stupid question of the day!!!

DebsSisterFlo · 10-12-2006, 06:35 PM

What exactly is that friggin' durso I keep hearing about?!?!?!? Is that a brand name, or is it a certain type of pipe, or???

pics please! I just read a post by fly guy, elsewhere, and I took this snippit of what he said and it got me wondering yet again...

Quote:

and maybe put a cap over it with a few holes drilled into it like the top of a durso

yes, it is probably fishtank 101 but dangit I need to know!

110galreef · 10-12-2006, 08:10 PM

Instead of the regular standpipe where it can suck air and water the durso is shaped like the following so it is always submereged to only suck water and is very quiet! A 1" piece of PVC runs down to the Bulkhead from this!

The vent is to allow the unit to work properly (physics I don't want to get into)

DebsSisterFlo · 10-13-2006, 11:01 AM

wait wait wait... you WANT your overflow chamber full of water?!?! I thought that was basically empty, and the water drained when the level got high enough to go out of the drain (think of the drain drilled on the back wall)...

man, I'm never going to figure this stuff out!!!

110galreef · 10-13-2006, 11:04 AM

It could do that...but would be sounding like a water fall as the water fell some 20" or so.

Basically the overflow dictates the water level in the display!
The water level in the overflow is usually a few inches lower than the water level in the display. This Keep the oveflow quiet.

The Durso keeps the standpipe quiet as it cannot suck air!

Making sense???

DebsSisterFlo · 10-13-2006, 11:10 AM

yes, that made sense. I just always thought that the overflow was almost empty, that it drained off as fast as the return filled it up again. That link to the durso page really helped!

So now I'm thinking I should have a standard overflow box, can I have a durso with holes drilled into the back wall instead of the floor of the tank, or do I just have drilled holes in the back and let the water flow out of them?

110galreef · 10-13-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebsSisterFlo

yes, that made sense. I just always thought that the overflow was almost empty, that it drained off as fast as the return filled it up again. That link to the durso page really helped!

So now I'm thinking I should have a standard overflow box, can I have a durso with holes drilled into the back wall instead of the floor of the tank, or do I just have drilled holes in the back and let the water flow out of them?

Probably, not positive, but if it doesn't work it is not hard to change out for a regular standpipe. Just remember not to glue anything inside the overflow.

So you can try the Durso, and if it doesn't work the just use a regular standpipe!

DebsSisterFlo · 10-13-2006, 11:25 AM

so then, I'd have to have one hole drilled towards the bottom and I'm assuming a bulk head, then a 90* elbow so that the pipe can go straight up inside of the overflow?

any suggestions for the return? I've got another thread going too, trying to figure out how to drill and set up the new tank... thanks so much for the help!

110galreef · 10-13-2006, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebsSisterFlo

so then, I'd have to have one hole drilled towards the bottom and I'm assuming a bulk head, then a 90* elbow so that the pipe can go straight up inside of the overflow?

any suggestions for the return? I've got another thread going too, trying to figure out how to drill and set up the new tank... thanks so much for the help!

Yep you need a bulkhead to go through glass or acrylic w/o leaks.

You may want a small piece of PVC coming off the bulkhead first and then the 90* elbow that way the standpipe/durso is centered in the overflow,

If you just use a 90* it will be very close to the back wall and not leave much room for good flow, cleaning or whatever!