Please help me make a sump/refugium!!!

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by Jstdv8
http:///forum/post/3274035
so for the u-tube overflows is there a system for starting those too? I always siphon them with my mouth, but i tell you what I know what my tank tastes like

Don't you just love that.......And the bad part is you know it's coming. Another way I found to start the syphon with the U tubes is to take pieces of plastic wrap and fill the U tube with water and then seal 1 end of the U tube with plastic and submerge the U tube back under water and "burp" the air bubble out of it, and then while still underwater cover the other end of the U tube with plastic wrap and then move it over to the overflow box. Make sure the overflow box is full and ready to go, and when that's full pull the plastic wrap away from both ends and away it goes....

 

[robertmathern]

nice I never thought of it

 

[acrylic51]

My friend also has shown me a way to fill the U tube with water and slide a piece of regular airline tubing half way through the U tube and then gently suck pulling the air and as soon as you see the air bubble round the top of the U tube pull the airline and good to go. I just have better luck with the plastic wrap.

 

[mell]

I saw on another thread that they were saying not to use the spray bar with the return, so what do you guys recommend instead?

 

[acrylic51]

I'm not a fan of spray bars....If I were to use anything like that, I would use something that Spanko recommended in another thread the loc line with multiple outputs. Honestly to make a spray bar effective you'd have to really push it, to get even water flow from the first hole to the last hole. Plus it would be another area that would need good maintenance to keep the holes open, because they will slowly close and you'll loose flow.

 

[mell]

What about a directional u-tube?

 

[acrylic51]

Mell what do you mean directional u-tube?

 

[mell]

Well, you have a u-tube on the end of the return line that hooks over the side of the tank with a directional sprayer on the end.

 

[acrylic51]

That's fine to use... If your looking for something alittle fancier loc line has some stuff or if you have money to spend there are more expensive alternatives as well.

 

[mell]

Cool, tanks!