Silent Overflow the easy way

[Luc70]

Been a long time that I posted. Hope it will get more again in the coming months, just too busy with other projects.

Reason I'm posting is that it has always bemused me how people are trying to invent the most difficult constructions for getting that magic silent overflow.
I've tried my share of them, but in the end, it always created more problems than real solutions.
So eventually, I just went simple...

My tank: 100 Gallon with a build in overflow that is drilled to the outside (1" PVC with 90' bend going down to the sump).
So with this 1 pipe to the sump, I would have several problems:
- Blocked drain with all disaster related to it
- All the gurgling and other noise you can imagine
- Loss of CO2 due to that
etc.

Solution to that is plain simple of course: Drill another hole above it and put an 'emergency' overflow in there.

But still left with the gurgling noise!

To kill the noise, put a valve on the lower pipe and turn it just enough that the water in the overflow reaches the emergency overflow and drips a little bit of water in there.

Noise gone, no splashing, nothing at all. Dead Silent and safe..
You could still add another emergency overflow, next to it or above it..
Or you could make the emergency overflow of a larger diameter (my case, normal overflow pipe is 1".. So could have put a 2" in there.. but never had any problem with it for the 5 or 6 years that tank is running.

 

[Luc70]

Here's the side of my tank.
Top right you see 2 hoses coming down. The top one has since been cleaned up but you can see some water swirling down it.
Both end up in the filter sock and from there move through the filter.

Picture below shows a frontal view of the tank.
I've put some small fish in the sump just to slowly get the filter started. In no hurry, but sooner or later, the display tank will get done.
My aim for this was to have a tank with minimal cleaning and maintenance. Therefore, a very large sump/filter area and protection for not getting any dirt back into the Display Tank.
The Display Tank has a total of 6 outlets in 3 corners. They ensure minimal dead spots. Used to have a spray-bar on the left as well, but didn't put it in with the new setup.

For me, the result is ok so far, much cleaner look with only one external pump and reservation for an extra pump if necessary.

 

[Luc70]

Forgot to add: This works of course with internal overflows, external overflows, drilled, not drilled, any type of overflow you have out there.

 

[fishguy306]

You've pretty much made yourself a herbie style overflow without the overflow. A herbie has two drain pipes, one taller than the other. The shorter pipe has a valve on it to create a siphon and balance the water between the two. Typically you don't want water in the second drain as you want it to be fully an emergency drain. I've found the system to be ok, it is a pain to keep it balanced. Next tank I will for sure be doing a bean style.

 

[Luc70]

Some google and found indeed Herbie to be it..Thanks for clearing that up!
However, I don't work with any syphon, as it is balanced inside the tank.
Once the pump stops, the tank drains to the hight of the overflow box that's built in.
To avoid the returns draining too much (back flow syphon), I added 3 airhoses on the them. They are all connected with a 4 way junction of which the free connection is dipped into the overflow box. (to avoid air being sucked in during normal operation).
Once the pump stops, there water in the overflow box drains out and the air-hose gets free of water and breaks the syphon on the water pipes.
Worst case scenario, there syphon does not break, but that would mean that I loose 5cm extra water from the display as that's where the top inlets are (relative to the top of the overflow).

For me it's a real easy system, as any time I hear a gurgling sound (maybe once a week, every 2 weeks), I know there's something that needs to be cleaned!

Clean it, start it, and normally I never have to adjust anything anymore.

Cheers,
Luc

 

[fishguy306]

I'm confused, you said you don't use a siphon, but then you added that you use the air hose to break the siphon if it loses power? If the lower pipe is underwater during normal operation and isn't sucking any water then you have a siphon setup going. But you have a backup so you should be good to go. Seems thats a lot more than most people do.

 

[Luc70]

Sorry for the confusion. My overflow is built in the right back corner of the tank. The outlet to the sump is just an opening in the wall, so it's a free flow that runs as long as water flows into the overflow. There is no syphon to keep. As long as the pump works, water comes in and goes straight out of the outlet

The syphon I mentioned is on the 3 pipes from the pump back into the display tank. If the pump stops, the water would flow back to the pump (and then into the sump). So to prevent this syphon, I added the airlines on each of those pipes. Pump stops, air is sucked in and breaks the syphon (or back flow if you want) and only a minimum amount of water goes back to the sump.

Hope this clarifies..

Cheers,
Luc

 

[Luc70]

And yes.. Came home yesterday to a gurgling noise.. Time to clean the two black filter blocks today...

 

[badassissimo]

Maybe have a picture of your overflow box in your tank? Looks like a nice setup.

 

[Luc70]

Maybe have a picture of your overflow box in your tank? Looks like a nice setup.

Don't have any on my laptop, in Hanoi right now. Will make one when I get home.
Very simple overflow, just 2 pieces of glass siliconed in the right back corner.
Difficult to see in the pictures above because it's all covered with a DIY Concrete/Foam/Resin background.
A piece of acrylic with slits and holes covers the top so that nothing bigger than 2mm can get into the overflow and down to the filter.