Hob overflow box

Luis Figueroa · Sep 5, 2016

Hello everyone! I'm new to this site but not to the hobby. I've owned 5 tanks in my reefing life all marine tanks. Two 55 gallons a 90 gallon and two 30 gallons. My 90 gallon was my first reef ready tank loved it!! Had to break it down this week to cut back on bills. Kept most of my sps and LPS however my 30 cube is not drilled.

I've seen the hob overflow boxes but they need an extra pump which is another equipment to fail. Can't drill it cus it's up and running.

My imaginative brain came up with a concept that in theory and paper looks good.

Airtube lining goes from the hob overflow to a t or y coupler on the return pump tubing with a check valve. If you can imagine it it works as water rushes by which in turn causes suction thru the check valve keeping the siphon going. In the event the pump stops siphon stops. Has anyone here tried something like this? Can I work? Will it work? Pros and cons? Any big time or old school reefers have insight on this? Any thoughts and help is greatly appreciated.thank you

Joey waid · Sep 5, 2016

Either way you go you need pumps. I have used them for years. Hob's are not as fail safe as when you drill a tank.

EricP · Sep 5, 2016

Try an overflow with a u-tube like an eshopps or a lifereef. They don't use pumps. The flow is so fast thru the u-tube it will not accumulate air bubbles.

Luis Figueroa · Sep 5, 2016

I've seen them and like the fact it doesn't use a pump however in the event of power loss it will need another siphon. I work 10 hours 6 days a week so I wouldn't be around to do that and the return pump would dump water everywhere that's the problem I'm trying to solve by connecting an airline tube to the return pump creating a vacuum to constantly pull air thru. Auto siphon hahaha