Overflow box

[Minnreefer]

Does anyone have a hangon overflow box and if so how reliable do you feel about it. I am thinking about plumbing a 37 gallon horse tank into the sump of our 100 gallon, I am worried that if the overflow fails I will empty a good amount of the 100 gallon into the 37 gallon.
Thanks
Jonathan (AKA Brooke's other half)

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"If we weren't all crazy we would all go insane" Jimmy Buffett

[naser]

i am currently using a overflow box on my 55.... i have unpluged my pump a bunch of times and it only drains an inch or so out into the sump.... allways restarts...and unlike the cpr overflow it does not need a extra pump to get rid of bubbles in the u tube.. go to www.lifereef.com its listed under a prefilter box...they only make two sizes..i have the small one it does 700 gph... check it out.

[Rick O]

Hi Jonathan,

While I don't use an overflow box, I have looked at quite a few tanks that do use them. The best ones have partitions in them that prevent the water level in the boxes from dropping below the level of the "U" tube. This prevents the syphon from breaking if the power were to fail or if the "U" tube got blocked. I've also seen some with a nipple in the top of the "U" tube where you can attach an airline tube, connecting the other end to the aereating fitting of a powerhead. This removes any air that does enter the "U" tube.

This question appears quite frequently. Maybe someone can provide some detailed photographs that we could put in the archives for future reference.

HTH, Rick

[mini mee]

Hi Jonathan, Brooke's better half

I have the hang on overflow on the outside of my tank but I think the (reef ready) set up is better, less chance of overflow.
It has happened to me once and that is one time to many believe me.
Plus it was not easy to find the U tube for the outside hang on style either, there just not as popular anymore (old school)

When I set up my next reef, reef ready all the way


HTH
mini mee

[Doug1]

I used an Aamericle overflow box on my 55 and a homemade on my 29(same principal) Set up right there is little failure

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I dont advocate holding marine creatures for ransom but......since you asked
Doug, plank owner

[ReefJunkie]

I also use a Amiricale and have never had any problems. It has always kept it's siphon and noise is minimal. If you have enough flow through the u-tube there is no need for a pump to extract air.

HTH

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Scott

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all"
reef@pacifier.com
"Work like you don't need the money,
Love like you have never been hurt,
And dance like no one is watching"

[tdwyatt]

<<Plus it was not easy to find the U tube for the outside hang on style either, there just not as popular anymore >>

I make my overflows from pvc, they work very well, and you can customize them to whatever extent you want. The water level will only drop as far as the bottom of the "strainer" teeth inside the tank. The key to preventing overflows is to have enough capacity in your sump to accomodate that volume of seawater (the amount from the full level of the display tank to the bottom of the strainers), which for most tanks amounts to about an inch of water from the display. Make sure to use the dividers for the siphon, these prevent the loss of siphon when the power goes off. The divider is basically a section for the outer half of the overflow box which seals the bottom half of the boxes vertically, only coming up about half way for the depth of the box. This divides the outer box into 2 sections where the siphon from the tank goes into one side, and the drain to the sump is in the other half. If the return flow of water from the sumps to the tank is stopped for any reason, the tank will only drain to the level that the inner box is set to, i.e. to the level that the bottom of the strainer teeth drops to for the inside of the tank. When this water stops entering the inner overflow box, no more water can drain out of the tank. Due to the presence of the divider in the outer overflow box, there is a little cup of water at the bottom of the siphon tube that prevents air from entering the siphon tube. This maintans the patency of the siphon. When the pump begins to return water from the sump again, water will begin to enter the inner overflow and drain through the siphon tube again, without having to worry about re-establishing the siphon. Once again, the only consideration to prevent overflows is to make sure that you have the sump capacity to take care of that water that will drain to the sump from the tank. Keep in mind that you have another siphon in the tank that may not be obvious, and that is the line from the pump to the tank. If the outlet for this line is at any depth in your tank, then when the power goes off and the pump stops, it will act as a siphon also, draining the tank down to the level where your highest outlet is (where air can enter the line and break the siphon). If you have deep outlets in your system, you can prevent problems by drilling a SMALL outlet into the line within the tank, but near the top of the supply line. By doing this, you allow a break in the siphon at that level, preventing the supply line from acting as a siphon when the pump is off or broken.

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Tom <"{{{{>(
(TDWyatt)
Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -Plato

[mini mee]

Hi Tom
I tried to find a U tube here at home but my lfs stopped carrying them and the plastic places at home here can't make the bend but the DIY PVC idea is great.
My overflow is the basic type not(auto)it is a DIY style. I bought the tube years ago it cracked so I fixed it after having no luck finding a brand new U tube.

The episode of the flood that I had came not from the sump it is plenty big enough and as you explained the water only goes down as far as the fingers and stops.
My flood was from the tank I guess I didn't keep the U tube clean enough and the water was not going down to the sump as fast as the pump was pumping so it emptied my sump

I still use it today and clean it often after my lesson
(never a problem again with it) but I travel a lot so that is why I am considering the Reef Ready style overflow for the next reef but have you heard of any possible problems with the Reef Ready style?

The only one I have heard of is if you stack the rock up against the plastic of the overflow (a lot of weight)it may develope a
crack were the plastic meets the glass this
emptied his whole tank probably rare though I have only heard of it happening once to someone with a lot of rock and a weak silicone seal.


Any info before I buy into it would be great plus it may help Jonathan decide.

Thanks
mini mee

[Crockett]

Goto www.lifereef.com and click on pre filters and accessories. There you will find your spare siphon tubes for $9.00 each. Take two there is always a reason for an extra!

[Minnreefer]

Well my better half says no to sharing one sump with the 100 gallon and 38 gallon. My main concern was not with emptying the tank but with the overflow getting cloged and all the water from my 100 gallon sump and about 20 gallons from the 100 gallon going into the 38 gallon. I wanted to combine the two tanks so that I don't have to top off 2 tanks and more stable system and a c-reactor for both tanks. She doesn't think I can plum them well.
Thanks
Jonathan

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"If we weren't all crazy we would all go insane" Jimmy Buffett

[Wrasse Man]

Neither did my better half. I set up a hang-on overflow into a 20 gallon under my 75, with an in-refugium pump. I got a cheap hang-on assem. for about $30. Included tank-box, U-tube, and a partioned 'back box' with bulkhead. I was worried about pumping the 15ish gallons that are in the 20 into the 75 also, so I piled up some live rock and mounted the pump that way. It isn't much louder than the pump sitting on the gravel. I would rather burn out a pump than the ugly alternative.


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"Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank."

[Minnreefer]

I was thinking the same thing, but it is hard to convince the other half sometimes
Jonathan

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"If we weren't all crazy we would all go insane" Jimmy Buffett

[Brooke]

Now wait just a minute. I never once doubted your plumbing (notice plumbing has a B in it) ability. I thought I said I haven't really ruled it out, but that it just seems like a pain in the butt.

Hmmm....men.

[Doug1]

Be nice Brooke, some men arent so bad
As long as you have properly plumBed the returns and have siphon breaks it shouldn't be too hard to gang the tanks together

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I dont advocate holding marine creatures for ransom but......since you asked
Doug, plank owner

[This message has been edited by Doug1 (edited 02-01-2001).]

[mini mee]

Ok Jonathan and Brooke I think I am missing something but lets see if I can figure this out I am no expert but I will give it a go.

Tank A -100gal
tank B -37 gal
sump -100gal???

If both Tanks are plumbed to a common sump then all you have to do is calculate out how much water if either one of the overflows plugs it would take for the sump to run one tank so the other does not overflow.
Remember the water only goes down to the bottom of the overflows fingers so if A is plugged then the pump will only fill to the bottom of the fingers (no flood) tank B will still run water down to the sump you may get a little air but I think you can get away without a flood though.

The only prob I see is if you run the sump at full capacity total 100gal and that is a lot of water to have in your sump.

There is other ways to do it using flow switches on each return from both tanks to your sump (no flow the pump shuts down)This set up would need a little tweeking though so the switches aren't turning the pump off and on but not a mission imposible type task.

Material
2- flow switches,1- 24vac relay and base and a 24vac power supply,you could even go DC You would then switch the supply 110vac for the pump through the relay (NO) wireing the flow switches in series through the coil of the relay powered by your 24v power supply.
No flow breaks the circuit and de-energizes the coil,opens the contacts on the relay and shuts off the pump.(no flood but no water to the tanks either)

Brooke where there is a will there is always a way have a little faith we men can surprise ya,It is just a que of how much dough you want to put into this

Johnatan, Brooke has a good point though it is a pain in the butt another sump would be less hasle and cheaper to sorry dude.

mini mee