Have an issue? cant get it to work? HERE IS THE FIX: I have been answering questions on this project for years now.. and no longer will. Its the same answer again and again... the #1 answer that solves 99% of all issues is this: PAY ATTENTION TO THE VIDEO. 99% simply do not follow the instructions or build it the same way, yet expect it to still work. The other 1% have an air leak somewhere. Find it. Seal it. Sorry, but i simply do not have the time to keep answering the same questions, when they all result with this same solution. IF YOU MUST get help, POST A PHOTO to my fan page so i can at least SEE what the problem is. I will not be able to help otherwise. facebook.com/UaruJoey Original video ► goo.gl/4EU9ZX How it all works ► goo.gl/L1Fg7M The modified and upgraded version ► goo.gl/ZGRtXj
This is a gigantic help for me as I am about to start my first saltwater tank. I am living in an apartment so I am terrified of the posibility of flooding by using a sump. So bad, in fact, that I was going to get all cluttered by using a canister and all the extra stuff. This is perfect for me! I appreciate it!
Thank you Joey. By reading all your posts and watching all your videos. I manage to make the overflow works! Its amazing. It costs me $70 in total since Thank you Joey. By reading all your posts and watching all your videos. I manage to make the overflow works! Its amazing. It costs me $70 in total since i did 1.5inches one. But hell is much better than overflow box...i did 1.5inches one. But hell is much better than overflow box...
I subscribed just to say thanks and 'cause several of your videos have been so helpful. My $130 canister filter from a manufacturer failed, and I was loathed to get another for my 60-gal tank. Thanks to this video and several others related ones, I was able to build a full functioning system for less than $20 (I already had a pond pump) and it works beautifully-- and much better than the manufactured one. I can't thank you enough for making my aquarium beautiful again within my lowly budget.
I set up a 2.5ft Double Decker tank and I have this Setup so I have just one Heater and One External Filter. I used 21.5mm pipe and it's more than edequate for a 1000 lph Filter and much more. I lined it all up got all the sizes right tested it then Solvent glued it. Waited a day or 2 for the solvent to air off the bits I could not wipe off from the inside. I was a bit cautious of it failing and emtpying the bottom tank. I Expoxied the one way Valve to the top pipe directly and cable tied it on to , but once primed i think it can be dissconnected and have goriila tape over the hole. This is an Amazing Video Well Done.
This is my 1st DIY mini aquarium overflow project and to my surprise, i manage to assemble it in less than 30minute. It works like wonder for my fish tank and not to mention that it cost way cheaper then buying a ready-made overflow system. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderfull step by step guide, very practical!
I have this setup on my 75g with 20g refugium. I watched this video about a yr ago and built an overflow in about 10 min has worked great ever since, one addition I did add a ball valve for fine adjustment and shutoff. Awesome video, thanks Uaru
I just finished making the same pvc overflow from this video. At first it wouldnt maintain flow.. but i discovered that my drain outlet was attached to a 1 in line leading to my sump.. Once i changed this to match the 1/2 inch pvc that i used to make this overflow, it workded just fine, Make sure that the drain line is the same size as the rest of the overflow and that its also submerged into the sump/ wet dry tank atleast 2 inches. This video is the best one out there... so dont blame him
Hi I just finished building your upgraded version with the wier , have to say this is probably one of the best tutorials I've used on youtube , many thanks for an excellent idea, this is going to make water changes so much easier and a hell of a lot faster , I've made it removeable so that just the wier remains in the tank , I intend painting the wier green and then planting a few stands of tall aquatic plants to hide it , and it also fits beautifully in my wife's goldfish pond / waterfeature , once again thanks for sharing the knowledge
Hey Joey, I made a similar aquarium overflow but the desire was to create an overflow from my 20 gallon fry tank into my 10 gallon fry tank and basically treat the two aquariums as one with only one filter. Made some adjustments to your design in this video and the setup came out great. I added an HOB filter in between the two tanks with the aquarium overflow transferring water the opposite way.
Hey Joey, just wanted to thank you for this awesome video. I followed your instructions and built one myself. Initially it didn't work properly, only pumping water for a few seconds and then stopping. I then found out that I had an air leak (I'm using PVC pipes which are screwed together rather than being glued together). So i used some teflon tape on all my joints, and now it works like a charm !
Finally made mine out of 1" PVC I have an overflow box but I have always wanted to do this plus I needed a little more flow my pump was pumping more water then it was getting second overflow worked perfect thanks for the video for those of you having problems the inside outside pipe does not have to be exactly the same also when priming the out take has to be in the water to your sump I read someone earlier saying it didn't work Great video!
this is the best diy overflow video on youtube in my opinion, has helped me a lot with ideas for my 10 gallon sump on my 25 gallon nano reef, thank you!!
Joey, thank you very much for so many helpful videos. I prefer to do things myself and you have saved me a lot of time and money. I was going to drill my tank but this is a much better route in many ways. If I decide to move up to a larger tank someone will be more likely to buy a tank with no holes.
I used this video to make the same set up but with 3/4" PVC going into 1" PVC for the intake and then 3/4" for the return on a 55 gallon project I did about 8 yrs ago, had the system running for about three years with no problems. What I did learn from it was to not glue the pipes that are in the water, and I also used a 1" ball valve towards the end of the intake to regulate the flow, also don't go cheap on the return pump. I went cheap and used a pump that wasn't d/c current and it hummed something fierce, also I used PVC all the way to the pump and didn't use a short section of rubber hose so that did contribute to the constant hum coming from the sump, other than those few things I'd have to say it was a great affordable way to make up your own sump system, if I remember it cost me about $100 total for all the parts to make up everything including the 10 gallon tank, a few pieces of Plexiglas that I used as baffles form the 10 gal/sump, all the PVC piping and fittings and the cheap pump. I been contemplating making up another sump system for my 125 gal I currently have running with two FX6's, but this time I won't go cheap on the return pump and will be using a 55 gal as the sump itself.
Dude, I just wanted to say you are the SHIZNIT!!!! I think many will agree when I say it. You saved me more money than I would have saved by switching to Geico. Oh the wife said thanks, because of your videos we went from a free fish my daughter won at a fair to a 5gal, 10gal, 55gal, which I'm making my wet dry sump and my ultimate 6 foot long 150gal tank sitting on my custom homemade stand. LOL. I appreciate it, keep it up
Your videos are top quality and I have manage to build the auto water changing trip system as well as the overflow device and they work like wonder, thanks a lot and keep up the good work. Ps. I don't understand your video has dislike, haters gonna hate. Don't let that affect you in any way!
tested mine yesterday and it works very well! Gonna clue and paint my overflow today. Total cost for me was around 10 bucks. I went with .75 pvc for my 28 gallon. thanks Joey!
Just made my overflow with 1-1/4in" PvC sch40. I'm going to try and build a sump out of a 20g aquarium over the next few weeks. Never done anything like this before. Just tested the overflow in my 75g.... wholly moly does that thing pump out some water when it equalizes. I had some Tupperware bowls and didn't have enough bowls to handle all the water flow, haha, my carpet is soaked. Can't wait to get my mag 9.5 next weekend to test the flow rates. Thanks for the DIY's Joey, having fun!
This looks really Nice and easy to make, Marvelous Idea you have here, My question is, does it loose the syphon over time and if it does how would I prevent this? Please help
Idk where u get ur ideas but man they are awesome just did the overflow but made it a dual overflow. Next project is the algae scruber. Man appreciate the vids keep em comin.
I am looking to build a DIY filter out of a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and was going to make an overflow for it, will the overflow be collecting enough of the water to properly clean it just from the surface, or should I make the straight pipe along with the overflow (90 deg. bend a bit higher)? I will also not be adding substrate, so will this help with "stuff" at the bottom of the tank, or will that need to be sucked out manually?
Great as usual and explaining on how you do your work. Just one important thing missing regarding this DIY video is how you install the air hose/non return valve? as in water tight/air tight, or it will fail which is a nightmare, hope you can explain that part. Thanks!
Fantastic!thanks so much,I need one of these for my tanks so I'm off to hardware store and getting the stuff I need to make several.the overflow set ups I have seen for sale on line are so expensive(unless I have been looking in wrong places) so this will save me heaps.love your vids,cheers
couldn't be more clear thanks for the help and the class make sure you do more videos your very clear in explaining it. I just learned how to do an overflow thank's a lot
Thanks, I think I just tried to over think it. For a 120 gallon tank will a 300 gph pump be compatible with the exit pipes being 1"diameter? Thanks again for your time, your videos are some of the best on UA-cam!
1st off, I just found your channel and I love It! I know this this a really old video, but maybe my question will get answered, or maybe not. My question is: how well do you think this will work on a system that will not have constant flow into the display tank? I'm setting up an aquaponic growing system with my fish tank, I want the water from the sump to pump into the ebb & flow grow bed, then from the grow bed back into the display tank, with the overflow draining into the sump. So, the water will be rushing down fast for a minute or two every so often (1-3 times an hour depending on flow into the grow bed) I'm not at all sure yet what the flow rate from the grow bed will be until I get it going, the grow bed holds about 40-50 gallons of water. Another key feature is that the sump is on the side of the display tank. The DT is a 75 Gal, the sump a 55gal that is slightly lower that the DT. Water level in the sump (which is just a plain, mostly empty tank to hold water) is not real important. I understand I'll have to make the outlet side of my DIY PVC overflow higher than pictured, so that it can be above the water level in my 55gal sump, for gravity to do it's thing. I'm wondering if there is anything else I'm overlooking?
Nice video, I have a tall tank that isnt drilled so I made this. It works, its just sometimes the syphon will catch up or will "stop" for a second then resume causing a rise in water level. Also the syphon noise is quite loud, is this due to the tall pipes? They are about 3 feet long.
Hey joey... So I finally got around to making this, and finished it today. I started it, and it was doing great! After a few minutes, air started to get into the airline hose for the check valve, and my flow rate slowed a bit. How do I fix that?
I made one this afternoon, total cost $11.32! It works great, even though the "U" in the aquarium is only 8" beneath the rim (in my 18" 55 gallon). Plus, the PVC will fit my pump, so I can use the extra (I have over 5' of PVC left) for the input of the sump and the return to the tank. Thanks for the design!!
After I got the dang pieces cut it took a minute or two to put two of these together. .75 for a 20 gal cost $4 for everything, 1.25 for 55gal was about $7. Thanks Joey!
I am getting items ready now to build this. You mentioned the paint. I believe I will try applying aquarium sealant to the pipes and rolling them in crushed coral. Over time it will look just like the rest of the coral. What do you think?
awesome video buddy, very detailed explanation to what you are doing. Not a lot of people will give this much detail. I love your videos man, keep up the good work.
Excellent tutorial, Joey. I did have one question that was not addressed in this video. How did you go about adding the air valve and air hose to the elbow fitting. Do you have it demonstrated in another video?
this is a great Video. im doing my research on pvc over flow because i want to put one on my 120g. i was wondering what do you think is a good pump? i was thinking the quiet one pumps but idk.
@uarujoey Okay, but you make the hole in the tube that goes from the T, is to insert a little hose purge? or not and simply need to add is the hole? ... thanks again.
Hey Joey, I have a 29 gallon angelfish tank and I wanted to put your algae scrubber in it. I then decided I would try and build a sump with a left over 5 gallon tank I built after watching one of your videos. It would fit perfectly on the bottom shelf of my stand. Will this be possible? I have never had a sump before
Oh and Joey i like that you explain everything very well it's always very very clear ^^ and you always let us see how things are working this is my favorite channel so far :D
hey joey, ur overflow design works beautifully. I build 2 out of 3/4 inch- I hooked both together that drain to my crab tank. Only one prob- I tryed to make my first one out of 1/2 inch. But gravity fed 1/2 inch won't carry 60 gph much less 92gph.
Nice video, Joey. Sumps / overflows make a little more sense now. I'm thinking about using one of these kinds of pumps when I get back into using my currently-empty 125 gallon... But, I'm curious: these can be used for marines setups, too, right? Not just fresh?
sorry lol but it made me chuckle when u said "as u can SEE it is quite silent" and btw i love your videos and share my love for aquariums. i am planning on getting around a 500gallon tank and having a decently sized grained sand as a floor. i hope it works out well. oh and do u know if having a baby musk turtle in a aquarium would have a effect on it or anything else??
Hey Joey, I had an idea for my smaller tank (20 gallon) that is basically to just simplify water changes and keep the temperature down as it holds some aquatic lizards that need cold water, and wanted to know if you think it would be a good idea. Basically the idea is to get on of those water coolers with the big jugs on top, fill those jugs with tap water and put some dechlorinator/stress zyme in the water, put them ontop of the water cooler and hook a hose with a dripper to the "cold" tap on the water cooler, the dripper of course going to the tank and then setting up one of these overflows that would just drain into an empty jug of the same size at the bottom, dump the jug when the top jug is empty then just refill the top one. Is that something that would be good to keep the water cool and fresh? As well as making water changes as simple as filling one up and dumping the other every few days.
Hi everyone, I've made 4 of these so far and only used an air valve on 2 of them while the other two were started just the same way you start a siphon with a hose. The two WITHOUT the air valve have been working perfectly for 6 months now while the other 2 have been scraped. Based on this... DO NOT drill the elbows!!!!! Just sharing my experience with this type of overflow.
I'm putting mine together right now. What do you think went wrong? Would it just stop overflowing on it's own, or were you not able to prime it? I won't drill mine for the time being. Thanks!
Hello, I wanted to do a query on whether the tube is left uncovered (the rising of the "T") is necessary to place the little hose aerator, I assemble the siphon a few days ago and I have it only on the inverted U and it works well, you need to put a little hose and its respective plug aerator as you post in the video? ... what if I set you free, reduced flow or something? ... I congratulate you on your DIY. PS, I used google translator to see, do not speak English. Greetings from Argentina.
hey joey, i made your overflow and it works great for my 29 gallon tank and 10 gallon sump. my only complaint is the constant, loud, draining noise. is there any way to silence it?
Stupid question as I am still new to this, but what's the main point to doing this? Is it so you can have your clutter of filters on the sump? To have extra water? To overstock on fish, since the sump is extra water? Please let me know. Super good video. Thanks
Hi Joey, I made a 2" version of the overflow for my 4'x2'x2' tank. I experienced the overflow stopping (sometimes it's good for a few days, sometimes a week but it always fail at a point.) and I had to restart it for it to work. What could be the reason behind? Great video btw. I built a 3/4" version and it work perfect.
hi there buddy.... i shown this video to the plumbing store so they give me the exact items- i went home and did it....which i thank you for.....i got one question- what kind of pump do i use to return water to tank? any powerhead or something desinged for sumps?
Hi; This is very helpful...thank you. However, if I'm not missing something there is no mention of how to install the tube and check valve. Do you drill a hole and thread something in or do you use glue?
I am getting ready to build one of these including the sump. I have a 120 gallon measuring Lx5ft Wx18-1/4 Hx26in. It will be stocked with a gar, RTC and tiger shovel nose as well as some other fish. They are all small for now and will be add to my 2350 plywood when it is finished. I will have a heavy bio load what would you recommend for the diameter for the PVC overflow for the 120?
Hi! I followed your guide and build my own a system. It worked very well. However, it only do the surface skimming. Do you have any idea to improve it so that it can do the bottom suction also? Many thanks!
awesome. Why does the last piece need to be 1-2 inches higher than the tank (the pipe that is going upwards from the last T)? I'm planning on a building a large version of this for my 240g tank.
Love your DIY videos. With doing Your overflow set up what size pipe would you recommend for a 75 gallon saltwater Tank with a 700 GPH return pump? Thanks Don
This video is great thanks! I'm getting ready to do this for my 90 gal. But I have a questions. Since this will just skim the top what do you recomend for getting the poop and other stuff thats in the middle or bottom of the tank?
Hey Joey, great video. I built 2 overflows and after a couple weeks one slows down and after pulling some air out it works great again. I've replaced and resealed the check valve several x's and no air leaks anywhere else. Its always the same drain doing this no issues with the other. Now they aren't the same level one is a little shorter. Could this be my problem. The trouble drain is the taller of the two. Any advice? Please and thank you.
also,, you mention a spray paint to use to conceal the pvc in the tank, but you didnt speak clearly when you mentioned what kind of paint,, thanks,, and great videos by the way,, very informative !! alread subscribed!
Thanks for putting in the time to do this much appreciated. Was wondering if I had a power head filter with air bubble tubing running straight to where the check valve is would this be better for power outages?
Not sure if you answered this already, but how do you install the tube for the check valve into the PVC elbow without any leaks? Did you use silicone to seal it?
It is OK but I am afraid that it could be a risk of overflow. It may happen if the overflow pipe will be sucking air bubbles and they build up inside the top elbows over the tank's frame. The overflow pipe will become clogged by built air and the pump will overflow tank. I would add a cut-off switch.
I have a huge roll of polyfiber which i usually use on my filters for polishing. I think this is the same as filter floss. Where exactly should i put this? Should i also make a sponge filter on the intake of my pump, or will this impede lots of flow?
Nevermind, figured out something. I jammed a check valve into a hole I made in the pvc. Silconed around the connection for good measure. Then I connected a piece of air hose to the check valve. Not sure if this was the right way to do it, but it works!
Can an aquarium overflow be used to go from one aquarium to another one next to it, as long as the water level is lower on the 2nd aquarium? The thing is that, the horizontal part that hangs over the aquarium edge, which connects the two aquariums, would need to be longer than the aquariums are deep. Would that be okay as long as the very end of the horizontal run is lower than the starting end, or will the siphon not start up on its own after a power outage? Also, the output does have to be lower than both water levels, right?
hi there, thanks for the video. I made 2 of these following ur instructions 8 months ago. Except with 0.75 inch. My issue was that about a month or two later, I had to manually suck on the valve every few days, because I would Often come back home to find out the suction has been much reduced until I suck through the valve again. Recently, in the last 3 months, I have to suck through it at least once every few hours. So I have it connected to a small pump that would pull from the valves every few hours using a timer. Do you know what I did wrong?
i Have searched 2 years for this finnaly i got my 90 running like a boss. Works fine altough I use a wet and dry filter :D 1. drawer filter cushens 2. drawer filter wool 3. activated carbon and bio balls 4. filter wool/sponge filter :D
One more question sir. What would you recommend as far as tubing back to the tank, as in from pump to tank. I have seen people use PVC, some typical canister filter hoses, and a plastic hose such as the one that you have.
What if you have something small, duckweed or newborn baby fry, at the water's surface near your intake? How would you prevent them from getting sucked in as it skims? Maybe attach panty hose or netting over the intake?
The modified and upgraded version: ua-cam.com/video/UZytENJZtJw/v-deo.html
For 1" how long do I have to blow in the check valve? It's just making noise.
The king of DIY w07909904397
For more videos, pictures and updates: facebook.com/UaruJoey
Have an issue? cant get it to work? HERE IS THE FIX: I have been answering questions on this project for years now.. and no longer will. Its the same answer again and again... the #1 answer that solves 99% of all issues is this: PAY ATTENTION TO THE VIDEO. 99% simply do not follow the instructions or build it the same way, yet expect it to still work. The other 1% have an air leak somewhere. Find it. Seal it. Sorry, but i simply do not have the time to keep answering the same questions, when they all result with this same solution. IF YOU MUST get help, POST A PHOTO to my fan page so i can at least SEE what the problem is. I will not be able to help otherwise. facebook.com/UaruJoey
Original video ► goo.gl/4EU9ZX
How it all works ► goo.gl/L1Fg7M
The modified and upgraded version ► goo.gl/ZGRtXj
Fair enough,that would get so annoying answering same thing all the time lol
Where do you run the check valve air line?
its on the video ....
Thanks your vidio to help me aplikations bioflok sistem
The king of DIY
If you liked this video, you will LOVE my book: thekingofdiy.com
Still need this video and it’s 2023! Joey thank you for your dedication to the fish keeping community. We love you. ❤
This is a gigantic help for me as I am about to start my first saltwater tank. I am living in an apartment so I am terrified of the posibility of flooding by using a sump. So bad, in fact, that I was going to get all cluttered by using a canister and all the extra stuff. This is perfect for me! I appreciate it!
this is the only video that has ever been able to explain this concept to me. congratulations
joey, I'm building another one tonight. figured id stop by and say thanks again for the inspirations over the years
Thank you Joey. By reading all your posts and watching all your videos. I manage to make the overflow works! Its amazing. It costs me $70 in total since Thank you Joey. By reading all your posts and watching all your videos. I manage to make the overflow works! Its amazing. It costs me $70 in total since i did 1.5inches one. But hell is much better than overflow box...i did 1.5inches one. But hell is much better than overflow box...
I subscribed just to say thanks and 'cause several of your videos have been so helpful. My $130 canister filter from a manufacturer failed, and I was loathed to get another for my 60-gal tank. Thanks to this video and several others related ones, I was able to build a full functioning system for less than $20 (I already had a pond pump) and it works beautifully-- and much better than the manufactured one. I can't thank you enough for making my aquarium beautiful again within my lowly budget.
I set up a 2.5ft Double Decker tank and I have this Setup so I have just one Heater and One External Filter. I used 21.5mm pipe and it's more than edequate for a 1000 lph Filter and much more. I lined it all up got all the sizes right tested it then Solvent glued it. Waited a day or 2 for the solvent to air off the bits I could not wipe off from the inside. I was a bit cautious of it failing and emtpying the bottom tank. I Expoxied the one way Valve to the top pipe directly and cable tied it on to , but once primed i think it can be dissconnected and have goriila tape over the hole. This is an Amazing Video Well Done.
This is my 1st DIY mini aquarium overflow project and to my surprise, i manage to assemble it in less than 30minute. It works like wonder for my fish tank and not to mention that it cost way cheaper then buying a ready-made overflow system. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderfull step by step guide, very practical!
Man have you come a long way with your videos. Nice job sticking with it.
20 mins of watching this= endless hours of searching for overflow design online. Thanks a bunchhhhhh
9 years later and this is still worth a million a minute
You know what I found out if you put it together correctly😂
It actually works perfect 🤣🤣🤣
I have this setup on my 75g with 20g refugium. I watched this video about a yr ago and built an overflow in about 10 min has worked great ever since, one addition I did add a ball valve for fine adjustment and shutoff. Awesome video, thanks Uaru
I just finished making the same pvc overflow from this video. At first it wouldnt maintain flow.. but i discovered that my drain outlet was attached to a 1 in line leading to my sump.. Once i changed this to match the 1/2 inch pvc that i used to make this overflow, it workded just fine, Make sure that the drain line is the same size as the rest of the overflow and that its also submerged into the sump/ wet dry tank atleast 2 inches. This video is the best one out there... so dont blame him
Hi I just finished building your upgraded version with the wier , have to say this is probably one of the best tutorials I've used on youtube , many thanks for an excellent idea, this is going to make water changes so much easier and a hell of a lot faster , I've made it removeable so that just the wier remains in the tank , I intend painting the wier green and then planting a few stands of tall aquatic plants to hide it , and it also fits beautifully in my wife's goldfish pond / waterfeature , once again thanks for sharing the knowledge
Tried it and works well. A little bit of noise but muffled the breather stand pipe and couldn't be happier. Thankyou!
Hey Joey, I made a similar aquarium overflow but the desire was to create an overflow from my 20 gallon fry tank into my 10 gallon fry tank and basically treat the two aquariums as one with only one filter. Made some adjustments to your design in this video and the setup came out great. I added an HOB filter in between the two tanks with the aquarium overflow transferring water the opposite way.
I was reluctant to DIY a sump, but thanks to your video I’m about to build one. Thank you, detailed and simple enough to understand 👍🏼‼️
Hey Joey, just wanted to thank you for this awesome video.
I followed your instructions and built one myself. Initially it didn't work properly, only pumping water for a few seconds and then stopping. I then found out that I had an air leak (I'm using PVC pipes which are screwed together rather than being glued together). So i used some teflon tape on all my joints, and now it works like a charm !
Finally made mine out of 1" PVC I have an overflow box but I have always wanted to do this plus I needed a little more flow my pump was pumping more water then it was getting second overflow worked perfect thanks for the video for those of you having problems the inside outside pipe does not have to be exactly the same also when priming the out take has to be in the water to your sump I read someone earlier saying it didn't work
Great video!
this is the best diy overflow video on youtube in my opinion, has helped me a lot with ideas for my 10 gallon sump on my 25 gallon nano reef, thank you!!
I did this for my tank and its been working fantastically for 6 months now! Thanks
Joey, thank you very much for so many helpful videos. I prefer to do things myself and you have saved me a lot of time and money. I was going to drill my tank but this is a much better route in many ways. If I decide to move up to a larger tank someone will be more likely to buy a tank with no holes.
I used this video to make the same set up but with 3/4" PVC going into 1" PVC for the intake and then 3/4" for the return on a 55 gallon project I did about 8 yrs ago, had the system running for about three years with no problems. What I did learn from it was to not glue the pipes that are in the water, and I also used a 1" ball valve towards the end of the intake to regulate the flow, also don't go cheap on the return pump.
I went cheap and used a pump that wasn't d/c current and it hummed something fierce, also I used PVC all the way to the pump and didn't use a short section of rubber hose so that did contribute to the constant hum coming from the sump, other than those few things I'd have to say it was a great affordable way to make up your own sump system, if I remember it cost me about $100 total for all the parts to make up everything including the 10 gallon tank, a few pieces of Plexiglas that I used as baffles form the 10 gal/sump, all the PVC piping and fittings and the cheap pump.
I been contemplating making up another sump system for my 125 gal I currently have running with two FX6's, but this time I won't go cheap on the return pump and will be using a 55 gal as the sump itself.
Dude, I just wanted to say you are the SHIZNIT!!!! I think many will agree when I say it. You saved me more money than I would have saved by switching to Geico. Oh the wife said thanks, because of your videos we went from a free fish my daughter won at a fair to a 5gal, 10gal, 55gal, which I'm making my wet dry sump and my ultimate 6 foot long 150gal tank sitting on my custom homemade stand. LOL. I appreciate it, keep it up
Your videos are top quality and I have manage to build the auto water changing trip system as well as the overflow device and they work like wonder, thanks a lot and keep up the good work.
Ps. I don't understand your video has dislike, haters gonna hate. Don't let that affect you in any way!
tested mine yesterday and it works very well! Gonna clue and paint my overflow today. Total cost for me was around 10 bucks. I went with .75 pvc for my 28 gallon. thanks Joey!
You use 3/4 inch pvc pipe for 28 gallon tank? What is your flow rate in gallons per hour? Is it enough flow?
Just made my overflow with 1-1/4in" PvC sch40. I'm going to try and build a sump out of a 20g aquarium over the next few weeks. Never done anything like this before. Just tested the overflow in my 75g.... wholly moly does that thing pump out some water when it equalizes. I had some Tupperware bowls and didn't have enough bowls to handle all the water flow, haha, my carpet is soaked. Can't wait to get my mag 9.5 next weekend to test the flow rates. Thanks for the DIY's Joey, having fun!
This looks really Nice and easy to make,
Marvelous Idea you have here,
My question is, does it loose the syphon over time and if it does how would I prevent this? Please help
Idk where u get ur ideas but man they are awesome just did the overflow but made it a dual overflow. Next project is the algae scruber. Man appreciate the vids keep em comin.
Real nice looking one, How reliable would this be, what if this looses the syphon? This will flood the floor or something.
This actually gave me a great idea on how to drain the water from my tank during water changes! Thanks so much!
I am looking to build a DIY filter out of a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and was going to make an overflow for it, will the overflow be collecting enough of the water to properly clean it just from the surface, or should I make the straight pipe along with the overflow (90 deg. bend a bit higher)? I will also not be adding substrate, so will this help with "stuff" at the bottom of the tank, or will that need to be sucked out manually?
Great as usual and explaining on how you do your work. Just one important thing missing regarding this DIY video is how you install the air hose/non return valve? as in water tight/air tight, or it will fail which is a nightmare, hope you can explain that part. Thanks!
You my man have the best video on UA-cam regarding a DIY overflow tutorial thanks buddy cheers!
Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻
Fantastic!thanks so much,I need one of these for my tanks so I'm off to hardware store and getting the stuff I need to make several.the overflow set ups I have seen for sale on line are so expensive(unless I have been looking in wrong places) so this will save me heaps.love your vids,cheers
couldn't be more clear thanks for the help and the class make sure you do more videos your very clear in explaining it. I just learned how to do an overflow thank's a lot
Just built the overflow system and the wet dry works awesome great video bro
Thanks, I think I just tried to over think it. For a 120 gallon tank will a 300 gph pump be compatible with the exit pipes being 1"diameter? Thanks again for your time, your videos are some of the best on UA-cam!
1st off, I just found your channel and I love It! I know this this a really old video, but maybe my question will get answered, or maybe not. My question is: how well do you think this will work on a system that will not have constant flow into the display tank? I'm setting up an aquaponic growing system with my fish tank, I want the water from the sump to pump into the ebb & flow grow bed, then from the grow bed back into the display tank, with the overflow draining into the sump. So, the water will be rushing down fast for a minute or two every so often (1-3 times an hour depending on flow into the grow bed) I'm not at all sure yet what the flow rate from the grow bed will be until I get it going, the grow bed holds about 40-50 gallons of water. Another key feature is that the sump is on the side of the display tank. The DT is a 75 Gal, the sump a 55gal that is slightly lower that the DT. Water level in the sump (which is just a plain, mostly empty tank to hold water) is not real important. I understand I'll have to make the outlet side of my DIY PVC overflow higher than pictured, so that it can be above the water level in my 55gal sump, for gravity to do it's thing. I'm wondering if there is anything else I'm overlooking?
Just built a 1 inch pvc overflow yesterday thanx joey.
Nice video, I have a tall tank that isnt drilled so I made this. It works, its just sometimes the syphon will catch up or will "stop" for a second then resume causing a rise in water level. Also the syphon noise is quite loud, is this due to the tall pipes? They are about 3 feet long.
great vid! i made two 1/2" overflows for my 10 gallon saltwater tank, they work really well
Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻
@@user-eb6hk6se6s it's on the size of the tank
@@aniketpatil1452 what is an Overflow for I’m new to this
Me too. Works great!
Hey joey... So I finally got around to making this, and finished it today. I started it, and it was doing great! After a few minutes, air started to get into the airline hose for the check valve, and my flow rate slowed a bit. How do I fix that?
i just did the wet dry from this guy and now im gonna try this overflow
this dude saved me money =)
I made one this afternoon, total cost $11.32! It works great, even though the "U" in the aquarium is only 8" beneath the rim (in my 18" 55 gallon). Plus, the PVC will fit my pump, so I can use the extra (I have over 5' of PVC left) for the input of the sump and the return to the tank. Thanks for the design!!
After I got the dang pieces cut it took a minute or two to put two of these together. .75 for a 20 gal cost $4 for everything, 1.25 for 55gal was about $7. Thanks Joey!
I am getting items ready now to build this. You mentioned the paint. I believe I will try applying aquarium sealant to the pipes and rolling them in crushed coral. Over time it will look just like the rest of the coral. What do you think?
awesome video buddy, very detailed explanation to what you are doing. Not a lot of people will give this much detail. I love your videos man, keep up the good work.
Excellent tutorial, Joey. I did have one question that was not addressed in this video. How did you go about adding the air valve and air hose to the elbow fitting. Do you have it demonstrated in another video?
the quality on your videos has really gone up!
Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻
DUDE Thanks alot i searched the inter net and found nothing as awsome as this thanks alot great job .................
this is a great Video. im doing my research on pvc over flow because i want to put one on my 120g. i was wondering what do you think is a good pump? i was thinking the quiet one pumps but idk.
I personally used one of these overflows it worked great never had an issue with it happy reefing
Great..i have been looking for this kind of vid for so long ..finally .. Very good explanations..
Amazing this is 9yrs ago..still big thanks too you Sir
@uarujoey Okay, but you make the hole in the tube that goes from the T, is to insert a little hose purge? or not and simply need to add is the hole? ... thanks again.
Man Thanks for the DIY just fiinished mine yesterday for my 29 Gal. Biocube and it works like a charm. I used th 3/4" pvc and I still need to paint it
Hey Joey, I have a 29 gallon angelfish tank and I wanted to put your algae scrubber in it. I then decided I would try and build a sump with a left over 5 gallon tank I built after watching one of your videos. It would fit perfectly on the bottom shelf of my stand. Will this be possible? I have never had a sump before
Oh and Joey
i like that you explain everything very well
it's always very very clear ^^
and you always let us see how things are working
this is my favorite channel so far :D
hey joey, ur overflow design works beautifully. I build 2 out of 3/4 inch- I hooked both together that drain to my crab tank. Only one prob- I tryed to make my first one out of 1/2 inch. But gravity fed 1/2 inch won't carry 60 gph much less 92gph.
Nice video, Joey. Sumps / overflows make a little more sense now. I'm thinking about using one of these kinds of pumps when I get back into using my currently-empty 125 gallon... But, I'm curious: these can be used for marines setups, too, right? Not just fresh?
sorry lol but it made me chuckle when u said "as u can SEE it is quite silent" and btw i love your videos and share my love for aquariums. i am planning on getting around a 500gallon tank and having a decently sized grained sand as a floor. i hope it works out well. oh and do u know if having a baby musk turtle in a aquarium would have a effect on it or anything else??
Watched your video again. Now I understand it better. It's a system that will start the siphon on it's own. Hope I can replicate right. Thanks
Hey Joey, I had an idea for my smaller tank (20 gallon) that is basically to just simplify water changes and keep the temperature down as it holds some aquatic lizards that need cold water, and wanted to know if you think it would be a good idea. Basically the idea is to get on of those water coolers with the big jugs on top, fill those jugs with tap water and put some dechlorinator/stress zyme in the water, put them ontop of the water cooler and hook a hose with a dripper to the "cold" tap on the water cooler, the dripper of course going to the tank and then setting up one of these overflows that would just drain into an empty jug of the same size at the bottom, dump the jug when the top jug is empty then just refill the top one. Is that something that would be good to keep the water cool and fresh? As well as making water changes as simple as filling one up and dumping the other every few days.
Hi everyone, I've made 4 of these so far and only used an air valve on 2 of them while the other two were started just the same way you start a siphon with a hose. The two WITHOUT the air valve have been working perfectly for 6 months now while the other 2 have been scraped. Based on this... DO NOT drill the elbows!!!!!
Just sharing my experience with this type of overflow.
I'm putting mine together right now. What do you think went wrong? Would it just stop overflowing on it's own, or were you not able to prime it? I won't drill mine for the time being. Thanks!
you were leaking air... simple fix.
***** I kinda figured that must have been the problem. Okay, back to drilling! :) Thanks Joey!
Love the videos . very helpful for my projects. When I run into something. First thing I do is go on your channel . thanks !
Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻
Hello, I wanted to do a query on whether the tube is left uncovered (the rising of the "T") is necessary to place the little hose aerator, I assemble the siphon a few days ago and I have it only on the inverted U and it works well, you need to put a little hose and its respective plug aerator as you post in the video? ... what if I set you free, reduced flow or something? ... I congratulate you on your DIY.
PS, I used google translator to see, do not speak English. Greetings from Argentina.
hey joey, i made your overflow and it works great for my 29 gallon tank and 10 gallon sump. my only complaint is the constant, loud, draining noise. is there any way to silence it?
Nice job .. So with this DIY overflow system u can make cheap DIY drip water change system ! right?
Stupid question as I am still new to this, but what's the main point to doing this? Is it so you can have your clutter of filters on the sump? To have extra water? To overstock on fish, since the sump is extra water? Please let me know. Super good video. Thanks
Hi Joey, I made a 2" version of the overflow for my 4'x2'x2' tank. I experienced the overflow stopping (sometimes it's good for a few days, sometimes a week but it always fail at a point.) and I had to restart it for it to work. What could be the reason behind? Great video btw. I built a 3/4" version and it work perfect.
hi there buddy....
i shown this video to the plumbing store so they give me the exact items- i went home and did it....which i thank you for.....i got one question- what kind of pump do i use to return water to tank? any powerhead or something desinged for sumps?
Hi; This is very helpful...thank you. However, if I'm not missing something there is no mention of how to install the tube and check valve. Do you drill a hole and thread something in or do you use glue?
I am getting ready to build one of these including the sump. I have a 120 gallon measuring Lx5ft Wx18-1/4 Hx26in. It will be stocked with a gar, RTC and tiger shovel nose as well as some other fish. They are all small for now and will be add to my 2350 plywood when it is finished. I will have a heavy bio load what would you recommend for the diameter for the PVC overflow for the 120?
What are you using for the check valve? Looking for something similar at the hardware store but unsure what to search for
Hi! I followed your guide and build my own a system. It worked very well. However, it only do the surface skimming. Do you have any idea to improve it so that it can do the bottom suction also? Many thanks!
Can you do this setup with multiple tanks? Without having a problem with vacuum brakes between the additional tanks?
awesome. Why does the last piece need to be 1-2 inches higher than the tank (the pipe that is going upwards from the last T)? I'm planning on a building a large version of this for my 240g tank.
Love your DIY videos. With doing Your overflow set up what size pipe would you recommend for a 75 gallon saltwater Tank with a 700 GPH return pump?
Thanks Don
This video is great thanks! I'm getting ready to do this for my 90 gal. But I have a questions. Since this will just skim the top what do you recomend for getting the poop and other stuff thats in the middle or bottom of the tank?
The answer to tampered glass tanks. Thanks again Joey!
Hey Joey, great video. I built 2 overflows and after a couple weeks one slows down and after pulling some air out it works great again. I've replaced and resealed the check valve several x's and no air leaks anywhere else. Its always the same drain doing this no issues with the other. Now they aren't the same level one is a little shorter. Could this be my problem. The trouble drain is the taller of the two. Any advice? Please and thank you.
also,, you mention a spray paint to use to conceal the pvc in the tank, but you didnt speak clearly when you mentioned what kind of paint,, thanks,, and great videos by the way,, very informative !! alread subscribed!
I did this today with 15mm pipework working well, one tip put a airline pipe in the end cap to reduce noise
Thanks for putting in the time to do this much appreciated. Was wondering if I had a power head filter with air bubble tubing running straight to where the check valve is would this be better for power outages?
Not sure if you answered this already, but how do you install the tube for the check valve into the PVC elbow without any leaks? Did you use silicone to seal it?
It is OK but I am afraid that it could be a risk of overflow. It may happen if the overflow pipe will be sucking air bubbles and they build up inside the top elbows over the tank's frame. The overflow pipe will become clogged by built air and the pump will overflow tank. I would add a cut-off switch.
I have a huge roll of polyfiber which i usually use on my filters for polishing. I think this is the same as filter floss.
Where exactly should i put this?
Should i also make a sponge filter on the intake of my pump, or will this impede lots of flow?
Nevermind, figured out something. I jammed a check valve into a hole I made in the pvc. Silconed around the connection for good measure. Then I connected a piece of air hose to the check valve. Not sure if this was the right way to do it, but it works!
Didn't catch this in the vid, but do you put a mesh on the opening of the overflow? What's to stop the smaller fish from getting in if they jump?
Can an aquarium overflow be used to go from one aquarium to another one next to it, as long as the water level is lower on the 2nd aquarium? The thing is that, the horizontal part that hangs over the aquarium edge, which connects the two aquariums, would need to be longer than the aquariums are deep. Would that be okay as long as the very end of the horizontal run is lower than the starting end, or will the siphon not start up on its own after a power outage? Also, the output does have to be lower than both water levels, right?
hi there, thanks for the video. I made 2 of these following ur instructions 8 months ago. Except with 0.75 inch.
My issue was that about a month or two later, I had to manually suck on the valve every few days, because I would Often come back home to find out the suction has been much reduced until I suck through the valve again. Recently, in the last 3 months, I have to suck through it at least once every few hours. So I have it connected to a small pump that would pull from the valves every few hours using a timer.
Do you know what I did wrong?
i Have searched 2 years for this finnaly i got my 90 running like a boss.
Works fine altough I use a wet and dry filter :D
1. drawer filter cushens
2. drawer filter wool
3. activated carbon and bio balls
4. filter wool/sponge filter :D
Joey does the PVC have to go all the way down on the inside of the tank to work.
Would 5-6 inches work just as good?
One more question sir.
What would you recommend as far as tubing back to the tank, as in from pump to tank.
I have seen people use PVC, some typical canister filter hoses, and a plastic hose such as the one that you have.
What if you have something small, duckweed or newborn baby fry, at the water's surface near your intake? How would you prevent them from getting sucked in as it skims? Maybe attach panty hose or netting over the intake?
Joey, how do you cement this together? And what size PVC would you suggest for a standard 55 gallons?