New tank design graphic ... Tell me what you think...

[Myka]

The Herbies have an overflow box with TWO drainlines on each overflow. Once drain line is just a bulkhead out the bottom of the box, call it drain A. Drain B is in the same box next to Drain A, and is also a bulkhead on the bottom of the box, but Drain B has a pipe on it so that it is several inches taller than Drain A. Drain A has a gate valve on it to constrict the flow so that the water in the box remains a couple inches above drain A's bulkhead, so there is NO air in Drain A drain line. Drain B doesn't have any valves on it. Now, eventually Drain A will clog or partially clog which will back the water up so it raises in the box. When it gets high enough the water will start going down Drain B along with a bunch of air as it "sucks". It will happily run this way until there is a point in which Drain B also gets clogged, but this won't happen because Drain B will be really noisy. This is your alert that Drain A has clogged, and needs maintenance.

Now, how's that for confusing?

Here's a pic of my tentative plumbing including the Herbie overflow. Drain A would be the green line on the right, and Drain B would be the green line on the left. On my line A there is a gate valve (the higher black thingy), and a union (the lower black thingy).


Here's a link to the original Herbie thread on Reef Central:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=344892

[Megalodon]

So does this mean I have to silicone a glass overflow box in my tank?

[Myka]

Yes, but outside of the tank...external overflow box.

[Megalodon]

Originally Posted by Myka

Yes, but outside of the tank...external overflow box.

Are you sure the way I have it doesn't have the same effect? I don't know, just asking. I mean, do you really know, because I sure as heck don't. I've never had a drilled tank before.

The gate valve is adjusted so that the tank's water level goes up a bit and covers the intakes so that they don't suck up air. It'd be using the whole tank as its own great big overflow box. If the tank water ever gets too high, the third overflow, the backup, will start draining the water.

I know it would work but what I'm not sure about if it's going to be quiet enough for my liking.

If it does make a bit of noise from air getting sucked in I suppose I could always put a reverse durso on the drain in the sump.

[Myka]

Your way won't work. If you put gate valve on all three of your lines, then even if only one of them gets clogged you will have a big puddle to clean up!! The point of the Herbie is to be able to use the gate valves to throttle down the drains so there is NO AIR in the drains making them silent (the other end needs to be under water in the sump too). The second drain is for when the first one clogs up, and it will.

[mark]

It should work if I'm understanding your last drawing plus making an assumption. Plus a Herbies as not drawing air are silent.

All three of you bulkheads are drilled to the same height, and within the tank you have a 90° pointing up (assumption). The heights in the tank of B and the one on the right (connected to E) are the same, with 1 being higher than the other two. On 1 and Z you have no valve and is the backup.

Something that might take some playing. I was doing some experimenting with a Herbie in a 33g running with no overflow box, just a standpipe coming up in the corner from a 1" bulkhead in bottom of the tank. Was just using a little pump so flow was 230gph. I adjusted the valve so the water stayed at a steady height and ended up I had 2 7/8" of water above the top of the standpipe. Where the playing comes in is adjusting the standpipe so the final water level is where you want it.

[Megalodon]

Originally Posted by mark

It should work if I'm understanding your last drawing plus making an assumption. Plus a Herbies as not drawing air are silent.

All three of you bulkheads are drilled to the same height, and within the tank you have a 90° pointing up (assumption). The heights in the tank of B and the one on the right (connected to E) are the same, with 1 being higher than the other two. On 1 and Z you have no valve and is the backup.

That is correct. The backup overflow is higher than the other two. The backup drain line also doesn't have a gate valve and it's completely unrestricted.

Originally Posted by mark

Something that might take some playing. I was doing some experimenting with a Herbie in a 33g running with no overflow box, just a standpipe coming up in the corner from a 1" bulkhead in bottom of the tank. Was just using a little pump so flow was 230gph. I adjusted the valve so the water stayed at a steady height and ended up I had 2 7/8" of water above the top of the standpipe. Where the playing comes in is adjusting the standpipe so the final water level is where you want it.

Yeah, it will definitely take some playing with the pipe heights. I will not glue anything in place until I achieve the perfect height. And since the tank will be acting as the overflow I'm assuming that if the power goes out I'll need a larger sump to take up the additional water.

Increasing the size of my refuge and sump are in the works now. I saw some unusual tanks at Big Al's that might work. The sump will then be 25 gallons and the refuge 20. If my CorelDraw trail doesn't expire I'll try and post an updated diagram.

[Megalodon]

Originally Posted by Myka

Your way won't work. If you put gate valve on all three of your lines, then even if only one of them gets clogged you will have a big puddle to clean up!! The point of the Herbie is to be able to use the gate valves to throttle down the drains so there is NO AIR in the drains making them silent (the other end needs to be under water in the sump too). The second drain is for when the first one clogs up, and it will.

The backup overflow doesn't have a gate valve though. And it's higher than the other two. If the first two get clogged up then the third backup overflow, unrestricted, will kick in.