buy my final tank, it will be a reef-ready tank so I don't have to worry about overflows anymore.

You mean the "Honestly Freed" part? No big deal. I used to get worked up about posts on RC but don't let it stress me anymore. No harm no foul. Thanks though.

[Freed]

I'll ask again, does anything get glued together or is everything just snug fit?

[richard55]

I tested mine without glue it works but the flow was very slow. I did not have a cap in the vent just stuck my finger in. It never really picked up. mine is all 3/4 class 200

[Nolte919]

Originally posted by Freed
I'll ask again, does anything get glued together or is everything just snug fit?

It seems to me you should definitely glue everything together. If it came apart at F for instance the siphon would continue to drain water from your tank but it wouldn't be connected to the lines going to your sump. It would probably be ok to leave the parts inside the tank un-glued, like A and B, but the rest should definitely be secure.

Perhaps someone with at least a little aquarium experience can back me up or tell me I'm full of hot air.

[richard55]

no that sounds good if you leave the tank parts snug then it is easier to clean. any thing you do outside of your tank would be a bad idea not glued, that is unless you really want to test your shop vac in saltwater.

[pvtschultz]

Does anyone have a pic/or could get a quick pic of one of these on their tank (say a 4' tank like a 55, 75, 90, etc, or a larger tank) so I could get an idea of the intrusiveness. I already have a lot of PVC plumbing in mine and it really doesn't bother me as long as I know that it is for the better good of my under-water friends, but I still like pics though.

[richard55]

I just added south down so my tank is NASTY if it settles i will post mine.

[bluenosedshellback]

The one thing that is missing is the anti siphon valve that is inserted in a drilled hole on top. This allows me to suck out the air bubbles that collect there. You can also run an airline from the valve to a power head so that the suction continuously pulls air bubbles out. These are very stable.

These things look great painted black. I break the gloss with pvc primer then spray with vinyl spray found in auto parts stores. Just let it cure for several days. The last one I did took a week before the smell went away. Inverts grow on it with no problem.

DEMOVID@HOTMAIL.COM


__________________

Great idea concerning using a powerhead with the air hose run up into the u tube. This could be used so that upon return of power the pwr head will draw the air out of the siphon tube as the tank fills back up. The only stipulations i can see as of right now would be that the powerhead would have to be low enough in the tank to remain submerged during the power outage. This way when power came back on the powerhead would immediately start drawing a suction from the air tubing to pull the air out as the siphon began to fill with water. The second issue would be probably putting a check valve downstream of the overflow piping to allow the power head to draw a suction on this section of piping (since the outlet of the drain is an open ended pipe). The last issue is ensuring the power head is capable of drawing enough air out of the siphon to get the siphon flowing before the tank overflows. More of an explanation in detail with drawings to come, this is just to get some discussion flowing the subject.

[richard55]

why is mine so slow less than 20 gallons an hour? I did not build it with as large piping as yours but I think i should see a more flow.

[tboned]

Originally posted by richard55
why is mine so slow less than 20 gallons an hour? I did not build it with as large piping as yours but I think i should see a more flow.

is your pipe after D the same size or bigger
if it is the same size it will have a slower flow


also that is one reason Y I decided to use dual tubes (more flow)

[richard55]

yeah it is all 3/4. duals at this rate would still blow I think the idea is cool but I am missing something. do the lengths of pipe look ok?

[tboned]

The tube after D should be bigger than the rest to make the flow a stronger

the shorter the tubes the faster the flow

on your design A-D should be the same size after D should be bigger and you will see (should be major) boost in flow

my dual with 3/4 (I think) was doing like 400 GPH

[richard55]

I am aiming for 200 to 300 per hour