Ready to build my first sump

[cichlid savage]

I am ready to build my first sump, but there is something I dont quite understand. How do you create the water flow into the sump?

 

[maseyferguson05]

What do you mean? You can get/make overflows that siphon water into the sump.

 

[Volenti]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15733 <diy overflow

 

[Dr Joe]

O v e r f l o w s don't syphon .

As the pump in the sump returns water to the tank the overflow drains the excess water back to the W/D, filters it and starts again.

Dr Joe

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[cichlid savage]

O v e r f l o w s don't syphon .

As the pump in the sump returns water to the tank the overflow drains the excess water back to the W/D, filters it and starts again.

Dr Joe

.

Thank you.

More questions.

Will a 30 gal w/d be enough for my 125 along with the canister and two HOB filters.
Is there a paint that I can use safely in the tank? White PVC is so ugly.

 

[maseyferguson05]

O v e r f l o w s don't syphon .

As the pump in the sump returns water to the tank the overflow drains the excess water back to the W/D, filters it and starts again.

Dr Joe

.

Sorry, you know what i meant. Just a question, why do they call em siphon overflows when they do not siphon? Why do you have to start the siphon in order for it to drain the excess water into the sump?


I think Krylon fusion is fish safe, just let it dry for a few days.

 

[hayden]

they do siphon i think but when they have a built in fail safe hob over flows have a built in fail safe that holds the siphon even if the pump fails.

 

[Volenti]

Sorry, you know what i meant. Just a question, why do they call em siphon overflows when they do not siphon? Why do you have to start the siphon in order for it to drain the excess water into the sump?


I think Krylon fusion is fish safe, just let it dry for a few days.

Any device that, at some point and without the addition of external force, draws water above the level of the main body of water is a syphon.

DIY overflows are a syphon that is designed to draw from a certain level in the water column, stop when that point is reached (assuming no water return into the tank) and mantain the "potential" for a syphon should the water level rise again. In practice acting just like a hole-in-the-side overflow.

With a correctly primed DIY overflow you can completely empty the tank and fill it again and the overflow will re-start by it's self.

 

[Dr Joe]

Thank you.

More questions.

Will a 30 gal w/d be enough for my 125 along with the canister and two HOB filters.
Is there a paint that I can use safely in the tank? White PVC is so ugly.

Rule of thumb for a W/D is 1/3 of primary tank. With the extra filtration you should be fine.

Just be glad PVC isn't pink...

Everything else pretty much got answered (that's want I get for having a computer crash) .

Dr Joe

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