overflow without overflow box

[strendo]

I'm nervous about my external overflow on my cube tank, everytime the aqualifter pump goes out the tank starts flooding.

So I want to drill an overflow into the back of the tank. Can I just drill a hole and put in a bulkhead? Do I need a box setup in the back or something for the air to escape back up?

Any sugestions/links would be helpfull

Thanks!

[barbra]

You will need to work it out so that you can prevent a siphon from forming. It makes for so much noise you'll go mad. Usually a standpipe is required for that sort of thing unless somebody has thought of another method. If you can drill the tank bottom you can avoid all that and just pipe it.

[strendo]

I think the bottom is tempered. Does anyone know where to buy an internal overflow box?

[wooden_reefer]

Originally posted by strendo
I'm nervous about my external overflow on my cube tank, everytime the aqualifter pump goes out the tank starts flooding.

So I want to drill an overflow into the back of the tank. Can I just drill a hole and put in a bulkhead? Do I need a box setup in the back or something for the air to escape back up?

Any sugestions/links would be helpfull

Thanks!

Why would a tank flood when a pump goes out? In general, the sump fills when the pumps goes out.

An inside overflow box 1. breaks open and skims the surface, and 2, prevents the water level from doing down below the opening of the overflow box. I think it is necessary.

How else would you skim the surface. Even a siphon setup is still an overflow box.

[Waxxiemann]

Would this work?

http://www.austinoceans.com/products-overflows.html

[brian@sen]

Originally posted by barbra
It makes for so much noise you'll go mad. Usually a standpipe is required for that sort of thing unless somebody has thought of another method.

My 40 was drilled before I got it and it is just 2 bulkheads with 90's that sit just below the surface they skim the surface OK but would be better if I put a box around them. As far as noise they are noisier than a stand pipe and for most it would be too much noise but my tank is in the living room with the TV and with the TV on I don't hear it. Here is a pic of mine sorry it's a little fuzzy but it's all I have with me at work.

[hebygb]

I dont think this is what you were hoping for, bot I saw a thread a few weeks ago with an overflow made of PVC piping, that hung on the back (or side) of your tank. It essentially mirrored the flow of a HOB prefilter, but was a solid pvc pipe, ultimately leading to the sump. It looked like 2 "P" traps, one on either side of the back wall.

[barbra]

Originally posted by wooden_reefer
Why would a tank flood when a pump goes out? In general, the sump fills when the pumps goes out.

He's talking about the Aqualifter. It removes the air from the line and allows for a siphon to form. When the Aqualifter goes out so does his continuous siphon.

[strendo]

Exactly, as soon as the siphon from the Aqualifter goes out, the water stops going into the external overflow.

Waxxiemann-thanks, that's what I was looking for, but it looks like a pretty big job to install one of those.

Anyone have any sugestions for using my existing external overflow, but not being so dependent on the aqualifter?

[barbra]

Lifereef makes one that requires no aqualifter and does not break siphon in a power outage. It has baffles that prevent the water from dropping below the level where the siphon forms. You could maybe mod your to get the same effect, because Lifereef is pretty pricey for an acrylic box.

[dhnguyen]

Let me guess it's a CPR overflow right?

You're better off with a decent u tube type overflow whwre an external pump isn't needed to keep the siphon going.

[tylorarm]

take a look at an ELOS overflow design and copy it. They're pretty silent. As the overflow itself is dry it's pretty much just a bulkhead drilled on a tank wall with a square PVC box on the outside that seems the equivalent of a 90 degree PVC elbow with an airhole on top while the square external (inside carve out is tube like) nature of the elbox allows a water tight seal against the glass.

[hebygb]

I have used U tube overflows, from both Lifereef and Eshoppes... I have never had a failure in 2 years.

[moze229]

I had the Tidepool system a few years back for a freshwater setup. The U-tube overflow that came with that never failed me. I bought that in 2000 - sold it in 2002. The guy that bought it is still using it and hasn't had any problems.

Matt

[Cove Beach]

I spent the money on the Lifereef unit and am very happy with it, i had the CPR unit, its design relies on the lifter to work, without it its a flood waiting to happen. Also the pumps always die after the LFS is closed. Been there done that twice!Fortunately the first time i bought an extra. Not to mention the CPR units are almost impossible to clean inside.

[jiperalta]

Couple of CPR mods that may help:

I have the siphon hooked up to a MJ1200 w/ the venturi attachment in my sump. So far, so good on that one. I still have to clean out the siphon with a pipecleaner on a weekly basis.

Second, I attached a small piece of plexiglass to the top of the CPR unit. It hangs a few inches out over the tank. I drilled a hole through the plexiglass and attached a small float valve. The float valve is plugged into my return pump so that if the siphon goes and the water starts rising, the float valve cuts off the return pump.

Not the best way to go, but it may be easier than breaking down a tank and drilling...

[hebygb]

I understand the need for mods in reef keeping equipment, but this is really best only as an enhancement... and should be a calculated risk by a knowlegable reefer. Having to modify a weir device in order for it to do what it was designed to do seems wrong. It is not my intent to trash a particular brand of overflow, but if you need to do weekly maintenance on an overflow, or have an electric pump to make sure it works in a power failure(???) you should look at another option. This said... I have 2 HOB refugiums by such a manufacturer and I love them.

[strendo]

Thanks everyone I think I'll go with the tube overflow, seems like the easiest solution.

[oldschooldino]

I also have a CPR-style overflow on my 125 with an aqualifter. I bought a decent UPS for a computer and plugged my aqualifter, my skimmer, and my main return pump into it instead. In the event of a power failure I get a 52 min. runtime on those 3 pumps. My power usually only flickers here most of the time. One year and 56 'events' later everything is still running fine. Just a thought.

[dhnguyen]

Trust me the Aqualifter pumps can and do fail. And when they do you will risk a flood. Better to get rid of that CPR overflow for something a bit more reliable