How Often?

[Anonymous]

You decide if you want a tank like this:

Wings: perhaps you could explain to spoonie why having a pump in the display and another pump in the sump has anything to do with the excellnet condition of my tank or any of the others pictured here.

I was referring to your comments in bold.

And you definately have never seen my current 55g so can make no observations on how stagnant it is.

I posted the picture to see your "current" 55g.


FWIW, I'm a big fan of a drilled tank. Less of a fan of an overflow/siphon.

~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

again care to help spoonie?

 

[Anonymous]

Spoonie

The two pump idea is bad. You will end up with a flood sooner or later, probably sooner. With a drilled tank I have had 0 floods in the 8 years I have been keeping SW tanks. I would suggest the hang on back overflow as option 2. If you have not had you tank set up get it drilled for at least a 1" bulkhead fitting as option 1. If neither of those appeal to you their is always hang on back equipment you could use.

 

[ricky1414]

You decide if you want a tank like this:

Off topic again, but you need to put that picture in your sig line, or force bealsbob to use that as his avatar.

 

[Anonymous]

Spoonie:

Is there any possibility at all of putting the sump/refug higher than the display?. If that is possible then the overflow could be in the sump/refug instead of the display. just a thought.

 

[Anonymous]

Not the greatest of idea but can be done. Just remember that the lowest container in the system has to hold all of the water that will syphon during a power off situation. This may require your display to have a low water level which may not be appealing.

 

[Anonymous]

Not the greatest of idea but can be done. Just remember that the lowest container in the system has to hold all of the water that will syphon during a power off situation. This may require your display to have a low water level which may not be appealing.

that is an excellent point. And applies regardless of which is on top. The system must be setup to limit overflow and break reverse syphons to the lower during power outages, return to normal operation upon power return, and prevent flooding of the top when the overflow becomes plugged. Hence both the top and bottom must have levels lower than the maximum. Just the way an open, two container, pumped system works.

 

[spoonie]

Please don't flame over my pic it only took about 3 minutes but this was the orignal plan I was going with. The overflow that I made to go inside the tank is almost a an half inch shorter then the tank. So I would be able to fill the tank almost to the top. The overflow would only be able to take in so much water so if that there was a power outage it would only take back what was left in the tubes back to the sump. I was going to buy to water flow valves to control how much came in and how much left. With the pump coming in having a water shut off switch.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v667/spoonie09/Tanksump.bmp

 

[ricky1414]

I don't think it will work. You can have a glass company drill a tank for you. Wil probably cost about 50 dollars or so. I hope you never have to leave the house, because I would be scared to with that configuration.

 

[Anonymous]

Not flaming ya..just your idea is not good..I think you are borrowing trouble...Better off going with gravity and an overlow...

 

[polcat]

I give you an A+ for the design, if a two pump system could work that's a pretty good design. However it still won't work, even with exactly the same pumps, one will have head pressure and the other will try to siphon so how do you balance that? If you plan to use ball valves I would rethink that, one snail in the intake and you get a flood or burned out pump. With all the work to build the overflow box why wouldn't you just drill the tank and call it fool proof? You are adding twice the electricity, twice the maintanence, and twice the potential for problems.

 

[Anonymous]

Your overflow is not the problem. In the set up you have pictured the pump in the tank WILL out pump the sump pump. The possibility of overflowing the sump or burning the tank pump is high. If you try to match the two pumps their is little chance that you will hit it right on and you WILL flood either the sump or the tank. Also the pump in the tank will back syphon into the sump and drain the overflow area when the power shut off.

 

[spoonie]

I built the overflow to go to the top other then the slit's that are 3/8 of in ich widen and 3/4 inch long. The overflow only cost me 13 dollars for a peice of plexiglass to make. I origanlly was going to use the Mag 9.5 to push the water out of my tank and a mag 12 to push out of the sump. The chances of a snail gettin into my system was the least of my worries that can be easily fixed by having a sponge over my pump in the overflow. I was going to use the water flow valves to adjust the correct amount of water going into and out of the sump along witha water shut off switch incase the pump coming from the tank to sump did push more water then the sump pump could push out.

But since my Plans have been shot to hell wich overflow box should I get that can hang on the back. I really don't want to drill my tank.

 

[ricky1414]

Probably a life reef.

 

[Anonymous]

Life Reef Version
CPR Version
Marine Life Prefilter Boxes


The Lifereef looks like it could have a 6 week delay in getting it. It is also more expensive than the others. I have had a CPR version before and it worked ok. I have never heard of the Marine Life before. However it seems to function the same as the Lifereef versions. I don't know about the workmanship or quaility of it.

 

[Ben1]

I have used both lifereef singles and doubles and have never had them cause a flood. Very good overflows! Years and years no overflows!

 

[polcat]

Check e-bay there is a company that builds a decent U-tube HOB design. I would steer clear of the CPR model, it doesn't use a U-tube and requires an air pump to maintain siphon. Sorry to shoot down the idea, I can see you put a lot of thought into it. It really wasn't far out, just many folks have lived that concept and discovered the pitfalls. And regardless of the design, snails are a concern, they are relentless. I have eggcrate over my overflow boxes now since finding them in my sump...meaning they got through the overflow box, through the u-tube, and down the drain. :lol:

Spoonie, you are on the right track now. Best of luck on the tank, let us know how it goes.

 

[Anonymous]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

Here is the ebay one.

Note: The CPR does not require an air pump but some small water pump that will pull water out of a little hole on the top. You don't want to put air into the tube but take it out.

 

[spoonie]

Thanks for all the imput. What do you think of the overflows on ebay that come with pump incase of a power outage. They have the same design as the others posted but also come witha pump.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=46310&item=4369650764&rd=1

 

[Anonymous]

Check the selling fourm here and reefcentrial.com. You may find a deal.