Beananimal overflow water change question.

KashAlp · 07/12/2010, 08:59 AM

Wondering how you people with bean animals silent overflow go abouts doing your water changes?

anyone with beans system knows about the short cycle of gushing water that happens in the sump 2-3 times before the system gos into a nice smooth siphon. This can be fustrating at times when it really mixes up your sump and you have floating depris all over your tank.

lately i have been adding new water first, filling up the sump, then sucking out water until i reach the desired level. This was i dont have to kill the pump and i dont get that messy tank look for an hour or so, however my
OCD kicks in and it bothers me that im wasting some of the new water i just made. salt and r/o water isnt really that cheap.

Any tips? thx

chimmike · 07/12/2010, 09:05 AM

I plumb in a Tee off my return pump and use it to fill up a 5g bucket or so (i'll develop a new system with my new tank setup) and then I'll use a pump to refill exactly the same amount from a bucket into the sump. I don't turn anything off and it doesn't change the level of water in the tank, I just make sure the return pump never goes dry.

KashAlp · 07/12/2010, 09:11 AM

yes i have tried that also, as you can see in the pic. The line that goes to the right side was my bucket fill line, however as you can see the water level in the return pump section (center) is just above the return pump so i can only empty about 2-3g before the pump starts sucking air.

Also.. once i open the ball valve the water stops going to the DT and when i close it again i get that gushing siphon effect.

chimmike · 07/12/2010, 09:24 AM

well, if the pump flow goes entirely to the water change, you can always restrict the flow via use of a gate valve too.

KashAlp · 07/12/2010, 09:35 AM

i suppose i can only open the ball valve a bit to allow some water to remain going to the DT. I still run into the problem however of only being able to remove 2-3g before return pump starts sucking in air. In a 125g tank 2 or 3g wouldnt be considered a water change. lol

puzzled..

Floowid · 07/12/2010, 12:52 PM

Can you just put a ball valve on the end of your drain line, and close it when you shut off the pump, thus maintaining the syphon?

Obviously this is a terrible idea for a lot of reasons, but the obvious answer is just to accept the half hour or so of disrupted water clarity after a water change.

jefathome · 07/12/2010, 12:55 PM

Ok... I'm a little confused. Your complaint is that the debris in your sump gets stirred up when re-starting the flow after a water change? Shouldn't you be removing all that debris beforehand anyway?

KashAlp · 07/12/2010, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefathome

Ok... I'm a little confused. Your complaint is that the debris in your sump gets stirred up when re-starting the flow after a water change? Shouldn't you be removing all that debris beforehand anyway?

absolutely, and i do! well i try to get it all anyways. impossible to get it all. Do you run bean animals system? if not i can see why you would be puzzled at my question. Beans is a great siphon however it has its downside with taking a 2-3 short cycles of gushing water down the emergency drain line and 2nd standpipe until it balances and creates a nice smooth silent overflow.

This "gushing" is quite drastic in my tank and causes alot of missed debris to get thrown around.

Hard to explain. perhaps ill take a short video next time i do a water change to post so people thinking about going with beans will be prepaired and know that nothing is wrong with the setup.

jefathome · 07/13/2010, 01:14 PM

I use a modified "bean" system.

Two drain pipes, a 1in and a 1.5. The 1in goes on full siphon with a gate valve and the 1.5in has about 5-10g/hour to handle the little bit that the full siphon doesn't take (since the siphon can go up and down in volume).

Still, your sump shouldn't have ANY detritus in it. At least not in your "drain"/input chamber. I get a little in the return/fuge section, but not in the main section.

Oh well.. i'm sure that you do ahve some and it seems to be creating an issue. Who am I to doubt that. Hope you find your answer.

chimmike · 07/13/2010, 01:18 PM

Jeff, do you have the emergency overflow? If not, you're not running a bean but a different style.

I think I know what the OP means, but isn't suspending detritus in the water really what we want to do anyways and not let it settle?

KashAlp · 07/13/2010, 02:36 PM

Yes i do have a bit in the sump. Mostly in the fuge side, very litle inthe return section, and none in the skimmer side. I try my best to vaccum it out when i do water changes but for the most part it is present most of the time sump wise.

07/12/2010, 08:59 AM	#1
KashAlp Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Angus, Ontario, Canada Posts: 211	Beananimal overflow water change question. Wondering how you people with bean animals silent overflow go abouts doing your water changes? anyone with beans system knows about the short cycle of gushing water that happens in the sump 2-3 times before the system gos into a nice smooth siphon. This can be fustrating at times when it really mixes up your sump and you have floating depris all over your tank. lately i have been adding new water first, filling up the sump, then sucking out water until i reach the desired level. This was i dont have to kill the pump and i dont get that messy tank look for an hour or so, however my OCD kicks in and it bothers me that im wasting some of the new water i just made. salt and r/o water isnt really that cheap. Any tips? thx

07/12/2010, 09:05 AM	#2
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	I plumb in a Tee off my return pump and use it to fill up a 5g bucket or so (i'll develop a new system with my new tank setup) and then I'll use a pump to refill exactly the same amount from a bucket into the sump. I don't turn anything off and it doesn't change the level of water in the tank, I just make sure the return pump never goes dry. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

07/12/2010, 09:11 AM	#3
KashAlp Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Angus, Ontario, Canada Posts: 211	yes i have tried that also, as you can see in the pic. The line that goes to the right side was my bucket fill line, however as you can see the water level in the return pump section (center) is just above the return pump so i can only empty about 2-3g before the pump starts sucking air. Also.. once i open the ball valve the water stops going to the DT and when i close it again i get that gushing siphon effect. Last edited by KashAlp; 07/12/2010 at 09:16 AM.

07/12/2010, 09:24 AM	#4
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	well, if the pump flow goes entirely to the water change, you can always restrict the flow via use of a gate valve too. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

07/12/2010, 12:52 PM	#6
Floowid Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Centerville, UT Posts: 712	Can you just put a ball valve on the end of your drain line, and close it when you shut off the pump, thus maintaining the syphon? Obviously this is a terrible idea for a lot of reasons, but the obvious answer is just to accept the half hour or so of disrupted water clarity after a water change. __________________ 75 gallon mixed reef

07/12/2010, 09:35 AM	#5
KashAlp Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Angus, Ontario, Canada Posts: 211	i suppose i can only open the ball valve a bit to allow some water to remain going to the DT. I still run into the problem however of only being able to remove 2-3g before return pump starts sucking in air. In a 125g tank 2 or 3g wouldnt be considered a water change. lol puzzled..

07/12/2010, 12:55 PM	#7
jefathome Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 2,915	Ok... I'm a little confused. Your complaint is that the debris in your sump gets stirred up when re-starting the flow after a water change? Shouldn't you be removing all that debris beforehand anyway? __________________ Without Geometry, life is pointless Current Tank Info: NEW 150g in-wall Solartube display; 60g 4x2ft frag tank; 3g work Pico.... all Reef tanks

07/13/2010, 01:14 PM	#9
jefathome Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Mission Viejo, CA Posts: 2,915	I use a modified "bean" system. Two drain pipes, a 1in and a 1.5. The 1in goes on full siphon with a gate valve and the 1.5in has about 5-10g/hour to handle the little bit that the full siphon doesn't take (since the siphon can go up and down in volume). Still, your sump shouldn't have ANY detritus in it. At least not in your "drain"/input chamber. I get a little in the return/fuge section, but not in the main section. Oh well.. i'm sure that you do ahve some and it seems to be creating an issue. Who am I to doubt that. Hope you find your answer. __________________ Without Geometry, life is pointless Current Tank Info: NEW 150g in-wall Solartube display; 60g 4x2ft frag tank; 3g work Pico.... all Reef tanks

07/13/2010, 01:18 PM	#10
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	Jeff, do you have the emergency overflow? If not, you're not running a bean but a different style. I think I know what the OP means, but isn't suspending detritus in the water really what we want to do anyways and not let it settle? __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

07/13/2010, 02:36 PM	#11
KashAlp Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Angus, Ontario, Canada Posts: 211	Yes i do have a bit in the sump. Mostly in the fuge side, very litle inthe return section, and none in the skimmer side. I try my best to vaccum it out when i do water changes but for the most part it is present most of the time sump wise.

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