Blacking out Overflow U tube?

I've read that it's a good idea to black out the U Tube from the overflow box in order to prevent algae from growing inside of it. I've been trying to think of a way to do this, maybe with paint or black tape.
What are some ways you've done this?
Also, if you do black out the tube, then how do you if you've got all the air out of the tube when starting? Or is that a moot point?

 

It's not a moot point. IMO that's exactly why you should not black out the U-Tube. How would you know if there's an air bubble in it while it's running, or a snail?

If you do not have algae issues in general, then algae growing in the U-Tube won't really impact anything.

If you do have algae problems, then I think it really is a moot point. By that I mean, it's like worrying about the curtains on the titanic. Ya know?

 

eh i prob wouldnt try to black it out. if there is a air bubble stuck in there you wont be able to see it then.
krylon fusion is safe for reef tanks if you really wanted to paint it.

my old tank used a overflow box with u tube and i would just take it out every month and clean it really good. (of course shut the return pump off first) lol

edit- dang reefsparky, beat me by a minute. i need to type faster lol

 

I plan on having a fuge with some macro, and hope to not have algae growing in the display, or at least, clean the utube once in a while, it's very easy to start and IMO would be an easy thing to clean. BTW, I just set this up last night, so it's new to me. Thats why I'm asking. Thanks.

 

Here's another thing about the air bubbles, there's lots off small air bubbles ripping through the tube at a fast rate. I don't see how one could get stuck while the syphone is running properly. Is it normal for small bubbles to be traveling through the tube all the time?

 

When the water cascades into your internal overflow box from the tank, little bubbles are sometimes created. Over time, a bubble or two gets caught in the apex of the Utube, then another, and so on. Eventually that small bubble becomes a large pocket of air, and this causes the Utube to lose its siphon.

You can decrease the formation of those bubbles by throttling back the return pump a bit with a valve. This way, water doesn't rush into the overflow box as fast. Unfortunately, this is at the expense of your turnover rate.

I've seen people drill the apex of the Utube and put a small piece of airline tubing in it, capped up--giving them the ability to suck out pockets of air that periodically get caught.

I think over the long run a good plan is to simply keep an eye on the tank. That includes all aspects, but especially the Utube. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not a fan of making the tube opaque. IMO you really need to see the inside of that tube.

HTH.

 

That just about sums it up.

 

i have a pvc overflow. i also have a toms aquatic vacuum pump this takes all the air bubble worrys out of overflows.ive never had to start the syphon and ive never had an air bubble.

 

If you have the eShopps overflow running fast enough, it will never get an air bubble trapped in it. When I first got mine, I had a Quietone 1200 (rated at 296 gph) running as my return pump. Every couple of days it would build up enough air that I had to do something about it. After a couple of months of this nonsense, I switched to a Mag 3 (350 gph) for my return. Never, ever have had any trapped air bubbles since. Going on 2+ years now. In fact, I have never had to do any maintenance on it whatsoever since changing to the Mag 3.

 

Are your lights hanging or mounted on the top of your aquarium? the reason i ask is that mine are mounted and only the portion of the u-tube coming from the internal overflow box is exposed to the light and thus has any significant algae growth. i agree with these guys that i wouldn't blacken it out (they are made clear for a reason). However, if you are dead set, you might be able to blacken out just this portion and still be able to see the top of the u-tube and possible bubble build up. if your lights are hanging, this won't work. just a thought.