overflow for a 100 gallon

[slmetzger]

i have an operating 40 gallon hospital tank and we have purchased a 100 gallon tank. We have a biofilter, protein skimmer, uv lights and 3 different pumps. We are concerned that if we lose power (which we do quite often) that the tank will form a siphon and drain the tank. In all we have read there is no information on a overflow device.

 

[amphiprion]

Do you have built in overflows on this tank or is the overflow a hang off the back type? Either way if set up properly, there should be no back syphoning to drain the tank.

 

[dburr]

My water will drain back thru the spray bar not the overflow in a power outage. Overflows skim the top of the water, if no water comes up (power outage) no water comes down. (At least from the skimmer side.)
Theirs a few things that come to mind.
1. Keep the sump water level low enough to "take up the slack".
2. Keep spray bar near the top of the tank. When it drains the water,the level will drop and break when it sucks air.
3. Use a check valve off the pump.
Can't think of anything else, hope it helps.
dburr

 

[guppie]

As long as you keep the return at the water level then when it starts to back fill when it gets low enough, below the return, it will stop flowing. Do a test run on your system, kill power to your return pump and see were the water stops, then adjust your return as needed. Good Luck

 

[save a fish, eat chicken]

I have my spray bar above the water. I drilled the holes large enough so the water is not forceful enough to splash, it hardly drains back any water at all when I lose power.