Has anyone tried a Herbie overflow?

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Ugla

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2004
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225
Location
Lynnwood, WA
I am setting up a new 125. I have a durso in my current 100 and it works pretty flawlessly except it still has some noise/ I am considering using the Herbie method in the new tank. Wondering if anyone here has tried it and what you experience is.

Herbie controls water level in the overflow with a gate valve on the return, so there is no air in the line. It also adds a second safety drain a little higher as a back up in case the first one backs up. Seems like a really plus as there are no air bubbles going into the sump and no flushing action. No bubbles would keep the walls of my stand drier. I am adding a closed loop with a dart pump, so am trying to deal as muchl of the noise as possible.
 
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I have the bean animal overflow on my tank, which integrates the herbie design with a few changes. It is dead silent and I have no micro bubbles in my sump. the only downside to this overflow is the coast to coast which takes up a little extra room in your tank, but it does help out with surface agitation. back to your question I would say the herbie design should be pretty quiet being that it is a continuous syphon with no air in it.
 
Bean also. Once you get it adjusted it's very, very silent. I too went with a coast-to-coast overflow but I did it with a 3" box that runs the length of the tank so I didn't lose much room. The coast-to-coast provides excellent surface skimming as well. Anyway, as long as you setup the Herbie so that you're not drawing any air into I think you'll be happy.

Mike
 
Herbie here and it's dead silent. Just have to adjust the gate valve for flow occasionally. We also installed it a coast to coast for the best surface skimming we could get. It's the only way we will go if given the choice.
 
Your OF box will determine what you have room for. My new build w/1.5" stand pipes required a 8.5 x 16 box. Marineland doesn't do coast to coast, but my system has 36" to play with for an end installation. Measure first! Also, no one locally has the "PVC" 1.5" sanitary tee needed for proper drain. And the adhesive that glues both ABS and PVC are not for potable use, toxic? only mentioned by McLendons. But online is pretty cheap at 90cents ea. You'll pay more for the ship charge though.
 
I used a Herbie for a short time and once you have it dialed in it is very quiet. It's a pretty easy DIY project as well.
 
Does your new 125 have overflow boxes in it already? If not, a coast to coast is a pretty easy thing to install. Is your new tank glass or acrylic?

Mike
 
Thanks for all the info. I already have two overflow boxes in the corners. One is drilled for the bulkhead the other is now and needs to be drilled. Just need to work out how to put two drains in them. It is acrylic Mike.
 

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