cracker Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Well I woke up this morning and was about to head out the door when I thought... "I better check the tank". Lucky, as I noticed my "Cracker" valve was not coping with the outflow. It was not overflowing, but my emergency pipe was under the water line and taking the excess. I started to open the tuning valve but nothing happened. Then I checked and found my pesky large snail in the hole of the "Tuning valve"! The emergency valve had done its job and rescued my floor from overflow. BE WARNED, emergency valves are IMPORTANT!!! (The snail was 80% blocking the hole and I still didnt have a disastor). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 That's what standpipe covers are for ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted April 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I know....i might get some now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 i covered both my valves with old plastic filter cartridges from same cheap chinese powerheads i got a while ago. they work great. i did that with my durso too, that is after a snail blocked my durso and caused an overflow of about 60 -80 liters in a few minutes (yes minutes not hours). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scatman Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 snails can be a bugger. I had the same problem one morning with one stuck. I caught it just in time. Good to hear you did not have an overflow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregb Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 You didnt hurt that poor little snail that was doing all the blocking , did you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Well just as well you did that back up pipe! For me, I would just never have either a Durso or a Cracker Pipe without a backup pipe as well. What happened to that filter thingy you had over the Cracker Pipe? Thought that would have stopped any snails. Amazing coincidence that just when Suphew has been saying the tap could be prone to blockages caused by a snail, you have an event that proves him correct :lol: . Almost as if you planned it for demonstration purposes :lol: . Also, wonder if as a regular job, say every 2nd month, to test the backup pipe and make sure it is still unblocked & working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 And just as i was explaining to suphew how the durso is almost as prone to blockage as a full siphon ;-) i did that with my durso too, that is after a snail blocked my durso and caused an overflow of about 60 -80 liters in a few minutes (yes minutes not hours). Standpipe covers prevent blockages, not the durso design. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 I realise Cookie said that Layton . As I already told you, both systems have a restriction, just the durso has less of a restriction. Like I said, I would not personally use either system without a secondary pipe. Just pointing out Suphew made a very good point as was obvious. But please.... I didn't want to get any durso bashers started again :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 question! - with my durso the water level was always at the same constant hight. this is not the case with my cracker pipe. it flactuates by about 5cm which is no reall a worry (even without a seperate emergency overflow) but it is never the less interesting. so why is it doing it? my pump not pmping at the same rate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/2-vt12765.html?postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15 The first couple of pages are useful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 What you're seeing is the self regulating in action. It can be caused by varying pump output. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted April 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 As Layton said, plus remember I said it will take a bit to settle in. The variance will lessen over a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted April 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 It could be that you have an old pump that is fluctuating slightly also..... It is an interesting phenomenon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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