Reliable HOB overflows?

[mr. bojangsjang]

Are there any HOB overflows that work 100% of the time? I want a sump for my glass tank but can't drill it myself nor have any glass place willing to drill it for me with a guarantee.

[sjm817]

Its not hard to drill the tank yourself. If you do go HOB, the most reliable is a Lifereef (http://www.lifereef.com/siphon.html)

[crispyreef]

I like CPR. You don't have to mess with the U-tube that lifereef uses.

[DrHank]

I've been using a CPR for over 5 years without problems. I added a Duro to cut down on noise as well.

[mr. bojangsjang]

What makes the lifereef ones so dependable? They look great but aren't they run with an air-pump like all the others?

[Ironsheikh]

the u tube goes below the drain pipe so its supposed to restart siphon on power loss....

its pretty good I guess --I bought one but resold it cuz it was damaged during shipping, amiracle makes the same design, and so does pro clear -- they cost around $65 - 100

I have a hurricane overflow that im going to try cost about $40 but the acrylic is thinner -

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8538125#post8538125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr. bojangsjang
What makes the lifereef ones so dependable? They look great but aren't they run with an air-pump like all the others?
What make the LR so reliable is they dont need an air pump. They maintain a siphon perfectly without anything that needs to be plugged in. There are other design features that LR employs that make them a better overflow than others that look similar. The only overflows that require an air pump are the models like the CPR with the integrated C channel. Due to the low velocity in the channel, they can not keep air accumulation clear on their own and rely on a pump to do so. The pump can fail or clog. The most common problem is the air nipple in the overflow clogging which renders the pump inoperable.

[mg426]

I have used a Overflow that is very similar to the LR for three years and have yet to have any problems with it.

[pete620]

I recently got an amiracle. I haven't put it on my tank yet but I have had it on a 5 gallon bucket in my bathroom for a few hours to make sure the siphon holds. So far I forsee no problems.

If you do get a U-tube overflow make sure there is a baffle in the box that hangs outside the tank between the u-tube and the drain, this is what prevents the siphon from breaking. Also make sure you paint the u-tube black with an aquarium safe paint, this will prevent algae from growing in the tube and clogging it. (you can always leave a small window open so you can see inside the tube.)

[sjm817]

I had an a couple of Amiracles before the Lifereef. Very good, reliable overflows. The only thing with them is they cant handle a lot of flow. A mag5 pretty much maxes them out. The LR can flow like twice what an Amiracle can. I dont pretend to understand why.

I would not paint the U Tube. You want to be able to see whats going on in there. I use a little plastic shield above the overflow to keep the light out. Its very easy to clean out the tube every once an awhile.

[46bfinGA]

i have used a lifereef for over two years and have no complaints.would be a good idea to make a durso in the drain box to quiet it down a bit.

[angelopasto]

I agree with sjm817 about the drilling. If you can, go that way and avoid the overflow box. We just had a whole discussion about CPR overflow boxes on another thread tonight.

[mr. bojangsjang]

So basically the Lifereef is 100% safe? I guess I will buy one then :)