how do i start siphon?????

[805puffer]

hi this is probably an easy question, but i just bought an overflow and i want to know how you start it from siphoning from the main tank to the sump. the type of overflow is an e sump for up to 100 gallon tank. any help would be appreciated. thanks

 

[sepulatian]

I am afraid you will need to suck start it. Just don't get the saltwater into your mouth.

 

[ledzep fan]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
I am afraid you will need to suck start it. Just don't get the saltwater into your mouth.
Thats exactly how i do it

 

[805puffer]

so what just put my mouth on the end if the u tube and start sucking until it is flowing? ill give it a try thanks

 

[garnet13aj]

The end you are sucking from needs to be below the opposite end.
BTW I asked the same question a while back. Sucking is the easiest (and posibily grossest) way.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
The end you are sucking from needs to be below the opposite end.
BTW I asked the same question a while back. Sucking is the easiest (and posibily grossest) way.
lol yup. Is the hose clear? If not you will be able to tell when it starts. You will feel it going into the tube, take your mouth away quick! You may have to do it a few times or get a mouthfull

 

[mandarin w]

I wonder just how many of us have gotten a mouthfull of that yummy saltwater?
Me - Several times. I've almost aquired a taste for it. ALMOST.
I've noticed over the past few years I like more salt on my fries :hilarious

 

[805puffer]

alright sweet i got the siphon to start flowing but now i have another problem, my pump that pumps it back into the tank pumps the water too fast, so i think ill have to go and get a smaller pump.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by mandarin w
I wonder just how many of us have gotten a mouthfull of that yummy saltwater?
Me - Several times. I've almost aquired a taste for it. ALMOST.
I've noticed over the past few years I like more salt on my fries :hilarious
hahaha My self siphoning vacume doesn't self siphon anymore. I have had more saltwater in my mouth than I care to discuss!

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by 805puffer
alright sweet i got the siphon to start flowing but now i have another problem, my pump that pumps it back into the tank pumps the water too fast, so i think ill have to go and get a smaller pump.
Can you slow down the pump rate? is there a valve on it?

 

[805puffer]

no there is no valve on it at least i can't see one.

 

[805puffer]

do you think if i just put a ball valve in the pvc and then close it half way will work or do you think that would ruin the pump.

 

[mandarin w]

It is a good idea to have ball valves and a union on your return, so you can raise or lower you return speed of the pump, and the union so incase your pump goes out, you can turn off your return with the ball valve and disconect the pump from your system, replace it with a new pump and you are good to go. Then you don't need to replumb you whole return.

 

[scotts]

There is a better way to start the siphon. Take two pieces of plastic wrap. Fill up the tube with water and place the plastic wrap over the ends of the tube. This is the hard part, place the tube in the overflow box with the wrap still on the ends of the tube. Also make sure there is water in both sides of the box so that now both ends of the tube are under water. Take the plastic wrap away from the tube that is on the outside of the aquarium then quickly take away the wrap from the other side. Voila your overflow is working.
As far as your pump, yes you can use a ball valve to cut back the flow rate of your pump. However it is important that the valve you are closing is ou the outlet side of the pump, NOT the inlet. You don't want to starve the pump. Yes this will add pressure but pumps are designed to operate under pressure.
BTW, what part of 805 are you from? You can see where I am at.
Scott

 

[805puffer]

ok i finally got the siphoning part down and now ill add a ball valve and a union in there.im a little out of santa maria. thanks for the help

 

[805puffer]

sweet i put a ball valve on the return, so it slowed the return down and it looks like its working. no leaks yet. its kind of loud, but i guess ill get used to it.

 

[michaeltx]

actually its even easier than all that if all you want to do is siphon the water out of the tank use the pump that you are useing to pump it back into the tank just put it in the tank and turn it on. If its an inline pump and you want to clean with it its even easier just get the stuff to attach a hose to the inlet and outlets and depending on what you want to do is what side of the hose you use.
BTW I have NEVER tasted the tank water fresh or salt LOL
Mike

 

[azfishgal]

OK, I'm not sure if this is just a freshwater thing, but when I siphon my freshwater tank, I put the large end in the tank and make sure the tube goes down into my bucket (bucket, or sump in this case, needs to be lower than the tank). I then move the part that's in the tank up and down fairly rapidly, the water then starts flowing through the tube and I can stop moving it up and down and just siphon. Took me a few trys to get it, but it works every time for me now. I've never had to use my mouth.

Is saltwater different for some reason? :notsure: I would think it would work the same way. I know I'm going to try it when my sw tank is set up.

 

[michaeltx]

not different you just have to worry about disrupting things in the tank like the sand bed or spooking the fish that can tear thought the tank and cause rock slides or damage to come corals.
Mike

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
not different you just have to worry about disrupting things in the tank like the sand bed or spooking the fish that can tear thought the tank and cause rock slides or damage to come corals.
Mike

Well, I don't move it that fast.

No more water movement than what's in a reef tank from the ph. I usually only have to do it a few times and the water starts coming up, usually two pumps is all it takes.