I been thinking about making an overflow out of PVC pipe, but I just had a revelation. What about using two of those plastic containers that they use at pet stores to put your fish in before they bag them. You know, turn them back to back, take out the hook and glue them together so they will hang on the back of the tank. Then make some slits in the one so it looks like an overflow, and put a bulkhead in the other and attach a hose to the sump. Oh and get a u-tube to get the water from the overflow to the other side. WHat do you think!!!???
HELP! WILL THIS WORK!
- Thread starter born2lovefish
- Start date
They are called specimen containers. Basically, they are just like the parts of a boughten overflow. I think it might be cheaper to buy one, but I will look into it more. Which is better, a u tube overflow, or the ones that do not have the u tube and require an airlifter? Thanks.
Oh and I am planning on a 10 gallon sump and using a hagen 802(400 gph) powerhead. If one is not enough, I have another and will just Tee them together.
The outside container requires a dividing wall, where one side drains to the sump and the other maintains a constant water level to hold the siphon.
The specimen containers aren't very durable and crack easy when they're drilled (for the drain plumbing to the sump) and/or fashioned to support heavy weights (plumbing to sump and water).
The inside-the-tank box needs a weir notched into it to provide some "sifting" to prevent large material from clogging the U tube.
A 400gph powerhead may only have 80 to 100 gals of flow at the header (distance from sump to the top of the tank). Simply adding another pump will not greatly increase the flow (header and return pipe friction at increased flow). {Tie 2 birds together and, 'though they have 4 wings, they cannot fly}
Good idea but, why try to reinvent the wheel? You can find used overflows for as low as $5 on ebay.
The specimen containers aren't very durable and crack easy when they're drilled (for the drain plumbing to the sump) and/or fashioned to support heavy weights (plumbing to sump and water).
The inside-the-tank box needs a weir notched into it to provide some "sifting" to prevent large material from clogging the U tube.
A 400gph powerhead may only have 80 to 100 gals of flow at the header (distance from sump to the top of the tank). Simply adding another pump will not greatly increase the flow (header and return pipe friction at increased flow). {Tie 2 birds together and, 'though they have 4 wings, they cannot fly}
Good idea but, why try to reinvent the wheel? You can find used overflows for as low as $5 on ebay.
Making it how I said would cost about as much as I could buy a cheap one for. I think I will go back to the PVC overflow. Anyone have diagrams on how to make a simple one? I would appreciate any advice on making one. Thanks.
That is SO deep... Are you drinking again?
Yea, but it sure is fun to watch...especially chickens...boy they're dumb.
YEP... I thought about putting a small tank above my 75 and then just pumping water up into the wet/dry and letting gravity do the rest returning it through a bulkhead in it. I'm up for thoughts on homemade filters. I have a eheim wet/dry, whisper and EMp. 400 hang on the back, and also a little DIY hang on the back on my 75...I want to make a wet/dry so I can take off the two hang on the backs....I like lots of filtration...