Durso Overflow Question
 

I got a 52g tank with two 1" bulkheads drilled in the corners for a good price and the dimensions (30x20x20) are exactly what I needed to fit in my dining room. The problem is that the over flow boxes are only 4.25"x4.25" and go the height of the tank. I found that only 1" fittings from bulkhead to J tube would fit in the overflow area. The durso web site says that my piping for a 1" bulkhead should use 1.5" fittings and piping or it won't work properly. Has anyone had any experience using 1" pipe & fittings all the way through? Any problems? Should I just abandon a duso style and go with a straight 1" pipe with a guard on the top? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Why not just do a herbie style overflow?

It will work fine. I am running a straight through size, no problems. Whatever you do, you do not want to just use a pipe with a guard. It will sound like a toilet, seroiusly.

Depends on the flow he wants, 1 1" pipe may not handle it

I only have one hole drilled in each corner overflow and don't have room for the second standpipe in a herbie model. Unless you have a different way of setting up a herbie then I'm all ears to different ideas!

Most of what I've read says that just a pipe and guard is noisy. You get the odd person who says that if it is done properly it will be quiet but maybe their idea of quiet is a lot different from my wifes!

I have a overflows on each end of my tank each drilled for 2" drains and current running Dursos. They're fairly quiet but know a Herbie would be quieter.

Have thought to convert to a modified Herbie and see no reason it wouldn't work if left one overflow at it's current height, do a straight standpipe with the gate valve near the sump. The other overflow I would raise the height of the lip (thinking I could go up ~3/4") by siliconing glass pieces inside the overflow chamber. Only negative is the volume the basically empty chamber takes up.

I have thought about just removing the second overflow chamber entirely and just running a straight standpipe up from the bulkhead for the secondary drain, having it slight above the display water level. Problem with this for me though, is one chamber has the intake in the side for the CL, the other chamber the return line runs through it.

I've been contimplating removing both overflows, covering one side up and making the otherside larger with a second hole drilled into it. Only problem is that more mods=more money=angry wife.