Building my Fuge

[neotrin17]

I am going to purchase a 20 gal and make it my fuge for my 55 gal. I realize I need one pump to pump the water back up to my tank.
Do I need to buy a hang on overflow or can I simply attach the hose to the top of the tank allowing the water to be brough down to the fuge by gravity (that is after I do the whole suck on the tube and don't get water in my mouth).
What do you recommend...very new to this fuge idea but I know that it does wonders!
Thanks guys.

 

[adhoc]

I would use an overflow. In either scenario if you turn off your return pump, the tank will drain down. If you simply have a syphon tube in the tank, the tank will drain until that syphon is broken. When the pump is restarted you have to start the syphon again or you will overflow your tank and/or drain your fuge.
The overflows will drain the tank until the level in the DT is the same as the holes cut in the overflow. The syphon won't be broken, and when the pump is turned back on again the flow thru the overflow will start too.
Make sense?

 

[neotrin17]

Ummm.... I think it does. I dont have any holes in my tank...and really don't want to put any in it. it is glass and fully filled.
I guess I am just confused on how to make it without putting holes in the tank.
Sorry for the stupidity...the fuge setup is just baffling me for some reason.
Thanks for any other help you can provide.
jb

 

[neotrin17]

I guess to make it easy...I plan on putting the Fuge under my tank. That way you guys/gals can help me "know" what I need. My tank has no holes and I really don't want to put any in it at this time...
So by saying that...now what do I do?
thanks guys.

 

[adhoc]

Here are two photos that might make it a bit clearer. A hang-on-the-back overflow is really made of two boxes - one that sits in the tanks, and one that hangs on the back. An upside down u-tube connects the two. The box in the tank has slots cut in it for water flow.

 

[adhoc]

The box on the back has a gravity drain pipe that's higher than the botto of the U-Tube. When flow stops thru the overflow, it will drain down to the top of the gravity drain, but the bottom of the u-tube will still be in water.
In the photo above, the red lines show the level the display tank will drain to. The end of the Utube in this box also remains below the water level.

 

[neotrin17]

So the water goes thru the slots and drains into the FUGE. If you dont mind me asking the water drains into the slots just by the water being pumped in from the fuge?
So before the tank overflows it is drained into the slots down to the FUGE?
Sorry...are there website or something for this I have searched but haven't found anything good.

 

[neotrin17]

Okay so for my fuge I am just going to need a hang on the back overflow so it can control my water flow into my fuge then.
THANKS A TON FOR THE HELP!
I think I am grasping it.... I am a visual learning.

 

[adhoc]

That's the theory exactly. The box on the back is draining into the fuge. The overflow boxes water levels are trying to equalize, so water flows from the tank overflow box thru the Utube into the box on the back, where again it drains down. Then gets pumped back up into the tank. The water level in the tank is above the open slots, so it flows into the overflow box.
The capacity of the overflow has to be matched with the pump capacity. If you overpump you either have to throttle it to reduce the flow, or return some directly to your fuge, or you will overflow your display tank. If the overflow is significantly oversized, the flow thru the Utube will be low enough that air bubbles can get trapped at the top. Eventually the Utube can become airlocked and the tank can overflow.
I think the first place to start is to determine how much flow you want to go thru your fuge, then you can size the equipment from there.

 

[neotrin17]

awesome.
I was planning on 300.
Is that good?
Thanks for all the help... this was the overflow I was looking at.

 

[adhoc]

That I don't know. I currently just have a sump, no fuge. Try doing a search, I do remember reading about preferred turnover rates in the fuges.
I think that overflow recommends using a small airpump to prevent air bubbles from getting trapped in the U. I want to say Tom's air pump? Try searching that too... or maybe someone else has better advice.
Glad those photos helped.

 

[hondo]

that looks like a CPR overflow and if it is you will definitely need to attach a powerhead to it to keep the air from building up and losing it's syphon.
A lifereef overflow would work alot better but it will cost you more money, it works without a powerhead and won't lose syphon and cause a flood.

 

[hurt]

The CPR's are not a continuous overflow? I am going to get an overflow soon and I was looking at some of there's. They advertise they don't lose their siphon, is this not true?

 

[neotrin17]

I was looking into the CPR. with the CPR you have to have another pump on the overflow that actually sucks any bubles that get caught in the overflow. So it can loose its prime.
I totally think it is worth it to go with lifereef. I went there website and was amazed... called the guy and got lots of advice from him....a little more expensive...99 bucks but worth it in my eyes...
JB