? about the diy overflow

Milpool

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2010
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Massachusetts
By connecting all the pvc pieces together using pvc primer and glue, is that harmful at all to tank inhabitants? Is there a special kind to use that is safe?
 

Thriller1911

Feeder Fish
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Aug 28, 2010
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Philadelphia, PA
ichthius;2579037; said:
I don't know who to give credit to for making this nice drawing but here are the basics, the only thing I do differently is to make the EE elbows out of the tank lower than the ones in the tank and make the F tee higher than the EE tees in the tank:
Why is that?
 

mos90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 20, 2009
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rome,ny
Milpool;4277130; said:
By connecting all the pvc pieces together using pvc primer and glue, is that harmful at all to tank inhabitants? Is there a special kind to use that is safe?
it is fine, just let it dry for a few hours and rinse it well. i like to flow water through it for 10 min or so.
 

dragonfish1ca

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 13, 2005
231
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alberta canada
So that style of pvc overflow will work for a drip system top up?
I was under the impression that they need a constant syphon to work like the HOB overflows? There is no way you could keep a syphon with a drip uless you were doing over 5 gal an hour with a 1/2" pvc at best? I am building a 230G and i wont have a hole in the sump to install a bulkhead drain...... SO its either this or a pump with a float???? and this would be MUCH better if it will work where drops are involved???
Also with this pvc overflow what would keep this from draining your tank to the inlet inside your tank to the T?
 

mos90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 20, 2009
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rome,ny
i have 2 drip systems built.300g and 125g. both use 1/2 pvc. i drip 3.3 gph and 2gph. i have never had a problem. u set the t height where u want the tank level to be.

this was my first design. i added a compession fitting on the outside so u can adjust tank water level without making a new overflow and added a check valve .

where i labeled the compression unions, disregard the one on the left.

overflow1.jpg

overflow2.jpg

overflow3.jpg
 

Bizzaro

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 5, 2006
1,215
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CA
I have a problem. I have the right idea down that will work from reading all your post... But here my problem. I have a 240G tank and a (35 1/2, 15 1/2) sump tank.... The sump isn't 1/3 the tank size. How low should my skimmer line be? My sump like i said is small so it seems like i can only hold 10g water during a power outage.should i keep it one inch down from the top of my water level?
 

mos90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 20, 2009
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rome,ny
its going to be trial and error. i guess the height will be based on your tank dimensions, how much water will drain to the sump with your overflow at 1" below the surface.

where is it set now?
 

Bizzaro

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 5, 2006
1,215
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CA
I'm cutting it all out as we speak. I'll start at one inch. I just wonder how much water that will be lol. I should of done what my friend did to his stand. Plastic bag all over the wood so if I mess up I can just shut it off.

Also what about valves? This set up is 1inch piping should I just use any valve check?
 
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