Thanks for responding. In my case the water won't be draining down into a sump below the tank, but will be pumped up to a container above the tank and then draining from it. Would the same principles apply? So it would actually be better to get the smallest drainage pipe suitable to minimize air in it?
Need help with plumbing!
- Thread starter elbereth
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Thanks for responding. In my case the water won't be draining down into a sump below the tank, but will be pumped up to a container above the tank and then draining from it. Would the same principles apply? So it would actually be better to get the smallest drainage pipe suitable to minimize air in it?
See the EDIT in my earlier post.
The drain should be sized according to flow.
With either Herbie or bean animal drains you will need one main line that will be controlled with a valve so that it runs at a full siphon, a second drain will take the extra water,
and with a bean animal there’s a third drain as an emergency drain.
In the diagrams below you can see how this would work.
In your case Instead of an overflow box the plumbing would come from your sump and drain to the aquarium.
A reliable, quiet full siphon drain will be trickier to pull off in an overhead sump setup, but can be done I'm sure. Ime the key is, as
BIG-G
pointed out, to have the outflow submerged in your main tank to prevent air from mixing in.
The biggest problem imo is that most overhead sumps tend to be very shallow, and drains are easier to manage when you have plenty of depth to manipulate the siphon. I've had tanks where I didnt place the drain inlet deep enough on the wall, and a couple days worth of evaporation caused the water level to drop enough that there was gurgling and the flow had to be adjusted accordingly constantly.
I suppose what I would do is drill the bottom of the overhead sump and use a simple herbie style drain like shown above. I dont typically drill the bottom on display tanks, but since this is an overhead sump and any leak will go right into the tank it's not an issue imo.
Good luck with the build I'll be following along.
BIG-G
pointed out, to have the outflow submerged in your main tank to prevent air from mixing in. The biggest problem imo is that most overhead sumps tend to be very shallow, and drains are easier to manage when you have plenty of depth to manipulate the siphon. I've had tanks where I didnt place the drain inlet deep enough on the wall, and a couple days worth of evaporation caused the water level to drop enough that there was gurgling and the flow had to be adjusted accordingly constantly.
I suppose what I would do is drill the bottom of the overhead sump and use a simple herbie style drain like shown above. I dont typically drill the bottom on display tanks, but since this is an overhead sump and any leak will go right into the tank it's not an issue imo.
Good luck with the build I'll be following along.
Thank you both.
I was intending to make only one drain though to keep things simpler. And I was planning to make it on the side of the container at the water level line, like here (https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/diy-overhead-filter.663937/) so that should I have a power outage, the plants won't be left without water. I guess I could add a second to make a Herbie style overflow if it's loud. Thanks again for the advice!
I was intending to make only one drain though to keep things simpler. And I was planning to make it on the side of the container at the water level line, like here (https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/diy-overhead-filter.663937/) so that should I have a power outage, the plants won't be left without water. I guess I could add a second to make a Herbie style overflow if it's loud. Thanks again for the advice!
maybe not depending on the pump you can put an inline valve in it the turn down the flow. some pumps it bothers some it does not.
would not help any if any might make it worse because it will reduce the flow and be more annoying type of sound then a fast flow. Really what you want is the return line or pipe to be below the water of the tank it is returning to. It makes a huge difference this way
another option that no one has mentioned yet is to use uniseals. Uniseal - Bulk Reef Supply these will work great in this application instead of bulk heads with these you simply drill a hole in the container and you can slide pipe directly in to them no cement solvent needed for them, or not threaded ends needed depending on what style bulk head you went with. And every other fitting for them you can get at home depot or lowes to complete the project, if you get a 1 inch uniseal you need 1 inch parts and so forth realy simple. all so they work better for a curved surface is really what they are designed for. if say you use something with a not exactly flat surface like a lot of planters and stuff are. if you use tubing like seems you want to just get 90 degree angles, and barb fittings of appropriate size and that is all you need except some hose barb clamps, cheap and easy so for example you get a 3/4 uniseal for your return line, the line from pump in tank to over head box all you will need is a 3/4 uniseal probauly a 3/4 angle pvc probaully 90 degree, a 3/4 pvc to 3/4 hose barb a hose barb clamp of right size and 3/4 tubing, if 1/2 tubing the same just 1/2 inch. the way i kind of size stuff is if i have a 1/2 return line i use a 1 inch drain just for piece of mind never same size return allways bigger. can still put them in the bottom if you choose to do so as some one else mentioned on the return to tank and can simply put a strait piece of pipe through it down into the water not any more simple then that. and really a good way with the uniseal because you really can figure out the hight you want it perfectly run it for a while then just slide out the piple and cut it off and slide back in. and with these say you use tubing just to get it up and running and your not happy with it. Simply slide the parts out of the uniseals and replace with what ever else you like. I use threaded bulk heads all ways and makes more parts needed and more pricey, if your return pipe has a threaded top and you dont know the size bring it right in home depot and see what size threads into it. i do it all the time.
Here is an example feom one of my tanks. Every peice was purchaaed feom home depot. I broufht my pumpnin the store, figured out what size screwwd into my pump bought that connector, then pipe connecter for that size, then that size down to 1/2 inch pipe connector, then 1/2 inch pipe, then 1/2 disconnect anothee small piece of 1/2 to 90 degree elbow, to connector, to 1/2 inch barb fitting. Is alot easier tobbring what ubare working with to the store and simply piece it all togetjer sobu dobno forget or over look anything. Was less then 10 bucks for everything pictured could dobthe same to 3/4 or 1 inch returnn if u wanted to. Ibhad this set up tobegin with with nothing but tubing and was a pain in the butt. Simply no way to disconnect, equal no cleaning your pump ever. And quick disconnects for tubing are alot more exspensive and alot more trouble some for leaks this wont leak. If u do not have a screw top oprion for your pump but simply a tube connectionnis actualy less parts can do a barb connector to pipe connector for example 1/2 inch tubing would be all half inch 1/2 inch barb to 1/2 pipe connector then 1/2 inch pipe connecter to 1/2 inch pipe to 1/2 quick disconnect a small peice of 1/2 inch to connect to the next piece, then what ever angle connecter u need to barbed fitting. I actualy got the barb fitting shown at ace hard ware now i think about it the ones from home depot were not realy the right size and slipped out of the tube ace hardware has alot of options there
Thank you both for some very useful info!
We're in lockdown again where I live unfortunately so I'm waiting till I can go to the hardware store...
We're in lockdown again where I live unfortunately so I'm waiting till I can go to the hardware store...
