UnOverflowable

[kleinfreak]

OK, so thats not even a word. But whatever. I'VE DONE IT!!!
I have finally balanced the tank so that it it impossible to overflow and make a mess, banning leaks of course. If the power goes out...So what!!! Overflow clog ("Turbo Stopper") Mehhh, it'll be fine! Yeah. RESEARCH BABY!!!

I just this evening built the "Ken Stockman special"
I guess I need to tweek it a bit, because it's not very quite. I've been putting it off for quite some time, but this morning the vortex woke me before the alarm clock did. So I threw down the $2 and built it. If anyone has any experience with them, please, give me some pointers.
Man Do I love Reefs.org!

 

[Anonymous]

Very nice...that setup looks very familiar

I used to have that exct setup on a 30 gallon, and I can assure you that it CAN overflow. The siphon U tube can get air bubbles in it and the siphon breaks.

 

[Anonymous]

what is that plunger lookin thingy, and how does it make the overflow box un-overflowable?

and, fwiw-one of the tricks w/the overflow box u-tubes, is to make sure the water flow is fast enough to not allow the small 'splash' bubbles from the inner tank box to collect in the tube

 

[Anonymous]

I think what he means Matt is that he balanced his water levels so that if siphon breaks, it's not going to overflow the tank and if the return dies its not going to overflow the sump..

Nice work klein.. I opted to go commercial on the overflow in my 30 and dropped in a Marineland SOS.. Accomplishes the same thing, silence... :wink:

A mod to that you might want to consider is piping in an airline to suck air out if it does develop bubbles in the siphon tube. The Marineland comes with one and what I did is take an air valve and attach it to that then run the outlet down to the sump. Essentially creating an air siphon for my overflow siphon tube.. Here's some pics..

In this one, it doesn't show well, but the airline goes up into the overflow tube and the end is sitting at the top, ready to suck out any air bubbles..

Here you can see the end of that airline curling down around the front of my skimmer... (Not the orange-tipped line, that's my Kent dripper...)

The way I work mine is that I leave the valve off unless there's some air developing in the tube. I check it at feedings since I need to get into the canopy there to drop in food anyway.. If there's air, I crack the valve and the siphon carries it down the line..

Other people have had luck rigging this line to a powerheads air intake, but I haven't had luck with that.. That's why I rigged this. (And if there's so much air I break siphon on the line I mate the lower end to my skimmers air intake and it power-sucks the air out, regaining my siphon...) :wink:

Good job, the tanks looking great, and thanks again for sharing that moonlight kit!

PS - Post more pics! :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Good call on the amount of flow vitz! - Mine develops bubbles because I'm not driving it hard enough with only a Mag5 return pump... - Eventually I'll upgrade it and put a "squid" on the return, but it's gonna have to wait a bit... ($$$..)

 

[kleinfreak]

Nice setup GD 8)
You happy with that overflow? I have looked at them, but heard nothing good.

I think what he means Matt is that he balanced his water levels so that if siphon breaks, it's not going to overflow the tank and if the return dies its not going to overflow the sump..

Correct...I have simulated the Bubble-Break as well. If the drain tube were plugged, anywhere from overflow box, down to the sump, the overflow will fill up, HOWEVER, the level of water in the tank will never exceed the hight of the of the overflow box, hence no spillage.

PS - Post more pics! :wink:

I am tearing down the MoonLight system again very soon to replace one LED that I had "Tested" (stupid stupid stupid) and is nearly burned out. I'll be sure and take pics while I work on it.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice setup GD 8)
You happy with that overflow? I have looked at them, but heard nothing good.

Yeah, works great! - I should drive it harder to keep it from having bubbles develop (plus I could use more flow anyway I guess..) I think I'm barely coming in on the minimum flow for the thing with my Mag5.. It's got two drain hoses so it's pretty tough to overdrive it..

When everything was brand new I didn't even have a problem with bubbles. But since then the intake foam on the pump has gotten clogged with debris and algae has grown throughout my clear silicone return hose and restricted flow a little. Apparently enough to make the difference because I have to crack the valve and dump air about one every three days or so.

Wish I could leave the valve open to continually pull air, but I've learned from that already. (Power goes out and it eventually siphons enough water to break the overflow siphon!)

 

[mhaynes41]

Good call on the amount of flow vitz! - Mine develops bubbles because I'm not driving it hard enough with only a Mag5 return pump... - Eventually I'll upgrade it and put a "squid" on the return, but it's gonna have to wait a bit... ($$$..)

Yep in all the years I've been donig this salt thing not once have I had a siphon break in the U tube. It all has to do with flow if the pump matches the wet/dry and is not pumping less water in then want it's taken out there will be no bubble the water force will push it out the end. I've been doing this since 1991. What happens is the bubble will start small then over time it grows always at the top of the U tube then as it gets bigger it makes it's why to each end at the top only so far it can go then all of a sudden it can't go anymore then breaks the siphon. but then there is the so called catch 22 if you can stop the overflow the pump will still pump water in to the tank untill the sump goes dry. that ends up on the floor what I like to find id a check vavle the once the pump stops the check vavle sees the water comming back down the tube and closes a flaper just like the check vavle used in a RO membrain unit.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep in all the years I've been donig this salt thing not once have I had a siphon break in the U tube. It all has to do with flow if the pump matches the wet/dry and is not pumping less water in then want it's taken out there will be no bubble the water force will push it out the end. I've been doing this since 1991. What happens is the bubble will start small then over time it grows always at the top of the U tube then as it gets bigger it makes it's why to each end at the top only so far it can go then all of a sudden it can't go anymore then breaks the siphon. but then there is the so called catch 22 if you can stop the overflow the pump will still pump water in to the tank untill the sump goes dry. that ends up on the floor what I like to find id a check vavle the once the pump stops the check vavle sees the water comming back down the tube and closes a flaper just like the check vavle used in a RO membrain unit.

Take another look at my sump setup... - The "green" flex tube coming out of the upper-right corner is my return line.. - that connects to a PVC barb which eventually connects to a check valve (the large round "clear" tube that's partially shaded by the tank rim plastics..) from there PVC connects to the return pump.

Check valves aren't 100% though, so really the best way to set a return up without using one is to have a T in the return where a small outlet is near the surface. That way if the pump fails and it starts to siphon, once water gets below that upper outlet it will suck air and break siphon. :wink:

On mine, I don't have my return sitting too low in the tank anyway, so if the pump and check both fail, it still doesn't have far to go to break siphon anyway. (I *MIGHT* overflow the sump a little, but it shouldn't be catastophic..)

Norm