DIY Overflow and sump Using - Professor Dirk Bellstedt Designs

Just have the tank drilled and do a normal overflow, syphon overflows will fail eventually.

 

@Singularity....

I've never used a sump, so I haven't ever had the need for a drilled tank, nor an overflow, however I couldn't agree more with you in principle. If I were to go for a sump (should I ever decide to get rid of plants that is) then I would definitely be going with a drilled tank.

I actually believe that @Dirk Bellstedt is correct in saying that @Juddy has not grasped the concept of this design, and is trying to lay fault at the design (elbows, t pieces).

I'll say it again, there are 2 VASTLY different functions between an OVERFLOW system, and a SYPHON system. This design is an OVERFLOW system. NOT a syphon. It will ONLY Flow at the rate that the water is being introduced into the tank. If you are running a 100l/h return pump, the overflow will only overflow 100l/h. If you stop the pump, the overflow will stop. If you are "testing" this contraption to "see how fast it will drain a bucket" then you have the completely WRONG idea. By testing it you are using it as a syphon. A syphon will ONLY allow a certain volume of water per hour REGARDLESS of how fast you pump it back up into the tank. So if the syphon will only allow 50l/h through it, and you use a 100l/h pump, you will flood the tank, or burn out the pump, whichever happens first.

This is going to be a stupid example... but I'm going to do it anyway.

Take a 250ml glass, fill it with water. Now add 50litres over a period of 1 hour to that glass... How much will it overflow? 50litres!
Take a 250ml glass, fill it, and set up a syphon made from airline tubing. Now add 50 litres over a period of an hour. How much flow have you had? Well let's assume airline tubing is 10ml per minute... that means you will only get 600ml flow out of that tubing per hour.. But wait... you have ADDED 50litres? Where does that 50litres go... duh... it's flooded the glass. (and floor, and carpet, and cabinet)

@Juddy, I'm sorry to say this, but I think you have completely misunderstood the concept of this design, and have complicated it to the point that you have designed an overflow, with a syphon concept in mind. The ONLY time that you should flood a tank on an overflow designed system is if the pump is really powerful. I doubt this is the case on your tank.

 

You can check if you have an airleak by sucking on that pipe again, if there are bubbles then there may be an airleak, but you must be careful because air bubbles will also form on new PVC the first time water runs over it. That airpipe must however not be pushed into the PVC directly, you cannot get it sealed, polyethylene does not glue to PVC. What you must do is glue a small piece of pipe from a corner filter which is PVC into the 400 mm PVC pipe and then you slide the airhose over that thin corner filter PVC pipe and that will seal airtight. That is also how it is shown in my original design..............

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

@Zoom it is a fully working overflow system it only lowers the water level to a certain point, then stops.
By testing I meant I test the maximum capacity of the overflow before it overflows the tank (pumping and adding buckets of water) to see if the overflow can keep up with the flow of water coming in.
also did the sump overflow tests a few times .. by cutting the power and seeing if the sump overflows.. and putting it back on insuring the overflow starts working as normal again without fail.

My one major mistake, its also a silly one.
I had an air-stone in my tank and bubbles were collection in the overflow inlet pipe reducing the flow as time went on.
I thought i might have an air-leak but i was in fact pumping air into the inlet
Removed the aircurtain from the tank and now its working perfectly.

For the airline I used a garden sprinkler join, basically a small PVC bit with ridges. made a small hole, heated up the pipe and forced the garden sprinkler join in. when the pipe cooled it created a airtight seal.
I was thinking of added PVC cement to double seal everything but then I have to try insure no contamination..

I dont think it will ever fail, the only way it can is a leak in the pipes and if its well constructed that is just as likely as a tank leak.

Is there any advantage of having a drilled tank ? If you drilled a 40mm hole in the side/bottom of your tank you will have exactly the same as i have working now .. or close to it.
you will have less friction in the pipes but thats about it.

 

Hi Juddy,

It seems that you are creating one problem after the next for yourself. I am glad that you have sorted out the syphon break problem. You can use PVC cement without any problems you just need to let the cement dry for 24 hours then there is no problem and no what you call "contamination".

Some people love drilling holes into tanks, but there is no doubt about it that it weakens the tank. And then your deduction about friction in the pipes is total nonsense, this is your lack on engineering that is catching up with you again.

The overflow works like extremely well and I have used these overflows for YEARS now with absolutely not problems or disasters. If you battle to get them to work, it is not a fault in the design, but rather in how you are trying to implement it. Then you should rather use a canister filter if this is technically too challenging for you.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

I like my canister its just, only ten liters of filter media capacity.. currently I am running a canister Dolphin C1600 and internals. in a 200 liter tank
and I haven't had any water issues in two years (besides a not ideal levels of N03) and no diseases in this tank "touch wood"

But I want more I want better filtration hehe working my way up to keeping discus or blue rams.

Even a tiny sump of 50 liters, offers 30 liters of filter media space.. and its much more fun to build and see results
also easily upgradeable to my other empty tank a 110 liter.

 

I've built one of these overflows a while back, but never installed it. Will test it this afternoon, but I'm pretty sure the flow rate will be too low. Will then make another one with a bigger diameter pipe, will atleast if I have a mistake in my desing.

Will post feedback.

 

awesome @puppabear hope it works out, What size pipe diameter are you starting with (20mm is a wasted effort hehe)

@Dirk Bellstedt May I ask how do you control the No3 levels in your tanks ? water changes alone ? synthetic absorbents ? is there a type of filter or media that can assit in this regard ?

 

Water changes is what most folks use and should use. Synthetic absorbents are far too maintenance intensive, they came and left the discus scene about 15 years ago. On top of water changes I have a complex anaerobic filter. DON'T expect me to explain, do your homework, this is complex stuff.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

So I tested my overflow system this weekend. Gotta confess it was built (a while back) with the 20mm black irrigation pipe. Works like a charm, but did a couple of tests and seems to be have an overflow rate of 240lph. Which isn't bad, but not enough for my pump's lph.....