Would this setup work? I don't really want to pay over 100 dollars for a simple piece of bent plastic, and this is a rough picture of what I plan to do.

Thoughts and comments?

Duhhh, I just realized this would be better suited in the DIY section.

Could someone move it please?

why would you want to have the bend?

Did a couple adjustments to your pic

I'm guessing you are going for a syphon sort of thing.

The "T" in the red circle is to let air in and to break the syphon effect, if you don't break the syphon, it will just be a syphone as opposed to an over flow. You just have to prime the bit between the tank and the "T" bend. Hope I make sense

The light blue line is where the water level will be. If the water goes over this line it will just go out the over flow

Yes, that is EXACTLY what I had in mind. My MS Paint skills aren't as good as they should be. :oops:

But that should work right? I will also probably insert some sort of cover to stop my fish from getting too curious about that pipe.

something like this would work- might be harder to DIY though

Yes, that is what I am trying to replicate.

The only one here in New Zealand costs around 100 dollars, which is why I plan to build my own.

problem I can think of using a pipe rather than a bar is that the pipe would have a bigger suck to it than a bar and even if it did have a grill, small fish could get sucked onto it and stuck... the idea would be to make a large grill

I see what you mean. Perhaps instead of putting just a pipe into the water, I will put a T junction to the end of it, and stick a couple of pipes with holes in it onto the ends. Would that work?

Before I forget, will this pump be powerful enough? This setup is going to be used on a 900x450x450 tank.

what pump???? :roll:

Dohhh, that was silly of me.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... ermanent=0

the required head height will slow that pump right down to a trickle. what you need is a pump with a decent head height limit. choosing a return pump all depends on head height. if it puts to much flow into the tank a simple tee fitting with a tap leading back to the sump can control the flow.

How's this then?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Ou ... 073114.htm

how high will it be from the sump to the top of your tank (I take it you'll be going over the side of the tank)? that may just do it but will it keep up with the overflow?

but will it keep up with the overflow?

I think thats wrong Rockerpeller- if the overflow isn't siphoning, then it wouldn't matter about the size of the return- only as much water will go down the overflow as the amount put into the tank.

How big is the tank SilverBlade86? That AT Pump you posted is only running 1500LPH at 0 head. The AquaOne CF1200 external does 1200LPH at 1 meter head or something, that submersible pump is not going to do that much, on a 3ft tank or above I would really recommend getting a decent second hand Eheim or something

well it depends on how it is going to be set-up. if its going over the lip, it will have to be a full syphon just to get it up and over the side of the tank, if its thru the glass then yea, no syphon is needed. looking at the pics, it looks to be a syphon overflow.

but as davidb has said it may not be enough flow for your tank. bigger pump will not go amiss here.

Not designed like it is, Rockerpeller. It's a siphon out of the tank to the first S-bend. Which will only keep the water depth there the same as the tank. THen it's a normal overflow from that point.

Where would I be without MS paint :oops:

Pump size will depend on "x". For example if x is 1.5 metre, a pump that has a maximum head of 1.5 metres will NOT be good enough. As the head height gets higher water flow goes down, at maximum head, as mentioned before, the water flow will be almost 0.

Bends in the piping back to the tank as in the pic will also reduce water flow.

Find "x" and add about ~50%, then find a pump that can life to that height.

do it properly do it once,spend a good couple of hundred on a return pump with about 2500lph and a good head height,go for something like an ehiem 1260

and why no drill the glass and instal a external durso

I wouldn't suggest an eheim if you're on a budget, you can can get something like a Laguna pump for far less and they work well.

oh yup. i get it. sorry its a monday... :lol:

resun king pumps are good too if you are on a budget

I personally would not sugest using laguna pumps,I had one and it was very noisy! although if your not worried about that it was very good

I was originally going for a sump because I could make it cheaply, as I have the materials sitting around in the house. If the pump is gonna cost more than $100, I might as well get a CF1200.

What would you guys recommend to a guy on a budget? Continue making the sump or just get the CF1200?