Please help, DIY overflow doesn't flow well

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T

Turbo V6 Camaro

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 20, 2010
5
0
0
belleville, il
Hello

I jsut got a 75 Tank after year of not having one. It's fresh water tank

I got it used and cleaned it up came with a emperor 400 filter, witch is not doing the job and is under rated IMO (only 5 x exchange)

the canister and sump filter for the store are to much $$$

so i'm tryig nt ot DIY this is what i have so far

I am using one 5 gallon bucket, level 1 media is oce 10g tank seperater, this helps speadr the water out!!
then 2 filters under that

level 2 is a clothes pin bag of lava rock

level 3 is a cut out from a brick of filter stuff i got at wal-mart!!!

to hold this up i use the 5gallon i cut the bottom out of !!!

the heater is under that, and the pump (300-560 gph from lowes) is off to the side

all in an 18 gallon contain from lowes

the problem I'm having is the flow of my DIY over flow.

i'm using Tupperware......

i have the intank one with 15- 5/8 holes to test I placed the pump output into this and all water flows out the holes that tell me this box can easy flow 560 gph into it.

Next the external box, bulk head is on the bottom and give about 2 inches of water space.

again i put the pump output into this and it drains away perfectly fine

now i set up two 3/4" siphon tubes. but the siphon does no transfer to keep up with the pump :screwy:

I did a bench test on this in my sump since its not active yet...

i put water in both sides and primed both tubes.

then put hte pump out put into the over flow that would be in the tank.

the water gushes out the holes, telling me it can not handle the flow, if i turn it down to 300 it does handle the flow, barley

i have the out box so low to try and flow that the siphon will not hold if i shut the pump of..

what am i missing?

do i need to extend the tube from the bulk head?
 
How about a few pictures to help answer your question.
 
What size PVC runs from the overflow box to the sump. The system will only flow as much as the smallest part of the system.

Also, when you tested the plumbing, keep in mind that when you tested with the pump, you were testing with pressurized water flow. Water that is flowing with gravity will not flow nearly as fast.

A pic of the overflow and the plumbing setup would help us figure out what exactly is going on.
 
Pharaoh;3911980; said:
What size PVC runs from the overflow box to the sump. The system will only flow as much as the smallest part of the system.

Also, when you tested the plumbing, keep in mind that when you tested with the pump, you were testing with pressurized water flow. Water that is flowing with gravity will not flow nearly as fast.

A pic of the overflow and the plumbing setup would help us figure out what exactly is going on.
Click to expand...
I'll get a pic ASAP right now I'm trying to figure out how to mount it with out the over flow floating :WHOA:

not using PVC but i have two 3/4 inch (internal diameter) hoses from the over flow to the outisde box and a 1 inch drain into the sump from there
 
The internal overflow box should have water in it. You shouldn't have to worry about it floating.
 
Pharaoh;3912064; said:
The internal overflow box should have water in it. You shouldn't have to worry about it floating.
Click to expand...
it has water in it, but the bottom keeps swinging out from the tank, I have tried everything, even clothes hangers
 
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