Help with overflow

[snakefin]

I built an overflow in accordance with this video.

I am attempting to connect a 120x45x50 cm (L x B x H) tank to a 100x100x30 cm (L x B x H) pond.

The system is connected as follows. Water is sucked up by an Eheim 2026 (Flow rate: 172 GPH) from the pond and into the tank. The water from the tank then returns via the overflow into the pond.

I selected pvc pipes of 0.75", and of 16" in length. As such there is a rise from the PVC outlet of the overflow into a plastic pipe before falling into the pond.

Will this work?

 

[monkeybike]

Oh that hacky crap will work great until air bubbles accumulate in the bend, kill the siphon and overflow the tank. Do yourself a favor and purchase a legit overflow box that you can monitor the siphon tube on or drill the tank. That setup is a flood waiting to happen.

 

[robham777]

I built one and used it for a couple of months, but it was connected to a wet/dry filter that had little water volume so it could not overflow the tank if it lost siphon. It is possible to set one up that is pretty safe if you use an airlift pump and set your overflow drain, and intake for the canister where they are very close to the maximum level for each container. It will always be a pain to keep the system running since any evaporation will screw up the balance and too much water will put you at risk of a flood from the tank or the pond. I agree with monkeybike that it would be much better to drill the aquarium for standard overflows if the glass is not tempered. I recently drilled my first tank, and it was actually pretty easy to do.

This is how I built the weir, since I did not like the suction cup idea. The acrylic plate goes under the substrate or is weighted by a rock to keep the pipe from floating up. Notice the drain holes are very high to prevent too much water from draining from the tank.