Which overflow is the most popular?

[Aaron Whitaker]

I’m planning my first build and was wondering is a Herbie overflow good enough or should I go with a Bean? Or do most people go with a Durso? I like security of the Herbie and Bean but don’t mind saving a little money on plumbing if the Herbie will work just fine.

So what does everyone go with and if you did it all over, would you change your overflow?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Been running a Herbie for quite some time now and have not had a single issue with it however, I dont have the room to run the bean animal, if I had I'd give it a try

 

[Skep18]

I chose bean primarily because the swanky new boxes left a lot of the DT real estate available for viewing and not filled with overflow space.

 

[ihavecrabs]

I've done both Herbie and bean. Both are fine. Terrified when I ran a durso lol.

 

[ca1ore]

If starting from scratch definitely go bean. It is the superior choice. BTW, Herbie is good enough, but is good enough good enough?

 

[foxt]

I’m planning my first build and was wondering is a Herbie overflow good enough or should I go with a Bean? Or do most people go with a Durso? I like security of the Herbie and Bean but don’t mind saving a little money on plumbing if the Herbie will work just fine.

So what does everyone go with and if you did it all over, would you change your overflow?

I run three different overflows (bean, herbie, durso), and although each has it's place, when I build new systems now I just default to bean with an external box. It isn't really that much more work or expense, and I like the failsafe and quiet nature of it.

What size tank are you building, what kind of over flow, what target flow rate?

 

[Clueless Reefer]

I've had a Durso for years as its what I inherited with my tank. Its a pretty stress-free system in my opinion however I am aware of its downfalls and am looking forward to using a Bean on my future build-out later this year to gain the quiet and fail-safe factors. I think the easiest way for you to consider your options is just by using articles like this and figuring out how your space availability is. Do you have the added space to commit to a Bean? If not then you need to go with the Herbie.

 

[ajm83]

I run three different overflows (bean, herbie, durso), and although each has it's place, when I build new systems now I just default to bean with an external box. It isn't really that much more work or expense, and I like the failsafe and quiet nature of it.

What size tank are you building, what kind of over flow, what target flow rate?

Is there a particular box you would recommend for this?

 

[Skep18]

Is there a particular box you would recommend for this?

I know you're not asking me but I'm super impressed with the Synergy Reef unit. Fwiw.

 

[Greybeard]

Durso's work fine. At a slow flow rate, they can even be reasonably quiet. Tank makers haven't been selling them for decades, knowing they don't work! Yes, they can be noisy, and yes, they can get plugged, and make a mess, but they've been in use for several decades, with a high degree of success.

Herbie is a major upgrade to a Durso. More flow, quieter, quite reliable. The _only_ downside to a Herbie is that it can be clogged... Thus, the BeAnAnimal drain. It's a Herbie, with an emergency (dry) pipe, to catch the one possible, though unlikely, weakness of the Herbie.

I've used all three... and you can throw in several HOB siphon designs, as well (which I DO NOT recommend!). My current tank is a BeAnAnimal style, but I didn't loose any sleep over my last tank's drain system, which was a Herbie. I rarely recommend Durso these days, not because they don't work, but because most folks like to push a bit more flow through the sump than what was once considered sufficient, and the Durso drains get NOISY when you push them very hard.

 

[Aaron Whitaker]

Is there a particular box you would recommend for this?

That would be my next question. I’m thinking of going with a 40 breeder display tank and 20 gallon sump. For a bean setup, which brand of overflow box does everyone recommend? Eshopps, Synergy, Marine Depot...

 

[Crabs McJones]

That would be my next question. I’m thinking of going with a 40 breeder display tank and 20 gallon sump. For a bean setup, which brand of overflow box does everyone recommend? Eshopps, Synergy, Marine Depot...

I've been using the Eclipse S on my tank for a while now and love it. If you want bean animal you'll want to go with the L, the M and S can only accommodate the Herbie style.

 

[Greybeard]

Any drill-through the wall style overflow is likely to work just fine. I'm using CustomAquariums H2Overflows, paired with a custom Acrylic box I had my LFS guy put together for me, drilled for a BeAnAnimal style drain.

Synergy makes a nice product... kinda pricey, but solid engineering, nice build quality, and low profile.

Many years ago, I drilled my 240 in each end, and assembled my own overflow 'system' with a few PVC parts, a pair of shower floor strainers, and some bulkheads. Worked great for many years.

 

[ca1ore]

I've not compared the prices, but for something in the 40B range the eclipse L would work just fine. I bought the 3,000 GPH modular marine version because my tank is 450 gallons. On my 29 QT, the eclipse S does the trick.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Im running a bean with the Eclipse L. Bean overflow all the way, safe and super silent.

 

[foxt]

Is there a particular box you would recommend for this?

It depends on the size of the tank and the target flow rate. Higher flow rate require larger drain lines, which require larger boxes to fit the pvc elbows. As far as manufacturers are concerned, the most popular brands all work about the same. I just built a 40b with a modular marine 1200 gph box and it worked fine. I have also used the eshopps and synergy and they work too.