My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpipe

I wanted to use a stockman standpipe in my new frag tank, but I didn't want some box with square corners messing up my flow  I got around this by using a 9 7/8" piece of 4" PVC, a 4" end cap and a 1" bulkhead.  The end cap drilled out for the 1" bulkhead and glued to the tank bottom.  Then the body is glued into the end cap making a round 4" overflow with a water line up just above 10".  Add in the stockman standpipe, and you've got a silent overflow.  

I'm adding a bit of black 1/4" mesh aquaculture screen on the overflow to stop any larger debris from enterring the overflow.

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman standpipe

The bottom picture shows the overflow is over 1 tape roll wide for flow thru.

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman standpipe

The Stockman overflow is simple to make.  It simply needs:
1 piece of 1" PVC that is a few inches taller then your overflows water line
1x 2" PVC SLP coupler
1x 2" to 1" SLP bushing adapter
1x 1" end cap
1x 1/8" air valve
teflon tape
drill or flex shaft tool
sand paper
file

Durso Stanpipe homepage - go to "Popular Modifications" link for Stockman Standpipe instructions.

This  is the Stockman standpipe in all it's glory.  The water flows down and up around the 2" slp coupler and over the drilled out 1" PVC (hidden by the 2" coupler in this pic)

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

Hi Gresham,

Thanks for posting these pics and links. I just filled up my 90 gal w/overflow box last night. The tank looks great with water but the problem is the huge slurping sound the overflow intake is making! My father-in-law is visiting and the first thing he said this morning was, "Wow, that thing makes a lot of noise."

I recall reading your post awhile ago when I was considering a weir for my old tank.

In any case, I have a question about a Durso vs. Stockman standpipe.

With the Durso design, the water level in the overflow box is much higher (about 12" vs. 3&quot. Right now I have bioballs in the overflow box and that would mean eliminating most if not all of them. I know bioballs in themselves are a controversial topic (nitrate factories) but how do you feel about the Durso design and water only in the overflow box?

With the Stockman type overflow, I guess the water level can be much lower. But if I keep the bioballs, the top of Stockman would be partially covered or at least dripped on. What do you think about this?

In any case, I don't have a drill handy right now so I might go with the Durso design so I can put it together today to keep the in-law happy. But I am wondering about your (and others) feedback for a longer term solution.

Thanks for your help,
Greg

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

Greg, I just wanted to let you know I saw this post, and I'll reply in full when I'm bit more awake. I just put in 15 hours at work, and just now got home from acclimating a Solomon Island shipment of clams, corals and a few fish. Boy are those clams nice!!!!

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

My weir was making that well known toilet flush sound so I rigged a muffler for it. I t consists of a 2" section of 1" pvc with a tee on top. Off the tee I attached a 90 degree elbow pointing down, off the top of the tee another 2" section of pipe and a cap on the top. I drilled through the cap and into the 1" pipe with a 3/16" drill and you can rotate the cap to change the size of the hole through the cap and the pipe. This allows you to dial in the water level in the weir. Very quiet!!! The pipe slips right down into the overflow bulkhead. With the elbow being down under the water there is no sucking sound. I adapted this from a muffler design for an in tank durso standpipe. Obviously you can make the pipe sections as tall as need be!!
I will post a pic at my next feeding, I usually remove it and I can stick in a 6" pipe so when I turn off the return at feeding time there is no unecessary drainage back into the sump.

Drew

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

It sure quieted everything down and as you can see it is adaptable to any depth by lengthening the pipe. You could also use an air valve off the top of the cap to regulate the water height in the overflow.

Drew

Here's the pic of the muffler:

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

Hey Drew,

Is the "elbow" portion under water? I'm thinking of doing this same modification to quiet mine down a little more.

Thanks,

CowboyUp

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

Cowboy,

Yeah...with the elbow underwater the sound is more like a waterfall instead of that horrible gurgling. I also found that if you are using a 1 inch bulkhead it will probably work al little better if you use 1 1/4 " peices and then use a reducer down into the 1" pipe. I have not tested this but will be soon as I built a very nice acrylic sump/fuge recently (34gal) that I am putting in instead of a 20gal aquarium I am using presently. But that is a different story.

I did forget to mention that you can also drill a hole in the cap on the top and attach an air valve to adjust the height of the water in the overflow. This might be better than the hole through the cap and pipe. Either way the adjustment is different for every situation, and very easy to make.

[glow=blue,2,300]Happy Thansgiving to All at 3REEF!!!![/glow]​

 

Re: My new overflow with Stockman (Fletch) standpi

Hi Om Seeker!

Try this for a temporary fix, stick a piece of airline tubing down the overflow hose....the gurgling sound is make when air pushes up through the flowing water and SWOOSH...

I have a CPR Weir overflow that came with a strainer for inside the overflow and a rigid piece of airline tubing with a gasket...it just sits at the adjusted height and is quiet as can be!