Jump to content

It’s finally that time! It’s not a build, it’s an upgrade.


Christyef

Recommended Posts

The right one is the emergency/ The middle is the full flow drain. With no air able to get in it runs at full syphon with no noise. The left one has just a little water going thru it during normal operation. It needs to suck some air to do this. The red air tube end is positioned just above the water level. If the main drain gets clogged and the water level rises, the end of the tube will be underwater. It becomes full syphon at that point and can take the full flow that the main drain usually handles. Normally that drain is positioned a little bit higher than the main drain so you can get the full one going before it takes on too much of the flow.

Here is a picture of mine . its a little bit different with my exteral over flow box. My middle drain is my backup, with just a little water going down thru it. I put a hole in the top of the cap. If the water gets to high it covers the hole and become a full syphon. The screen you see on the left is temp to keep my new clowns from going over the falls into the overflow box.

 

overflow.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read about them and watched a BRS video. Bean requires 3 holes. My two boxes have 2 holes each. Having the fail safe of no floods is very important!!!! It wouldn’t be impossible to drill another hole in one of the boxes and just do away with the unused box. I’d have to come up with something creative. The plexiglass box is black. The back will be painted black... I could dismantle the unused box and attach it to the glass making sure it was sealed. It would probably show some, but not be crazy obvious. Then I could let GSP grow over it. [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you send a picture of what it looks like inside and outside. Maybe you can do 2 sets of a herbie type overflow, with duriso pipes. Quiet with the second pipes as emergency. Bean just adds the 3rd pipe as a last case fail safe. This is prob overkill for most people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I’m not mistaken, herbie and durso are drilled from the bottom of the over flow box. The tank I plumbed in for Nathan was herbie style overflow

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great pictures. This will be a piece of cake or pie, as my old boss peter pan used to say. Im going to suggest you do a herbie style drain. Here is a link as to how it works. The tank does not have to have holes in the bottom like Nathans.

http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/

I will be able to explain more later when I have time but the 2 drains closest to the middle will be plumbed together and a gate valve will be placed after that. This will be your main drain. The 2 outside drains will handle the trickle and be your emergency back up.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After doing some research, people find it is much easier to adjust each main drain, if it has its own gate valve. So you will need 2 gate valves. It will be ok to connect the 2 pipes together after that if you need to. Maybe because of room under the stand or something. To keep the drains silent, they should terminate 1" under the water of the sump. I guess the pipe with holes was underwater when the tank was running. Maybe the pipe was for a sock. I duno. You dont have to use that piece of pipe. The 2 other drains ( lets call them emergency drains) can empty out anywhere in the sump. It would be a good idea to not have them terminate under water in the sump. That way, if you hear splashing, then you know something is wrong with one of your main drains. You can connect them together if you want, but you dont have to. Anytime you join 2 pipes its best to go a size up. That way you dont restrict the flow. If you can't then that's ok too. Hope you can follow this. Im attaching a picture of what I envision as the look inside the overflow box. The up is emergency and the down is main drain. If there is room you might think about a flat screen on the main drain intakes. In case a fish or something decides to go exploring they will stay in the overflow and not end up in the sump. Nothing like a snail to clog up the pipes. Let me know what if any questions you have.

 

 

up-down.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so I want to open a discussion. ... who uses what style overflow and why. What successes and or failures have you had from it? I pretty much have a blank canvas with my 140 gallon tank and want to choose the best one. I’m already leaning towards one in my mind, but want more feedback

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so I want to open a discussion. ... who uses what style overflow and why. What successes and or failures have you had from it? I pretty much have a blank canvas with my 140 gallon tank and want to choose the best one. I’m already leaning towards one in my mind, but want more feedback
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I use a synergy Shadow Overflow box. Comes with 3 drains, full siphon, drain, and emergency overflow.

I like it mostly except that it is noisier than I expected at my flow rate. If I slow it down and keep my wavemakers at a constant speed, its dead silent.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have only had 2 salt water tanks, and I made beans for both. The first one was internal and was a pain because the tank was acrylic and had a top. It was hard to clean and leaked once in awhile. But when you by a junker ya cant expect everything to be perrrrrrrrrrrrfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bc of the way my tank is already built, I’m going to have to drill another hole and fill two, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to do bean animal. The peace of mind of no flood is the biggest attraction to that style.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We started working OT on my job this week. I’m so beat from the hours and being in the heat all day, I don’t feel like doing much work on the tank in the hot garage. [emoji51][emoji6]. But the extra money will be nice to spend on the tank!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, FarmerTy said:

I use a synergy Shadow Overflow box. Comes with 3 drains, full siphon, drain, and emergency overflow.

I like it mostly except that it is noisier than I expected at my flow rate. If I slow it down and keep my wavemakers at a constant speed, its dead silent.

I use Reef Savvy ghost overflows, which are very similar to the on Ty has.  I love them.  They are quiet and low maintenance.  I tune mine for silence the same way.  They mainly make noise if the water is splashing through the weir (which can happen at higher flow rates).  No gurgling though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On June 1, 2018 at 12:32 AM, Isaac said:

niiiiiiice, after years of picking up stuff you are finally gonna use it all :)  lookin good.

     I am a self proclaimed dumpster diver. LOL  And sticking to my roots, I saw some cut up furniture dollies in the trash at work a couple weeks ago. To the window glazers they're trash. To me, they were good casters! So I brought them home and made new furniture dollies to roll the stand around on while I sand and paint. I removed two doors, but the third hinge is so rusted, Ill just have to paint it on there. I picked up a gallon of oil based white Kilz and a gallon of black oil based paint. I'm going to do the inside of the stand white and obviously the outside black. There is considerable water damage on one side of the inside, but I'm pretty sure I can sand that back smooth. I have both a belt and palm sander. I chipped away at it with a flat head and a chisel to get all the big bubbles out. It would be ideal to just build a new stand. I'm good at a lot of things, but woodworking isn't very high on that list. :eusathink: Maybe a solid panel across the back? More places to hang things, but less ventilation than the way it is.

    Also, the sump isn't a 75 gallon tank. I's a 55. Once I got it out of the stand I could see it. Not sure what to do now about the skimmer. It's a monster. possibly have a sump built that would fit the stand and skimmer better. Along with things I have on my list to buy for this project, a better bigger generator is a must!! The little one I got yesterday was perfect for keeping things aerated and alive, but I'm about to add 130 more gallons to my system. I'm afraid the little tailgater couldn't handle a bigger tank. Yesterday was stressful and scary and aggravating. 

    It's not the fastest build in history, but one day we will get there!!   

IMG_9888.JPG

IMG_9889.JPG

IMG_9890.JPG

IMG_9893.JPG

IMG_9895.JPG

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Christy! My wife won't let me pick up stuff on the side of the curb anymore. I'm jealous! Great work there!

My whole existence is based on never ending projects and tinkering. [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

85a9e23de7103f9d587042f5d514f40d.jpg00a92ed70d6b749911ff80d8b9d71c0a.jpg May be hard to see in the picture, but I got the overflow box on the right off and just the panel on to cover the holes. The tank is finally clean!!! I’ve also put on my first coat of black on the back. I plan on getting a diamond bit this wkend to do my 3rd hole for the bean animal. And will begin planning the plumbing. It’s pretty much mapped out in my head, but want to draw it on paper. I’m waiting to hear back from a fellow reefer about a sump he has/didn’t use buried in his garage. That’s another hold up on the plumbing. I can buy the bulkheads and get those on, at least.

In my drain manifold, I’m going to include a 3/4 hose-thread valve just to hook a hose to and do water changes. Probably one of those collapsible slinky type hoses that I can store easily in a tub. I’ve been thinking and thinking about how I’m gonna go Water changes on this bigger tank. Currently, I do 5 gal at a time. Still in a bucket. That’s not feasible on 180 gal system. So, I’ll plumb for it!! [emoji122][emoji122]

That’s the only update for now. Oh yeah, I’m planning on closing in the back. Mark Blok is a great carpenter and is going to lend me his expertise. More picts soon

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lookin good.

I do sump water changes.  I have an extra pump in my sump for just this, cause 50 gallons is a lot of water. I guess you could "T" off your main pump. I fill 2ea 30 gallons brutes in the back of my truck and  dump it down the road rather in my septic. Helps keep the gravel dust down. I marked the sump water level with everything turned off. I turn on the extra pump that pumps the water out of the sump. Its plumbed to a hose near the garage. Once the 30's are pretty full I stop. I then pump in my new mixed water and fill to the mark. Turn everything back on and am done. Just a turn of a few ball valves and let the pumps do the work.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That’s nice!! How big is your sump? I’ve heard it needs/should be 1/2 the size of the DT. Is this true? I found one a reefer is selling that may actually work good in my space and since my skimmer is external, it may be even better. I’ll try to attach a picture.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...