Canister Filter

[mini_matt]

yeah a lot less to go wrong IMO if u do try an overflow box I would test it for power failure, so turn the return pump off, leave it then turn pump back on see if it starts to syphon again, hole is the best option imo

edit: knew you would have a reply by the time I had finished typing that! lol thats really cool could you send me a link so I can see how that works? what is the airline tube out the top? sorry if you said in the video watching without sound

 

[bitteraspects]

eheim 2217. cany go wrong with an eheim.

also, you dont "need" to drill your tank to add a sump or wet/dry. hell, you dont even need to stop its current operation.
the last two tanks i built wet/dry filters for are still running their old filtration with the wet/dry/ lol. all you have to do is take the measurements, and build your overflow. once its cured you can add the overflow to the tank without ever turning anything off.

Can you explain this a little more?

Thanks!

-FHM

heres a quick GIF that explains how an overflow works.

yeah a lot less to go wrong IMO if u do try an overflow box I would test it for power failure, so turn the return pump off, leave it then turn pump back on see if it starts to syphon again, hole is the best option imo

it is not a "siphon" its an overflow. im not sure what thats so hard to understand.

a "siphon" uses a sucking action to remove water.
an overflow, does not. it simply removes any excess water pumped into the system by the return pump. much the same way drilling a hole does. its the same concept.

 

[mini_matt]

watch your GIF

 

[fatheadminnow]

I just don't really understand how the water is able to rise above the water level in the tank to go through the "U" part of the tubing. (The part that goes over the top of the tank.)

I was going to make a sump filter the good old way, by drilling a hole in the side of the tank, below the level at which I want the water to be.

-FHM

 

[bitteraspects]

I just don't really understand how the water is able to rise above the water level in the tank to go through the "U" part of the tubing. (The part that goes over the top of the tank.)

I was going to make a sump filter the good old way, by drilling a hole in the side of the tank, below the level at which I want the water to be.

-FHM

the GIF pretty much explains it.
once the overflow is primed, the section of the tubing that goes over the lip of the tank stays full of water. unless you physically remove this water, it will always stay primed. its just gravity taking the water out of the tank at that point.
the top of the overflow (in the tank) acts the same as a hole drilled in the side of the tank. wherever the top of that overflow is, will be the waterlevl in the display

 

[fatheadminnow]

I just don't really understand how the water is able to rise above the water level in the tank to go through the "U" part of the tubing. (The part that goes over the top of the tank.)

I was going to make a sump filter the good old way, by drilling a hole in the side of the tank, below the level at which I want the water to be.

-FHM

the GIF pretty much explains it.
once the overflow is primed, the section of the tubing that goes over the lip of the tank stays full of water. unless you physically remove this water, it will always stay primed. its just gravity taking the water out of the tank at that point.
the top of the overflow (in the tank) acts the same as a hole drilled in the side of the tank. wherever the top of that overflow is, will be the waterlevl in the display

Yes, I understand that part. I just do not understand how the whole things starts again automatically, lets say after a power outage? And what is the purpose of that vertical tube behind the tank that's part of the "T" section?

Thanks!

-FHM

 

[mini_matt]

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEbpLEkJsRs explains it a bit better i don't know how it restarts again either, seems like more rubbish to go wrong but worth a try saves draining your tank

 

[bitteraspects]

what exactly dont you understand? the slideshow explains everything.

the vertical pipe is to remove the internal pressure during a power out (it can also act as a silencer if your pipe gurgles)

the middle section of the overflow stays primed, even after a "power out". the waterlevel in the tank drops below the intake ove the overflow. once the power comes back on, and the pump turns on again, the water starts filling the inside pipe of the overflow, and gravity continues to take the water back to the sump.

 

[mini_matt]

can you get clear pipe to do this? would look better does it have to be a particular size? looks big and cluttered

 

[bitteraspects]

can you get clear pipe to do this? would look better does it have to be a particular size? looks big and cluttered

you could use a clear pipe if you wanted, but the inside will get dirty, and unsightly. its more common to use white pipes, and paint it to match your background color. i use flat black for all of mine.

as far as the size. most intakes are around 3/4", so even with 1" PVC, its not really much more than a canister or HOB intake. (especially those ugly square marineland intakes. the size of the piping you use will be determined by the amount of water you want to move.

the "look" of the pipes inthe tank is my only real beef with this type of system. but i usually use AC110 HOB filter anyway, which also have a 3/4" intake pipe. so its not really much different than that.
drilling definitely looks a lot cleaner though.

 

[fatheadminnow]

This is brilliant! I found my weekend project! lol!

From watching both videos, I am able to understand it now! The only thing you need to do in the beginning is to suck the air out of the "U" shape over the top of the tank to get the whole thing started (this was where I was getting confused, how to get that air out in the beginning). After that, even if the power goes out, because of the vertical pipe behind the tank, water will always remain inside the tube. So, once the pump is turned back on, the water flow will continue.

Thanks for this info! As I thought sumps only worked on tanks that were drilled.

-FHM

 

[bitteraspects]

i just went and recorded a vido of a "power out" scenario with one of my pvc overflows, but youtube is down, so i cant post it. ll

 

[mini_matt]

thats true, sorry by size I didn't mean diameter of pipe I meant length so does it have to go down to the depth of the tank to work or something? I'm sire you could make it look alright actually, if the down pipe was in the corner then the bottom of the loop was under your sand then the up tube out from the corner would look alright but I agree about the hole looking better! what time is it over where you are anyway? I need to go sleep really its 4:52am here!!

 

[bitteraspects]

thats true, sorry by size I didn't mean diameter of pipe I meant length so does it have to go down to the depth of the tank to work or something? I'm sire you could make it look alright actually, if the down pipe was in the corner then the bottom of the loop was under your sand then the up tube out from the corner would look alright but I agree about the hole looking better! what time is it over where you are anyway? I need to go sleep really its 4:52am here!!

its only 6:52 here.

i guess thechnically it doesnt "have to" go down to the bottom of the tank, as long as the loops are the right size, but its a lot more stable if you just make it the same size as the tank. then you can rest the bottom inner loop on the floor of the tank, and the intake against the corner.

 

[fatheadminnow]

I am awaiting to watch your video!

This would be a good article to have pinned in the DIY section here on the forum!

You should write up something about how this works, and make a video of it!

-FHM