Starting Syphon

[Jennie]

What is the best way to start the syphon from an overflow box on an above tank fuge?

[::pete::]

Either with a power head or your mouth.

[Instar]

When you say overflow box, that means it can overflow into the tank once its full. Do you mean something else with a siphon tube to bring the water back in from a box that is at the same level? Picture?
To start the siphon tube, use a long piece of plastic air line tubing and stick it up inside the siphon tube to the very top where the air is. Then simply suck out the air until you get all of it out and some water comes up into the air tubing. Now with the siphon tube full of water, it will start. (Be sure to keep the siphon tube clean and free from algae growth.) This will not work without additional devices if the refugium is truly above the tank as it will drain the refugium and fail to restart after taking on air.

[Jennie]

We have it set up with the fuge a few feet above the the main tank. There is an overflow box with a U-tube in the fuge gravity feeding into main tank, with a pump in main tank pumping up to the fuge.

[Instar]

So the overflow box is outside the refugium and the u-tube goes between the refugium and the overflow box? If the u-tube goes straight to the main tank, it can't work.

[Jennie]

No, the overflow box is set up with a little box in the fuge with a slightly larger box outside the fuge. U-tube connecting them, with 1/2" ID tubing draining from bottom of outside box to back corner of main tank.

[::pete::]

What gets the water back to the fuge?

[Jennie]

Pump in back corner of main tank.

[::pete::]

Just like Larry said, you have to suck the air out of the tube when it is in place using a small air hose. Make sense?

[Jennie]

Thanks, and yes it does

[z28pwr]

As every one else said you have to such the air out of the tube. Now if you have any friends that work in the medical field have them get you the leftovers of a breast augmentation case, specifically the syringe and the one way valve, which will allow you to remove air from the tube and have it released out the other end, saves you're mouth from some nasty salt.

Another way if you have the round tubes is submerge the tubes completely in water then cover both ends with your fingers and while having both ends covered quickly put it in place then remove your fingers and as long as the water level is higher then the tube and you do a good job of covering up the holes it will start a siphon.

[Jennie]

anyone with a quick solution to 'flushing toilet' syndrome???

[::pete::]

ear plugs .... :D

Is the flow out of your box reduced at all?

[Jennie]

I don't believe so, I've finally got the flow balanced, it just sounds horrible.

[Instar]

The physics of it all give you that flush sound. You can angle the down pipe to the side and get rid of that noise. When this can't be done or isn't thought about, people use a durso stand pipe or similar rig.

[::pete::]

Heres a quick fix to quiet it a little. Take a piece of tube and put a cable tie on it to keep the tube from falling through. As you snug it up on the tube dont cut the excess off this will keep it on top of the drain. Then set it in the drain. Its helps.

or www.DursoStandpipes.com

[Jennie]

Going to try that right now. Lets hope it helps

[Jennie]

So far so good! Thanks Pete. Now though Im curious. Doing this is the same thing as decreasing the size of the output of the fuge (outerbox of overflow) right? When I set it up I used 1/2"ID-5/8"OD hose for both input and output. Over time (please let it not be tonight while we're asleep) won't the outerbox of overflow slowly fill and overflow? The flows we're matched before I used your suggestion, so I just worry that by blocking the output of the fuge that they are no longer matched. I hope I'm making since.

[::pete::]

Its now grabbing the air thru the tube instead of with the water. It never caused a problem when I did it. If it is going to change the flow you will know shortly. Keep an eye on the levels.

[Jennie]

I've jumped out of this chair 5 times in the last 10 minutes, level is the same. Think I'll mark it with a dry erase marker and give it an hour just to be on the safe side.

[::pete::]

:D

How big is the tube you used? What is the return pump?

[Jennie]

The tube I used is 1/2" Id 5/8" Od. The pump used to send water up to the fuge is a Mini-Jet 606 set to it's lowest setting. The overflow is up in the fuge gravity feeding back to main tank.

[::pete::]

I meant the tube you put in.

[NaCl_H2O]

I've jumped out of this chair 5 times in the last 10 minutes

LOL, been there, done that :-D

If you have room, a Durso style standpipe will we wisper quiet :zzz:

[Jennie]

Oops, Sorry :oops: . It's been a long day, in my defense. It's standard airline tubing, not sure of the size really.

[NaCl_H2O]

Jennie, I just went back and read this "whole" thread (not just the funny part)!

If I get this right:
- Main tank has a power head pushing water to a fuge above the tank
- Fuge has a hang-on u-tube style overflow
- Drain from overflow (Outside fuge) drains back into the main tank
- Toilet flush is coming from the fuge overflow drain

Right?

If so, Pete's suggestion (or better yet a Durso) will eliminate the noise. However, either solution will result in a water/air mixture returning to your main tank, and micro-bubbles in your main tank.

Getting a "Safe" flow with no bubbles from a fuge is "Challenging". I have been trying various combinations on mine for about 3 weeks and I think I finally have it solved. If interested, I'll try to draw up my solution and post it.

- Steve

[Jennie]

All of that is correct Steve, and please post your solution. In the hour or so that I used Pete's solution, there have been no 'bubbles' going into main tank. What I did with the gravity feed live into main tank was place it into the HOB filter attached to the main tank. Without the powerhead in the maintank there wasn't much circulation. Between the HOB filter and the input from the fuge the circulation is just about right. I'm assuming that with the hose behind the polyfiber insert, the bubbles are being disburst there and not going into the tank. Looking into the durso option for the long run issue.

[NaCl_H2O]

OK, I gave it a try, hope this is clear? No overflow on my fuge, just a 1" bulkhead towards the bottom of the side. That flows through 1" PVC to a Tee where I convert to 1/2" PVC with a ball valve - actually I feed several tanks from my fuge. From the ball valve(s) I dump striaght into the tank with a 90 deg elbow. The ball valve(s) allow me to restrict flow so I can balance output from the fuge with the inflow from the sump. This is a "Dangerous" setup due to variations in flow, clogged drains, etc., so you will also notice the "Emergency" overflow above the normal fuge water level back to the sump.

If I understand your last reply, you are dumping the ruturn from the fuge back into your filter? That may restrict some of the flow of "Critters" from your fuge?

Note: Drawing is not to scale - my tanks "are" larger than my fuge, if only slightly ;)

[Jennie]

Ok, the fuge is up and running. No floods yet. I have some red grape caulpra and some caulerpa peltata already in place and pods running galore. I would like to seed the fuge with some more critters, anyone know of a good online dealer that sales just the critters. I've found some people that sale them but they come with micro, and I don't think I need any of that right now, just need the critters. Thanks in advance.