Urgent Bean Animal Advice into External Overflow

[GoldFinger]

Hey folks! Hoping for some bean animal wisdom from you pros. I have an external (ghost type) overflow and have limited space to work with in the box and the water enters pretty low leaving little room for my main siphon and open channels down turned elbows.
Any advice and especially pictures would be much appreciated! There are two 1.5 inch bulkheads entering the overflow box and from the bottom of the bulkhead (where the water will first trickle in) to the bottom of the overflow box is 1.5 inches. Total height of overflow box is 4.75 inches.
The height of the weir from the inside of the tank portion (where water will first cascade over the teeth then in through the bulkheads) is 3inches.
Really need to know what heights to put my E drain, open channel and main siphon.

 

[Homer Siped]

This is my bean animal, the one on far right is e drain and i have the 90 turned upright and cut off just after the bend in it.

 

[GoldFinger]

This is my bean animal, the one on far right is e drain and i have the 90 turned upright and cut off just after the bend in it.

View attachment 1283161

View attachment 1283162

Can I see the back where your plumbing is? Thanks

 

[Homer Siped]

Left to right is the edrain, then secondary, then full siphon. Full siphon has ball valve turned

 

[GoldFinger]

Cool thanks!

 

[Drstrangelove]

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

You might find this reading helpful as it specifically addresses your post.

 

[ragin_cajun]

This is very much a visual thing. Search on youtube for "beanimal overflow", and you'll see videos of people testing theirs, building them, etc.

The siphon should be a little lower than the backup drain, and the e-drain should be a little higher than both of them.

 

[GoldFinger]

This is very much a visual thing. Search on youtube for "beanimal overflow", and you'll see videos of people testing theirs, building them, etc.

The siphon should be a little lower than the backup drain, and the e-drain should be a little higher than both of them.

I have looked at countless videos and threads, I just wanted to confirm the height of the two siphons in relation to the water coming into the overflow box, via the two bulkheads. Sounds like the open channel should be about 1/2” below the water coming in, in order to keep the water fall silent. I would then place the main siphon 1/2” below that level followed by the emergency drain going 1/2 - 1” above the open channel. Thanks for chiming in I will be startling a build thread soon just finishing up the plumbing!

 

[Homer Siped]

I drilled the 2 drains level with eachother, I figured if needing adjustments i could cut off part of 90 or add to a 90, my thinking was once holes are drilled they are pretty well permanent. My bulkhead to the edrain is about an inch lower than other 2, the 90 is flipped over and if it were drilled level with other 2 it would only beway too high for the volume of water. My e drain sits about 1/4" over my overflow weir. The only thing i know that i messed up on which is not a big fix is that the hose from backup drain is a bit too low so when it starts up the backup drain starts and siphons down, where as to be properly set up the edrain takes up slack until siphon and backup drain take full effect. I haven't had any issues with start ups but have read it can get into a cycle where it fills then siphons out til siphon breaks and just coniinues this. Easy fix, just haven't done it yet lol. I am sure mines not 100% up to "bean animal code" but it works and works well. My advice just go for it,, make it work. I really had no clue wtf i was doing haha.