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06/02/2020, 08:06 PM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 5
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Aqua lifter overflow boxes? Any good?
I’ve been looking at the overflow boxes that use the aqua lifter pumps to remove trapped air, which would be a HUGE help for me, but right before I bought one I started seeing that they were generally overwhelmingly negatively reviewed. If they work well it would be fantastic, so I really want to look into it. Much of the negative reviews include that they clog very easily, and are hard to unclog,but I honestly don’t really see how they COULD clog easily, since it’s a very long area of siphon. Can anyone give me their thoughts from personal experiences with those overflows, please?
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06/03/2020, 08:31 AM | #2 |
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Miller Place, NY
Posts: 7,206
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The area inside the box is too large causing a slower flow of water.
THE most important thing with an overflow box is betting any air out of the siphon tube. If it remains it will eventually reside @ the top causing slower flow. Eventually NO FLOW & a FLOOD. If you are close to me I have one that never overflowed,@ a bargain, very similar to a Lifereef which is what I would recommend.
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250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps. |
06/11/2020, 02:11 PM | #3 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 5
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Quote:
No, sadly I’m not in ur area:/ thank you, though |
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06/11/2020, 04:38 PM | #4 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 368
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Quote:
The air gets stuck in there due to insufficient flow velocity, the water simply isn't moving fast enough if the overflow is too large. A smaller U-tube will naturally flow at a faster rate in order to pass the same volume of water, and this allows it self-clear any air bubbles. It's something that really isn't discussed much when it comes to external overflows in that you need to make sure the flow rate of the pump and the flow rate of the u-tube are compatible in order to create this self-clearing effect. This is one of those situations were you need to use the correct size, and over-sizing can create serious issues. The aqua-lifter pumps are a way to clear out air bubbles and I'm told work fantastic as long as they are functioning. BUT if the aqua-lifter pump fails and you don't notice in time, the air bubbles begin to accumulate. Eventually it's enough to break the siphon and potentially overflow the tank. -Hans
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This hobby would be easier if my local stores had more fish. https://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2701233 Current Tank Info: Slowly stocking up 150 gallons, only a little livestock right now. |
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Tags |
aqua, box, lifter, overflow |
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