boxless silent overflow?

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dnote

Hi All - does anyone have any ideas for a silent overflow without using a box (preferably PVC only). I intend to run an emergency drain but I feel like it will be difficult to obtain surface skimming while not sucking down a lot of air.. even when using a ball or gate valve on the primary drain. I provided some examples of styles I was observing below, are any of these plausible for a silent overflow?

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The top picture works but flow must be minimal or the gurgling sound results, it workes even better when it is a straight vertical drop to the sump without any turns. If that is not an option use a larger diameter pipe two sizes larger than your bulkhead.

problems with these older design systems are algae growth that looks bad and clogs the intake up, snails getting sucked down or trapped, and noise like you mentioned.

That stated a simple overflow box without teeth is a very simple DIY project that will eliminate most of the problems for around 30 bucks. Slightly more if you want it colored or large enough to handle a siphon (silent) drain system.
 
Good insight on top picture.

Regarding gla$sholes, I' ve dealt with their overflows in the past and have found them to be noisy.. Plus I don't like not having a emergency overflow.

Does anyone know where to get glass thats at least .25" in thickness
 
top pic works fine, I had a 180 with 2 of these. The key is you need a "T" instead of the that 90 degree. the bottom goes to sump the top you put a cap on it and drill a small hole like a duros setup to let air in.
 
@mediccby wrote:
[I]@ss95003 wrote:[/I][quote="top pic works fine said:
Will the T method work on a HOB overflowbox??"]


You could add a t if you have enough room in the box and will work the same.


Sent from inside the shark tank!
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Do you mean using the T inside the tank or outside. I would think that by using one inside the tank you would lose surface skimming
 
i'm wondering if one of these attached to a 90* would work - http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/index.html

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@dnote wrote:
i'm wondering if one of these attached to a 90* would work - http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/index.html [img]http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/assembled.jpg[/img] alt=""> said:
Think I might try this with a ball valve while also running an emergency drain wide open
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need to pick up a return pump, then i'm off to the races.. Still debating whether I want to run the primary drain wide open with the hole in the top or if I want to run it closed/full suction with a valve. only worried about noise so i'll have to experiment.
 
I have a DIY overflow on my 120, and even after messing with it I can not get it completly silent. I used a piece of plastic grid that you use for knitting, and found at the hobby store wrapped around the top of the intake in the tank. Below is a picture . It seemed to quiet the overflow a lot, but did decrease the waterflow a little.
 
You can't do boxless and completely silent, a siphon type system needs the overflow to help stable the water level in the display. If not you would have inches draining when the power goes out.
 
@SGT_York wrote:
You can't do boxless and completely silent said:
Um not true, there is no reason you can't run the exact type concpet of a durso with out a box. Why would a duro set up care if it was inside of a box or not? The box simply adds surface skim, cover up, and keep fish/ snails out.

You can run the 90 degree pipe upside down with a guard on it and then the durso on the other side of the glass and it works just like a Durso.
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A Durso would work but doesn't meet my definition of "completely silent". And a Durso system still relies on water rising in the display so you will still have water rising in the display (not horrible but my sump would flood with my current design that maximises refugium over return section) 120G w/ 40G Breeder sump.

The 90 outside the box is exactly what Bean Animal's "open channel" is, it works great but not silent when pushing significant flow.

The main point in the box/weir is to establish a water height in the display. That is why there are two pieces to the older reef ready systems the first screened and portioned the locations of the water, the second established the display height. Now we skip the first and just go with a weir, mostly to prioritize surface skimming.
 
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