Manifold off return w/ herbie overflow

[Briguy350]

I'm setting up a new 180 with dual overflows and I can either get the dual durso's but I really wanted to try the herbie out. I wanted to do a manifold off my return to run my reactors (carbon,GFO, calcium reactor) and I got to thinking that my flow threw the reactors changes as the media gets clogged up and wondering if that would throw off the balance of the whole flow through the herbie. Does anybody have this kind of setup? Will it work doing this? I don't want to be tuneing the flow all the time. I like the thought of using less pumps.

 

[Reefing Madness]

:bump2:

 

[CalmSeasQuest]

Tagging along - My build is using BeanAnimal style drains - I'm planning a manifold and have the same concerns. It's hard to imagine how the manifold would not vary the drain volume. My fall back is to use a second pump for the manifold.

 

[Briguy350]

Yeah I want to avoid running multiple pumps. The DC pumps are efficient and that's what I wanted to run for my return. It's a reef ready 180. 1 side will be drain and emergency and 1 side will be return. If this is gonna be a problem I might just get the overflow kit and run the dual durso.

 

[Briguy350]

My carbon always clogs after a few weeks and output slows considerably

 

[CalmSeasQuest]

Agreed - I've found GAC and GFO will always have reduced flow over time. I went with the Waveline DC12000 for the return (same on my water station and it ROCKS.) I might just install a second for the manifold and add a valve, plumbing the manifold back to the return in the event the main return pump fails or is removed for service. I don't think I would consider going from a Herbie/Bean back to a durso...silence rules

 

[Briguy350]

Anybody else have any experience with this?

 

[gtbarsi]

My thought, no personal experience is that as long as the top of the secondary stand pipe is not above the top of your overflow it should switch to full siphon if the water level climbs over the vent hole at the top. A full siphon drain, drains faster than a vented one and as a result the extra water flow from the return should be managed. At that point the water level would drop in the overflow and the vent would be uncovered, causing a sucking noise and then the secondary drain would be vented again.

This would not be quiet but would not flood, then you could adjust things to address the flow issue.