How to raise water level in Display Tank?

[DaneGer21]

Here’s what I’ve done in the past.

Siliconed a piece of black plexi to the inside of the overflow box and covered the bottom 1/2” of the teeth. Essentially raising my water level 1/2”.

And then extend the plumbing in the overflow to lessen the “waterfall”.

Piece of cake

 

[Crabs McJones]

I will examine it to see what's possible.
Will raising the durso fix my issues?

Yes as it will raise the water level in the overflow. Basically whats happening is the water enters the overflow and falls right away, so the water level in the display will never go higher than that. If you raise the durso the water level in the overflow will raise, and as you raise it eventually the display level will raise as well.

 

[Joekovar]

Here’s what I’ve done in the past.

Siliconed a piece of black plexi to the inside of the overflow box and covered the bottom 1/2” of the teeth. Essentially raising my water level 1/2”.

Piece of cake

Considering adjusting pumps in their scenario creates new issues, where they'd need to get a second pump so they can run together at lower speed to keep the noise down, and getting a higher capacity filter roller so theirs doesn't get overwhelmed, raising the lower edge of the teeth sounds like a plan.

 

[Dj City]

Here’s what I’ve done in the past.

Siliconed a piece of black plexi to the inside of the overflow box and covered the bottom 1/2” of the teeth. Essentially raising my water level 1/2”.

Piece of cake

I don't think this will work.
My overflow is a solid glass box from tank bottom to the bottom of the weir's teeth. the weir is acrylic box built around this glass box with slits at the bottom and teeth at the top.

Yesterday, I used gaffers tape to close off about 3/4 of the top teeth. It made ZERO difference because of the water entering from the bottom.
I don't think closing the bottom slits off is a good idea.

 

[BrandonS]

Hello R2R members,
I need to pick your brains. I have a SCA 180 gallon display tank. It has an internal overflow box (weir). Their are water intake slots on the bottom of the overflow and teeth on the top.
The overflow is drilled with only 2 holes. 1 inch return and 1.5 inch drain. I have a Jeabo DCP 15000 return pump and a Clarisea SK-5000 auto filter roller.
The water level when full is too low for my liking. I have Random Flow Generators on my return lines and I have to point them down so they don't suck in air.
I have the return pump turned down as much as it can go down to prevent excess noise (toilet flushing) and to prevent my filter roller from being overwhelmed.


Whither what I have going on, how can I raise the water level in the tank?

The tank level is usually set by the top of the overflow.

 

[DaneGer21]

Now we know the whole story...the bottom teeth was key info not stated.

Definitely close the bottom teeth. Those are NOT needed in my opinion. Have the water only enter at the top, then block the top teeth as mention above.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Agreed with above. Seal the bottom teeth of overflow and then silicone or cover the top teeth of the over to adjust your water height and that should fix your problem. Then you can adjust your durso from there from preventing the splashing or toilet bowl sounds.

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I just took these pics

I'm pointing to the water line.

The top of the black tape is the water line

Close up of how the RFG is facing down to prevent sucking in air from low water level.

Yes - definitely close up the bottom teeth , as that kind of defeats the whole purpose of an overflow box. I also think @DaneGer21's original suggestion about the upper teeth is a good idea as well to help raise the water line.

I would like to add, for the RFG nozzles, you will likely get a better result out of them if you run them more parallel to the water line, as apposed to facing downwards. If they are more parallel to the surface they can be brought closer to the surface before they draw in air.

Given your setup, I think you could accomplish this by adding a another 90-elbow between the RFG and the first 90 on each side. Then you could run the parallel to surface. .Here's quick-start guide that can help you better visualize the best way to run the RFGs

 

[Snoopy 67]

Then try a Herbie Drain to quiet the drain.
The weir will always be a problem unless you reduce it from the bottom slowly with an adjustable slide gadget.

 

[Dj City]

Yes - definitely close up the bottom teeth , as that kind of defeats the whole purpose of an overflow box. I also think @DaneGer21's original suggestion about the upper teeth is a good idea as well to help raise the water line.

I would like to add, for the RFG nozzles, you will likely get a better result out of them if you run them more parallel to the water line, as apposed to facing downwards. If they are more parallel to the surface they can be brought closer to the surface before they draw in air.

Given your setup, I think you could accomplish this by adding a another 90-elbow between the RFG and the first 90 on each side. Then you could run the parallel to surface. .Here's quick-start guide that can help you better visualize the best way to run the RFGs

I want to have the RFG's parallel to the surface of the water. I just have to get the water level raised up enough to make that happen.

I might block off most if not all of the bottom slits in the overflow IF I can figure out a NEAN and CLEAN way of doing it.
Would making the slits on the bottom of the weir much smaller help or do I need to block the all the way?

 

[Bacon505]

If you rase the water level to your liking, would the overflow be completely under the water line?

 

[justingraham]

Looks like u have two pipes drilled turn it into a two pipe bean animal run the returns over the top of the tank and be done

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Why are there bottom teeth on your overflow? That would scare the c*** outta me. Seal those up asap

 

[justingraham]

Why are there bottom teeth on your overflow? That would scare the c*** outta me. Seal those up asap

what’s there to be scared about? Seriously would love to know


no dirt getting stuck in the overflow at the bottom where no water ever goes essentially making it water of death when it gets disturbed?
Water is only going to flow down from the tallest pipe
I would leave it or ur going to have 3-4 gallons of wasted water

 

[xxkenny90xx]

what’s there to be scared about? Seriously would love to know


no dirt getting stuck in the overflow at the bottom where no water ever goes essentially making it water of death when it gets disturbed?
Water is only going to flow down from the tallest pipe
I would leave it or ur going to have 3-4 gallons of wasted water

Am I missing something? Those teeth defeat the purpose of the whole box. If the bulkhead ever leaks then there will be no stopping the whole tank from draining...

 

[madweazl]

Any way you can reroute the return to raise up the durso?

I'm assuming you're recommending to raise the level of the durso to minimize noise? It wont have any effect on the displays water level.

School me, because I think I'm missing something. Why wouldn't the bottom of the wier slots control the waterline? I don't have this type of overflow; is it normal to have to have a return flow volume that is greater than the wier's ability to drain to raise the water height?

Now we know the whole story...the bottom teeth was key info not stated.

Definitely close the bottom teeth. Those are NOT needed in my opinion. Have the water only enter at the top, then block the top teeth as mention above.

Do not close the lower weir; it prevents water from stagnating between the acrylic and glass. The SCA has a glass overflow with an acrylic case around it to continue the black back. There is no lower weir in the glass, the water just overflows over the top of it.

To raise the water level, you'll have to close off part of the weir or increase the water flow into the tank (the route I'd go) and find a way to mitigate the noise. You can search "gurgle buster" and see if that helps. Personally, I'd use both holes in the overflow to implement a Herbie and route the returns over the back.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Ah I get it now, interesting design

 

[Hypan]

Maybe I’m missing something here. So the issue is the returns sucking air from the surface as they are too close when run parallel. Since on SCA tanks they come out of the overflow above the bottom of the teeth/waterline you will have to raise the water a good bit, can you just add a 90 elbow or some locline And drop them down a bit. I’d think it would be easier to drop the returns rather than raising the water level.

But if you aren’t happy with the water level then the above posts are the way to go

 

[mitch91175]

Terrible design when the drain Durso is below the return lines. To raise the level in a clients tank I had to use just one return and raise the durso like others have mentioned.

 

[Dj City]

If you rase the water level to your liking, would the overflow be completely under the water line?

No. The overflow would still be above the waterline. Just not as far above as it is now.

Looks like u have two pipes drilled turn it into a two pipe bean animal run the returns over the top of th e tank and be done

I wish I could but I have a canopy that prevents me from coming over the back of the tank.