Chuck's 150 Gallon Reef Project - Page 107

ChuckG · #**1061** (**permalink**) 05-24-2008, 02:25 PM

OK - I jumped the gun. Looks like I won't get started today. I ordered new diamond hole saws to cut the holes needed for the new plumbing. They are in route but haven't arrived yet. I "thought" that I had ordered new ones of ones that I currently have. On closer inspection, the ones I've ordered are slightly different sizes (and will work better) then the ones I currently have. I "was" going to just go ahead and use my old ones but it looks like I'm going to have to wait on the new ones.

ChuckG · #**1062** (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 12:28 AM

After mopeing around for awhile because I couldn't get started on this project I realized that since the hole saws haven't arrived yet then the earliest they are going to arrive will be next Tuesday. NO WAY was I going to wait that long.

I figured if I could use a dremel and cut through 1/2" glass like I did on my display tank then a few holes in 1/4" glass should be a piece of cake. It was.............

The dead silent / fail proof overflow for the frag tank is almost complete.

I just need to silicone a baffle in and let it sit for the night.

ChuckG · #**1063** (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 01:04 AM

One overflow done. Only two more to go.

ricosuave · #**1064** (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 02:58 AM

Looks like a tube of GE silicone II laying on the floor. I thought you were a die hard fan of aquarium grade only.

ChuckG · #**1065** (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 03:10 AM

It's GE I and this IS the very first tube I have ever used. I have heard so many times that you can use it, I finally gave in. Guess what? - I now believe it is IDENTICAL to aquarium silicone. Right down to the vinegar smell that it gives off.

ricosuave · #**1066** (**permalink**) 05-25-2008, 03:19 AM

Yeah, smells like salt and vinegar potato chips. Makes me hungry. I have to admit, thats all I have used and I have no problems with phosphates or silicates. Of course your tanks look ten times better than mine

ChuckG · #**1067** (**permalink**) 05-26-2008, 04:18 AM

The first of the replumbed overflows is up and running.

In this picture you can see that I'm pushing quite a bit of water through this tank. That's 18" of linear overflow there.

Now - this is where it comes out at. WHERE'S THE BUBBLES ?????

This thing is AWESOME. Dead silent and no bubbles. I would encourage anyone with noise or bubble issues to give this a shot.

ricosuave · #**1068** (**permalink**) 05-26-2008, 11:59 AM

Ok - I understand the overflow with the durso standpipe to skim, and the second overflow below the surface, but what is the third with the open top for?

ChuckG · #**1069** (**permalink**) 05-26-2008, 02:44 PM

The third - just in case. Helps make if fail proof.

Without the third it would be considered a Herbie Style overflow. Depending on how things are set up, the third may or may not get used at system startup before the siphon kicks in and the water levels off. In my case - it doesn't get used on start up so it's there just in case.

Just in case something happens to plug up a pipe or something of that nature. I left that pipe above water level so that if it ever kicks in it will make noise that I will hear so that I can attend to things.

There's also a little more safety built into the durso standpipe as well. The air tube that feeds it is bent around and kept just below the third (emergency) standpipe. IF the water gets to this level then air is cut off and turns the durso standpipe into a full siphon as well (which handles more water than an open (air sucking) standpipe).

ChuckG · #**1070** (**permalink**) 05-26-2008, 03:00 PM

Of course I had to screw up at least one thing. I didn't have glass so I used some scrap acrylic to make the baffle. I decided to add a couple of supports to the baffle. You can see this in Post # 1063 above. Well, that support that is top dead center is right where the water level needs to level off to skim the overflow box. It is cutting off the right side of the box from being skimmed.

I need to cut a slot in it or run the water level a little bit higher. I may open up the holes in the durso (making them slots instead of holes) and run the water level a little bit higher. I think the system will be more forgiving that way.

More forgiving? Right now - water enters the holes in the sides of the durso before water actually goes through the durso (I made the holes a tad low). As a result it has been very hard to keep the overall water level stable. It's either slowly filling more or slowly going down.

That is the only drawback to this system that I see. Things change. With change, the level in your overflow box changes. This includes small changes like a bacterial film growing on the inside of the pipes and decreasing flow that the siphon can handle, etc. Granted - these are slow changes but changes none the less and this system will need to be adjusted from time to time.

Im my case - it will be even harder to keep things constant as my system is set up in multiples. Meaning that lots of things act and depend on each other. The next overflow I make will be exiting the bottom sump in the photos above. With a similar overflow setup then every time a make a change there it will have a ripple effect backwards and change levels all over the place. My pumps do the same thing now since I have multiple splits off of one pump.