Durso pipe and overflow help needed

[boris MAC]

I have build my aquarium, I made plumbing for water circulation, but I stuck and I have a big problem with Durso design and water in “Overflow”, in fact, more water is coming in “Overflow”, that the Overflow can handle. For the few seconds, the level of rhe water I equal to the level of the water in my aquarium. The return pump is Aquamedic 6500 l/h,
Owerflows in each corner is 15x25 cm., a bulkhead is 40 mm. and the following picture is exactly what I have built. The size of the hole in the cup does not solving the problem.
I’am need some advise for solving my problem and the following picture is exactly what I have done. 1 cm(10mm)=0,394 “

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Boris, welcome to reefs.org (yes, I see you've posted a few times, but who knows if you've been given a proper welcome yet with some of these fellows!).

By the sound of it, you may have either undersized your pump, or made too many slots in the overflow, OR need to add/enlarge openings to the standpipe. I haven't seen Mr. Durso himself around for a bit, but this will give you a bump and I'm sure that those much more experienced with this system will add their opinions (as, I will admit, I may be way off base with my own guesses).

 

[boris MAC]

Tanks, seamaiden, will see if some one will help!!! I have a few post because I build up my first reef tank, and stuck with overflow and return things. Is hard for me to do this things because of my geografical location (MACEDONIA, ex. YUGOSLAVIA) and no one in my country and even far have real saltwater or reef tank. Every thing I have done till now is teaching on misstakes. I hope soon I,m gona solve my problems and will have discusions on that beauthiful creatures I see in yours tank's. Maybe I will walk trough this hard way of having a peace of those beautifhul deeps, were probably I will never go.

Regards

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, Boris, I did indeed notice your location. Quite the endeavor where you get little to no product, yes? However, I wouldn't have been able to keep my own reef (now defunct) had I not done almost everything myself. I did, however, have to get a job at my local fish shop so I could PAY for my habit! :lol:

Good luck, and I'll try to keep bumping this thread. I know that Richard Durso is a member here, but for the LIFE of me I can't remember his nick!

 

[Marrowbone]

Hi Boris. By the way SM, Mr Durso is reefland here

So, 40mm = 1.57" and 30mm = 1.18" That would equate to just over a 1-1/2" Durso with the flow reduced to just under 1-1/4" through the bulkhead. That should handle a LOT of flow, and you say you have 2 of these! You must have a nice size tank. How big is it? By the way your overflow boxes would each be 5.9" by 9.8" for us backwards Americans.

I tried to find your pump here to verify it's output, but I couldn't find it. http://reefs.org/library/pumps/ If it puts out 6500Lph that equates to 1717Gph. Divide that by 2 overflows and you have 859Gph before head loss which would make it even less.

On my 75Gal tank I have one overflow with a 1-1/4" Durso reduced through a 1" bulkhead, and then it goes through 1-1/4" drain pipe to the sump. I'm pushing about 900Gph through it and that is about the limit. Yours should be able to handle the flow as far as I can tell.

One thing I would suggest: Try taking out the Durso pipes all the way down to the bulkheads, then test the water flow. It should be noisy but should handle the flow. Is it possible that your overflow walls are too high or don't have enough slots in them? What is happening now if you leave your pump on? If the problem is in the Durso or the drain line below, then the entire tank on both sides of the overflow wall will overflow at the same time. Hope this helps.

Check out this conversion site: 8)
http://www.psinvention.com/zoetic/convert.htm

 

[Marrowbone]

Wait, your bulkhead is 40mm on the outside I assume. Does it allow 30mm through it or is it less? Less could be a problem.

 

[madrefkepr]

What size hole is in the cap? It may need to be smaller. Another possibility is the drain line runs too deep into the sump, which causes backpressure. Should only be about an inch lower than the water level in the sump.

 

[Anonymous]

If I understand his problem correctly, his overflow box isn't draining fast enough, yes? If so, wouldn't he then need to correct so that the pump can pull water faster? Clarification would be helpful for me, this kind of question comes up with some regularity.

 

[madrefkepr]

If you pump water back to the aquarium faster than the overflow can drain it, you have a big mess. The pump doesn't actually pull the water from the overflow, good ol' gravity takes care of that. Therefore, how far the drain pipe extends into the water of the sump will have an effect (head pressure if you will, or better, backpressure, depends on your vantage point). The hole in the cap also has an effect, do to how much air is allowed to enter. If the hole is too small, you end up with a very powerful siphon, which will pull water very quickley. If the hole is too large, too much air is drawn, and the siphon does not pull enough water. Kind of like what happens when I forget to turn off my powerheads when doing a water change. When the water level gets low enough for the powerhead to suck air, much less water is being pulled.

 

[madrefkepr]

edit

 

[reefland]

Good luck, and I'll try to keep bumping this thread. I know that Richard Durso is a member here, but for the LIFE of me I can't remember his nick!

:roll:

 

[reefland]

I have a big problem with Durso design and water in “Overflow”, in fact, more water is coming in “Overflow”, that the Overflow can handle. For the few seconds, the level of rhe water I equal to the level of the water in my aquarium.

A fluctuation of the water level in the overflow chamber is typically caused by backpressue in the drain line. Typically from having the drain lines in the sump submerged to far. Only submerge the drain lines about an inch or two. If using flex tube, make sure you don't have loops or dips in the drain lines. All adds backpressure.

The cycle you see is building enough water in the overflow chamber to overcome back pressure in the pipe. Once enough water is present in the chamber it drains rapidly.

Sometimes this also happens if your drain line is vertical to the sump. Giving the drain line an angle fixes this. Allows water to go down one side and air bubbles to churn on the other side. Air trying to go up, water trying to go down can show up as water level fluctuations in the chamber depending on which is winning.

Good Luck

 

[madrefkepr]

For the few seconds, the level of rhe water I equal to the level of the water in my aquarium.

Sorry, missed that part.

 

[boris MAC]

Hi, and great thanks to all of you , but before I try all this thinks I think that the problem is maybe in pipe's that are returning water in the sump, they are submerge about 20 cm below water surface in the first chamber of my sump??

 

[boris MAC]

Andd..... yes .. I forgot, if I remove tee, and let just standpipe than it can handle the water from overflow, and yes it sound like Niagara falls .
What you sugest, cut the pipes in drain chamber about 1-2 cm below water surface, or driling some holes on the submerged pipe.

Sory for my English, it is funy, is't it???

 

[reefland]

What you sugest, cut the pipes in drain chamber about 1-2 cm below water surface, or driling some holes on the submerged pipe.

That would be my suggestion yes.

 

[boris MAC]

Will see... I would let you know Mr Durso

 

[Anonymous]

Good luck, and I'll try to keep bumping this thread. I know that Richard Durso is a member here, but for the LIFE of me I can't remember his nick!

:roll:

Oh come on, now! At least I remembered your given name in the first place. Spank me, why don't ya? :twisted:

 

[boris MAC]

Durso disagn does not work in my thak, maybe this is because of high water flow, I will try some other options.

Regards

 

[madrefkepr]

Boris, I wouldn't abandon the durso just yet. It may take a little patience to "tune", but will be worth it.

So you have shortened the length of the pipe in the sump, yes? Now that you have done that, does the water level in the overflow stay constant, or is it still fluctuating?

If it is staying constant, you may have to change the size hole in the cap. Making it larger will raise the water level in the overflow, making it smaller will lower it.

If it is still fluctuating, something is causing backpressure. Too many bends (elbows, etc.) could be the cause.