Would this work?

[Haole]

Right now on my 40gal tank, I’m using a surface skimming siphon overflow.
It was locally made and the skimming box that sits in the tank is rather small, but I like it because it’s not all that distracting. The only problem as you can guess is that being that it’s so small, I don’t think that it’s really all that effective. It does keep the water surface perfectly clear, but it seems kinda hit and miss with pulling things from the water column. Maybe as soon as I figure out where some of the plastic shops are around town and scrounge some money together, I’ll plan to get the proper adhesives and materials to make something like the picture below. I love the coast to coast set up that some people have so I figured maybe something like this might be able to work for people like me who are restricted to one box located somewhere in their tank.

What do ya think?.... Will it work?
Or has somebody already done this that I’m not aware of yet?

 

[NaH2O]

I think that would work fine. Some folks use the coast to coast with center overflows, so I don't see why it wouldn't work. Be sure to post pics!

 

[Haole]

Thanks Nikki!
I’ll do that as soon as I scrounge enough money together to get a digital camera too! lol :lol:

 

[RandyStacyE]

Until then, maybe try to add an additional siphon tube. I did that to an overflow in a 55 gal tank of mine and it made a big difference. It quickly equalized the inner and outer overflow boxes and makes it handle more flow as well.
You can make them out of PVC; just 2 90s and some PVC pipe.

I always drill a hole in the top of one end, stick a little “air hose barb” in there and attach an air hose. This way you can suck on the hose to prime the siphon tube and then submerge the hose in the exterior overflow box. The clear U tubes are nice, but I hate priming them you have to stick an air hose up in the U and it’s a pain in the U know what.

 

[Krish]

I did that to an overflow in a 55 gal tank of mine and it made a big difference. It quickly equalized the inner and outer overflow boxes and makes it handle more flow as well.
You can make them out of PVC; just 2 90s and some PVC pipe.

Did you have to increase the size of your hose leading from the prefilter to the sump after adding the additional "U" tube to handle the flow?

 

[RandyStacyE]

No not at all. You see your overflow is already handling 100% of the flow right now (unless you've intentionally restricted your pump). I’d be willing to bet that your internal overflow box is not skimming all that well because the water level in that box is just a tiny bit lower than the water level in the tank.

Not to make it sound all complex or anything ~ it really isn’t. Your U tube simply balances the level of the inner and outer box. If your flow is too high or U tube is too small it can’t efficiently balance it. Adding another U tube will definitely balance it efficiently.

You’ll have to check it on occasion to make sure the new U tube hasn’t broke siphon and if it does just pull out that little hose and prime it.

 

[RandyStacyE]

If you do choose to ... lets say ... add a pump or get a bigger pump you may then have to increase the size of your pipe/hose or add a second one.

Do you use a standard stand pipe with a pre-filter in your siphon overflow? When I bought my overflow it came standard like that. It made too much noise for my taste. I quickly made a Durso stand pipe and it made the overflow dead silent.

My first problem was the Durso wouldn't fit with my U tubes; so I had to modify the Durso so that it would fit. This is easy if you have access to a decent saw. You can actually cut the T fitting and the 90 degree elbow and just glue them together. Now it should fit. Doing this will not in any way effect the performance of the Durso stand pipe. I love the Durso and would never go without one.