Want to change my overflow (Herbie Question)

[chevyjaxon]

good idea its ugly but it serves a purpose and its better than banging you head against the wall wasting countless days babysitting the valve for the proper flow
remember there are variables that imoe constantly affect the flow rate of your return pump and an overflow compensates for these variables BTW if generating a reliable siphon is a problem i picked up a neat little device i hooked to my overflow intake tube it starts the siphon for you even if the power goes out and you loose your siphon when the power comes on so does it it looks like an air pump only it sucks water through an airline tubing 3.5gph works great got it at big als for 30 bucks

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by chevyjaxon

good idea its ugly but it serves a purpose and its better than banging you head against the wall wasting countless days babysitting the valve for the proper flow
remember there are variables that imoe constantly affect the flow rate of your return pump and an overflow compensates for these variables BTW if generating a reliable siphon is a problem i picked up a neat little device i hooked to my overflow intake tube it starts the siphon for you even if the power goes out and you loose your siphon when the power comes on so does it it looks like an air pump only it sucks water through an airline tubing 3.5gph works great got it at big als for 30 bucks

No its not a hang on the back overflow, so no siphon is needed I have an internal overflow but I just hate how it looks and how much space it takes up. I have a few big fish and would like to give them as much room as possible. But its really not worth removing.

Thanks guys.

[spoot]

If you want the constant water level, use a reducing bushing, so that it acts like a mine overflow box.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by spoot

If you want the constant water level, use a reducing bushing, so that it acts like a mine overflow box.

How do you mean? Im not sure I understand.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

This was the idea anyways...

[untamed]

I really didn't understand your idea until you drew it. Now that I see it, I really dislike this idea a lot (sorry).

1) IF....IF..you got the water level to where you describe and you were drawing from the surface...there is a great liklihood that you will suck air into the primary drain which defeats much/all of the Herbie's benefits.

2) It is VERY likely that you will suck all kinds of things directly into the primary drain. If you put a screen over the drain, you'll have to deal with the screen plugging up and the changes in flow that will create as the screen plugs.

3) If you shortened the primary standpipe, you could solve the problem mentioned in #1, but now you have a submerged pipe with great suction...that can only be trouble for inhabitants. With no surface skimming, you are going to get scum formation the surface, almost regardless of how much your circulation is in the tank.

Nope...I do not think this is a good idea at all.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by untamed

I really didn't understand your idea until you drew it. Now that I see it, I really dislike this idea a lot (sorry).

1) IF....IF..you got the water level to where you describe and you were drawing from the surface...there is a great liklihood that you will suck air into the primary drain which defeats much/all of the Herbie's benefits.

2) It is VERY likely that you will suck all kinds of things directly into the primary drain. If you put a screen over the drain, you'll have to deal with the screen plugging up and the changes in flow that will create as the screen plugs.

3) If you shortened the primary standpipe, you could solve the problem mentioned in #1, but now you have a submerged pipe with great suction...that can only be trouble for inhabitants. With no surface skimming, you are going to get scum formation the surface, almost regardless of how much your circulation is in the tank.

Nope...I do not think this is a good idea at all.

Yeah I agree that its a terrible idea. LOL. I am looking into other ways of dealing with the ugly overflow at this point.

Thanks everyone!