without an overflow box

[PhishPhreek]

Had an interesting visit with and ex-hobiest and he pointed out that an overflow box is not necessary.
He used a large U-tube straight to his wet/dry.
first he filled the tank all the way up.
then he drained water from the tank to the wet/dry until the wet/dry was at it's max fill level.
then he drilled a hole in the U-tube at that level.
Now when the power goes out his tank backflows into the wet/dry but when the water in the wet/dry is at the max level, the hole breaks the syphon and stops the water back flow.

What are the odds that a snail will be near the hole when the power goes out ???

[CichlidFan]

Re: without an overflow box

I need you to draw me some pictures or something, because I'm failing to understand your oratory explaination of this seemingly simple concept.

:?

CF

[eklikewhoa]

Re: without an overflow box

Without an overflow box you lose the surface skim part and its also more susceptable to siphon breaks at the U-tube which is just as catostrophic as having a power outage with no oveflow box.

The box surface skims so in that sense it also regulates how much water will drain from the tank. The hole PP is refering to will do the same but everytime to lower water past that level you will have to re-start the suction.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: without an overflow box

What PP is referring to is just a simple intake tube like on canisters but used to feed the wet/dry-sump.
Then a hole is drilled like you would do to the output nozzle of the wetdry return to provide a siphon break in the event of a power outage but on the intake as well since the actual intake is much lower then normally would with an overflow.

Overflows and HOB overflow boxes are pretty much solid as far as losing the intake siphon since there are chambers in the box to keep the siphon from breaking when water level is lowered. In an overflow tank its gravity fed so no real problem there.

I don't see any gain on doing it as originally stated other then losing the box bulk.

If that's a concern....drill the back of the tank, elbow up for surface skim and used the durso design out back to limit noise.

[twofronts]

Re: without an overflow box

I too have seen this method with Mike up at College Station. he did used an prefilter but on an couple of tanks i think he did have stright U tube ran to the the wet dry.


I do see overflow box would prevent all he!! breaking loose but then again if the water is going to overflow not much will stop it.

also, if the U tube is sitting directly inthe tank, how would it be able to break syphon unles the water level was lower than the u tube, or millions of bubbles went up the u tube.

just my 2 cents.

[fshfrk]

Re: without an overflow box

I might be missing somthing but how will the u-tube stay primed.