Starting the siphon.

[FinsToTheLeft]

This may be a dumb question but...

How do you start the siphon on an overflow box?

I cant figure out where to put my lips. LOL.

Seriously how?

-FTTL

[Largo50]

I have 2 types of overflow boxes.

One has a plastic tube on a nipple on the top that I such the air out of and clamp to keep from loosing syphon.

The other is a U tube that I hang from the tank into the box on back. I poke a plastic tub into the U tube until it is at the bend( wher the top will be when in place.

Fill it as full of water as I can and turn it over.

Then I suck the air out of the top until then is little or none left and remove the plastic tube.

[Roy G. Biv]

I used to use an air line hose that I put up to the top of the bend. Then SUCK!

[FinsToTheLeft]

Thanks for the info. Now I got some idea how to do it.

[iwishtofish]

Yes, you'll want to insert an air line hose into your u-tube so the tip is at the apex of the bend, as Largo50 and Pmolan have said.

Then put your u-tube in place carefully so that the hose is not pulled out of position. Before sucking the air out to prime the siphon, you need to be sure to have enough water in both the outer and inner overflow boxes. You'll know you don't have enough water in there if you don't succeed in maintaining the siphon. Once the air is out, plug the end of the air line hose with your tongue and then bend it to clamp it. Then pull/wiggle the air line hose out of the u-tube while holding the u-tube in place.

Not exactly sure which overflow you have, but this is how I prime my Life Reef overflow.

[reefworm]

easiest way I've done it is a variation on Largo50's last method: invert the U-tube into the tank so it's completely full. Use a bit of plastic food wrap over each end to keep all the water in. Quickly turn it over into your overflow and slip off the plastic wrap. Done. No sucking, air lines or any such thing. Any small bubble left usually gets pushed through after a few minutes.

[Ricky1066]

NO as My wife puts it You have to "Suck fish ****" Just as was said stick asmall plastic tube up in the u tube alittle past center make sure both sides of your overflow have water in it and suck the water through the small tube as you suck the water will rise as it rises slowly pull out the small line you are blowing on and then you will have some flow going
But 99% of the time you end up sucking fish****

[reefworm]

Wow. sounds like she's having you do penance for having the tank :D

[FinsToTheLeft]

Thanks for all the ideas...

I think i will try reefworms method first to avoid a mouthful of saltwater...lol.

Thanks again.

-FTTL

[Nyxe]

I wad up a (clean) paper towel, soak it in my tank water. I hold the U-tube under water to fill up. Then I stuff both sides of the U-tube with the paper towel. Then I put the U-tube (filled with water and blocked) in the overflow, stick my hand in and pull out both sides of the paper towel. Check and make sure there is no air bubble, if there is, do it again.

I've had a bad experience with sucking on an air-line tube when I was younger. My brother dared me to do it in our old freshwater tank when I was a kid, and I ended up swallowing a guppy ...

[Kep]

Swallowing guppies prepares you for college!