Overflow Problem

[isgon26]

I lost the siphon on one of the tubes in my overflow. Some water over flowed to the floor. Is there a way to prevent this. Not sure if drilling is an option since the tank is full. Will adding a second overflow help as a back up? Or is there a sensor i can put that once it gets to a certain level it shuts of the return pump.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I dont know the best for you- my tank is a predrilled AGA tank but there is a video on youtube where a guy drained his tank to a certain level, and drilled the tank while stocked. If your gonna do that you got a steel set of.. well you know what! lol But it can be done- I would just be scared of the tank cracking due to uneven pressure or going to fast or twisting accidentally cause of awkwardness myself.

 

[fcamargo6thave]

how many gallons is your tank and how many gallons is your sump

 

[isgon26]

I have 150 gallon with a 40 gallon sump.

 

[masterswimmer]

Without going through the painstakingly scary act of drilling a tank while full, you can use the Tom's Aqua Lifter. It is basically a vacuum pump that draws air OUT of the U-tube in order to keep your siphon running.

Russ

 

[junglebase]

I lost the siphon on one of the tubes in my overflow. Some water over flowed to the floor. Is there a way to prevent this. Not sure if drilling is an option since the tank is full. Will adding a second overflow help as a back up? Or is there a sensor i can put that once it gets to a certain level it shuts of the return pump.

You can use the same sensors you use for auto top offs on your return pump, but instead of turning the pump on, you turn the pump off, once the maximum level of water is reached on your sump.

 

[isgon26]

So how does this work? You place the tube into the U tube and leave it there?

Without going through the painstakingly scary act of drilling a tank while full, you can use the Tom's Aqua Lifter. It is basically a vacuum pump that draws air OUT of the U-tube in order to keep your siphon running.

Russ

 

[isgon26]

Good option i need to look into getting a sensor that works with my Apex controller.

You can use the same sensors you use for auto top offs on your return pump, but instead of turning the pump on, you turn the pump off, once the maximum level of water is reached on your sump.

 

[mr_X]

i think the reason alot of folks lose siphon is because their return pump is not strong enough. what overflow box are you using and what return pump? have you calculated for head loss?

 

[isgon26]

I have no idea what ur talking about.lol So no i have not checked for head loss, what is that? U might be right. I have a 1200gph overflow and a CA3000 return pump that is rated 1000 gph.

i think the reason alot of folks lose siphon is because their return pump is not strong enough. what overflow box are you using and what return pump? have you calculated for head loss?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

what is head loss

isgon- head loss is when the water has to travel against gravity upward or even through a length or tube to your tank and you lose the actual number of gallons that its flowing due to resistance.

If you read on the side of the box your pump came in it will state how many gallons per hour it will pump at 0 feet then as you follow the chart and compare the number of gallons per hour it will flow at the number of feet away from your pump the return to your tank is the number will be much lower- thats because of head loss- (will also state the maximum amount of head or distance the pump can handle pumping through)

in my profession(firefighting) when I as an Engine chauffer- the guy that charges the hose with water to extinguish a fire- if I have to pump into a hose thats ending up on the third floor I have to ad 5 pounds per floor that you go above ground level due to gravity wanting to pull the water back down to the ground so I add 10 pounds of pressure or else the guys in the fire apartment would be lacking 10 pounds of pressure to have the proper water flow to the nozzle of the hose.--- aquarium pumps work the same way the longer the return the smaller the number of gallons per hour it will actually flow into your tank. Sorry bot the lengthy reply....am gonna shut up now lol.

 

[isgon26]

Thanks! Explained it perfectly. But i dont think my problem is head loss. I think its the snails that go into the utube and disrupt the siphon. Im mulling over my options.

isgon- head loss is when the water has to travel against gravity upward or even through a length or tube to your tank and you lose the actual number of gallons that its flowing due to resistance.

If you read on the side of the box your pump came in it will state how many gallons per hour it will pump at 0 feet then as you follow the chart and compare the number of gallons per hour it will flow at the number of feet away from your pump the return to your tank is the number will be much lower- thats because of head loss- (will also state the maximum amount of head or distance the pump can handle pumping through)

in my profession(firefighting) when I as an Engine chauffer- the guy that charges the hose with water to extinguish a fire- if I have to pump into a hose thats ending up on the third floor I have to ad 5 pounds per floor that you go above ground level due to gravity wanting to pull the water back down to the ground so I add 10 pounds of pressure or else the guys in the fire apartment would be lacking 10 pounds of pressure to have the proper water flow to the nozzle of the hose.--- aquarium pumps work the same way the longer the return the smaller the number of gallons per hour it will actually flow into your tank. Sorry bot the lengthy reply....am gonna shut up now lol.

 

[Awibrandy]

Is there anyway for you to put a screen so that the snail & crabs won't get in the U tubes?

 

[isgon26]

Im trying to see if I can find some mesh that want slow the flow.

Is there anyway for you to put a screen so that the snail & crabs won't get in the U tubes?

 

[isgon26]

Some have suggested head loss. What would be the best return pump to use if indeed this is what is causing the loss of the siphon?

 

[Awibrandy]

isgon, don't know if this helps. But when I ran non reef ready tanks the only time they lost syphon was when I didn't replace the evaporated water in a timely fashion. Meaning the water would drop below the specified line. I learned quickly that(if not for the sake of the animals who were going through salinity swings, [which should have been more then enough reason to keep up with the top off]) in order not to have to go through the trouble of getting those U tubes going again I KEPT UP WITH the top off.

 

[isgon26]

Thanks. But I have auto top off. I dont think that is the problem. I think it might be the snails in the tube or maybe the head loss. Not Sure... Will try to figure it out.

isgon, don't know if this helps. But when I ran non reef ready tanks the only time they lost syphon was when I didn't replace the evaporated water in a timely fashion. Meaning the water would drop below the specified line. I learned quickly that(if not for the sake of the animals who were going through salinity swings, [which should have been more then enough reason to keep up with the top off]) in order not to have to go through the trouble of getting those U tubes going again I KEPT UP WITH the top off.

 

[Awibrandy]

Back to covering the U tube with some sort of screen! How about fruit tree, or pond netting? Holes are not big enough for snails or crabs, but yet big enough for water to flow.

 

[Reefs Creation]

Tito, u can look into doing a mod on the siphon tube, basically u drill a small hole like the picture in this thread where Kathy posted, and use a lifter pump at the end of the air tubing to continuously draw air and water out so you will never lose siphon, except that the lifter pump do fail in time and u have to keep replacing them. I would say every 3-6 months, but they are cheap to replace.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/46288-overflow-comparison.html

 

[isgon26]

Gonna try the lifter. Where can i get that rigid tube? Also i have 2 utubes can i split the lines for the aqua lifter?

Tito, u can look into doing a mod on the siphon tube, basically u drill a small hole like the picture in this thread where Kathy posted, and use a lifter pump at the end of the air tubing to continuously draw air and water out so you will never lose siphon, except that the lifter pump do fail in time and u have to keep replacing them. I would say every 3-6 months, but they are cheap to replace.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/46288-overflow-comparison.html