Help explain this DIY overflow?

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birdhawk23

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2011
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Evansville, IN
So i found this picture on here and like the idea of it... Only problem is I don't quite understand it..
filtration image.jpg

1.Can somebody explain to me what all I need to do to make this functional? I know that the "tee" he has is to low and needs to be higher than the U in the tank but thats all I understand.

2.Why all the extra pipes going up and dead ending? Is there holes or something drilled in the top of their?

3.And what is with the tubing on top of that? How do you get the syphon to start?

4. I have a 150 gallon (long) tank that measures 30 inches tall, how big should these sections of pvc be?

Thanks guys :)

filtration image.jpg
 
Looks like the ones with airlines going up would make it quieter, I don't see any purpose of the other up pipes though.
 
Also seems useless going with 2 drains into one pipe the same diameter, since it will be restricted by the flow of the pipe below the t
 
I don't get dig overflows, just buy a box, it will priggish the same
 
The overflow box I want is well over 100 bucks... And I estimate this pvc to run me not much over fifty, and I plan on running two... I would love to just buy the box moneys just tight right now!
 
Not sure about the tee being too low, never built one personally. But the concept seems about standard so everything else should fit with some speculation;

The 2 intakes probably arn't for added flow, since they combine into one pipe. They are probably for redundancy. If one clogs or loses prime then the other can still function. The pipes dead-ending in the middle are to allow the siphon effect (or maybe it was to prevent a reverse siphon...). They are pretty standard on DIY pvc overflows. Usually the pipe is just left open, but there is no reason you couldn't use a pvc cap with a hole drilled in it for more of a rounded look. The airline hoses are how it primes. You can self prime by using the airline to suck out the air stuck in the pipe or hook them up to a powerhead in the main tank to keep any air/gases from breaking the siphon. The airline attached to powerhead venturi vent is a pretty standard way to make a self-priming pvc overflow.

You often see overly complicated DIY pvc system because of fear of the system failing. Failure can mean a flood, so people try to make sure that any possible (even very unlikely) failure point is taken care of beforehand. I've seen even more complicated systems proposed on other forums before.
 
the air lines is to make water go up so when you add a pump to it will bring water up and the flowing of the tube will bring the water down to the sump
 
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