The Miracle Tank

[sfin52]

So typically you install a check valve on your return line as close to the pump as possible and when the flow is shut off, the check valve closes and it stops the back flow. HOWEVER, check valves are notoriously unreliable at sealing properly and preventing flow from making its way back to the sump.

Melves Reef came up with sort of a backwards check valve setup that Fin has implemented. In this setup the check valve is installed backwards, above the return height. When the return is running it presses water up against the check valve keeping it closed. The second you turn the return pump off, the pressure drop allows the check valve to open and this lets air into the return breaking the siphon and preventing water from draining back into the sump.

VIDEO: Melev's Reef Demonstrates the Anti-Siphon Reverse Check Valve!

Marc Levenson demonstrates the installation of a backwards / reversed check valve as an siphon break on return plumbing for your aquarium.

www.reef2rainforest.com

Yours is a step further and you allow a small trifle of water to go into the over flow. When the pump kicks off the drain allows air into the system breaking the siphon

 

[Fin]

It's so nice to have someone answer your questions for you. It saves a ton of time!

@Fin what type of lighting after you running

ATI T5/LED Hybrid Powermodule. Eight 48" T5 bulbs & Three 150W LED clusters. Also two Kessils mounted on the sides of the canopy.

 

[fishguy242]

It's so nice to have someone answer your questions for you. It saves a ton of time!


ATI T5/LED Hybrid Powermodule. Eight 48" T5 bulbs & Three 150W LED clusters. Also two Kessils mounted on the sides of the canopy.

"let there be light"!! nice

 

[JoshH]

Yours is a step further and you allow a small trifle of water to go into the over flow. When the pump kicks off the drain allows air into the system breaking the siphon

Exactly! I added to my original post as you were responding lol it's a lot of typing.

 

[najer]

Exactly! I added to my original post as you were responding lol it's a lot of typing.

Very informative guys, when the bulkhead went on Sunday I had to remove the spraybar in the display to stop the siphon, I need to do something to stop it if required.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm feeling a little intimidated about plumbing again.

 

[Katrina71]

Baby steps. Baby steps.

 

[Katrina71]

I did find white locline. @najer I'd love a spraybar on each side of the weir with 3 RFGs. That would be sweet. You know I've been thinking about that since day one.

 

[Katrina71]

A spraybar will happen in some manner period.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I am thinking of how many different forms of flow and lighting you might have and I am thinking it is pretty pretty darn cool.

 

[najer]

I did find white locline. @najer I'd love a spraybar on each side of the weir with 3 RFGs. That would be sweet. You know I've been thinking about that since day one.

I have been thinking a lot about my plumbing in general since the weekend oops and thought about the rfg idea again, I am going to look at fittings today to see if there is a 3/4 slip fitting T that I can glue them into.
If I use the small ones I think I can do it with 5 or 6, I think the big ones are just physically big to look at and live with.
Or I ditch the spraybar and get a split Y fitting with two of the big ones!
Check out my back glass, that is 3 days without the spraybar, I will put it back on today to get some proper circulation.

 

[brett_schn]

I looked at AIO. I’m new to the game, but saw that it would be too restrictive. Too few options.

Yeah I get it. I’m used to a 10g tank with hob filter and nothing else growing sps lol

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Spray bars work great if u dont mind the view. Lemme know when ur ready to start picking out zoas for an island or whatever. @thejuice24 and I are gonna start prying his wife into letting me slide over for a frag fest saw marathon. No rush, and tbh I dont even know if u want zoas in there?

Lmk

 

[Katrina71]

Spray bars work great if u dont mind the view. Lemme know when ur ready to start picking out zoas for an island or whatever. @thejuice24 and I are gonna start prying his wife into letting me slide over for a frag fest saw marathon. No rush, and tbh I dont even know if u want zoas in there?

Lmk

You pick. It makes it more special.

 

[NS Mike D]

Good Morning.

Love seeing the progress happening in this thread.

For the first time in months (and more like a year) the tank is looking like a tank again and not a glass coffin of coral death.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

You pick. It makes it more special.

Typical. I gotta pick what u order for dinner too then?

 

[RichtheReefer21]

At least gimme some colors... throw me a bone here..

 

[NS Mike D]

Typical. I gotta pick what u order for dinner too then?

ZoaOmakase

 

[Fin]

So typically you install a check valve on your return line as close to the pump as possible and when the flow is shut off, the check valve closes and it stops the back flow. HOWEVER, check valves are notoriously unreliable at sealing properly and preventing flow from making its way back to the sump.

Melves Reef came up with sort of a backwards check valve setup that Fin has implemented. In this setup the check valve is installed backwards, above the return height. When the return is running it presses water up against the check valve keeping it closed. The second you turn the return pump off, the pressure drop allows the check valve to open and this lets air into the return breaking the siphon and preventing water from draining back into the sump.

VIDEO: Melev's Reef Demonstrates the Anti-Siphon Reverse Check Valve!

Marc Levenson demonstrates the installation of a backwards / reversed check valve as an siphon break on return plumbing for your aquarium.

www.reef2rainforest.com

The method I use is a little simpler in that I have my return line and instead of a 90° elbow to tie the return line into the retun bulkhead, I will use a T. The top of the T has a slip to thread reducer to reduce the top of the return T down to 1/4". From the top of the T coming out of the reducer I'll have a threaded elbow to RODI fitting. From there it's a simple straight RODI line with a 1/4" valve and then another 90° elbow to bring the line down into the overflow. Once the return is up and running water will flow out of this line and back into the overflow, you can tune the flow to almost a trickle and when you turn the return off, it will instantly allow air into the line breaking the siphon. Here's a very crude drawing of how it's setup.....

Both of these methods are essentially just siphon breaks to prevent excessive back flow into the sump from the Display. You can also drill a hole into your return line itself however these need frequent attention and can be tricky to get right as you need the proper size hole to let enough air in to break the siphon but you don't want too much of a hole that you're letting too much flow out of the hole. Hense the route I took, which takes a 1/4" hole in the line and let's you easily adjust it to match the size you actually need to break the siphon without having to drill multiple holes.

My overflow is completely covered with the one-piece magnetic wier. I couldn't use that method without drilling a hole in the top, which I can't do because the top is very close to the rear Euro-brace. I definitely wouldn't want to block any opening in the wier. I think my application is the best for my system. Just depends on what you have to work with.

 

[Fin]

I did find white locline. @najer I'd love a spraybar on each side of the weir with 3 RFGs. That would be sweet. You know I've been thinking about that since day one.

Keep in mind that it takes a bit of flow to make those RFGs work right. I think that six of them on a spray bar in a 90 would be excessive and you might not get the result you are considering. One on each side should be sufficient. With DIY spraybars, you have to be careful of the angle of the holes you drill. You might end up with 10 spraying where you want them and one spraying up into your lights. Ask me how I know.

At least gimme some colors... throw me a bone here..

This reminds me of my wife going out to pick up some crappy fast food for dinner. She asks me what I want and I say it doesn't really matter, chicken or burgers, whichever you prefer. Of course, she then says, "Which one??!!!" She can't narrow it down out of two choices.