DIY Pvc Overflows

the bro

the bro

Member
I have been wanted to put a real sump/refugium on my 29 Biocube for quite some time now and have been researching every possibility. I have looked into drilling a cube everyone I talk to says its WAY to risky so im scrathing that idea. A store bought acrylic box could work but that involves cutting the hood. Not to mention they are all a little big for a nano and will put a hole in your wallet at the $60 - $80 range. So im leaning toward this idea which can work with pretty much any sized tank.
Has anyone ever tried this before? Im curious of Pros, Cons and still looking into pipe sizes and measurements.
The Overflow

Not my setup but what i what my cabient will look like
 
S

shrimpy brains

Guest
There was a good thread on these about a year ago. The guy who started the thread and many others stated they had them on their tanks, and they worked well.
My experience: Don't know if I did something wrong, but they would work very well once you got them going. I was worried what they would do in a power outage, so I would turn power off and back on. They would never resume flow on their own for me. I tried for a few weeks.
Then I gave up. I built a stand above my tank, drilled the refugium and stuck it up top. Dropped the return pump in my tank(on some pvc braces to desired height) and hid it with some rocks. Works for me! lol
 
nikesb

nikesb

Active Member
if you can fit an external overflow, you will be fine but you would have to think about water spills and anything like that
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
I did this same exact thing. I had to modify the design a little so I could get the siphon going. The reason one of the pipes needs to be higher than all of the others is because you need to use that pipe to fill the siphoning tube above the water line. Its really hard to explain.
But you WILL lose siphon when your sump pump loses power. The power went out at my house and my wife and I figured we'd go out to dinner. When we were out, we got a generic call from the power company saying that our power was back on. It literally ruined my dinner. I was freaking out the whole time. When we got back home, the water level was literally 1/8" below the tank and the sump pump was blowing bubbles. I decided that it just wasn't worth it.
Here was my thread back when I did it...
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...d.php?t=360559
Here are some older thread the others were talking about regarding the DIY pvc overflow...
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...Y-PVC-OVERFLOW!
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...highlight=trap
Here's a youtube video on it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnWpQEkeatE
 
the bro

the bro

Member
Thanks for the replies and links they were very helpful! I didnt get around to building it this weekend but I am going to give it a try. Ill keep yall updated anfd let yall now how it went, and if I was able to get it to work correctly.
Question... im leaning toward building it with 3/4" should i go with 3/4" PVC?
Anyone know how many GPH a 3/4" pipe will siphon?
 
nikesb

nikesb

Active Member
i think 3/4 maybe too much. what pump do you plan on going with for the return? i would say 1/2 would fine with a 3/4 return
 
the bro

the bro

Member
Originally Posted by nikeSB
http:///forum/post/3263105
i think 3/4 maybe too much. what pump do you plan on going with for the return? i would say 1/2 would fine with a 3/4 return
I Currently have my stock biocube pump - 200 Gph, or my Maxijet 1200 rated - 295 Gph
So I would rather use one of those 2 pumps since i already have them
 
nikesb

nikesb

Active Member
Originally Posted by The Bro
http:///forum/post/3263387
I Currently have my stock biocube pump - 200 Gph, or my Maxijet 1200 rated - 295 Gph
So I would rather use one of those 2 pumps since i already have them
at what height will you be pumping? your gonna want over 5x turnover so im thinking in a 29g, a mag 3 or 5 depending on height
 
the bro

the bro

Member
Originally Posted by nikeSB
http:///forum/post/3263411
at what height will you be pumping? your gonna want over 5x turnover so im thinking in a 29g, a mag 3 or 5 depending on height
From the bottom of my stand to the top rim of my tank is 4 feet. I plan on using plastic tubeing for my return line w/ a ball vale on it as soon as it leaves the fuge, so i can somewhat sync my siphon and return flow. I plan on using all Pvc for the overflow all the way to the fuge. My design is pretty much the exact same as the above picture.
Im also pondering the idea of leaving the stock pump in place and running, this way i can still use my stock filter system along side the fuge. I want to just dump my return line from the fuge directly into the tank, and let the stock filter and pump do its own thing.
 
the bro

the bro

Member
Originally Posted by nikeSB
http:///forum/post/3263450
if its such a small fuge, have you thought about a hob fuge?
I have but they are a tad pricey and not very big either. I will be using a 5g tank i already have to make the fuge. 5 gallon fuge on a 29gallon tank dosent sound to small, would go bigger buts that the biggest size that will fit under my cabinet. 5g of 29g = something like 16.5% increased water volume
Trust me if i cant this this project to work the hab will probably be the route ill have to go. Or sell my cube for a "real tank" now that i know a thing or two about the hobby.... I often regret buying a biocube!
 
nikesb

nikesb

Active Member
yeh the AIO systems can sometimes be a pain. i dont know where youre getting your prices from for some of these hob fuges, but theres some that are relatively reasonable. it would probably be close to the price that you pay for a diy setup. as far as the gallons of hob fuges, alot of them are about 5 gallons
 
the bro

the bro

Member
I appreciate all your input Nike you've been very helpful. I will def look more into the HOB fuges. The ones I been looking at are the CPR that come with a nice light , those are a little pricey but I'm gonna check into some cheaper ones. Might try out the PVC overflow idea this weekend for the hell if it and see how it works.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Perhaps you have already built this if so sorry.
I am honored the lowly beaslbob trap made the list of links.
On a small system you might try "s" traps available at plumbing home supply shops. they are smaller diameter, smoother implementations of the larger diameter PVC designs (like the beaslbob trap) but serve the same function.
You might also try plastic storage containers. one for the refugium and a small one for the sump. Or you could even just put a smaller container in a larger container to form the sump similiar to a baffle system. The idea is the refugium area stays basically full whereas the sump area is where the water level varies. That way there is more water in the refugium.
One thing I forgot in setting up my sump is to insure that with overflow failure (siphon break or blockage) the sump runs dry before the display floods. So I fail the overflow and insure that happens. Then "unfail" the overflow and mark the water level on the sump. From then on I insure I never fill the system so the sump water is above that line.
Also if you implement an auto top off (ATO) please keep in mind that if you have an overflow failure the ATO will add water to the system possibly causing a flood and lowering salinity.
my .02
 
nikesb

nikesb

Active Member
Originally Posted by The Bro
http:///forum/post/3263536
I appreciate all your input Nike you've been very helpful. I will def look more into the HOB fuges. The ones I been looking at are the CPR that come with a nice light , those are a little pricey but I'm gonna check into some cheaper ones. Might try out the PVC overflow idea this weekend for the hell if it and see how it works.
cpr overprices their stuff. you may want to ask katsafados where he got his hob fuge
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
some people even just use an old HOB filter with the media removed and a light added. And grow chaeto in the box.
Just a thought.
worth at most .02
 
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