oceanic overflow specs?

[spamreefnew]

how many GPH should the overflow on a 45 gallon oceanic tech series cube flow without making noise? mine makes noise after about 300 GPH

 

[67belvedere]

It depends on the size of your bulkhead, drain line size and return pump not just the overflow. They all work together

 

[spamreefnew]

it is all stock. it is the megaflow kit. looks to be about 1-1/4" pipe and washing machine hose

 

[67belvedere]

I am pretty sure a stock megaflow is about 600 gph

 

[JayM]

stock megaflow is 600GPH, but the spec never said it would be QUIET @600GPH, just that it would WORK at that flow

 

[spamreefnew]

any way to make em flow 600-800 gph and be quiet? without drilling!

 

[Cheetos]

I have the same tank and only run about 300 gph through the overflow because it's noisy. I also have a reverse durso at the end of the drain in the sump to help keep it quiet.

 

[JayM]

any way to make em flow 600-800 gph and be quiet? without drilling!

if you convert the drain AND return to a 'herbie' drain and put your overflow over the top, you could do 800 and have it be silent

 

[JohnK]

Of course if you convert like that, keep in mind that the back up on a herbie should/needs to be able to handle %100 of the flow should the siphion get blocked. (so if you're using a 3/4" hole as the back up you're either taking your chances, or you better have that 1" main drain restricted quite a bit). I wouldn't count on a "safe" 800 gph.

 

[JayM]

freakin' chicken!

I would use the 3/4" as the main, and the 1" as the reserve anyway if I was going to do that.....

 

[JohnK]

That would work just fine, I'm just not sure how much the 3/4" would flow? Maybe 800gph, but I wouldn't count on it without trying/testing it first.

 

[JayM]

I think it would do 600 in a walk, 800 might be tougher.....

 

[JohnK]

Yea, but we are really just guessing here, no? I suspect that there is a LOT more friction loss in 3/4" pipe than in 1" pipe. Then again, you can up size the pipe above and below the bulkhead so that it's just that one momentary restriction that will be holding it back.

 

[spamreefnew]

is there a picture of this system using the old 3/4" return hole as the main drain and the 1.25" as spare? or a good picture of a herbie thing on a tank like mine??

 

[JohnK]

Here's a video showing the basic "herbie" set up (without an overflow box so it's easy to see in the vid, in practice you would always do this inside an overflow)
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/brs-tv/plumbing-videos

 

[JohnK]

This should be useful to get an idea of flow rates for different pipe sizes
http://www.beananimal.com/articles/hydraulics-for-the-aquarist.aspx

 

[spamreefnew]

thanks john k! do you guys think using the 3/4" return pipe as a drain pipe is wise?

 

[JohnK]

I'll hesitate a little as I have never tried it, but Yes it should work fine as long as the 1" drain is used as the emergency. According to Bean's link above, 3/4" pipe should handle up to about 1100 GPH, so that 800 GPH number would be perfectly do-able.

 

[JayM]

I'll hesitate a little as I have never tried it, but Yes it should work fine as long as the 1" drain is used as the emergency. According to Bean's link above, 3/4" pipe should handle up to about 1100 GPH, so that 800 GPH number would be perfectly do-able.

I rest my case!

 

[spamreefnew]

i will have to give it a try. should the 3/4" pipe just be a a strait length cut about an inch below desired water level of the overflow box? and, what about flow as the return pump gets a little dirty and looses some flow? will the siphon start and restart all by it self?