My New 72"x20"x20" Tank Build

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by untamed

I have 4 separate Herbie overflows in my system and they are all inter-related. Any change to any of them affects the others.

Yes, start up with the gate valve wide open. It will be noisy and the water level in the overflow box will be right on the bottom. That will prove to you that you've designed with excess capacity.

Next test: Shut the gate valve 100% closed. This will test your emergency overflow. This is the test that will make you nervous as the overflow water level rises up to that emergency level. You need to know for sure that the emergency overflow can take ALL the volume. Be ready to stop the return pump, or open that gate valve fast....just in case. (and make sure that the emergency overflow actually has pipe connected to it!!!!)

When you go to fine tune things, you'll find that small changes to the gate valve make a difference. It also takes a while for the system to equalize after a change, so adjust slowly.

Ok that all makes sense but what about getting the refugium herbie and main drain herbie working together? It seems like it would be hard to work on fine tuning both at the same time, especially if you are starting with both wide open. I guess Im just a bit nervous. If it were just the overflow using a herbie, I would feel fine but the refugium one worries me.

[untamed]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Ok that all makes sense but what about getting the refugium herbie and main drain herbie working together? It seems like it would be hard to work on fine tuning both at the same time, especially if you are starting with both wide open. I guess Im just a bit nervous. If it were just the overflow using a herbie, I would feel fine but the refugium one worries me.

While the two Herbies will inter-relate, it's no big deal. They will inter-relate because they can influence the water level in the sump. If the sump level stays constant, they will be very stable. Trust me, it isn't difficult to adjust multiple Herbies to achieve a steady state.

Remember, you should be able to flood anything, provided your emergency overflows are in place. If the Herbie valves get really mis-adjusted, then the water just flows down the emergency pipes and makes a lot of noise. You adjust them, and wait for the system to achieve a new steady state.

Here's some fun...I won't even attempt to explain this in detail...but I can manipulate the salinity of my system by adjusting the Herbie valve that runs between my small sump and the main sump. Hint: evap water is monitored by a float valve in the main sump. If you can get your head around that one, then you have achieve Herbie mastery!

[Delphinus]

Ooh, ohhh, I know! I know! .. By adjusting the Herbie valve, a robot comes online and goes and gets a cup of salt and then dumps the salt into the sump? Cool!!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by untamed

While the two Herbies will inter-relate, it's no big deal. They will inter-relate because they can influence the water level in the sump. If the sump level stays constant, they will be very stable. Trust me, it isn't difficult to adjust multiple Herbies to achieve a steady state.

Remember, you should be able to flood anything, provided your emergency overflows are in place. If the Herbie valves get really mis-adjusted, then the water just flows down the emergency pipes and makes a lot of noise. You adjust them, and wait for the system to achieve a new steady state.

Here's some fun...I won't even attempt to explain this in detail...but I can manipulate the salinity of my system by adjusting the Herbie valve that runs between my small sump and the main sump. Hint: evap water is monitored by a float valve in the main sump. If you can get your head around that one, then you have achieve Herbie mastery!

I also guess a robot named Herbie!



Or maybe because you can let more flow from your smaller sump into the larger one and therefore not allow the auto top off to kick in even though evaporation is still the same.

But maybe both answers are wrong. Im not entirely sure how your sumps are set up!

[untamed]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Or maybe because you can let more flow from your smaller sump into the larger one and therefore not allow the auto top off to kick in even though evaporation is still the same.

But maybe both answers are wrong. Im not entirely sure how your sumps are set up!

Bingo! That valve controls the water level in both sumps, but evap replacement only happens based on the main sump water level. It was totally unplanned, but kind of neat when I figured it out.

You'll have exactly that same relationship between your fuge and the sump.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by untamed

Bingo! That valve controls the water level in both sumps, but evap replacement only happens based on the main sump water level. It was totally unplanned, but kind of neat when I figured it out.

You'll have exactly that same relationship between your fuge and the sump.

Yeah and if my fish do not behave I can threaten them with salinity changes!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

So I picked up the glass for my overflow today and I may have made a mistake. This is to be a toothless overflow. I wanted it to be as close to the top of the tank as possible but I may have got it cut a bit too close. I got it cut so that it will only be 3/8" under the eurobracing. Will this be too close to the top of the tank? It should only be a very thin layer going over the overflow anyways but it looks close. What do you guys think? Does it make sense how I explained it?

[mark]

I measured on mine and the water surface to the bottom of the Eurobrace and I have 3/4". I held up an edge at about 3/8" and can't see the distance being a problem other then when the 4 way goes around I might get rippling that high. It would just mean it would get salt creep on the bracing more than I get now. Maybe also the water level might go over if I plunged my arm in until the overflow caught back up.