Anyone using a DIY pipe overflow?

[daniella3d]

I just build one for my nano and I want to know if anywone have been using this with success or with horror stories?

So far I have tested it in a bucket and it is working great. I will probably build a second one to be safer in case the first one would get blocket by something.

Here is the design I built with CPVC and glued it with CPVC glue. How long do I need to cure this in water so that it will be safe? It is safe for human drinking water but I am a bit afraid for the aquarium?

[Casey8]

Reef Pilot made a similar one like this. Check out my threat about Lifereef overflow box.

[msjboy]

Lots of designs out there ...see youtube. What is your pipe dia/ flow rate here...i would like one myself in the near future.

Msjboy

[PaulCheung]

i would like to build one too. Tagging along...

[Nano]

This is one a few people I know have tried with lots of success it seems a little more complex, but the idea is the same.

http://dramaticaquascapes.com/PVC_Overflow_11.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATzHj...ayer_embedded#!
I like this cause it shows the whole build process and testing with water

[Reef Pilot]

I posted this on a recent thread. You can add a 90 degree elbow at the end of the overflow, instead of the cap and the open end up (cut it to choose the height you want) will serve as an emergency overflow if your slots get plugged. The airline tubing attached to the intake of your return pump is essential to prevent loss of siphon and to auto start it.

Foolproof overflow. Will not lose siphon due to micro bubbles, and will auto start even after power outage. Airline tubing is connected to return pump input. And totally quiet.

I was using an undrilled tank as a refugium for a while, and made this out of 1 1/4 inch PVC. Worked great.

__________________

[daniella3d]

Yes that's a very nice one and I will probably do a double one for my 75 gallons tank like this one here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums...-166240-5.html

or this one which doess not have to be glued in the tank:

http://theprodigalcube.blogspot.com/...flow-pipe.html

Those are really nice double overflow and with a double one, if one part glog, then it won't be that dramatic so it is safer to use on large tank.

I built that simple one for my little nano 15 gallons so I did it in 3/4" and I have a pump that is rated 1800 gallons per hour but it is just a little bit too strong once with the head of 3", so I am going to put a ball valve and adjust the flow so it is in a safe margin.

I built mine with 3/4" CPVC and 3/4" should be around 220 gallons per hour.

What I like about those pipe overflow is that they take very little space and are not so ugly as the boxed ones that are sold. I have a black tunzee one that I don't even use as I find it too ugly and if you want the water level to be high in the tank this thing need to be so high that it is really ugly. The pipe overflow is very nice and can be hidden in a beautiful home made box and the water level adjusted very presicely.


I may try this one you posted instead and make two for my 75 gallons. I see so many nice design now.

But I was wondering if any one had a disaster hapened with these and if so then why? I know they can get glogged if a fish fall inside or plant debris etc...But I guess it is not worse then any other overflow?

Originally Posted by nanomano

This is one a few people I know have tried with lots of success it seems a little more complex, but the idea is the same.

http://dramaticaquascapes.com/PVC_Overflow_11.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATzHj...ayer_embedded#!
I like this cause it shows the whole build process and testing with water

[daniella3d]

thanks a lot, that's nice.

Also can you show me how you connected the airline tubing to your intake? You just plug it on the assigned spot on the return pump? I don't have any pump that has such feature, what pump are you using? Also I have a aqualifter pump that I could plug to this airline tubing to syphon the air out and output the coming water back into the sump. Would that be better?

As I don't have any airline intake on my return pump, I was planning to connect my airline tubing to my intake pipe by percing a little hole and gluing the other end to it like in this design but instead it would be connected to the intake tubing: Do you thik it will do the same? The coming water from the return pump should create enough pressure to suck back any air that could get trapped in the overflow pipe, and with the check valve, it prevent the intake water from flowing back into the overflow. Do you think that will work? I got this idea from the MAME overflow which is working that way.

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

I posted this on a recent thread. You can add a 90 degree elbow at the end of the overflow, instead of the cap and the open end up (cut it to choose the height you want) will serve as an emergency overflow if your slots get plugged. The airline tubing attached to the intake of your return pump is essential to prevent loss of siphon and to auto start it.

Foolproof overflow. Will not lose siphon due to micro bubbles, and will auto start even after power outage. Airline tubing is connected to return pump input. And totally quiet.

I was using an undrilled tank as a refugium for a while, and made this out of 1 1/4 inch PVC. Worked great.

__________________

[Reef Pilot]

I tested mine extensively, and could not find a scenario where it would flood or fail to restart. The emergency overflow elbow (not shown in my pic) would come into play if the slots got plugged. So it was not necessary to have 2 overflows in mine.

And again, let me emphasize the importance of that airline tubing connection to the intake of the return pump. Without that, I would never trust it, and of course it makes restarting the siphon automatic. I also had an airline valve in the tubing that I could adjust or close if I wanted.

I do not have the inside tubes glued, so I can adjust for different heights or take apart for cleaning if I like. Of course anything outside of the tank water has to be glued

On mine, the outside T is a little high because I had to clear the top of my sump. If it is set lower, you can handle an even higher flow. But at 1.25 inch PVC, I had lots of flow regardless.

I was using this to connect my refugium to my sump, and just disconnect it (not run the return) if I want to use it as a QT. Worked great.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Also can you show me how you connected the airline tubing to your intake? You just plug it on the assigned spot on the return pump? I don't have any pump that has such feature, what pump are you using? Also I have a aqualifter pump that I could plug to this airline tubing to syphon the air out and output the coming water back into the sump. Would that be better?

As I don't have any airline intake on my return pump, I was planning to connect my airline tubing to my intake pipe by percing a little hole and gluing the other end to it like in this design but instead it would be connected to the intake tubing: Do you thik it will do the same? The coming water from the return pump should create enough pressure to suck back any air that could get trapped in the overflow pipe, and with the check valve, it prevent the intake water from flowing back into the overflow. Do you think that will work? I got this idea from the MAME overflow which is working that way.

Just make up one of these, and stick it anywhere on the intake side (low pressure) of your pump. It does not need to be glued if under water right at the pump intake. But higher up, on an an intake line, needs to be glued properly. You could even just stick the airline tube into the intake (being careful that it doesn't get sucked into the impeller, and it will work. Many ways to do it...

But don't use an aqualifter or any air pump, becasue if it fails, you are hooped....