Setting ball valve on overflow

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Beyond the noise reduction value, a 2nd port is needed in case the primary overflow is restricted by detritus such as leaf littler, snails whatever. And they can easily get plugged if you restrict flow with a valve, and the tank will overflow to the floor if plugged.


Screens are also easily plugged (maybe even more so with smaller items).
I was able to (arguably) lessen (muffle) noise putting a PVC cap on the top of overflow screen cap.

 
Thanks for the advice. I'd prefer not to slow my return too much as I have around 200 gallons of water between my sump and display. I want to try and cycle the water 4-5 times if I can.

I'm debating adding a siphon style overflow just below my current bulkhead rather than drilling another bulkhead. If I used a 1" drain I should stay very close to my current 950 gph return.

This would mean I don't need to drill any glass and having a 1 inch siphon running near capacity should be fairly quiet. Then I just leave my current 1 1/2 bulkhead drain wide open in case I lose my siphon somehow.
 
Yes. What you will want to do is have the main drain restricted just enough to maintain a full siphon then the second drain will have just a very small trickle of water going thru it. This will also take up the flow when the main drain get blocked by debris or anything.
With the main drain at a full siphon it should be a lot quieter as well.
 
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BIG-G said:
Yes. What you will want to do is have the main drain restricted just enough to maintain a full siphon then the second drain will have just a very small trickle of water going thru it. This will also take up the flow when the main drain get blocked by debris or anything.
With the main drain at a full siphon it should be a lot quieter as well.
Click to expand...


Any idea how to properly size my siphon drain to keep a full siphon.

My return pump is an Eheim 1262 rated for 900GPH on a 5/8 inch line lifting the water 51" from the bottom of the pump to the top of the aquarium.

I'd like to restrict it as little as possible, and I'm not sure if a 1" line will be the correct capacity or if I should use a 3/4" line and restrict the eheim output slightly.

Anyone have much experience with water capacities of various diameters?
 
duanes said:
Beyond the noise reduction value, a 2nd port is needed in case the primary overflow is restricted by detritus such as leaf littler, snails whatever. And they can easily get plugged if you restrict flow with a valve, and the tank will overflow to the floor if plugged.


Screens are also easily plugged (maybe even more so with smaller items).
I was able to (arguably) lessen (muffle) noise putting a PVC cap on the top of overflow screen cap.

Click to expand...

This is exactly right. If you want to run it really quiet, you need two (preferably equal sized) overflows. The only way I would recommend doing this is to drill another bulkhead. Then, you will have one overflow a bit higher (maybe 1”) than the other. Once you do this, you will have a ball or gate valve on the line going to the lower drain and you will choke it back until the water level is high enough that it doesn’t allow any air into the drain. The water level will the. Very slowly rise to the height of the other overflow and a very small, and quiet, trickle of water will fall down the higher drain. This is known as a herbie overflow and is what people are talking about when they say that you need to run a “siphon drain.” They are not talking about one of those over the top siphon style drains. I don’t recommend using those. There is nothing better than a drilled bulkhead for overflows.

Also, while we’re talking about your setup, do you have a siphon break hole on your return? If not then you should drill one about an 1/8” below the “running” water line. Just wanted to mention it.
 
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Here are some pictures of my setup. You can see that the first and third picture are the main drain that is under full siphon with no air going in and the second is the “emergency” drain that is meant to allow a small trickle of water, or take on the flow if the main drain gets clogged.
 
Thanks so much, I really like the look of that set up Travis. Guess I'll be looking for a diamond saw now.

I do have a hole in my return, thanks for the heads up.
 
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