Help! Question regarding overflow box assembly.

First of all, let me thank everyone who has responded to my questions in the recent past....you are appreciated!

I finally decided a sump will be implimented in my reef tank...I wonder myself why id did not just GET this in the first place?!?

Anyway, I just purchased a nice, locally made overflow box and I have already encountered a problem. (it is not poor quality at all, however, I may be

Obviously, the U tube is supposed to fit into the PVC fixture at the bottom of the OF box....correct? Then why does the tube seem to be the exact same dimensions as the PVC...Do I just need to use a little elbow grease and work it in....?????

 

I think we'll need a picture to see what you're talking about.

 

Let me try this...

The U tube just sits in the overflow box (one end in the tank and the other in the OF box). It dosen't connect to anything. If it connected to the PVC in the OF box you couldn't create a siphon.

 

No--not at all. The UTube simply sits in the boxes. Half inside, half outside. If one end is longer, that end goes outside the tank. The entire objective of the UTube is to sustain a siphon, even after a power outage. The standing tube in the external portion is simply there to keep a certain level of water present in the box.

You'll understand after a power outage why this is necessary.

 

Not that you should wait for a power outage to find out how the box handles it.

Turn off the power to everything all at once and test it so you're there to deal with it if anything goes wrong. Siphon overflows are notorious for not restarting after a power outage and causing a flood because the return pump starts right back up no problem.

You might want to look into how some other well-known overflow boxes are made, LifeReef has a good reputation, and some people like others. There are some tricks using an aqualifter pump to make sure some of them restart after power outages as well. Make sure you're not heading into a potential disaster.

prefilter box, siphon box, overflow box, siphon overflow, Eurobrace, Euro-brace, Euro-tank

Good luck!