Overflow set-up and tank water level

[Bradley Keck]

Hey everyone! I have a question regarding the water level in the DT relative to the overflow weir height. I have an SCA 150g. It's 60x24x24 with one single center overflow and eurobracing. It has three 1in bulkheads. The set up it came with was for the center hole to be used for the return. It Tee's off in the overflow and the locline nozzles mount to two holes on the sides of the overflow. Another spot is just a capped 1 diameter pipe about 9in. in height. The other a Durso set up. I did not want to go with this, so I am working on running the return along the back of the tank and up to the overflow. I have it positioned so the nozzles will still cover up the two holes that would not be used to mount the nozzles for the return. That gave me the ability to do a Bean animal of sorts. I say it that way because the eurobracing hangs over about half the overflow and doesn't allow me to set-up the bean exactly the way it was designed with all reverse U's. What I have planned is one full siphon straight pipe with a gate valve, one emergency drain, and one open channel that does have a reverse U. I had to use and extra 90 on the open channel so it angled forward and cleared the eurobracing. Is there any reason the full siphon has to be a reverse U? It seems it shouldn't matter to me, but I want to be sure. I have read the bean animal thread to exhaustion and still am not sure about this. In regards to the water level, This tank will have a very low water level if I have to have it at the level of the weir. Is there any reason I cannot have the water level go above where the weir starts? I am thinking I can do this by setting the height of the open channel higher than what is suggested( Have it to where the edge of the weir splits the horizontal part of the 90 in half) Sorry this is such a LONG question. I'm guessing I probably better figure out how to take pics of all this and post them on here too;) I also apologize because I'm sure this has all been answered all ready, but I can't seem to find it.

 

[Brew12]

Hey everyone! I have a question regarding the water level in the DT relative to the overflow weir height. I have an SCA 150g. It's 60x24x24 with one single center overflow and eurobracing. It has three 1in bulkheads. The set up it came with was for the center hole to be used for the return. It Tee's off in the overflow and the locline nozzles mount to two holes on the sides of the overflow. Another spot is just a capped 1 diameter pipe about 9in. in height. The other a Durso set up. I did not want to go with this, so I am working on running the return along the back of the tank and up to the overflow. I have it positioned so the nozzles will still cover up the two holes that would not be used to mount the nozzles for the return. That gave me the ability to do a Bean animal of sorts. I say it that way because the eurobracing hangs over about half the overflow and doesn't allow me to set-up the bean exactly the way it was designed with all reverse U's. What I have planned is one full siphon straight pipe with a gate valve, one emergency drain, and one open channel that does have a reverse U. I had to use and extra 90 on the open channel so it angled forward and cleared the eurobracing. Is there any reason the full siphon has to be a reverse U? It seems it shouldn't matter to me, but I want to be sure. I have read the bean animal thread to exhaustion and still am not sure about this. In regards to the water level, This tank will have a very low water level if I have to have it at the level of the weir. Is there any reason I cannot have the water level go above where the weir starts? I am thinking I can do this by setting the height of the open channel higher than what is suggested( Have it to where the edge of the weir splits the horizontal part of the 90 in half) Sorry this is such a LONG question. I'm guessing I probably better figure out how to take pics of all this and post them on here too;) I also apologize because I'm sure this has all been answered all ready, but I can't seem to find it.

The reverse U will make the full siphon a little quieter but there is no reason it needs to be there. The water level in the tank will be a combination of the height of the trickle drain and the flow through the weir. As long as you aren't pulling too much flow through your drains you should be able to get away with raising level.

 

[Bradley Keck]

The reverse U will make the full siphon a little quieter but there is no reason it needs to be there. The water level in the tank will be a combination of the height of the trickle drain and the flow through the weir. As long as you aren't pulling too much flow through your drains you should be able to get away with raising level.

Thank you for your reply! It is really cramped in that overflow box, but because I have the full siphon lower in the box, I should be able to add a T, cap, and 90. If not, hopefully that full siphon will still run quiet like on a herbie set-up. I have a RO varios 6, so I should be able to adjust the flow rate and the amount coming through the full siphon to get the level to raise to where the trickle takes up the rest at the level I want (basically a herbie except I have an emergency drain and the trickle is a reverse U). Awesome. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Brew12]

Thank you for your reply! It is really cramped in that overflow box, but because I have the full siphon lower in the box, I should be able to add a T, cap, and 90. If not, hopefully that full siphon will still run quiet like on a herbie set-up. I have a RO varios 6, so I should be able to adjust the flow rate and the amount coming through the full siphon to get the level to raise to where the trickle takes up the rest at the level I want (basically a herbie except I have an emergency drain and the trickle is a reverse U). Awesome. Thanks again for your help.

No problem. And, if you have room in your sump for a little extra draining, you can lower the full siphon if it does start making noise. Deeper will be your friend since it is less likely to form a vortex up to the surface and suck in air.

 

[Bradley Keck]

No problem. And, if you have room in your sump for a little extra draining, you can lower the full siphon if it does start making noise. Deeper will be your friend since it is less likely to form a vortex up to the surface and suck in air.

Ok, so that's the potential source of the noise in the full siphon. That's would be an easy fix. I didn't put it as low as I could for the very reason you mentioned. I wanted to try and limit how much of the overflow drained out when I turn off the sump. I'll give it a try and if I start getting that vortex and noise on the surface, I'll just shorten the standpipe. I have a lot of experience in freshwater, but never had an overflow/sump set up. Always used canister filtration, so this is all new to me. It seems no matter how much I read and research (going on over two years now) as I am now starting the build and set-up, I run into situations I'm just not sure about. Thanks again Brew12!

 

[ca1ore]

There is absolutely no reason to have a U on the primary siphon. Adjustment of the gate valve on said line will allow you to modulate the water level in the skim box. I typically just put a screen into the siphon bulkhead at the bottom of the box (or on top of a stand pipe if its a full tank height overflow). For the secondary it is useful to have the U as that pipe can be used to more easily 'set' water level in the overflow and the U helps to keep it quiet. The equilibrium level in the display will be a function of the overflow capacity versus the gph. If you find that it remains too low, then raising the water level in the overflow will also raise it in the display, just make sure you have enough sump capacity.

 

[Bradley Keck]

There is absolutely no reason to have a U on the primary siphon. Adjustment of the gate valve on said line will allow you to modulate the water level in the skim box. I typically just put a screen into the siphon bulkhead at the bottom of the box (or on top of a stand pipe if its a full tank height overflow). For the secondary it is useful to have the U as that pipe can be used to more easily 'set' water level in the overflow and the U helps to keep it quiet. The equilibrium level in the display will be a function of the overflow capacity versus the gph. If you find that it remains too low, then raising the water level in the overflow will also raise it in the display, just make sure you have enough sump capacity.

It is a full height overflow box. Getting the bulkheads in wasn't easy especially with the eurobracing hanging over the overflow half way! Thank you for the info. What you guys are telling me makes sense. I think I'm understanding this better than I thought. That is exactly why I made the full siphon just a standpipe and the open channel a reverse U instead of the herbie open standpipe. I have a screen on both and just left the emergency open since it will be dry. I went ahead and installed the float switch that came with the RO varios 6 as well just for extra back-up. Now I have to plumb my return and all three channels to the sump. Getting closer to actual water in this sucker!

 

[Brew12]

It is a full height overflow box. Getting the bulkheads in wasn't easy especially with the eurobracing hanging over the overflow half way! Thank you for the info. What you guys are telling me makes sense. I think I'm understanding this better than I thought. That is exactly why I made the full siphon just a standpipe and the open channel a reverse U instead of the herbie open standpipe. I have a screen on both and just left the emergency open since it will be dry. I went ahead and installed the float switch that came with the RO varios 6 as well just for extra back-up. Now I have to plumb my return and all three channels to the sump. Getting closer to actual water in this sucker!

I am confident you are going down the right path.

 

[Bradley Keck]

I am confident you are going down the right path.

Thanks. I sure hope so. My wife told me she had a dream a couple nights ago that our tank started leaking on our new floor and I couldn't get to the leak and water went everywhere. Then she was up worrying about it. It's a little nerve racking when you think about over 150g of water sitting in your living room on a stand you built. It's going to be a tense moment when I fill it to check the tank and plumbing for leaks and the integrity of the stand. I'll be glad when that part is over for sure! Thanks again for your help.