closed loop from overflow for sumpless

[treesprite]

has anyone every done this? I saw it mentioned somewhere but there was no other info about it. I'm not planning to do it myself but was considering suggesting it to someone if I know it works out. I'm wondering how decent the flow would be, if it would be adequate.

[Jager]

all it is is running the overflow exit to a pump and then running the return from a pump back to the tank. it is very easy.

 

two issues can happen though.

 

1. overflow cannot keep up with the pump, size the pump to be slower then the overflows gph rate. most AGA and perfecto ones are rated 600-800gph.

 

2. make sure you use unions with cut off valves on the overflow the pump and the return. nothing sucks worse then having to fix something or swap a pump and try to drain the loop. the ballvalves make that much easier and much less mess.

 

any particular reason why you want to go sumpless? just no space for the sump?

[treesprite]

any particular reason why you want to go sumpless? just no space for the sump?

 

Not for me, I have a sump. It's something I was considering suggesting to a friend because it will eliminate need for powerheads. I only ever saw it mentioned one time and there was no discussion, just the mentioning.

 

1. Why would the plumbing not be able to go right from the overflow outputs into the closed loop?

2. If doing it without a pump (if possible) why would the flow coming out be slower than what goes through the overflow when what goes out the overflow is dependent on how fast the water goes into it? It seems to me that the faster the overflow box gets the water out of the tank, the stronger teh flow will be that goes back into the tank. I guess to get good flow from the loop though would mean a good sized overflow box, like one with 2 bulkheads.

Edited January 18, 2008 by treesprite

[zotzer]

Still need somthing to move the water, Forrest. Gravity feeds water into the overflow. What would possibly feed it back into the tank if not a pump?

 

Tracy

[Jager]

you may want to point your friend to the rio powerhead that attatchs to pvc pipe or sits in tank and switches direction periodically. that way you can just cap off the overflow.

 

you gotta use the pump otherwise the water simply stabilizes in the piping and overflow and goes stagnant.

[treesprite]

Ah I see!

What Rio pump is that? Name?

[Jager]

rio polario

 

and their new prop seio

 

seio propeller

 

either or or a nice set of koralia s would likely do what you want without the tubing hassle, but the polario is an option for the easiest to hide.

[zotzer]

those look like neat pumps!

Tracy

[Grav]

Pulling water into a closed loop from an overflow box (internal or external) is trouble.

 

You are going to get some amount of air into the feed to the closed loop, that gets chopped up, and your tank turns into a big skimmer.

[treesprite]

Pulling water into a closed loop from an overflow box (internal or external) is trouble.

 

You are going to get some amount of air into the feed to the closed loop, that gets chopped up, and your tank turns into a big skimmer.

 

Hmmm.... i can see that happening. This is probably an idea I will not give her then. I wish she would hurry up and get a tank.