Question on a diy filter

[topoftheline77]

Okay I saw this thread http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15733&highlight=filters and am wondering how does it work. Which part goes into the tank (close end or far end)? How does it look in a tank? How does water get back to the sump? Does anybody want to dumb it down for me?

Thanks
Mike

P.S.- This will be going in on a 75 gallon when my jag gets bigger.

 

[rallysman]

The close end of the pic is what goes into the tank. Basically it's a siphon that wont lose it's prime.

The tall open tube is just an air vent.

 

[topoftheline77]

And then you have the far end in the sump and then the pump makes the water go through a tubefrom the pump back into the tank? But how do you make it go back through the PVC pipe back to the sump? Okay and how long should it be for a 75g and how big should the sump be? And a recomended pump?

 

[rallysman]

the water goes into the part closest to you, and exits through the lowest opening into the sump.

From the sump, it has to be pumped back into the tank, and that has nothing to do with what you linked to. You have to make a different return. The water doesnt return through that mess of PVC
I might be able to make a video of how it all goes together (running) if that would help.

 

[topoftheline77]

yeah but can you put it on youtube or something because I have never been able to veiw your videos in the past.

 

[rallysman]

I can try that. I know that quicktime sucks

 

[CHOMPERS]

Let me know if this helps

The red paint represents the water when the system shuts down. The height of the in-tank stand pipe limits the depth that the tank will drain to.

 

[CHOMPERS]

I posted this elsewhere for the same picture:

I should add that the tall pipe above the tee is a vent and must extend above the tanks water line. Its height is to prevent draining onto your floor. The function of the vent pipe is to break the syphon so that the water traveling to the sump or wet/dry does not cause air to be sucked into the overflow.

The valve on this is not required but I added it to control the gurgling. They can get loud and annoying. Since the length of pipe going to the sump is longer than the length in the overflow, the pipe going to the sump will generate more suction than the overflow will. The difference results in air being sucked into the vent and down to the sump. This is very audiable and will drive many people nuts. Some people have capped the vent or plugged it with a sponge. This is not wise because this circumvents the purpose of having the vent in the first place. The proper solution is adding a ball valve to bring both syphons to equilibrium. You will know the system is fine tuned by slowly closing the valve just to the point that the gurgling stops. At this point the flow of the overflow is not restricted, only the flow going to the sump is. In other words, the flow going to the sump equals the maximum flow that the overflow can provide.

Also, notice the red is level on both the in-tank portion and the external portion at the bottom of the tee. This is because 1. water seeks its own level and 2. the water drains to the lowest point which is the bottom of the tee.