Help me, Help my overflow!

[Smokin-Reefer]

The basics-

 

20gH Display

10g Sump

1" bulkhead

3/4" Return

 

 

The bulkhead is drilled near the top of the tank, and uses a 90 degree elbow, ala your LFS for the overflow. It goes directly to a 90 hosebarb attachment. I'm using a pump that gets about 300gph after head to the return, maybe a little less. Sometimes, the overflow can't keep up, and will overflow the main tank, so I added a couple 90's on the return to throttle down the pump. When the drain line is submerged in the sump, the overflow gurgles, and gurgles, and the flow gets pretty slow.

 

The solution, or so I though, would be a simple Durso. I went to my local Menards, and picked up the PVC for the standpipe, but there is not enough clearance between the back of my tank, and the wall for all the fittings. Is it possible, instead of have the 90 for the drain vertical, to first postion in horizontally and run the durso that way? Is that clear enough? So all the plumbing is against the tank, instead of a couple inches from the rear?

 

I've included a pic, its not the best, please excuse dirty glass, I'm a lazy bum.

 

Anyone have any comments or suggestions?

 

Thanks!

Daniel

[dchild]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. You mean turn that elbow sideways and tee up/down on the side of the tank? just run a tube up from the tee and make a hole in the top (make sure it is higher than the water level!) Not an expert but my experience with my durso (I made the adjustable mod

here ) shows that your quietest flow will be where the intake is completely underwater. You may have to modify that skimmer elbow to make sure the only air entering the return is from your durso hole.

 

Your gurgling when the end of the return is submerged is likely due to back pressure - I had the same problem, sounded like a toilet flushing every few secs, and all I did is make a shorter return line so it sits ~1/2" below the water surface in the sump

[nalbar]

dan, it looks like plenty of space to me. what you can do is cut the elbow (actually a 't' is better) so the part that 'couples' is quite small. on a drain the 'female' part of the couple only needs to be about 3/8 of an inch, not the typical 3/4 inch that even small pvc couplings have.

 

this means you can fit pvc elbow fittings in much smaller spaces than appears.

 

to be honest, it looks like your whole bulkhead needs to be switched out.

 

 

 

btw, allowing the algae to grow on your glass is a trick method of cleaning your water. algae is a water scrubber, all you are doing is 'scrubbing' your system. i do it myself!

 

 

 

 

 

nalbar