Drainpipe and pipefish question.

[six.line]

Drainpipe question:

The durso style drainpipes that are placed in overflows are to reduce noise, correct? They do so by raising the water level before it flows out of the tank rather than having it crash 12 or so inches down to wherever the hole/bulkhead is.

The question is, for the drainpipes that are curved in the shape of an upside-down 'U,' is there a siphon right there that needs to get going? If so, does anyone have redundant backups to make sure that siphon never breaks?

Pipefish question:
I have a 29 gallon with no skimmer. I do water changes usually once every three weeks, and I haven't tested for a month or so. I have a GBTA, several softies (devil's hand, xenia, kenya tree, mushrooms, zoanthids, ricordeas) and a sizeable frogspawn frag that are all doing very well. I have a coral beauty, a clown (TR true perc), and a green chromis, as well as one peppermint shrimp.

I had a pipefish that was lived fine for about two months, and then disappeared completely. He seemed to be eating from the copious amounts of pods on the rocks and glass, so I never worried about it. Now that he's completely disappeared and everything else is fine, I have to wonder what's going on or how he might have died. Incidentally, he was the last guy in the tank. I tested the Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, calcium and alkalinity when I put him in and while I don't recall the calcium and alk results, everything else was either zero or within operating parameters. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[capn_hylinur]

Originally posted by six.line
Drainpipe question:

The durso style drainpipes that are placed in overflows are to reduce noise, correct? They do so by raising the water level before it flows out of the tank rather than having it crash 12 or so inches down to wherever the hole/bulkhead is.

The question is, for the drainpipes that are curved in the shape of an upside-down 'U,' is there a siphon right there that needs to get going? If so, does anyone have redundant backups to make sure that siphon never breaks?

I drill a small 1/8 inch hole in the loc lines(returns) which is above the level of the overflow box. If there is a pump shut off the siphon is broken in the drain when it reaches the level of the hole in the loc line. This way the sump is not flooded out and the siphon is not broken in the overflow



Thanks.

[Slphappy]

Actually the Durso is quiet because it helps prevent what I like to call "the toilet effect". Water rushes down an "open" stand pipe swirling and sucking in air with it. Depending on different factors, the actual noises can range from a gurgling sound to a all out toilet flush and from fairly quiet to loud enough to wake the dead... The durso standpipe is designed to help eliminate the combination of factors that cause the loud "gurgling" and toilet flush noises.

As for a siphon in the standpipes... that is something most try to avoid. The siphon would most likely cause that annoying flushing sound. The durso for instance has a hole in the top of the "u" to allow just enough air to enter the stand pipe to avoid a siphon but not enough to cause the "The Toilet Effect"...

Redundant standpipes would most likely be to allow more flow or to allow for a back up in case one gets clogged.

Anyway, that's what I know about dursos. If my info as I understand it is a bit off, I'm sure one of the fine folks here at RC will kindly correct me...

As for pipefish... I know next to nothing about 'em... Sorry can't help ya' there.

Good luck tho...

Todd

[Adam]

six.line,

I would guess that your pipe fish fell victim to the anemone. I would consider the pipefish to be at risk from the anemone in general, but especially in such a small tank, it was only a matter of time before it blundered into the anemone.

Adam