CPR Overflow box

Saw that video. No reason it wouldn't work. I'm looking into building my own out of PVC per many utube vids. Cheaper for now.

 

Check out my thread on mine DIY in tank skimming HOB overflow!

http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/non-drilled-tank-alternatives-my-diy-overflow-140523.html

Check out my short vid in my sig, still using it!

 

Great vid Todd! Looking into something similar but 1" PVC for my 29 gallon.

 

1 inch should work Great, it's all about max volume of flow, etc.

 

I had something similar to Tod's on a 24 gallon nano. It worked great. I just couldn't have a tank w/o a sump.

I would drill it, but i cant just leave things alone. Plenty of U-tube videos out there on how to.. Diamond bits are cheap. And if you crack it.. Now you have an excuse to go bigger on your next tank. HA

 

I been useing a CPR overflow box for over 3 months now and have no problems with it. I do have a syphon pump, but its purpose is to get the syphon going again in the overflow box should you have a power outage not to keep the syphon going.

 

I saw on a video on youtube someone attaching a small line from the air bubble maker on the top of a powerhead output to the siphon tube on top of the cpr overflow box. I hope that makes sense, on top of the power head there is a place to attach a breather tube, and he connected it up to the overflowbox siphon tube on top.

ANyway, I was planning on doing this, keeping the powerhead in my intake section in the sump, and running a tube on the output over to my fuge, to bring in slower flowing water. I plan on attaching that siphon tube from the cpr boxtop down to my sump to the top little port on the powerhead, which will continuously pull water and any trapped air bubbles out of the overflow box preventing the chance of loss of siphon.

Ingenious right?

Werd.

 

I use a cpr overflow, works great. I use a aqualifter to keep the syphon. It has only been running for 2 months but so far so good. I was going to drill my tank, but not having any experience drilling glass I didnt want to chance it. It would suck to bust a 150 gallon tank. But then again I could have talked my wife into a 300 gallon I have been eyeing. She said when we move to a bigger house I could get a bigger tank.

 

It's been done, but still ingenious, yes.

If your overflow is built correctly, - as in both ends of the siphon always under water, it won't loose it's siphon in a power out.

The problem is when bubbles get trapped in the upper loop, don't get pulled thru with the flow, and essentially stop the siphon.

The pump, aqualifters, etc. are to keep the air evacuated, not keep anything in power offs/outs.
It is another fail safe of a system that could fail.

My aquailfter pulls water when it's new, now, it pulls nothing and my siphon does not stop.
Oh sure, I put a syringe on the Aqualifter return line, draw liquid into it, and it drips again for a few hours, then stops. I think the negative preesure on the one way air valve I have on top of my upper loop is about the same pressure as the 1 yr old aqualifter can pull, so nothing comes out. when I take the intake off, it bubbles like crazy- so I know it works.

The best insurance I have to NOT have a flood in my family room, is a high water DT return pump shut off that I have hooked up- it works great!
NO floods yet- knock on wood

 

The idea of an overflow siphon being dependent on one of the cheapest pumps available is a bad insurance policy.
Use the U-Tube style or a DYI pvc overflow if you can't drill and be done with the weakest link!