diy overflow overflowing

[jrjackson]

okay so thoght i would try to add a sump tp my 75 and tried this diy overflow and thats exactly what its doing overflowing the sump all over my floor any help would be great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65yVr7DiDls

 

[Ligershark]

three things:

1. what rate pump are you using as your return
2. what size tank do you have
3. what size sump are you using

 

[greybolt03]

Sounds like your return pump is not strong enough to keep up with the siphon of the overflow... You can do two things
1 get a larger return pump
2 put a ball valve on the side of the u that is in the tank to restrict flow into the sump..

 

[jose7878]

What size PVC did you use?

 

[jrjackson]

used 3/4 inch 75 gallon tank not sure on sump size or pump info ill have check

 

[dan_k]

I had to put a valve on my return side to "fine tune" it never had a problem since.

 

[jose7878]

You will need aleast a 1" - 1.5" especially to keep up with a pump that's rated 500-700 gph. Why don't you just drill the tank? Its a whole lot easier the doing all that PVC piping.

 

[jrjackson]

in all honesty im afraid to drill and it is up and running

 

[jose7878]

It's really not hard to do.
I drilled a 90 with corals and fish. I just took my time.
Were are you located at?

 

[jrjackson]

im in bushkill pa

 

[redfishbluefish]

I didn’t have the volume on, so I don’t know what they said on the video….but for a 75 gallon tank, I would want at least 1.5 inch pipe for my “down” piping. The “up” piping with the pump could be ¾ inch.


The problem you have now is that the ¾ pipe can’t handle the volume of water being pumped back into the DT.


I agree with others….go glass-holes…..it’s easy to drill a tank. With a 75 gallon, you have a choice of a 700 or 1500 gph overflow…..I’d go with the 1500.

 

[jose7878]

I would just buy the kit from glassholes , buy a piece of glass and practice to get your confidence up to attack the tank.

 

[MadReefer]

Two things caught my attention in that video.
1) If the end cap hole is to small he stated it will create a siphon and drain the tank. To big and it makes noise so its trial and error there.
2) He said he would give approximate GPH for the overflow depending in size of PVC but he never did.

I agree with others the return is probably not strong enough to keep up.

 

[AqOb]

How low did you cut the pipe beneath your waterline? it should really only be about .25" below the surface.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Yea, the pipe that's open inside the tank... that should only be about 1/4" below your normal water level. It should be even or above with the plastic trim around the top of your tank so it doesn't drop below the trim.

If you build it correctly and have the properly rated return pump... the return pump will regulate the flow rate because water doesnt' drop down into the pipe until it rises above the cutoff point. If the pump is slow, the water in the display will rise above the open pipe only at that rate.

The only way you can really have it overflowing is if the open end inside your display tank is cut too low.

 

[jrjackson]

thanks for all your help but i took it out and went back to running without a sump