The Shadow™ Overflow from Synergy Reef has arrived!

Water Dog

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My Shadow Overflow is coming in this week from BRS for a future build, super stoked! For a tank of 36 x 18 x 20, in your opinion, what is more preferable, a single or dual returns?
 

mixer911

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My Shadow Overflow is coming in this week from BRS for a future build, super stoked! For a tank of 36 x 18 x 20, in your opinion, what is more preferable, a single or dual returns?
Awesome! For your size tank a single return would be fine. But having dual would give you equal flow on each side of the tank. Just gotta have a pump that can handle the extra head pressure from the split.
 

Christiangates

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I have one setup in my 40 breeder. I had the stand pipes at the recom3nded height. It was still noisy. So I saw in here to have the full siphon under the water level. I shortened the pipe to 2 inches to put it underneath the water and it hasent helped at all. I'm running a mag 7 return for flow. Any help would be appreciated
 

mixer911

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I have one setup in my 40 breeder. I had the stand pipes at the recom3nded height. It was still noisy. So I saw in here to have the full siphon under the water level. I shortened the pipe to 2 inches to put it underneath the water and it hasent helped at all. I'm running a mag 7 return for flow. Any help would be appreciated

Are you using a gate valve on the primary drain line?
 

Christiangates

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Just a ball valve. I think the full siphon was a little to short, I raised it up a quarter of an inch and it helped. Completly quiet now. Once I get my new sump and build a new stand I'll redo all plumbing and use a gate valve
 

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Just a ball valve. I think the full siphon was a little to short, I raised it up a quarter of an inch and it helped. Completly quiet now. Once I get my new sump and build a new stand I'll redo all plumbing and use a gate valve
Awesome! Ball valves will work fine, but sometimes a gate can get that little bit of tweaking some may need.
 

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I really want to cut out my skyscraper of an internal overflow & return on my SCA 90 36x24x24 and replace it with on of these bad boys.
at the time they did not make the tanks with out them, now you can get them drilled to add what ever you want.
maybe some day when/if I move might be a project. of course I would learn how to plug 3 in the bottom of the tank. they drill the back of the tank. that does not sound fun.

should talk to Steve C @ SCA aquariums if there tanks came with these would be freaking amazing.
 

T57spikes

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Has anyone using the overflow plumbed a standard Herbie into the rear box?

Silence is key to me when it comes to a tanks overflow, from what I've read if the bulkheads ran through the tank are under water fully then the only noise people were hearing is the drains or the initial fall of water through the weirs.

Basically what my question is, is that can a standard 2 drain herbie be plumbed, raising the initial full siphon high enough in the rear box to raise the water level in the in tank box high enough to eliminate all noise.
 

mixer911

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Has anyone using the overflow plumbed a standard Herbie into the rear box?

Silence is key to me when it comes to a tanks overflow, from what I've read if the bulkheads ran through the tank are under water fully then the only noise people were hearing is the drains or the initial fall of water through the weirs.

Basically what my question is, is that can a standard 2 drain herbie be plumbed, raising the initial full siphon high enough in the rear box to raise the water level in the in tank box high enough to eliminate all noise.

Yes the Herbie method will work fine as well. You can raise the water level high enough to eliminate any noise. For the most silent operation we recommend the modified bean setup. Most of the people that have noise issues is because they do not have the pipes properly sized inside the rear box to eliminate noise. When setup properly it will be pretty much dead silent. The key is to have the water level in the rear box high enough to cover the incoming flow from the 2 drilled holes. Once dialed in properly this is easily achieved.

We will be doing some more videos on actually how to plumb the rear box internal pipes on how to make the overflow silent.
 

nova65ss

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So when I take the lid off everything changes is this supposed to happen? It's like it loses the siphon?
 

T57spikes

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Yes the Herbie method will work fine as well. You can raise the water level high enough to eliminate any noise. For the most silent operation we recommend the modified bean setup. Most of the people that have noise issues is because they do not have the pipes properly sized inside the rear box to eliminate noise. When setup properly it will be pretty much dead silent. The key is to have the water level in the rear box high enough to cover the incoming flow from the 2 drilled holes. Once dialed in properly this is easily achieved.

We will be doing some more videos on actually how to plumb the rear box internal pipes on how to make the overflow silent.

Alright, good to hear, ide like to see that video once you get it posted.
 

nova65ss

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I have 3 drains reduced down to 1 inch with a gate valve on the primary. When the lid is off the rear box says fairly full and I can adjust it quiet to a full siphon. When I put the lid on the water level in the rear box drops and nothing I do will adjust it quiet...
da34d75dd8687213487fea15edc1081f.jpg
 
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T57spikes

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I have 3 drains reduced down to 1 inch with a gate valve on the primary. When the lid is off the rear box says fairly full and I can adjust it quiet to a full siphon. When I put the lid on the water level in the rear box drops and nothing I do will adjust it quiet...
da34d75dd8687213487fea15edc1081f.jpg

Interesting, I'm still trying to decide on whether to purchase this overflow or not.
I would as well reduce down to 1"
When you have it running at full siphon is the overflow 100% quiet, or can you hear any trickling noise?

Is the lid such a tight fit that it makes the box virtually sealed, therefore you create a pressure issue within the box involving the drain, you have the hole cut in the top of the curved pipe ide assume?

I have never plumbed that was, I use a herbie method, and have 2 vertical standpipes the full siphon pipe length is adjusted to allow a siphon to be created and the water level be just below the secondary pipe. Runs 100% quiet.
 

mixer911

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I have 3 drains reduced down to 1 inch with a gate valve on the primary. When the lid is off the rear box says fairly full and I can adjust it quiet to a full siphon. When I put the lid on the water level in the rear box drops and nothing I do will adjust it quiet...
da34d75dd8687213487fea15edc1081f.jpg



@nova65ss While it is normal for it to create a tight seal and vacuum with the lid in, it shouldn't affect the performance. It actually should make it better in the event of the weir being taken off and it forcing the high flow of water down the drains without overflowing. That being said something is creating a vacuum on one of your drains and changing the flow. Are you using the included U-tubes? They have air holes on each one to allow air in and break the siphon. Also make sure that the emergency pipe is NOT under water as well. This will cause the box to not equalize. The emergency needs to be open channel and not under water in the sump. If you look at how we designed our sumps the emergency line is run into the skimmer section and does not go underwater. Looking at your picture it looks like the emergency is run in with the other 2 drains and you might have it underwater.


Interesting, I'm still trying to decide on whether to purchase this overflow or not.
I would as well reduce down to 1"
When you have it running at full siphon is the overflow 100% quiet, or can you hear any trickling noise?

Is the lid such a tight fit that it makes the box virtually sealed, therefore you create a pressure issue within the box involving the drain, you have the hole cut in the top of the curved pipe ide assume?

I have never plumbed that was, I use a herbie method, and have 2 vertical standpipes the full siphon pipe length is adjusted to allow a siphon to be created and the water level be just below the secondary pipe. Runs 100% quiet.

If dialed in correctly it will be silent. Nothing will be 100% quiet as water is still flowing thru pipes. Silent yes. The lid is designed to seal and it sounds like in his case there is no way for it to equalize. Our U-Pipes that are included do have vent holes on the top of them.

Herbie will work as well as noted above. We have hundreds of customers running these with herbies but the majority of the boxes are run with a bean style setup, It allows for more flow.
 

nova65ss

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I did it have it under water and fixed this after your post. This didn't have any affect.

There is a dramatic change when the lid is on or off. I am using the u-pipes however one cracked at the seam when I put it on the standpipe I use this one on the 2nd but don't see why that would have an affect. When I put the lid on the water level in the rear box drops at least 2 inches.

Another note adjusting the gate valve has no affect and doesn't change anything all the way from wide open to closed.
 

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