aqua lifter alternative

[mark freshwater]

Hi i need an aqua lifter or similar for my over flow box im getting , aqua lifters are expensive for postage and could take weeks for delivery as im in Australia.
Could i use air tube connected to a power head or similar as im worried about not having something and having a flood if there is a power outage.
Thanks
Mark

 

[Retro Reefer]

A power head is not going to work you will need the aqua lifter.. for what it’s worth a U tube style hang on overflow does not require a pump and set up properly are very reliable. The other option you could consider if they are available to you is the AutoAqua water level sensor, if the syphon breaks on your overflow and tank water level starts to rise this will shut down your return pump and prevent flooding.

 

[ajm83]

This may be a totally stupid suggestion, but what about running the air line down to your return pump and 'teeing' it in to the output like a venturi?

 

[mark freshwater]

Thanks guys i have decided to go with a eshopps , it actually works out cheaper to buy this brand , then the other brand that needed an aqua lifter, and less hassle.
Thanks
Mark

 

[Retro Reefer]

Thanks guys i have decided to go with a eshopps , it actually works out cheaper to buy this brand , then the other brand that needed an aqua lifter, and less hassle.
Thanks
Mark

Good choice.. I run a PF-300 on a 40 breeder and love it! Just make sure you match the size and flow rate to your tank.. to make these fail safe you need to push them to the upper end of there flow rate to prevent air pocket from forming in U tube and stopping syphon, also you need to remove and clean the prefilter sponge occasionally I typically do mine weekly.. they have a 3 pack of extra prefilters for like $10 which make it easier to keep up with.

 

[mark freshwater]

Sweet,
My tank is 75 gal , so at max for the pf-300 and min for the pf-800 so thinking the 800 , my pump will be 3000lph but will be running other things plus headroom etc , so can dial it in.
I like that sensor cut off swich , my pump comes with one , but i like the sensor cause i can make the sump shut down before the it gets to the pump

 

[ajm83]

Thanks guys i have decided to go with a eshopps , it actually works out cheaper to buy this brand , then the other brand that needed an aqua lifter, and less hassle.
Thanks
Mark

Not a good choice IMHO. I'm using one, and the quality control is awful. Firstly it was supplied with the wrong u-bend (or it had been cut incorrectly), it was too long and touched the bottom of the clear bit at the back preventing water freely flowing. Secondly the bulkhead supplied would not fit either metric or imperial fittings correctly. It is also extremely noisy sometimes - think flushing toilet but ten times louder. This is from water trickling over the edge of the stand pipe.

One final moan - because the u-tube is clear, it gets full of algae in no time at all.

Honestly if I had any possible way, I would drill the tank instead of using one of these.

edit: proof of the noise (turn your volume up,my phone's microphone is useless)

nb. You can see in the vid that is a plastic nut zip tied under the u tube, that's because i was using the original incorrectly sized one while the other was soaking in vinegar to remove the coraline

 

[mark freshwater]

Yes i have heard mixed reviews, my tanks is full though so wont drill for now,,,hmmm

 

[ajm83]

Yes i have heard mixed reviews, my tanks is full though so wont drill for now,,,hmmm

Have a look and see if you can get a lifereef instead, apparently they are better.

 

[mark freshwater]

I wanted to get this http://www.guppysaquariumproducts.com.au/overflow-box-flowrate-is-2500l-h.html, but then realised i need an aqua lifter , which we dont have in australia , and the cost of unit and postage it $80 on top over the over flow , plus more power etc, its always something haha,
ill check out the life reef aswell

 

[Retro Reefer]

For what it’s worth just a few more opinions.. I have been using HOB overflows for over 30 years and the eshopps is one of the nicest ones I have ever owned including life reef.. for the money it’s beautifuly made and works perfectly, If you find yours is noisy simply make a lid for the external box, if your tank is high nutrient and your getting algae in the U tube simply make a small shield to block light or paint it black. It takes like 5 minutes to pull the tube and clean it with a bottle brush if ever needed..

 

[WVNed]

I am using a Eshoppes PF-1000 on a 75 gallon tank. I strongly suggest you consider it. It has 2 x 1 inch drains and runs silently without any sponges or covers. One drain runs as a full siphon with a valve to adjust it and the other has a piece of PVC pipe I cut to make a standpipe that sets the water level in the rear box.

The water level in the rear box controls the water level in the front box. This controls how far the water falls into the front box from the tank so you don't get bubbles to collect in the tubes over the rim.

You close the valve on the drain until the water level in the back rises to the top of the standpipe for the second drain and a tiny bit goes down it. If it makes noise close the valve a tiny bit until it doesn't.
Since my drains don't run any air they are silent and don't make a mess splashing in the sump

 

[ajm83]

I am using a Eshoppes PF-1000 on a 75 gallon tank. I strongly suggest you consider it. It has 2 x 1 inch drains and runs silently without any sponges or covers. One drain runs as a full siphon with a valve to adjust it and the other has a piece of PVC pipe I cut to make a standpipe that sets the water level in the rear box.

Yes I can see that would solve the issue, a bit like a bean animal set up, but of course you need a big enough tank to be able to handle it.

For what it’s worth just a few more opinions.. I have been using HOB overflows for over 30 years and the eshopps is one of the nicest ones I have ever owned including life reef.. for the money it’s beautifuly made and works perfectly, If you find yours is noisy simply make a lid for the external box, if your tank is high nutrient and your getting algae in the U tube simply make a small shield to block light or paint it black. It takes like 5 minutes to pull the tube and clean it with a bottle brush if ever needed..

Well please don't take offence but I have to say I disagree on all of that. Maybe you got lucky with how yours was put together but like I said, the QC on mine was bloody awful. And when you have to order things across from another country that's a big issue. I waited 3 weeks for the replacement parts for example.

I do have a lid and it does nothing to hide that noise, it is so loud you cannot hear the telly.

The tank is low nutrient, I even dose no3 and po4 every day using my doser and it's still 0 for both. I have literally zero algae in my tank except in the tube. I understand the tube needs to be seen through to check for bubbles but I think having it a darker tint (like the grey JBL silicone hose) rather than transparent would really cut down how often it needs cleaning.

It is only a few minutes to clean the tube, except I need to soak mine over night in vinegar to get the coraline off... but the main problem is you need to prime it again with airline tube which is a nuisance. (unless there is a better way? open to ideas!)

 

[WVNed]

OP has a 75 gallon tank same as me.

I used a PF-800 for 1 week but it was a noisy mess.

The quality of my Eshoppes overflow is satisfactory to do what I want.

 

[Retro Reefer]

My stand pipe has a vent tube in the overflow and runs very quiet, maybe they have improved them mine works perfectly and quality of construction is as good or better than any I have owned..

 

[mark freshwater]

Just reading about my original one i liked http://www.guppysaquariumproducts.com.au/overflow-box-flowrate-is-2500l-h.html
rather than a aqua lifter , the manufacturer says to use your skimmer hose to connect to the nipples, so looks like its just air.
So confusing

 

[Retro Reefer]

Just reading about my original one i liked http://www.guppysaquariumproducts.com.au/overflow-box-flowrate-is-2500l-h.html
rather than a aqua lifter , the manufacturer says to use your skimmer hose to connect to the nipples, so looks like its just air.
So confusing

I don’t see how using skimmer air intake to suck air/water from that overflow would work, If your skimmer is not drawing unimpeded air continually it will not function.. Dont sweat it to bad just do lots of research, read all the reviews you can, ask questions and try to make the best educated decision you can.. your always going to find vast amounts of opinions when it comes to reefing.. here are some reviews of the eshopps overflows that may help you gain some insight.. scroll to bottom of page, 62 reviews with 4 out of 5 star ratings

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3587+18358&pcatid=18358

 

[Retro Reefer]

Just to clarify the reason ajm83’s sounds like a flushing toilet is there is no vent on stand pipe, top picture is my stand pipe thats hard to see because it’s under water but you can see the vent tube compared to ajm83’s below with no vent

 

[mark freshwater]

I can see the pipe , but not sure where the vent is?
Is this something you modified yourself?

 

[Retro Reefer]

The vent is just a small pipe stuck inside the larger main drain pipe, in the top picture of my overflow you can see the smaller clear plastic vent pipe sticking out of the water, it’s glued inside the main white drain pipe which is hard to see because it’s under water.. in the bottom picture you see just the main white drain pipe with no vent.

My eshopps Pf-300 came with the vent installed..