Correct Height For Durso In Overflow?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by mscottring, May 11, 2009.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. mscottring

    mscottring Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    328
    Location:
    California
    Ok, so I'm still in my cycle stage, so this is a good time to find issues like this out. I'm starting to notice that there's a pretty good layer of what looks like dust, it's pretty much debris that isn't going where it should (into the overflow and down the drain). I think this might be because my durso is sitting too high in the overflow, creating a higher water level in the overflow then what I should have. So the water in the tank is going into the overflow, then just sort of flowing right back into the tank again. So my main question is, where should the durso be in the overflow relative to the top of the overflow?
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. mscottring

    mscottring Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    328
    Location:
    California
    I should add that this is a double wall overflow, in case that makes a difference.
     
  4. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Messages:
    2,289
    If I understand correctly...

    The water level in your overflow should be lower than the level of the tank otherwise you're not getting any actual surface skimming, it should pour like a waterfall over the overflow wall. So adjust the height of the durso until the water level is lower than the tank water level. I don't think it needs to be too much lower, just so the surface of the water in the tank flows down into the overflow so it can get sucked down the pipe.
     
  5. mscottring

    mscottring Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    328
    Location:
    California
    Well I think I messed this up. Everything coming from the canopy (lights and fans) are wired and tied down, it's going to be a bear trying to move it without messing something up. And the tank ain't going anywhere. Hmm.

    So what I need to do is pull the durso and cut some length off of it, maybe 1/4 -1/2"?
     
  6. kingterra

    kingterra Skunk Shrimp

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2009
    Messages:
    267
    Location:
    sharja U.A.E
    this is my overflow
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Messages:
    2,289
    I don't understand how that plumbing works, I've never seen anything like it. It doesn't look like a standard durso to me.
    Durso Standpipes

    Maybe if you could describe how that works and maybe a picture of the plumbing inside the tank above water? How does the water get over the top of the tank?
     
  8. Click Here!

  9. mscottring

    mscottring Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    328
    Location:
    California
    That's not mine, I'm not sure what that is. Here's mine:
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Messages:
    2,289
    Oh ha! I didn't pay attention to the username. :)

    Yeah I think you'll have to pull it apart and shorten it unless someone else has any ideas. I don't know of any other way to get the water level in the overflow area lower which is the only way to get the surface skimmed.
     
  11. Otty

    Otty Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2006
    Messages:
    6,467
    Location:
    Elizabethtown, IN
    The water should drop about 1" to 2" inside the OF. Any more then that and you will hear it.
     
  12. mscottring

    mscottring Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Messages:
    328
    Location:
    California
    So that was a semi-major pain. I took it out and cut almost an inch off, and it works now. But it could still be a little shorter. I'll leave that for another day. I could easily cut another 1/2 - 1" off I think.

    Thanks for all of the help folks.