Will this Herbie overflow work?

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Hello all I have a reef ready tank drilled through the bottom with 2 overflow boxed. (150 gallon tank) I want to do a Herbie system drain and wanted to know if this would work with the main siphon drain on one side and the emergency drain on the other with a return on each side. Any info would be great.

See attached picture.

[Brando5185]

Very hard to balance this way.

[thegrun]

I agree, it can be done but it's very tricky. You have to get the height of the emergency drain just right. It takes a lot of playing around and isn't very stable You are better off going over the top (back) with your returns and using all 4 holes for drains.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Hmm...okay I really cant go with the return line up the back as the tank will be sitting against the wall flush. Would it make more sense to have 1 return, 1 full siphon and 2 emergency drains? I guess this would be more like the bean animal?

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Or, would it make sense to have 2 full siphons and 1 emergency drain and 1 return?

[mcgyvr]

I'd do the bean setup..
What size bulkheads though?
Any chance of doing the returns up/over the side of the tank near the back corner?

[nereefpat]

Seams like everyone always wants to do Herbie the hard way.

The best/proven way is to run a return over the back. The tank doesn't have to be away from the wall much more than 3/4".

[ICE JUICE]

just run the bean setup

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Originally Posted by ICE JUICE

just run the bean setup

When you say just run the bean set up are you talking about the way I have it drawn? Or run a different way? I cant really do the return over the back and I think it looks terrible.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Originally Posted by nereefpat

Seams like everyone always wants to do Herbie the hard way.

The best/proven way is to run a return over the back. The tank doesn't have to be away from the wall much more than 3/4".

When you say the hard way what do you mean? I really don't like the return up over the back I think it looks horrible and I don't have a lot of room

[nereefpat]

Originally Posted by Sgt Jonny Cat

When you say the hard way what do you mean? I really don't like the return up over the back I think it looks horrible and I don't have a lot of room

The "hard way" for the reasons mentioned by thegrun and brando. I have dual herbies, and they work awesome.

I don't know what you mean by looking horrible...you can't see the pipes behind the tank, assuming your tank has a background. And like I said, you only need a little more than 3/4".

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Originally Posted by nereefpat

The "hard way" for the reasons mentioned by thegrun and brando. I have dual herbies, and they work awesome.

I don't know what you mean by looking horrible...you can't see the pipes behind the tank, assuming your tank has a background. And like I said, you only need a little more than 3/4".

ok so in doing it this way would I have a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow with the return coming up the back. I guess you're right you would never see the pipe. Would you ever drill a return hole in the back of the tank between the overflows for the return??

[nereefpat]

Originally Posted by Sgt Jonny Cat

ok so in doing it this way would I have a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow with the return coming up the back.

Yes, or even multiple returns if you wanted.

I guess you're right you would never see the pipe. Would you ever drill a return hole in the back of the tank between the overflows for the return??

You sure could.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Ok everyone, your input has been great and it looks like the safest way to do it is a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow and run a pvc return line up the back. I'm thinking I may drill a hole in the back between the overflows for the return line to come through. Basically for esthetics value.

[water is wet]

Just one siphon in each overflow and an emergency drain in one with the return in the other.

[nereefpat]

Originally Posted by Sgt Jonny Cat

Ok everyone, your input has been great and it looks like the safest way to do it is a siphon and emergency drain in each overflow and run a pvc return line up the back. I'm thinking I may drill a hole in the back between the overflows for the return line to come through. Basically for esthetics value.

I like your plan. The bean system was suggested because it's "better." But it requires drilling several holes and removing/patching existing overflows.

For drilling, in case you didn't know:
Get your bulkhead first, so you know what size of hole saw to use. The EDGE of the hole needs to be AT LEAST 1 diameter lower than the top of the tank.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Originally Posted by water is wet

Just one siphon in each overflow and an emergency drain in one with the return in the other.

Is this what you use in your tank? Do you have a picture?

[water is wet]

Like you i'm in the process of setting up a new tank, mine is a 120 with dual overflows and that's how i'm going to plumb it. My previous tank was a 500 gallon with a single 16" overflow in the middle with two siphon's one emergency and one return. It worked well and I don't see any reason why this won't work.

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Originally Posted by water is wet

Like you i'm in the process of setting up a new tank, mine is a 120 with dual overflows and that's how i'm going to plumb it. My previous tank was a 500 gallon with a single 16" overflow in the middle with two siphon's one emergency and one return. It worked well and I don't see any reason why this won't work.

Thanks for the input, what size PVC are you using?

[water is wet]

1" for the drains and 3/4" for the return. I'm going to reduce the flow in one of the drains down to less than half and make my adjustments with the other.