How to convert a back drilled tank to a Bean Animal?

[Colin Canfield]

Hi,

When I started my tank, not knowing so much, I had my tank drilled on the back instead of at the base. I have two 25mm (1 1/4 inch) holes and one 20mm (inch) hole all at the same height very close to the top. The 20 is the return and the 25s both are running to the sump.

I am having a lot of trouble getting much water down the 25s (400L/h 105g/h) and they are noisy with air. Any more than that and the sump starts empties. I would like to make one of them into a full siphon, convert the 20 to be an emergency overflow and plumb up another line over the back for the return. I think this would then be a Bean Animal setup ?

Since the holes are so close to the top I'm wondering if a siphon will work if I add a U-bend going down with the end below the waterline? This would mean that the top of the siphon was still as high as the second pipe - will this work or do I need to drill a new hole (which I'd rather not do!

Any advice greatly appreciated!
Colin

 

[Brew12]

Hi,

When I started my tank, not knowing so much, I had my tank drilled on the back instead of at the base. I have two 25mm (1 1/4 inch) holes and one 20mm (inch) hole all at the same height very close to the top. The 20 is the return and the 25s both are running to the sump.

I am having a lot of trouble getting much water down the 25s (400L/h 105g/h) and they are noisy with air. Any more than that and the sump starts empties. I would like to make one of them into a full siphon, convert the 20 to be an emergency overflow and plumb up another line over the back for the return. I think this would then be a Bean Animal setup ?

Since the holes are so close to the top I'm wondering if a siphon will work if I add a U-bend going down with the end below the waterline? This would mean that the top of the siphon was still as high as the second pipe - will this work or do I need to drill a new hole (which I'd rather not do!

Any advice greatly appreciated!
Colin

You should be able to make that work. A 90 down for the full siphon. A 90 up for the partial drain, and a 90 up with small extension for the emergency drain.