My 180g, 4 sided viewable project thread

[FEATHERGIRL]

well i've read this thread a few times and it seems like some one made a mistake on the tank, but did you not have the final say on how many holes to drill usually I give the last command on my custom tanks and make sure it is done one hundred percent to my specifications to insure nothing like this happens, sounds like some one really dropped the ball and should be held fully responsible for this mabye not the company's fault completely .But this is omo so good luck and lets not be to high school on the company after all we are only human ...

[Hookup]

well i've read this thread a few times....

Credit for that... wow...

and it seems like some one made a mistake on the tank, but did you not have the final say on how many holes to drill usually I give the last command on my custom tanks and make sure it is done one hundred percent to my specifications to insure nothing like this happens, sounds like some one really dropped the ball and should be held fully responsible for this mabye not the company's fault completely .But this is omo so good luck and lets not be to high school on the company after all we are only human ...

No doubt, however no amount of crying and finger-pointing will make a hole appear...

Both the LFS (Ottawa Inverts) and the Builder (Miracles) worked with me to come up with several options.  Some better than others, but there was a lot of work done to rectify the situation.  In the end, I'm sticking with the 12-hole version and modifying the flow-plan to adapt.  I'm having a custom stainless-steel rim made for the tank to hide the ugly-eurobracing, and cover up the water-line for a cleaner look.

I've got a task-list and a parts-list created.  The priority at this point is to build the silent overflows and test them out.  I've got to find a place to get 4" to 1.5" cone-shaped reducers then get the dremil tool out and have some fun...

[jon1985]

I was at Home Depot last night nd they have 4"-1 1/2" cups.

[Hookup]

I was at Home Depot last night nd they have 4"-1 1/2" cups.

You Sir, are a Steely-Eyed-Missle-Man... THANK YOU!

[Contains Moose]

  I've got to find a place to get 4" to 1.5" cone-shaped reducers then get the dremil tool out and have some fun...

You are not going to cut teeth in them are you?

[Hookup]

not at all... surface skimming is better at the surface...

[Contains Moose]

Here's a drain option for you.

light blue would be your siphon, dark blue open channel and red for safety.

[Hookup]

Thats a pretty cool fitting...

Light-Blue is 1.5 schedule 40 diamater equlivlant I assume?

Personally, I'd get rid of the Red  "Safty" version, and have two of those in the tank... with two of them, essentially thats 4 drain-lines... Two siphons and 2 open lines... pretty darn safe at that point...

Do you have a prototype working?

[salvini55]

I like the overflow, cool design.

[Contains Moose]

Thats a pretty cool fitting...

Light-Blue is 1.5 schedule 40 diamater equlivlant I assume?

Personally, I'd get rid of the Red  "Safty" version, and have two of those in the tank... with two of them, essentially thats 4 drain-lines... Two siphons and 2 open lines... pretty darn safe at that point...

Do you have a prototype working?

if you go to just two bulkheads then you can have siphon, open channel and safety and use the last as a return... there I just found the missing hole:)

[fishsticks]

bwhaha that is funny

[Hookup]

if you go to just two bulkheads then you can have siphon, open channel and safety and use the last as a return... there I just found the missing hole:)

I have two primary concerns with that design.

1) Flow... what volume can the siphon chamber provide given the space?  Not that Im personally looking for 1000gph.
2) Cloging... the space is vastly restricted given it's Tripple-Purpose... Things that will not clog a 1.5" pipe will pose possible issue in the restricted space... if one overflow shuts-down, then the other must handle the entire flow.. (see concern #1).

It feels like too much is going on in such a small space... use a pipe bigger than 1.5" and you are onto something that's pretty cool IMO... A Herbie-Style all-in one overflow system... I've never seen anything like this before...

[Contains Moose]

I have two primary concerns with that design.

1) Flow... what volume can the siphon chamber provide given the space?  Not that Im personally looking for 1000gph.
2) Cloging... the space is vastly restricted given it's Tripple-Purpose... Things that will not clog a 1.5" pipe will pose possible issue in the restricted space... if one overflow shuts-down, then the other must handle the entire flow.. (see concern #1).

It feels like too much is going on in such a small space... use a pipe bigger than 1.5" and you are onto something that's pretty cool IMO... A Herbie-Style all-in one overflow system... I've never seen anything like this before...

It does look like a lot is going on but that is just a concept, I hope to have some serious flow number once I get the test tank built, it wasn't a recommendation just a simple option to make you think...

[Hookup]

Hehe.. .I like to think... It is a good design for sure...

[Canoe]

... there I just found the missing hole:)   ...

No photo of the missing hole, but but I guess a diagram is better than the photo I couldn't take.  ;-)

I like. From work with heat exchangers I know that the round within round is surprisingly low drag.

If the horizontal intake/outtakes are offset from center (for each flow: offset to left at one end, other end offset to right), then the flow swirls around the inner pipe, taking a smooth continuous path and has even less total drag (intake to tube drag is greatly reduced, flow drag somewhat increased: net reduction). Sidesteps the fact that the flow is making a 90 degree turn.

Don't get the distance between any two surfaces too small or there's no room for a boundary-layer of water against the surfaces of the pipe and flow drag is greatly increased. If you're just taking the one bulkhead and make it into a straight pipe and one outer pipe, then you should have plenty. Careful on spacing if you go for the three channels.

For implementing it with standard fittings (not optimal for drag), the outer pipe can feed a T and can then be reduced to the next inner pipe by a cone. With vertical placement like this watch that debris doesn't build up in the cone as it is below the flow taken off by the T fitting. (surprised I don't have a photo of this!)

[holachicka]

Ok - after 2 days of reading this thread, while at work, I am finally caught up....Holy Crapola, you must of been pissed with the issues. Some of you folk are extremely funny and I have to say, this has been the most interesting thread I've had the pleasure of reading Amazing design and I cannot wait to see it once it is all done! Keep up the post - I do believe you have a following

[Canoe]

.. Two siphons and 2 open lines... pretty darn safe at that point...

Depends. Would both compound drains feed the sump?
Also, the (red) fail-safe open line makes lots of noise if it kicks in, alerting you to a problem.

[Contains Moose]

Depends. Would both compound drains feed the sump?
Also, the (red) fail-safe open line makes lots of noise if it kicks in, alerting you to a problem.

If the gravity drain is engineered correctly then it will make noise as it will have more than enough area to handle a siphon, it will be an alert noise.

[Canoe]

If the gravity drain is engineered correctly then it will make noise as it will have more than enough area to handle a siphon, it will be an alert noise.

Not sure what you mean as drains work by gravity.

With the three channels available through the single bulkhead, I'm thinking that it can handle Bean-Animal's design as per http://beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx (tons of feedback on implementations on Reef Central)

The siphon handles most of the normal drain flow, with the open-line handling a trickle, and hence near silent operation. If the siphon blocks, the open-line gets more flow, and makes noticeably more noise. If the siphon and open-line both block, the fail-safe open-line gets the flow - it is very noisy.

[Contains Moose]

Not sure what you mean as drains work by gravity.

With the three channels available through the single bulkhead, I'm thinking that it can handle Bean-Animal's design as per http://beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx (tons of feedback on implementations on Reef Central)

The siphon handles most of the normal drain flow, with the open-line handling a trickle, and hence near silent operation. If the siphon blocks, the open-line gets more flow, and makes noticeably more noise. If the siphon and open-line both block, the fail-safe open-line gets the flow - it is very noisy.

Drains that are not large enough make noise because they move from being a gravity feed to a siphon as the level rises, when the siphon kicks in the drain speeds up and drains the water quicker than the supply then sucks air, that is where the noise comes from.