Calculate overflow GPH with beanimal setup

[RemainVayne]

I'm having a 360g tank built that will have three 1.5" drains and am looking at making a beanimal style setup.

When calculating the GPH this will give me, do I only account for TWO 1.5" as the third drain is an emergency only? Or do I account for all three 1.5" drains when determining their GPH?

 

[TexasMFK31]

You would account for the 2. The 3rd is a backup drain that you hope will never need to be used. You would want 1 drain to be able to perform most of the work as well, since you should only have a trickle in the 2nd drain pipe. That is my understanding on them, someone more knowledgeable may correct me though.

 

[RemainVayne]

You would account for the 2. The 3rd is a backup drain that you hope will never need to be used. You would want 1 drain to be able to perform most of the work as well, since you should only have a trickle in the 2nd drain pipe. That is my understanding on them, someone more knowledgeable may correct me though.

I though two drains handled the majority of the flow, with one fully open and tuned via gate valve while the other is ran as a durso style?

 

[TexasMFK31]

I though two drains handled the majority of the flow, with one fully open and tuned via gate valve while the other is ran as a durso style?

One is full siphon, super quiet and your workhorse. The 2nd is open and you tune your drain so it has a small amount of water traveling through it. The small amount of water keeps it quiet and allows it to take over should the siphon drain get clogged. The 3rd drain is emergency drain that is backup in case the 1st 2 backup.

 

[RemainVayne]

One is full siphon, super quiet and your workhorse. The 2nd is open and you tune your drain so it has a small amount of water traveling through it. The small amount of water keeps it quiet and allows it to take over should the siphon drain get clogged. The 3rd drain is emergency drain that is backup in case the 1st 2 backup.

OK gotcha. I've been going off of this site -

https://blog.marinedepot.com/education-center/charts-diagrams/durso-herbie-bean-animal-overflow

Is it possible to skip that site's durso drain and use two drains with valves and the 3rd an emergency? I'm looking to push a lot of GPH.

 

[TexasMFK31]

OK gotcha. I've been going off of this site -

https://blog.marinedepot.com/education-center/charts-diagrams/durso-herbie-bean-animal-overflow

Is it possible to skip that site's durso drain and use two drains with valves and the 3rd an emergency? I'm looking to push a lot of GPH.

How many GPH you looking to push? If you have full siphon on 1.5" pipe it is 3500+ if I recall. But yes, you can do 2 open air drains.

 

[RemainVayne]

How many GPH you looking to push? If you have full siphon on 1.5" pipe it is 3500+ if I recall. But yes, you can do 2 open air drains.

So two open air drains, both tuned via gate valve, would still be relatively quiet?

 

[TexasMFK31]

Yeah, as long as the water is high enough above them to not pull a vortex.

 

[JK47]

So two open air drains, both tuned via gate valve, would still be relatively quiet?

False. Two drains with a tuned gate valve will forever be trying to balance itself out. Balancing = noise. One drain for full siphon (gate valve tuned) and one open channel with NO gate valve. The other component a few folks seem to forget is the access to the water. You want the full siphon line to be the lowest level. Open channel an 1" or two taller and the emergency line just above that.

 

[ragin_cajun]

So...I have 2 drains tee'd together to a single gate valve. Each one goes to a separate overflow box--one at each end of an 8 foot tank. Silent as a grave. Each one of these over flow boxes also has an open air, trickle flow, emergency drain, too. So that's 4 drains total--2 in each overflow box. An Emergency Drain, and a Full Siphon drain, in each overflow. These are Herbie style drains.