NEW plumbing method for an ULTRA QUIET REEF TANK!!!! LONG !!!!

[TheFishMan65]

You could do an over the tank siphon and use the one hole for the emergency. You would probably need a n aqualifter or something to prime the siphon. Not ideal, but combining drains will only cause problems.

Small hole as illjoshlli won't work. The siphon has to have no air - period. Any ir will get mix in and be noisy.

Snausy, Hlaf herbie half bean. Make sure that emergency does not grow critters or it won't be an emergency when you need it. IMHO do not compine before the valve. This is the weak point in the siphon where a clog is likely to happen. If you combine it affect both drains so no emergency.

[Snausy]

Ack I said "joining my returns" when really I meant joining my drains. Sorry for any confusion.

My emergencies are two seperate 1" and I won't be doing anything with them. They stay the way they are. What I'm asking is if there is a REAL benifit to joining my drains and having only one gate-valve? Currently everything is seperated. Two 1.5" drains each with a gatevalve and two 1" emergencies. Nothing is joined up.

The only way I can imagine to join the two main drains to one gate-valve is having the valve AFTER the join and now I'm being told that it's the weak spot of the siphon so...yeah that is not going to work. Unless I'm totally missing the point. Which happens quite often actually.

Half herbie, half bean? I'm not that familiar with the bean. I thought that was a coast-to-coast thing...

[TheFishMan65]

You could combine the emergencies, and the siphon into two drain lines. You can not combine emergency and siphon (this is what I thought you wanted to do). Gate valve after the combination. Since you probably have two overflows that don't always get the same water it might stay tuned better.

No I missed something in the description

Bean added a third drain which takes a small flow - like you explained. The emergency was then kept dry.

[Snausy]

Originally Posted by TheFishMan65

You could combine the emergencies, and the siphon into two drain lines. You can not combine emergency and siphon (this is what I thought you wanted to do). Gate valve after the combination. Since you probably have two overflows that don't always get the same water it might stay tuned better.

No I missed something in the description

Bean added a third drain which takes a small flow - like you explained. The emergency was then kept dry.

oh I see. Thanks for clearing that up I get it now. Two drainpipes to the sump would be certainly less clutter than the four that exist now.

[RiddleEagle18]

How far below the surface of the water should the intake of the drain be? Also how far should the drain be underwater on the sump side? How much difference in height between the drain and emergency? I am having a bit of trouble keeping air out of mine.

[TheFishMan65]

Deep enough that a vortex does not form and sucks air.
About 1 inch is usually good.
More the better IMHO. It will be easier to keep tuned.

[nbsdsailor]

I have been searching this thread looking at different ways of plumbing a 120g aga dual overflow. I haven't seen this way mentioned before. I am using an eheim 1262 with about 900 gph. It will be throttled back to about 600 because of reactor feed. I was thinking about putting a main drain in both overflows so that water is always flowing in both overflows and will not create stagnant water. Please give me feedback on this. Thanks!

[siskiou]

That's what I did on mine, except I made the mistake of putting a valve on each drain which created all sorts of problems.
Had to adjust one valve or the other every day.
Tying them together, as you are planning, should work just fine (it was mentioned somewhere on this thread)!

[jeffreylam1132]

Hi, would the Herbie Method works if my tank was drill on the side of the tank? Here's the link to a couple of pics I have.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2163781

[Hagisan]

Originally Posted by jeffreylam1132

Hi, would the Herbie Method works if my tank was drill on the side of the tank? Here's the link to a couple of pics I have.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2163781

Yes, watch this video. hth
Herbie

[ReefGoatfish]

has anyone here ever played with an all-glass type of dual overflow with their megaflow system in the overflows ,2 large holes in the bottom of each overflow box seams pretty good , i can completely plug up one of the drains and doesn't even come close to overflowing, but thats with the drains wide open as they are 1-1/4 " and the returns are 3/4", now i what to do a Herbie and put gate valves on the drains , throttle them back to stop the air getting in the sump , i've done this kinda by putting my hands over the drains and it works , but i'm not sure why it's stopping the air from getting in there, Why?? and what-a you guys think of this all-glass setup , seems almost bullet proof

[Waggs]

Originally Posted by Hagisan

Yes, watch this video. hth
Herbie

Nice Bradley,

I think I just found a way to get away from drilling my tank and would solve the problem of maybe shattering the glass. I have an under rated CPR overflow box and I hate that. Now I need to figure out what size overflow pipe and return I should use.

Right now I have a single 1" overflow and a single 3/4" return. The pump will pump more water back than the overflow supplies. Maybe two 1" overflow lines would solve that problem. The tank is around 100 gallons and the sump I made from a 20 gallon long tank. It may hold 15 gallons.

Thanks for posting that video.

[ReefGoatfish]

Hey nbsdsailor , is that an All-glass tank you have ? Aka "aga" cause that's what I have , if so ,have you considered useing their megaflow setup ? I've got 2 800 gph pumps in the return ,3/4 " and 2 drains from the 1-1/4 bulkhead necked down to 1" pvc ,and I can completely plug one up and no problem on flow , but the problem is air in the sump noise , so if I do a herbie , and throttle back the drains ,(for sound) I'm not sure I will have the same luck with pluging one drain up, simulating a clog , thats my question??

[nbsdsailor]

1600 got might be to much for a 1" drain. Not sure though. If you cut back to just 1 800gph pump, the 1" will be plenty and with my plan the backup will be 1" also so you would be fine. Maybe someone knows how much a 1" pipe can handle?

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[DownwardDawg]

I'll probably get hammered for being too lazy but I just can't get through the entire thread, so here goes.
Do I tee both of my 1" returns together with one gate valve? I have a 6' tank with 2 overflows. One in each corner. My sump will be in the stand below on the far left to maximize space under the tank. I was about to finish up my plumbing and I stumbled on another thread while doing research that says to do this. I thought each overflow box had it's own full siphon with gate valve and emergency drain.

[DownwardDawg]

Bump. Still reading the thread.

[Waggs]

It does take some time but a lot of good info there.

[DownwardDawg]

Dang. Now that thread lead me to start reading about Bean's design with dual overflows!!

[Hal]

Originally Posted by DownwardDawg

I'll probably get hammered for being too lazy but I just can't get through the entire thread, so here goes.
Do I tee both of my 1" returns together with one gate valve? I have a 6' tank with 2 overflows. One in each corner. My sump will be in the stand below on the far left to maximize space under the tank. I was about to finish up my plumbing and I stumbled on another thread while doing research that says to do this. I thought each overflow box had it's own full siphon with gate valve and emergency drain.

If you T the two drains together you run the risk of having balancing issues, where one drain flows more than the other. This could mean that the internal water level in each overflow is different. Theoretically you can run it without any balancing issues, but reality is usually different.

With 4 holes (2x in each overflow), you can run the traditional Herbie and have a spare (1 drain, 1 emerg drain, 1 return, spare) or you can run 1 drain and 1 emerg drain in each overflow, and run your returns up the back and over the side. I'd probably do the latter.

[ReefGoatfish]

if you tie the two drains together with a cross over pipe before the valves they will balance out , works in a car exhaust, trying it in my build in a couple of days, this has been kinda cool, just trying all kinds of things with fresh water til i like it, plus i'm in no hurry , that helps , think i,m going to start a diy led next week , following some good threads

[Powederblue]

Hey all,
I have a 45gallon rimless with a 3/4inch hole and a 1/5inch hold drilled in the overflow. Will this method work for me as well? If so which drain would i want to make my perminent siphon, the smaller of the 2?

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Waggs]

1/5 inch? I would assume you meant 1/2". The 3/4" would be the one going to the sump and the 1/2" would be the return line. Do you have a photo you can post?

[Powederblue]

Yes its 1/2 and is my return. Was wondering if i could us the return and do the herbie drains and return over the back of the tank.

[Waggs]

Can you post a photo or two?

[Powederblue]