Dual 20" Synergy Reef Overflow Plumbing

[n4s]

I have two 20" Synergy Reef Overflows on my 240 gal (96x24x24). I will be flowing less than the 2500gph limit. I will be pluming it to achieve the bean animal style plumbing(siphon/open/emergency).
I like to avoid 6 drain lines going into my basement sump if possible.

Can I connect the two siphons, open, and emergency line together to have 3 drains going to the sump?
Will I still be able to achieve a full siphon easy and still be fail safe?

I would think it would be difficult to balance out the flow if I had two separate full siphons between the overflows.
Any input appreciated!

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[n4s]

In case anyone has the same question as I did that stumbles along this post. I ended up with the six drain line route. I was still able to achieve two full siphons. It did take a lot of patience to balance the two but once it was set I no longer have to touch it. Six drain lines aren't the prettiest looking but I had the space to do it.

 

[ReeferBean]

Thank you for the thread. I am about to get started plumbing my 300 with dual Synergy Shadow overflows. Synergy also recommended plumbing them all separately but this is the first thread I have found regarding it. I plan to drop the emergencies over the sump and out of the water so it is obvious if there is an obstruction to the main and secondary. It will definitely be challenging to keep the plumbing organized.

Nice tank by the way. Any updates?

 

[n4s]

Thank you for the thread. I am about to get started plumbing my 300 with dual Synergy Shadow overflows. Synergy also recommended plumbing them all separately but this is the first thread I have found regarding it. I plan to drop the emergencies over the sump and out of the water so it is obvious if there is an obstruction to the main and secondary. It will definitely be challenging to keep the plumbing organized.

Nice tank by the way. Any updates?

Nice! Share some pictures when you're done. I'd like to clean up my plumbing going into my sump. But staying with the 6 lines.
I'm happy with the dual overflows. The main reason I went with two was to provide better surface skimming.
Here's front view. Overflows blend in nicely with black background.

 

[Engloid]

The key is this: You can NOT allow any water to go UP into the siphon lines....meaning keep them underwater. The other two don't matter, but of course terminating under water is quietest.

I plumbed all three of mine into one header, and then to my basement, so I only have one feed line and one drain line piped to the basement. What I did to keep any air from being allowed UP into the siphon line is I put a trap at the bottom of it, before going into the header.

I tend to overkill some things, so I used a full 1'5" emergency line, so the absolute worst case, with both other lines fully closed, it would very well handle all the flow from my mag24 in the basement.

 

[ReeferBean]

Nice! Share some pictures when you're done. I'd like to clean up my plumbing going into my sump. But staying with the 6 lines.
I'm happy with the dual overflows. The main reason I went with two was to provide better surface skimming.
Here's front view. Overflows blend in nicely with black background.

Will do. I've finally got almost everything I need. Once I get the strut installed under the stand, I can start the plumbing.

Scape looks great by the way.

 

[Saltwtrnewby]

I plan on plumbing dual Shadow overflows on my 6ft 240g I’m about to purchase. I’ve splurged and bought the CL-44 Red Mercury Sump so I’m going to try my hardest to get 6 lines down to 3 and have it look as clean as possible. I spoke with Rick over at Synergy Reef and he said that was fine so long as I have a gate valve on each primary line before connecting them. My concern is hard plumbing 6 1.5” lines together and the room it would require to do so. Has anyone had success doing this?

 

[Engloid]

You really don't have to run all 1.5" lines. Personally, I ran a single 1.5
header in a horizontal position behind the tank. I then ran a full 1.5" emergency to it. The other two lines are 1". I put a trap in the siphon line, but it's really not needed because you have a valve there to hold the siphon....but I think it does make it quieter by making sure there's no air in that line.

 

[ca1ore]

Curious why folks went with duals, rather than one bigger one? Messing with dual overflows always ends up being a pain. On my 8' 450 I went with a single 36". I've run duals before and individual plumbing runs all the way down to the sump typically worked better for me.

 

[Waterlife]

I have a 420 gallon acrylic tank that's 7' long. I didn't know there was a 36" long overflow option so I went with two 20" overflows from Synergy Reef. I just received them but I'm pretty much clueless on how to go forward with any of the plumbing which led me to this page. I'm hoping to find guidance here from anyone willing to do so. Thanks.

 

[PAreefer08]

@n4s any update on this by chance? I know this is over a year old, but I have hit the same hurdle. I'm debating on doing as you did, running 6 lines to my basement, or joining them and running 3 lines to my basement. How is the restart of the overflow after the return has been shut off?

 

[PAreefer08]

@n4s any update on this by chance? I know this is over a year old, but I have hit the same hurdle. I'm debating on doing as you did, running 6 lines to my basement, or joining them and running 3 lines to my basement. How is the restart of the overflow after the return has been shut off?

 

[Saltwtrnewby]

I was able to reduce the 6 lines to 3 with Y or T fittings. The key is to have a gate valve for each primary before connecting them that way you can adjust each overflow independently. There is tons of drainage/flow with two of these overflows. I have yet to see water go to my emergencies even with my primary gate valves closed a good bit. I’m having difficulty dialing it in right now. In a previous reply, I was told to bring up my return pump and then adjust the gate valves. The problem is that I don’t want to have my return pump creating more flow than my gyres in the display tank just to silence the overflow. I’ll need to tinker with it this weekend and hopefully we can get some advice from the Synergy Rep who replies to these threads. They are always eager and willing to help.

 

[n4s]

I have it set up the same way still. No problems after startup. Draining them into one line does work but you won’t be able to run as much flow depending on your return pump size. I have 2 return pumps and have a total of around 2000-2500gph currently.

I decided to just run each overflow independently the way they were designed and the extra insurance of running too much flow and them overflowing even though it did require a lot of extra plumbing.

 

[PAreefer08]

I was able to reduce the 6 lines to 3 with Y or T fittings. The key is to have a gate valve for each primary before connecting them that way you can adjust each overflow independently. There is tons of drainage/flow with two of these overflows. I have yet to see water go to my emergencies even with my primary gate valves closed a good bit. I’m having difficulty dialing it in right now. In a previous reply, I was told to bring up my return pump and then adjust the gate valves. The problem is that I don’t want to have my return pump creating more flow than my gyres in the display tank just to silence the overflow. I’ll need to tinker with it this weekend and hopefully we can get some advice from the Synergy Rep who replies to these threads. They are always eager and willing to help.

yea, I was hoping they would chime in too.

I have it set up the same way still. No problems after startup. Draining them into one line does work but you won’t be able to run as much flow depending on your return pump size. I have 2 return pumps and have a total of around 2000-2500gph currently.

I decided to just run each overflow independently the way they were designed and the extra insurance of running too much flow and them overflowing even though it did require a lot of extra plumbing.

If you don't mind, what return pumps are you running? I'm set to run a single Reeflo Hammerhead/Barracuda that will give me ~2700gph, but I've had some people try to talk me out of it and get a different return pump so slow the flow down through my sump so the skimmer can process more.

But in short, take the extra time and be safe and run the 6 lines?

Thanks,

Blair

 

[IvanW]

I am not sure why you would need 2 overflows. I have a 450 gallon tank with a 200 gallon sump and I am using one 20" Synergy overflow. I am getting a ton of flow and have not yet had any issues with it or with just having one. I am running a Red Dragon 230 return pump.

 

[n4s]

If you don't mind, what return pumps are you running? I'm set to run a single Reeflo Hammerhead/Barracuda that will give me ~2700gph, but I've had some people try to talk me out of it and get a different return pump so slow the flow down through my sump so the skimmer can process more.

But in short, take the extra time and be safe and run the 6 lines?

I’m using one of the larger waveline pumps and Jeabo pump. Each ones flow is around 3000gph. The waveline pump is connected to a manifold that runs several other stuff though including uv. I run two returns just for redundancy.

 

[n4s]

I am not sure why you would need 2 overflows. I have a 450 gallon tank with a 200 gallon sump and I am using one 20" Synergy overflow. I am getting a ton of flow and have not yet had any issues with it or with just having one. I am running a Red Dragon 230 return pump.

One is more than enough for most. I decided to go with 2 because I wanted better surface skimming. Reason why many people use a coast to coast style overflow.

 

[ReeferBean]

I am not sure why you would need 2 overflows. I have a 450 gallon tank with a 200 gallon sump and I am using one 20" Synergy overflow. I am getting a ton of flow and have not yet had any issues with it or with just having one. I am running a Red Dragon 230 return pump.

Mark in our club went with one Synergy overflow on his 300 similar to mine. We were talking and he can't crank his pump to barely 50 watts before it becomes noisy. Mine with two overflows runs at 90 watts and isn't terribly noisy. Less water going through each set of pipes. So it does make for a quieter system what I've noticed so far anyway. You'd notice if your sump was under your tank and not outside.