Closed loop question

birdy

birdy

Active Member
I am almost ready to start building my closed loop, my question is this, I am not going to drill the back of my tank so I am just going to use pvc pipe for an inlet, Could I put the inlet in the overflow box and pull the water from there? I would rather not have an unsightly pvc pipe showing in the tank, and I will have to rearange my LR to hide it, and I would rather not disturb everything. It would be emersed in water all the time because I have a durso standpipe and the water level in the overflow is very high.
 
robchuck

robchuck

Active Member
Your idea will work as long as your overflow box is large enough to allow the flow for both the Durso and the closed loop intake.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
Its not a true closed loop if you put the intake in the overflow. One of the ideas is to have it on a different power curciut. If your return pump fails or the power is cut your closed loop will stop, and, if on the same curciut the pump will run dry. Just pull water from the tank.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
I am not sure if you understand what I am saying golfish,
The overflow is full of water because of the durso standpipe, The inlet of the closed loop will go directly to my iwaki pump and then back to the tank via SCWD, it would be the same thing if the water was coming from the tank, except the water will have to go over the overflow.
Here is a really rough sketch.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
Thank you Neo- they are 14 months old, and destroying everything in site.
About the Durso- it is a standpipe that raises the water level in a overflow so there is reduced noise of waterflow in the overflow. Do a internet search for Durso standpipe
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
Oh wait, I get what you are saying golfish, if my return pump shuts off, then the water level will more than likely get too low in the overflow. Sometimes, it takes me forever to get something :sleepy: .
 
neoreef

neoreef

Member
They are remarkably beautiful. Boys? Can't tell from the tiny pix if they are identical. Walking yet?
My first, a boy, walked at 9 months. I thought it was great that he was developmentally ahead of the crowd. Ha Ha. Too star struck to realize that it did not matter. My second and last, a girl, walked at 15 months. I was glad to keep her a baby as long as possible, since she was my last one...
Babies are the best. ( I've always thought that the mother of twins deserves an automatic place in heaven for her ordeal.)
best of luck,
Kathy
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
One of each actually, girl on the right boy on the left. Girl started walking at 9.5 months, boy at 13mo. Other than the 4mo of bedrest during the pregnancy it has been pretty easy (and of course the major abdominal surgery to deliver them lol). But I guess I don't know any better lol. I cannot wait to have another baby (in a few years though)
-Carla
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by Birdy
I am not sure if you understand what I am saying golfish,
The overflow is full of water because of the durso standpipe, The inlet of the closed loop will go directly to my iwaki pump and then back to the tank via SCWD, it would be the same thing if the water was coming from the tank, except the water will have to go over the overflow.
Here is a really rough sketch.
I understand what your planning on doing. No matter how you look at it, its not a closed loop. It may or may not work for you, regardless, its not a closed loop.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
lol- I am just dense sometimes, I figured out what you were saying and responded after that post.
Thanks for help.
 
neoreef

neoreef

Member

Originally posted by Birdy
One of each actually, girl on the right boy on the left. Girl started walking at 9.5 months, boy at 13mo. Other than the 4mo of bedrest during the pregnancy it has been pretty easy (and of course the major abdominal surgery to deliver them lol). But I guess I don't know any better lol. I cannot wait to have another baby (in a few years though)
-Carla
Great to have one of each! For the boy, I had the maj abd surg and the diabetes and the usual pregnancy maladies, but not the bed rest. That would have driven me insane! My second was born VBAC like greased lightning. 2 hours labor start to finish. Just her personality, too. Once she makes up her mind to do a thing, wild horses cannot hold her back.
I feel so blessed to have 2 healthy kids...worth every bit of discomfort.
Best of luck,
Kathy
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by Birdy
Oh wait, I get what you are saying golfish, if my return pump shuts off, then the water level will more than likely get too low in the overflow. Sometimes, it takes me forever to get something :sleepy: .
It will take just a few seconds for the overflow to empty. That's just one small thing that can happen. Your closed loop supply and overflow bulkhead, together, may go faster then your overflow can handle. You'll probably get bubbles in the closed loop from the overflow. The siphon may break a lot. I'm not saying it wont work, Its just not a true closed loop ran this way.
 
mobikobeyob

mobikobeyob

Member
Birdy is your tank a reef ready tank? The reason I ask is that I am planning on doing the same thing, and I dont see why it wouldn't work. even with the failure of the main return pump.
You see my overflows on my reef ready have an overflow grate at the top (slotted looking part). and they also have one about 4 inches from the bottom that channels up to the top through a baffle. so the tank pressure would always keep them filled to the same level as the tank even if the return pump failed. I am also running dual durso's and am having great success.
Mobi
Here are some pics to show the slots and the durso/refuge.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
Yep that is exactly how mine is, exept I don't have any type of grate in the bottom, just the top. I see what golfish is saying about microbubbles though, with 1000gph running through the overflow it might be microbubble city. I guess it is worth testing though.
You go first

LOL :D
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by Birdy
Yep that is exactly how mine is, exept I don't have any type of grate in the bottom, just the top. I see what golfish is saying about microbubbles though, with 1000gph running through the overflow it might be microbubble city. I guess it is worth testing though.
You go first

LOL :D
you also have to consider the amount of flow going into the overflow. Lets say your overflow is doing 1000 gph for the sump, now you add a pipe for your not really closed loop to draw out another 1500 gph. I doubt very much water can flow into a corner overflow that fast.
I'm not saying these wont work, I am saying they are not really closed loops and your flow will have to be limited unless you have a huge overflow.
 
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