Under normal operation, the emergency drain should not get wet, and only when there is a problem will water flow through that drain. The emergency or secondary drain can be cut about 6" above the water line so it makes noise and alerts the tank owner if the e-drain is engaged. The main drain is submerged roughly 2" underwater down in the sump to keep things quiet. The strainer should be cleaned frequently to prevent a blockage and check the emergency drain often to ensure nothing has crawled inside the pipe. The main drain will have a strainer keeping aquarium inhabitants like snails, crabs, or foreign debris from getting clogged in the drain line. This drain style is ideal for larger aquariums because you can move higher flow rates compared to a Durso drain. The other drain pipe is used as an emergency drain should the main drain become clogged and is just a bit taller (6") than the main siphon pipe. One acts as the main drain pipe and creates a full siphon when pulling water from your tank. The Herbie Drain is composed of two standpipes. The Herbie Drain is an effective way to keep noise to a minimum while also helping prevent a drain disaster. When there is more at stake than just noise there are overflow options that also provide peace of mind. Although they take up very minimal space and only require a single hole in your tank, you do not have a fail-safe or backup drain should the pipe become clogged and there is a limit with how much water they can drain while remaining quiet. The biggest limitations with a Durso Standpipe are the flow rate and the lack of an emergency drain. You can use multiple Durso pipes to achieve higher flow rates should the need arise but in that case, you are much better off using a Herbie or BeanAnimal Style drain instead. Make small flow adjustments until the drain runs quietly. To tune the Durso drain, you simply adjust the flow rate of your return pump. The lower the flow, the larger the necessary hole to prevent siphoning and water level fluctuations inside the overflow box. This vent hole will need to be adjusted in diameter based on your flow rate. The standpipe has a small vent hole on the top elbow that prevents a siphon from forming in the drain pipe. The end of the drain is then typically submerged below the water level in your sump to help avoid splashing noise and reduce salt spray. The larger pipe diameters can handle higher flow rates and can be reduced in diameter at the bulkhead before draining down into the sump. Inside the overflow box, the drain pipe will typically measure 1" - 2" in diameter and will rise to about 2" below the weirs on your overflow box. While the term Durso is unique to the aquarium hobby, it is an example of an "open-channel" style drain that does not engage a siphon. Everything you need to build a Durso Standpipe can be purchased at a local hardware store using generic PVC pipe and plumbing parts. Technically speaking, the Durso Standpipe is the plumbing assembly above the bulkhead, inside the overflow box. Instead of having the water crash down into the bottom of the overflow box, the Durso Standpipe allows for the water to rise and enter the drain through an attached elbow close to the surface as demonstrated in the diagram. The Durso is easy to install and does not take up much space making it popular for smaller aquariums with sump systems and those DIY folks who like to build stuff with their own two hands. The Durso Style drain reduces that noise level considerably when tuned correctly. The faster that water is moving, the louder it would get. In days past, noisy drains were problematic because the water would splash and gurgle as it passed through the pipes and down into the sump. The Durso Standpipe was created by a hobbyist, Richard Durso, and was born out of the desire to quietly and efficiently drain water from the display aquarium down into the sump. This is the most basic of the drains styles that only requires a single hole to be drilled into the tank. All of them can be used with either an internal or external overflow box. These are the three most common water drain technologies you will see used on an aquarium. Durso, Herbie, and BeanAnimal refer to the drain plumbing itself inside the overflow box. While there are several different types of overflows using a variety of different drain styles, they all accomplish the same thing - drain water from your display down into your sump or filter.Īn overflow box can be internal or external meaning the box is either inside the aquarium or outside the aquarium. The overflow box itself consists of a weir and drainpipes to get water out of your tank and down into your sump. An overflow box is used to drain water from your display aquarium down into your sump or filtration system.
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