Need help with quite overflow/drain

[Incredible Corals]

I'll be setting up my new tank soon and I wanted to figure out how to create a quite overflow/drain. My old Solana was very quite and would like a similar results in the new tank.

 

The tank will be 187 gallons, one corner internal overflow with two 1.5" drains.

 

How would you plumb the drains?

[zygote2k]

durso stand pipes for starters. make sure the overflow can handle whatever oversized pump you are thinking of running. This is the number one issue with noisy overflows- too large of a return pump and too small of an overflow. Put valves on the drain and return lines as well as the pump itself. If you can't run your return wide open with the valves mostly open, the pump is too big and/or the overflow box is too small.

For example- my 60 cube uses a small internal overflow with valves all around and a Mag 5 return. Very quiet and no gurgling. Pump running wide open throttle too.

[F&Fmgr]

+1

 

should be quite quiet

[Incredible Corals]

Thanks for the help. So this is what I'm going to do. Please correct if wrong.

 

2 x 1.5" drains with stand pipes and ball valves. (stand pipes same height)

1 x 3/4" return with ball valve

Eheim 1262 return pump

 

So with all that I should be able to play with the ball valves until the water is at the right level in the overflow box resulting in the sound to be reduced?

[hypertech]

With one overflow, the 1262 might be too much. The drain will handle it, but the water might shoot through the teeth in the overflow so fast it makes noise there. A 1260 may end up being a better fit.

 

Whatever you do, don't use ball valves. Use a gate valve. Also, look into the herbie system. Use one drain with a gate valve and one emergency drain. Run the return over the top. A durso can be quiet. But, a herbie is virtually guaranteed to be quiet.

Edited June 18, 2011 by hypertech

[Incredible Corals]

With one overflow, the 1262 might be too much. The drain will handle it, but the water might shoot through the teeth in the overflow so fast it makes noise there. A 1260 may end up being a better fit.

 

Whatever you do, don't use ball valves. Use a gate valve. Also, look into the herbie system. Use one drain with a gate valve and one emergency drain. Run the return over the top. A durso can be quiet. But, a herbie is virtually guaranteed to be quiet.

 

I thought the 1262 was going to be almost under powered because it will be going close to 6 feet up (36" stand and 32" tank). Also, the overflow box will be pretty big at least 6"x6" if not bigger.

 

I'm going to check out the herbie system now.

[Incredible Corals]

So just like this right?

 

 

Found it on http://www.elitereef.com

[hypertech]

You don't need any of that stuff on the top of the emergency drain. And, use a gate valve not a ball valve.

 

But otherwise, yep, that's it.

 

In the sump, I cut the emergency drain short so it makes all kinds of noise if there is water in the pipe. That way I know somethings up and I need to check it out or adjust something.

[Incredible Corals]

Okay thanks. Does Home Depot haave Schedule 40 gate valves? I havn't looked for them and I'm wondering if I need to order one.

[zygote2k]

go to Lowes for all of your plumbing needs.

[jason the filter freak]

if space is an issue you can also use a Stockman stand pipe

[FearTheTerps]

LOL ^^^^thanks for the help for POTM

[jason the filter freak]

Okay thanks. Does Home Depot haave Schedule 40 gate valves? I havn't looked for them and I'm wondering if I need to order one.

 

They have them but if you have the time to wait its well worth paying to ship from higher quality vendors, the bal and gate valves will state 3/4" ID (inner diameter) but if you look the area will be much closer to 1/2" due to low quality of construction.

 

 

LOL ^^^^thanks for the help for POTM

 

No prob I think its an easy enough one for everyone to join in on, (I don't think we'll hit 40 :(, I'm hoping to see at least 20)

[jason the filter freak]

So just like this right?

 

 

Found it on http://www.elitereef.com

 

Make sure you look closely at the desing for stand pipes like the durso, usually if you're using 1 in plumbing the pipe out of the bulk head will be 1" but the "bend" will be slightly larger like 1.25"

[hypertech]

Okay thanks. Does Home Depot haave Schedule 40 gate valves? I havn't looked for them and I'm wondering if I need to order one.

 

 

go to Lowes for all of your plumbing needs.

 

I've never seen them there. Remember you want the ones with all plastic parts - no brass valves.

 

Some fish stores carry them. I get mine from BRS. I don't know what size you are looking for, but I have a spare 1" one that I need to sell eventually - for cheap. I cut it out thinking it was the problem in my setup and replaced it, but that wasn't it. So there is nothing wrong with it and I wasted my money replacing it.

[Amuze]

BRK should have them.

[fry_school101]

You don't need any of that stuff on the top of the emergency drain.

 

 

Actually you may want them on the emergency overflow. If something plugs and water is going up that high, you want a siphon to form so it can keep up. The emergency drain is usually smaller so it will handle less water by default. It isn't about the noise on the emergency drain it's about making sure water doesn't end up on the floor.

Edited June 22, 2011 by fry_school101

[jason the filter freak]

yes lowes carries them I know, I also have an extra

[steveoutlaw]

I would not put any valves on the drains. If a snail makes it's way into the drain pipe and gets stuck on the valve then you could be looking at quite a flood. I've heard of that happening multiple times. I would just adjust the valve on the return piping to match the flow of the drains.

[hypertech]

I would not put any valves on the drains. If a snail makes it's way into the drain pipe and gets stuck on the valve then you could be looking at quite a flood. I've heard of that happening multiple times. I would just adjust the valve on the return piping to match the flow of the drains.

 

That's why the herbie system has the extra emergency drain.

[Ryan S]

should be quite quiet

 

heh. that's funny.

[zygote2k]

I would not put any valves on the drains. If a snail makes it's way into the drain pipe and gets stuck on the valve then you could be looking at quite a flood. I've heard of that happening multiple times. I would just adjust the valve on the return piping to match the flow of the drains.

I'm not saying that something like that couldn't happen, but in all of the years and hundreds of tanks later, it's never happened to me.

I put valves on both sides of my pump and on each drain. If you match your pump size to the diameter of the pipe and associated restrictions, you can make a near perfect silent system that gets plenty of flow.

Keep it as simple as possible. If it's complicated to get your hand into the overflow, it's probably too small.

[Amuze]

I would not put any valves on the drains. If a snail makes it's way into the drain pipe and gets stuck on the valve then you could be looking at quite a flood. I've heard of that happening multiple times. I would just adjust the valve on the return piping to match the flow of the drains.

 

This is the correct way to do this.

[hypertech]

No it really isn't. You put the valve on the drain. Thats the only way to setup the constant siphon unless you have very small plumbing and a very large return pump. Then you have the backup drain in case something gets in it, etc. Research the herbie system. There are many thousands of people running silent tanks this way.

[FearTheTerps]

I'm in the camp without the valves on the drain. A properly sized pump(with valve to control extra flow) with a properly sized drain should be easy to make run smoothly and quietly. I prefer the durso standpipes, very easy to make but they can take up some space if placed inside an overflow box. You can also make them external if you have the rear panel drilled, I hate those huge black overflow boxes in a tank.