Help with diy overflow.

[anomeda]

After alot of thinking i've decided it is time to add a sump to my current extremely cramped 20g AIO.

I want a low profile overflow and I've been looking at a few like synergyreef (unfortunately way to exspensive with shipping and all) and therefor i will bild one my self as it turned out acrylic cut to exact size is kinda cheap.

I guess i just want some opinions about the design so i don't screw this up.

Herbie method. Bulkhead size 1,5" for the overflow and 1" for drain/emergency.
Inside dimensions.
Overflow box : 11,4x1x5,3" lxwxh - 3/16" black acrylic. Plastic mesh instead for teeth.
Rear box: 9x3,2x6,3" lxwxh - 3/8" clear acrylic.

So as you can see i would like to build the rear box around 2" shorter in lenght. Can i do that?
Another thing i'm uncertain about is were to place all the holes in the acrylic. Could it work like in the sketch?

I will attach the overflow around 1,5" below the rim because that is were i want the water surface to be. Should i place the rear box at the same hight or lower?

Thanks guys.

 

[Engloid]

So lets say that in a month, your pump will pump 100,000 gallons up into your tank.....and your valve is open enough to flow 100,010 gallons through. What will happen?
Now, what if your valve only flows 999,000 gallons through?

Next, consider...if more goes to the tank than can flow through your valve, where will the extra go?
If more flows through your valve than the return pump will pump, how will this affect your siphon line?

 

[anomeda]

I guess i understand what you are talking about.. So if i build both the same lenght this design should work?
I mean i can reduce the lenght even more if this is overkill. Maybe build both 8" lengh instead?

 

[bblumberg]

After alot of thinking i've decided it is time to add a sump to my current extremely cramped 20g AIO.

I want a low profile overflow and I've been looking at a few like synergyreef (unfortunately way to exspensive with shipping and all) and therefor i will bild one my self as it turned out acrylic cut to exact size is kinda cheap.

I guess i just want some opinions about the design so i don't screw this up.

Herbie method. Bulkhead size 1,5" for the overflow and 1" for drain/emergency.
Inside dimensions.
Overflow box : 11,4x1x5,3" lxwxh - 3/16" black acrylic. Plastic mesh instead for teeth.
Rear box: 9x3,2x6,3" lxwxh - 3/8" clear acrylic.

So as you can see i would like to build the rear box around 2" shorter in lenght. Can i do that?
Another thing i'm uncertain about is were to place all the holes in the acrylic. Could it work like in the sketch?

I will attach the overflow around 1,5" below the rim because that is were i want the water surface to be. Should i place the rear box at the same hight or lower?

Thanks guys.

I'd put the box outside the tank HIGHER - at least as high as outside of tank.. Inside should be at the height you want the water to be. I, myself like Bean Animal overflow system, but this may be overkill for 20g. Smallest I have it on is 75G

 

[Engloid]

I guess i understand what you are talking about.. So if i build both the same lenght this design should work?
I mean i can reduce the lenght even more if this is overkill. Maybe build both 8" lengh instead?

Basically, the straight pipe needs to be at the height you plan to run water level in your overflow box....which should be about the middle of the holes through the glass. The height of the box itself isn't that important. It's all about water levels. You essentially can then make your valved line your suction line. Don't glue any of the fittings inside the box, so you can adjust them later.

Once you get that done:

1) Open your valve all the way and turn on the return pump. You first will be draining all your water down the valved siphon line. You want to make sure you're not pumping more than the line can flow.
2) Close the valve, slowly watching to make sure you don't overflow the open drain pipe. You want to make sure that it will NOT overflow, with your valve completely closed....in case a clog happens.
3) Open the valve back up and slowly close it. It will bubble and burp until it fills all the area above the valve with water. Close it until you see the water level in the box rising slowly. It will get up to your open pipe.

The goal is to have just a very light trickle of water going into your open pipe, but not enough that it makes any noise. This will make sure that the siphon line stays full and quiet.

You should be good at this point. The last thing to do is TEST it a few times. Turn the pump off and make sure it will stabilize itself again afterwards. You want to simulate a power outage, as if you're not at home.

Keep in mind that sound is everything on these overflows. If something sounds off in a day or so, check it. If the valve begins to get clogged, more water will be going into your open line and you will hear the change.

 

[anomeda]

Okey i see. How about the size on the overflow? will i be fine with Both being between 9-11"?

 

[anomeda]

Basically, the straight pipe needs to be at the height you plan to run water level in your overflow box....which should be about the middle of the holes through the glass. The height of the box itself isn't that important. It's all about water levels. You essentially can then make your valved line your suction line. Don't glue any of the fittings inside the box, so you can adjust them later.

Now i understand much better.
And i will absolutely test the systeme a few times before moving it back to the living room.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Engloid]

Okey i see. How about the size on the overflow? will i be fine with Both being between 9-11"?

That depends on the amount of volume you plan to move through it. With it being a 20g tank, it should be fine. Since you're building this, I would really recommend you make a third pipe that is for emergency...and it is near the top of the box, not affecting operation of the other two.

 

[anomeda]

That depends on the amount of volume you plan to move through it. With it being a 20g tank, it should be fine. Since you're building this, I would really recommend you make a third pipe that is for emergency...and it is near the top of the box, not affecting operation of the other two.

I'm going for 5-6 turnover and total water volume with sump will end up around 35g. I just want a sump enough for a better skimmer and to grow cheato.

I've thought about bean a few times but was hopping to get away with herbie. But I know it's much safer and all i really need is 2 more bulkheads, 1 union and 2 45. Yeah you are right...

 

[Engloid]

If you're going to drill and make it all from scratch, I would go ahead and do the third pipe. It's just added safety.

 

[anomeda]

I've been reading about bean since you're post yesterday and decided to add that extra safety... So now i just have to decide overflow size, and with all info out there it's not that easy if you have never done stuff like this before. I don't want to go uneccessary big or to small.

 

[Engloid]

My advice, for your size tank, would be to go with half inch pvc. You could use 3/4" if you wanted to...but 1/2" with a good pump will carry enough flow to blow your corals out of a 20g tank.

 

[anomeda]

I've kinda decided for 1" drains and 3/4" return as it seems like a common/recommended combination even for smaller setups. You don't think that's a good idea?
This tank has alot of surface area btw. 26x26x11.4" lxwxh.

 

[Engloid]

It will work fine, but leans towards the overkill range. You're not going to put a lot of flow into a 2og tank.

 

[beaslbob]

the downward facing u tube should have an opening to the air. So that the water rises in the u and then starts draining. What is not supposed to happen is it becomes a closed syphon. After making that change don't add the valve and let it drain whatever is flowing to it. so it works as a stand pipe not a syphon.

 

[anomeda]

Talking about overkill. I ended up order the synergyreef shadow 16" All pvc plumbing is also on its way.

I decided not to DIY for two reasons. I don't have any experience with acrylic work that can hold water, and i also want something that i'm sure will work as i only get one shot here.

It actually turned out that having a rear box custume built for me and the price for the overflow box was almost the same cost. Yes i could have built the rear box in glass, but still if things hadn't worked that would have been it. I also need to build the sump from scratch which is enough DIY.