Have a 75 gallon deep blue reef ready tank it is pre drilled for overflow & return should I go with durso drain or drill new hole in back of tank for return and use other stock hole in over flow for emergency drain set up
New to reefing durso question
- Thread starter argoreef
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ScottBrew
Active Member
They both have benefits. The durso is quiet-ish, nearly foolproof, inexpensive and easy to build. It also provides great aeration to the water in the drain. It can also be set up to allow for varying flow rates. The herbie is quieter (nearly silent) but requires a $30 gate valve, an emergency standpipe and greater attention to the flow path to the sump to make sure it restarts its full siphon after a main pump shutdown. As you know, it also requires an alternate return path unless you don't have an objection to going over the top of the tank instead. Are both holes drilled the same size?
No one is drilled at an inch for return and drain is drilled at inch and 3/4 it came with durso drain witch will fit 1 3/4 hole and 1 inch for return line it came with bulk head and full kit for set up was just a little nervous about no emergency drain in case of a clog in durso set up
ScottBrew
Active Member
My 90 came with a 3/4" bulkhead for return and 1" for drain but the holes are both the same size. It's set up currently as a durso but bought all the parts to convert to herbie, just haven't done it yet. Considering there is no restriction from a valve in the drain pipe and it has a strainer on the inlet, it's very unlikely to clog the durso. No need to put a valve in a durso drain, as soon as you turn off the main pump, it drains the tank to the overflow height and stops.
Vahanyos
Valuable Member
Do some research about where the water level sits inside the weir with a durso set up, and make sure you plan accordingly so you don't have any splashing from the water going into the weir. In my opinion, the water should fall no more than an inch in the weir otherwise it'll be too noisy. I had this problem and had to do a DIY to quiet it down. The water was falling almost 2 inches (plumbing was complete crap from the company i ordered my tank from) Other option was of course to re/do the piping inside but that was too much work since the tank was already running with water and everything. My durso is super quiet and has never caused issues.
ScottBrew
Active Member
Agree about the durso being generally noisy. Properly designed and adjusted though, they can be very quiet, you do have to spend some time tweaking it. My skimmer is much louder than my drain is, turn that off and the pump motor is louder. The stock durso on my Aqueon MegaFlow was terrible, they drilled 3 large holes at the water level so that it worked with any flow rate but sucked air something terrible. I build a new top end for it retaining the extending tube. An emergency drain on a herbie is an absolute necessity because of the restriction in the flow path, something the durso doesn't suffer from.
You can't see it in these pictures but there is a secondary valve hole drilled right at the water level. I have 2 pumps, when both pumps are on, the water level rises, blocking the drilled hole. It then runs strictly on the hole in the screw-in cap. More air, less water flow. Less air, more water flow.
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