advise with overflow box

[PeterEmard]

after reading about all the different types of DIY overflows for the past couple days i decided to play it safe and go with a Continuous Siphon Overflow since i do not want to drain my tank and drill it. i see that dr foster smith has one for $80 (link below) for the 300gph model. will that do for my 55g tank? should i go to the next size which is 600 gph? i already have a xp3 on the tank running now with a emperor 400. i am wanting to get a sump so i can upgrade my skimmer form a prizim pro to a euro reef or something similar. questions are is there a mark off that works just as good as the one above? also does there need to be a pump? does it remove all the air from inside the unit itself?(im confused on how the aqua lifter pump works)

[hodgepodge1983]

I have a CS90, and yes the aqualifter is a little pump that attaches to a nipple on the top of the box and sucks out the air.

I can't really recommend these boxes though...while I haven't had any accidents, I have had some close calls. Sometimes small bits of detritus or algae will plug up the aqua lifter or the suction port. I always keep a toothpick handy in case I need to clear it up; it's happened 4-5 times over the last year and a half.

[PeterEmard]

Originally posted by hodgepodge1983
I have a CS90, and yes the aqualifter is a little pump that attaches to a nipple on the top of the box and sucks out the air.

I can't really recommend these boxes though...while I haven't had any accidents, I have had some close calls. Sometimes small bits of detritus or algae will plug up the aqua lifter or the suction port. I always keep a toothpick handy in case I need to clear it up; it's happened 4-5 times over the last year and a half.

thanks for the heads up. it looks like where the unit sucks air through the nipple it can get water in it. is it that safe?(dont rip me for this question please )

[hodgepodge1983]

Haha, the cool thing about the aqua lifter is that it can pump air as well as water. So once it evacuates all the air from the overflow, a steady stream of water will cycle through it, pulling along any stray air bubbles.

Just keep a close eye (and I mean really close...check it all the time, lol) on the overflow and you should be fine.

[Skunkbudfour20]

Or simply setup your overflow box correctly... all those pumps and whatnot are a fail point... (KISS keep it simple stupid) if everything is setup correct, you should only have to remove the air pocket from the U tube once, even in the event of a power outage theres no way to loose your siphon... heres a diagram i made for a friend of mine



the red line is your water level when operation is stopped, and the red tube is a standpipe of some sorts that keeps your water level ABOVE the bottom part of the U tubes... you can make a durso or whatever kind you want, but it must also hold enough water in the box to keep your siphon... when your pump kicks on the left side will rise, siphon into the right side, and down the drain

heres a vid about my compact standpipe and a lil more explination, excuse my voice i was sick when i made it


Hope i was of some help

[45commando]

Hi,
I ran a standard overflow box for probably the first 6 or 7 years of keeping reeftanks.I found that the best way to avoid any issues with the U tube collecting bubbles,is to keep the turnover rate towards the highend of what is rated for the overflow.If you have a slow turnover then the siphon is constantly emptying the in-tank overflow box,which can cause air to be drawn in.A higher turnover will prevent this-obviously you cannot pump more than the siphon is rated for.You will also have to maintain the in-tank overflow periodically to remove algae to keep the flow rate at peak.I also chose to wrap the U tube in black electrical tape to avoid algae growing in the tube(in the part that was exposed to high light in the tank).HTH.

[PeterEmard]

thanks for everyones posting i like how the video how it explains how it works. did you use someones tutorial on what size pipes to use or did u do it on trial and error? also would it defeat the purpose to put a nipple at the top of the utube to get any air out of the unit? also thanks for the info 45commando

[Skunkbudfour20]

yes, kinda went with trial and error, i believe the drain pipe is 1", the outer bell is 2", and the fitting that holds them together is a 1.5" to 2" reducer, i then used some teflon tape and slid a small ring of 1.5" pvc over the 1" drain, and thats what supports the bell on the drain pipe

there is no need for an air hole... simply feed a piece of airline up into the top of the u-tube and suck the air out right before you fire up your pump, if you get most of the air you can simply jiggle the utube and the current will remove most of the air...

[PeterEmard]

would the bell unit work better than something say something like this http://www.aquariumlife.net/print/article.asp?id=70

[PeterEmard]

does anyone have DIY plans or something to explain what i need to make my own box using the 2 lee's containers? all i see is a lot of pictures thanks

[Skunkbudfour20]

yes, my standpipe is totally silent... i had a 90 like the picture and it made noise

[tmz]

I had three contiuous siphon overflows and fixed them all by placing them in a container by the road. U tube type overflows are much better.

[PeterEmard]

thanks for the input everyone