dude, ive been lookin for the answer to how exactly the overflow box works and would work in the event of a power outtage, but now i can see that if the power were to go out the syphon would work for a little bit but then would eventually kill itsself as the water level would gradually drop but then that the syphon would work once the power was restored due to the gravity of the overflow box into the u-tubes from the pump pumping, thank you for making such an educational video, i found it very
@earthling1984 your welcome man, i think you should definetly do an update on it, id be pretty cool to see how well your sump has come along, as i would like to do something along the same lines for my new 56 gal reef that i setup the other day but i watched the whole thing twice just to make sure i had the right idea an even replayed a few parts a couple times lol
@earthling1984 my only question about them is if you use a 1" bulk head would you be able to use 1" vinyl tubing for the plumping down to the sump or would i need slighlty larger like 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch for it to fit, thanks again, take care
@earthling1984 i made several pvc overflows and always hear water running and not a gorgerlin sound ,.. water running/. With the overflowbox do you hear water run?
@mgkdcx Thanks! I get mostly good comments, but this video was created a few years ago with a bad computer camera. I should make a new one. But thanks much for the kind comment!!!
If you use an (Tom) aqua lifter pump hooked to the top of your overflow siphon tube you can use the larger siphon tube, will never lose siphon and you can lower your sump pump.
hey. does your aquarium/sump box is drilled? i have a 2ft tank, and i want to do sump filtration. is there anyway to do it without drilling a hole for the sump?
i got that same filter in a couple of weeks ago how did you hook up the hose coming out of your overflow.. does it slip inside the black piece or outside of it.. if it the one i got slip inside and to me it seems like that would cause a small leak and eventually make the hose pop off.. im thinking i need a bigger drain hose and clamp it down or something.. but no body on youtube has made a video on how to hook one of these things up.. i swear im not an idiot just like other peoples opinions.
@basstracker06 I honestly can't remember exactly how I set it up(was 3 years ago I made this video). but I do know the tube just stuck through, and there was one or two plastic screw type things that went on the top and or bottom to hold it in. If you want to make a perminant seal, fill up the seal with silicon.
@basstracker06 I had to get a 1.25" ID drain hose from HomeDepot, which fit tightly over overflow drain box. The model I have, Aquatic Systems Proclear 75, comes with a drain hose that has rubbery ends that stretch and fit tightly as well.
hi i wanted to get that same over flow box but idk how much room i need in the back can u plaze help me out and mesure and tell me how wide the part the that sticks out of the tank
Hey man this is super helpful, I've never done this sump thing before but I was wondering, do you buy two of the same water pumps (one for input and one for output for the sump) so to ensure there is the same amount of water coming in and out of the sump tank? Any recommendations as to what type of pumps are good??? thanks man! Super helpful!!
@bjwwong you only use one pump... watch the video. a pump up and down will not work ever. there is an overflow box, and a single pump that run the system.
thank you. great video for first time wet dry users like me. did you ever get a auto shut off switch or auto pump? If so please let me know how you did it. its th last thing i would like to add.
Great video! I have a question... By the end of your video you mention that your return water pump in the sump should be closer to the surface so in case that the syphon in the overflow box stop working your return pump doesn´t keep sending water from the sump to the main tank but What happen after the pump stop sending water to the main tank? is the pump still on? is this going to cause a damage to the pump because it keeps running dry? thanks!
@seselapaz Thanks. And yes, I think i even mentioned in the video that it would be bad for it to run dry. Some will turn off when they overheat, and you could add some type of switch so when the water lowers, it shuts off - so yes, that would 'complete' this system to have some type of shut off... but, think about it, wether that pump is at the bottom, or near the top, if the syphon fails it will shoot all the water up, until the pump is ot of water(no matter where in the tank it is).
only question I have is what happens when the siphon fails and you are on vacation. I can deal with a cheap pump breaking, but the tank continue with no filtration until you get back. Is this a major problem or is a week and a half with a few power heads for water movement going to keep your fish alive long enough until you can restart the siphon. should I keep a HOB filter to 'save the day' on the tank, just when I am on vacation because i am not worried about "hiding it", or is it unnecessary?
@TheGoodstuff69 hey. Well, if you go on vacation and that happened, it wouldn't be ideal, especially if your heater is in your sump, then your main tank would have no heat also. Maybe if you are going to be gone for a long time(over a couple days), then move the heater to the main tank, and setup a HOB(now it takes weeks for a filter to get bacteria on it so it does any good, so maybe leave a filter pad in your sump, so it is ready to be used when you go on vacation).
@earthling1984 first off thank you, I nearly almost forgot that my heater would be in my sump, lol. and second off, I would more than likely keep the HOB running in my sump/ refugium/ mini reef (30 gallon broken into 3 sections) so I would already have the bacteria.
I've seen guys use a small air pump to remove air from the big syphon hose he replaced. Great video thanks. This is why you tube is great. This type of education is priceless.
Very nice, was well explained and I ttally understand and ge the concept of overflows and building a solid fail safe system. Thaks for your time and efferts.
Very nice, was well explained and I ttally understand and ge the concept of overflows and building a solid fail safe system. Thaks for your time and effert.
Your set up is not all that bad, however, one of the main points of having a sump is to forego other pumps and filters AND a higher turnover rate. so instead of using a power head if you used a higher flow pump pump, you wouldn't have had any air in the sifon. It would have forgone the need to the bio wheel too. You bought that biowheel for prolly $60 when you could have avoided it all together, the return pump would have created enough volume of water for the stuff you put in the biowheeel.
Awesome. This vid really help a lot. I'm currently setting up a tank. One question though did u happen to get that pump u were talking about? The pump that's turned-off when it's out of the water.
This is very thorough, thank you! I do have one question however, is there a specific reason that your siphon flow stops when the power is turned off? I would think the siphon flow would continue and overflow your sump tank.
@cslapler007 the siphon, or overflow part of the system, only 'overflows' when the main tank water rises above in 'in tank box'. This happens when the pump pushes water up from the sump tank, and raises the water level in the main tank. If the pump stops pushing water up, then the main tank water won't be high enough to drain any water.
I now know how to make an efficient and fail safe aquarium sump. DaveWreckingCrew has just evolved from a fan of fish tanks to Expert Aquarium Hobbyist. Thanks, and great job on the aquarium and video.
very nice dude. you made my day :).. first time i've seen a bio wheel hang on in the sump. you made things simple but very effective and that's what i'd like to do with my 55. i've got no sump yet and browsing what to do. i have a hang behind aquac remora nano and want to put it in a sump to quit with all the micro bubbles in the display.
@earthling1984 Have you had any leaks coming from the tube area running from the overflow box to the sump? If the tube connected to the overflox box was to leak then a flood is possible there
An easy fix for the bubbles in the U tube: Drill a small hole in the top where the bubble forms. Use some aquarium sealant, and glue in a check valve, with some air tubing on the outside end. Every few weeks or so just suck out the air bubble. This also works great for starting the siphon.
Overall good setup but you should put live sand at the bottom of your refugium not gravel this is because the bacteria that gets rid of nitrates and converts them into nitrogen gas needs an anerobic environment so add a deep sand bed to your refugium if you run into a nitrate problem
Why in the hell would someone dislike this video? This guy goes out of his way to tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about how sump systems work. 32 people are fucking idiots.
thats pretty good im thinking of adding a small sump to my ten gallon and i just got the know how and the what not to do so thanx alot bro and feel free to watch my vid its a pretty unique tank youll like it thanks!!!!
@riderinblack57 i saw your video u should add a sump to that tank it would take it to the next level all u need is aquarium silicon, glass or plexi glass pieces, a small tank, some imagination, and you got a sump and with a little dyi you can have a sump and all the parts to get it up and running
i had the same bubble problem with my overflow. i took about 4 or 5 bioballs and sat them right in between where the water comes from the tank and where it drops in the box. this slows it down just enough to eliminate the bubbles. :) if needed i can make a quick video of what i did if anyone would like an example
@Glissonshoods I was having one heck of a problem with those stupid little bubbles in my overflow. I read your comment last night, threw six bio balls into mine and checked this morning to find that there are ZERO bubbles in my U tube. You are a genius. Thank you for the fantastic tip. It is very much appreciated. I hope that other people find that little tip of yours just as helpful as I did. You should make a video.
@sauronsmouth81 no problem i am glad i could help. i will make a video and you should too that way it gets out to more people :) if there is anything else i can help with just let me know.
do you have any slurping noise from ur out of tank overflow box? cuase thats my biggest problem with trickle filters? lastly is that new siphon tubing flexibe?
If you drill a hole in the side of your tank and via that hole your water drains directly down to the pump, you've eliminated any need for a syphon (there is no risk of losing your syphon) on the way down. That way, your tank cannot overflow. As far as the sump overflowing due to a power outage, you can put a one-way valve on the tube that carries water back upto the tank. This way, even if your powerhead stops working, water cannot flow backwards back down and overflow your sump.
im confused. When power off, why doesnt the syphon drain the last of the water in the overflow till it breaks? (no more water to syphon) how do you stop the syphon from terminating if ther is no more water to supply it??? or im i missing something lol
@JohnnyX50 your missing something :) The overflow box has the in tank container, which stays full of water, and it has *two* out of tank containers. One of which stays full(the one that the tube is in).
im running a 600 gph pump flowing thru that same 1" overflow tube down to my 29g sump on my 55g saltwater tank. there is no bubbles in it at all ever... they dont get a chance to hang out in there. how big is your pump? also ditch the bioballs, and get more liverock. bioballs just harbor nitrates. live rock does the same thing, and wont load up with nitrates like bioballs do over time. i see the small strip light makes me think you have no corals? correct? :) and whats with the brown sand?
@earthling1984 never seen brown live sand. it looks just like the play sand i have in a freshwater tank. home depot, 3.88 for 50lb. its not good for saltwater, as its a silica sand and thats bad bc it will give you nitrates down the road. its a non issue in freshwater but supposedly bad in saltwater... i had the same thing in my puffers tank and replaced it with crushed coral / aragonite.
@SpAwNTRiAD Thanks for the info. As for my sand, it is not playsand, I have never purchased sand from homedepot or any store... other than a pet store... for my tanks.
@earthling1984 eh... i understand people have budgets... but... ive spent more than the cost of pump on a single coral colony lol... it just irritates me when people compromise on their aquatic life support systems for their tank inhabitants... in the grand scheme of things, 100 bucks is nothing for a saltwater tank, that only ammounts to about 10 pounds of some premium live rock. not trying to be a dick im just sayin lol.. but all in all i like your tank, its very clean. :)
@SpAwNTRiAD I never compromise my animals or fish environments. You asked about sand earlier, and I use quality live sand and figi live rock. I use an overflow box and sump setup filled with more live rock, protein skimmer, and refugium. I agree with everything you have said, and I do all the things you mention...
@earthling1984 no no you missed what i said, looks good but i meant the smaller pump... thats only the flow of a 30-60 gallon hang on back filter.... which is pretty bad for a 55 gallon tank... regardless if its saltwater or fresh. ill be putting a 600 gph pump on a 20 gallon long im building now lol. i meant no offence. if you keep SPS corals you shoot for a 40X turnover rate. softies you can get by with about 20X. thats all im saying. (rate includes powerheads for flow in tank)
How Can You Get the water from one side of the over flow to the other side? And The Water Goes Threw The over flow box it goes down To were the sump is then pumped back in the tank im i right? Im Starting My Fish Tank and i dont know how it works?
@2424Anthony it works by the syphon. The overflow box drains water as the main tanks water rises from the pump in the sump that pushes the water up. all the overflow box does is drain rising water from the main tank.
Ok. That makes sense then. I've seen some crazy ideas on how to approach making a DIY w/d/r. Have you ever thought of adding solid partitions in? Because you are already more than half-way there. I am currently planning to build my own out of a 25 gl tank and was doing some research when I ran into your video. It may be 2yrs old but it's still getting attention. :) Good luck with your tank and thanks for sharing the video.
Are those partitions the ones that keep fish separated? From the looks of it, you have them continuous from top to bottom. Which means that they aren't really acting as partitions like other wet/dry/refugiums which uses partitions of various heights to control water flow / micro bubbles. Nice set up, but doesn't really achieve the true function of a w/d/r because it is basically a tank with some porous partitions. nice try.
@frogz74 The point of the partitions in this setup is to keep the different sections of the sump/refugium separated(so plants don't get into the other sections, and so the bioballs are held into place)... I agree it isn't a 'traditional' sump/wet dry setup, but it worked great! This was my *first* setup of a sump/refugium, and it worked amazing. Thanks much for your comment, and I am always learning new things. This video is 2 year sold now :)
Nice video, I like the advice about putting a small hole in the return line to prevent siphon in the event of a power failure. Keeping it above the water line is a 100% sure method too.
For the pump, you can run the pump on a float switch so that it will shut off when the water level drops.
Thanks for explaining it...I kept wondering what the other vids were talking about since Im new to all this. So the water just siphons from the main tank into the sump(travels through various chambers) and then you have a pump that returns that water to the main tank...? When you have this setup, do you need a canister filter as well or is the point of a sump and refugium to replace a canister filter?
@CraEggD320 no problem :) You should still have some type of filter on the tank - to take out large debree and poop and such. The sump/refugium is more meant to be a biological filtration 'center' and keeps your water quality good for the fish.
@titaniumkiller yes, you stick in a tube, and suck out the air till the syphon starts. I didn't get a 'new' tube, air tubing most people have sitting around if they own fish tanks.
earthling1984, hi, great filter I have a ?? how do u regulate the water coming from the overflow? I'm on a tight budget, but i got my hands on a pond pump, i'm not so sure how many GPH it pumps. So what do I do if the water pumps into the tank faster than the overflow. thank you ET1984. If I get an ansewr on this ????, I'll be asking a few more, if you don't mind. thanks again grags58
@grags58 No problem, ask away :) but send a PM instead of posting a lot of questions on the video. If it pumps too fast(faster than your overflow box) you would have to get a smaller(less GPH) pump.
Instead of using an overflow box and a siphon to get the water to the pump, could you just use two of the same pumps? One in the tank pushing water to the sump, then one in the sump pushing water to the tank? It seems like this out eliminate a possibility of an overflow during a power out and would just be a whole lot simpler...
1. Yes, you can make one for any size tank really.
2. You start the siphon by putting a smaller air tube inside the U tube, then suck out the air with your mouth. Once it is full of water, pull out the air tube.
3. Having a sump will greatly help your biolotical filtration.
4. yes, if you set it up correctly, but one would probably be easier.
nice tank setup i have a similiar overflow but rated at 600 gallon per hour flow but i have a dumb question for you since this is my first overflow sump setup. with the u tube siphon how do you get it to start siphoning? and if you have a power outage how does it resiphon? thanks for any info
@brownsdawg81 put a small air tube into the syphon / u tube then usd your mouth to suck out the air, then remove the small air tube. If the power goes out it will stay. Full of water and will resume automatically.
sorry about all the comments but about your problem of the pump overheating in case the siphon fails, you could just get one of those electric floats that cuts off power when the water level floats up the floaty. These are used in ac units encase the drainage fails you dont have water poring through your roof in ur attic. Ive also seen them used in Reverse Osmosis water filters to add water to you aquarium.
Just a little advice bio balls really only work with wet/dry filters and it looks like your bio balls are submerged. Ceramic works better submerged. And if you do have a wet/dry sump you can also use those plastic pot scrubbers that you get at the dollar store, there cheap and have a lot of surface area just make sure you clean them well first.
@bobiana289 Thanks! I agree ceramic is a better underwater. Bio balls do work(they are in canister filters aren't they?!? yup :) ) But I agree, a wet/dry would be much more effective with them!
@earthling1984 Yes bio balls do work but are better off in a wet/dry filter set up. All of the Canister filters that I have seen use ceramic instead of the bio balls. But they will work just not as good as the ceramic submerged. What you can do to make it a wet dry is where your hose siphons into ur sump put a plate of vinyl with holes in it that way it trickles into your bio balls so they have some air with them so they grow bacteria better.
@earthling1984 Without O2 bacteria cant grow, obviously you have O2 in your water but not anywhere near as much if it was a wet/dry. That's the principle behind the food saver bags, without O2 bacteria cant grow. Im not saying that the bio balls wont work im just giving advice that i have done a lot of research on. And i appreciate you not being a douche about my comment unlike numerous youtube users that i have encountered. Yery nice set up you have but i have a question about the siphon.
@liv4daoutdoors to save money you can just go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a small sheet of acrylic for like 8 bucks and you should be able to use it as two dividers in a ten gal sump.
Bubbles in the syphon tube are caused because your return pump is not powerful enough... I experienced the same problem. The overflow box will keep up with a more powerful pump and you will get better filtration and more water flow.
how does the water get sucked by the tube you put in? it dont have a pump right, coz what i think is when you shut your pump down, and the tube reaches the level where it cannot suck water anyomore, it will stop right? but when you turn it on again, how will it suck water back? im planning to do stuff for a looooooooooooooooooooooooong time, and i cant do it perfectyl, can you link me to a step by step process on how to make a filter like this? pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease... thanks! Gosbless!! :D
@jrich22009 that is how the overflow box is setup. It has 3 compartments. The first one is in the tank. Then there are two in the out of take section. The tube stays underwater because when the water stops flowing, the two sections the tube is underwater in simply level out - they have nowhere to drain, they level out with the tube underwater still. Normally when the system is running, the out of take section overflows and then drains down to the sump from a different section.
Hey earthling just reading through and noticed on notoriousbunies comment you sad, "Planes and algae 'eat' nitrate." just to verify did you mean Plants and algae??
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
how does the siphone not keep sucking the water out of the overflow until it stops?
3133bears 1 month ago
useful
smokinjojo74 2 months ago
dude, ive been lookin for the answer to how exactly the overflow box works and would work in the event of a power outtage, but now i can see that if the power were to go out the syphon would work for a little bit but then would eventually kill itsself as the water level would gradually drop but then that the syphon would work once the power was restored due to the gravity of the overflow box into the u-tubes from the pump pumping, thank you for making such an educational video, i found it very
smokinjojo74 2 months ago
@smokinjojo74 thanks for your kind comment! Glad my video was helpful for you!
earthling1984 2 months ago
@earthling1984 your welcome man, i think you should definetly do an update on it, id be pretty cool to see how well your sump has come along, as i would like to do something along the same lines for my new 56 gal reef that i setup the other day but i watched the whole thing twice just to make sure i had the right idea an even replayed a few parts a couple times lol
smokinjojo74 2 months ago
@earthling1984 my only question about them is if you use a 1" bulk head would you be able to use 1" vinyl tubing for the plumping down to the sump or would i need slighlty larger like 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 inch for it to fit, thanks again, take care
smokinjojo74 2 months ago
@earthling1984 i made several pvc overflows and always hear water running and not a gorgerlin sound ,.. water running/. With the overflowbox do you hear water run?
AweSomo84 1 month ago
@AweSomo84 there is a slight water sound, but not that bad.
earthling1984 1 month ago
@earthling1984 slight? , this sounds bad :( . I think i will sell or the sump shit again ,.. i hate noise
AweSomo84 1 month ago
ty
CourtneyPavlinic 2 months ago
Got dizzy looking at this video. Useful info.
johnherrera305 2 months ago
@johnherrera305 yeah it's an old vid with a bad camera. did have some good info in it though. I should remake it.
earthling1984 2 months ago
@earthling1984 why everything is clear , m:)
AweSomo84 1 month ago
when the power goes out, why doesnt your siiphon overflow your sump tank?
MXZCharlie 3 months ago
@MXZCharlie i explain that in the video, because the tube is near the surface in the main tank.
earthling1984 3 months ago
Can't see why people would hate this vid. I thought it was pretty good to be honest. Explains alot! Good vid!!!!!!!
mgkdcx 3 months ago
@mgkdcx Thanks! I get mostly good comments, but this video was created a few years ago with a bad computer camera. I should make a new one. But thanks much for the kind comment!!!
earthling1984 3 months ago
If you use an (Tom) aqua lifter pump hooked to the top of your overflow siphon tube you can use the larger siphon tube, will never lose siphon and you can lower your sump pump.
vormwmik54 3 months ago
hey. does your aquarium/sump box is drilled? i have a 2ft tank, and i want to do sump filtration. is there anyway to do it without drilling a hole for the sump?
death0dying 3 months ago
@death0dying can easily be setup without drilling. I didn't drill anything in this setup.
earthling1984 3 months ago
thanks,, that will work i like the silicon idea ill try that..
basstracker06 5 months ago
i got that same filter in a couple of weeks ago how did you hook up the hose coming out of your overflow.. does it slip inside the black piece or outside of it.. if it the one i got slip inside and to me it seems like that would cause a small leak and eventually make the hose pop off.. im thinking i need a bigger drain hose and clamp it down or something.. but no body on youtube has made a video on how to hook one of these things up.. i swear im not an idiot just like other peoples opinions.
basstracker06 5 months ago
@basstracker06 I honestly can't remember exactly how I set it up(was 3 years ago I made this video). but I do know the tube just stuck through, and there was one or two plastic screw type things that went on the top and or bottom to hold it in. If you want to make a perminant seal, fill up the seal with silicon.
earthling1984 5 months ago
@basstracker06 I had to get a 1.25" ID drain hose from HomeDepot, which fit tightly over overflow drain box. The model I have, Aquatic Systems Proclear 75, comes with a drain hose that has rubbery ends that stretch and fit tightly as well.
clockcycles 4 months ago
hi i wanted to get that same over flow box but idk how much room i need in the back can u plaze help me out and mesure and tell me how wide the part the that sticks out of the tank
ramibadreddine 5 months ago
@ramibadreddine It does hang out the back a bit, around 2 to 3 inches.
earthling1984 5 months ago
If I subscribe will you promise to buy a new microphone ? THROW AWAY THE BIO BALLS ! ONLY NOOBS USE THEM.
TroyAnNicole 5 months ago
@TroyAnNicole hehe, well I already got a new microphone, so you can subscribe :)
earthling1984 5 months ago
Hey man this is super helpful, I've never done this sump thing before but I was wondering, do you buy two of the same water pumps (one for input and one for output for the sump) so to ensure there is the same amount of water coming in and out of the sump tank? Any recommendations as to what type of pumps are good??? thanks man! Super helpful!!
bjwwong 6 months ago
@bjwwong you only use one pump... watch the video. a pump up and down will not work ever. there is an overflow box, and a single pump that run the system.
earthling1984 6 months ago
thank you. great video for first time wet dry users like me. did you ever get a auto shut off switch or auto pump? If so please let me know how you did it. its th last thing i would like to add.
cjunio71 6 months ago
what is that fish
iluvfish123 6 months ago
I didn't understand y do u have the return pumps powerhead thing so close to the surface of the water
allSaLTwater 7 months ago
Great idea with putting the return pump towards the top of the tank!
ilovetoemailjacob 8 months ago
@ilovetoemailjacob thx :)
earthling1984 7 months ago
Great video! I have a question... By the end of your video you mention that your return water pump in the sump should be closer to the surface so in case that the syphon in the overflow box stop working your return pump doesn´t keep sending water from the sump to the main tank but What happen after the pump stop sending water to the main tank? is the pump still on? is this going to cause a damage to the pump because it keeps running dry? thanks!
seselapaz 8 months ago
@seselapaz Thanks. And yes, I think i even mentioned in the video that it would be bad for it to run dry. Some will turn off when they overheat, and you could add some type of switch so when the water lowers, it shuts off - so yes, that would 'complete' this system to have some type of shut off... but, think about it, wether that pump is at the bottom, or near the top, if the syphon fails it will shoot all the water up, until the pump is ot of water(no matter where in the tank it is).
earthling1984 8 months ago
only question I have is what happens when the siphon fails and you are on vacation. I can deal with a cheap pump breaking, but the tank continue with no filtration until you get back. Is this a major problem or is a week and a half with a few power heads for water movement going to keep your fish alive long enough until you can restart the siphon. should I keep a HOB filter to 'save the day' on the tank, just when I am on vacation because i am not worried about "hiding it", or is it unnecessary?
TheGoodstuff69 8 months ago
@TheGoodstuff69 hey. Well, if you go on vacation and that happened, it wouldn't be ideal, especially if your heater is in your sump, then your main tank would have no heat also. Maybe if you are going to be gone for a long time(over a couple days), then move the heater to the main tank, and setup a HOB(now it takes weeks for a filter to get bacteria on it so it does any good, so maybe leave a filter pad in your sump, so it is ready to be used when you go on vacation).
earthling1984 8 months ago
@earthling1984 first off thank you, I nearly almost forgot that my heater would be in my sump, lol. and second off, I would more than likely keep the HOB running in my sump/ refugium/ mini reef (30 gallon broken into 3 sections) so I would already have the bacteria.
TheGoodstuff69 8 months ago
I've seen guys use a small air pump to remove air from the big syphon hose he replaced. Great video thanks. This is why you tube is great. This type of education is priceless.
namesean 9 months ago
Very nice, was well explained and I ttally understand and ge the concept of overflows and building a solid fail safe system. Thaks for your time and efferts.
dtech1224 9 months ago
Very nice, was well explained and I ttally understand and ge the concept of overflows and building a solid fail safe system. Thaks for your time and effert.
dtech1224 9 months ago
Your set up is not all that bad, however, one of the main points of having a sump is to forego other pumps and filters AND a higher turnover rate. so instead of using a power head if you used a higher flow pump pump, you wouldn't have had any air in the sifon. It would have forgone the need to the bio wheel too. You bought that biowheel for prolly $60 when you could have avoided it all together, the return pump would have created enough volume of water for the stuff you put in the biowheeel.
bmward664 9 months ago
Thank you so much! i was going to make mine with almost all the problems you covered here till i watched this. :D
megadeth9438 9 months ago
What size are you plastic hoses? feed and return
Gixxr11 10 months ago
Awesome. This vid really help a lot. I'm currently setting up a tank. One question though did u happen to get that pump u were talking about? The pump that's turned-off when it's out of the water.
00APrilAq00 10 months ago
how do you start the siphon?
ArcAngel9008 10 months ago
@ArcAngel9008 put a smaller tube into the U tube and suck out the air.
earthling1984 10 months ago
@earthling1984 ok thanks, i'll use a piece of air line tubing to get it started
ArcAngel9008 10 months ago
@ArcAngel9008 you can also point a power head into the tube to start the flow then after that it should be good.
jazminaccount209 9 months ago
bn b
try3luis 11 months ago
fuck
try3luis 11 months ago
This is very thorough, thank you! I do have one question however, is there a specific reason that your siphon flow stops when the power is turned off? I would think the siphon flow would continue and overflow your sump tank.
cslapler007 11 months ago
@cslapler007 the siphon, or overflow part of the system, only 'overflows' when the main tank water rises above in 'in tank box'. This happens when the pump pushes water up from the sump tank, and raises the water level in the main tank. If the pump stops pushing water up, then the main tank water won't be high enough to drain any water.
earthling1984 11 months ago
nice job!!!
triplesped 11 months ago
nice system, might want to switch your return compartment with the refugium compartment.
ENOSONER 11 months ago
I now know how to make an efficient and fail safe aquarium sump. DaveWreckingCrew has just evolved from a fan of fish tanks to Expert Aquarium Hobbyist. Thanks, and great job on the aquarium and video.
DaveWreckingCrew 11 months ago
very nice dude. you made my day :).. first time i've seen a bio wheel hang on in the sump. you made things simple but very effective and that's what i'd like to do with my 55. i've got no sump yet and browsing what to do. i have a hang behind aquac remora nano and want to put it in a sump to quit with all the micro bubbles in the display.
mindciller 11 months ago
@mindciller Thanks for the kind comment and good idea for your tank! Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to PM me :)
earthling1984 11 months ago
@earthling1984 Have you had any leaks coming from the tube area running from the overflow box to the sump? If the tube connected to the overflox box was to leak then a flood is possible there
fsustans2413 11 months ago
@fsustans2413 never had any leaks
earthling1984 11 months ago
An easy fix for the bubbles in the U tube: Drill a small hole in the top where the bubble forms. Use some aquarium sealant, and glue in a check valve, with some air tubing on the outside end. Every few weeks or so just suck out the air bubble. This also works great for starting the siphon.
mtbiker81 1 year ago
33 now. and great vid man. breeding guppies to feed my big fish so.had some over flow but fixedit.
SharpShooter336 1 year ago
Overall good setup but you should put live sand at the bottom of your refugium not gravel this is because the bacteria that gets rid of nitrates and converts them into nitrogen gas needs an anerobic environment so add a deep sand bed to your refugium if you run into a nitrate problem
greg10501 1 year ago
Why in the hell would someone dislike this video? This guy goes out of his way to tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about how sump systems work. 32 people are fucking idiots.
erichoward15 1 year ago 30
@erichoward15 Thanks :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 U do quite a good job, I think the thinner hose is bright idea =D
ikelleners 11 months ago
@erichoward15 **34*** but well said my friend
monsterman1122 10 months ago
@erichoward15 Probably because they got motion sickness :/
thatishisbananas 3 months ago
Im having a problem with my overflow box not keeping up with my pump?!!!!
wardp88 1 year ago
@wardp88 try a smaller U tube or a larger pump.
earthling1984 1 year ago
How do you start the siphon in the first place? Just suck on it?
Grames321 1 year ago
@Grames321 submerge both sides of the U tube, and place a smaller air tube inside the utube. Suck out the air, then remove the air tube.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Best explanation video out there
wardp88 1 year ago
@wardp88 Thanks! I wish I had a better camera when I made this vid :(
earthling1984 1 year ago 2
thats pretty good im thinking of adding a small sump to my ten gallon and i just got the know how and the what not to do so thanx alot bro and feel free to watch my vid its a pretty unique tank youll like it thanks!!!!
riderinblack57 1 year ago
@riderinblack57 i saw your video u should add a sump to that tank it would take it to the next level all u need is aquarium silicon, glass or plexi glass pieces, a small tank, some imagination, and you got a sump and with a little dyi you can have a sump and all the parts to get it up and running
repticdude22 1 year ago
@repticdude22 i have a diy sump already just dont find it neccesary right now maybe in the future i will but thanks for this vid and your comment
riderinblack57 1 year ago
If you do get a bigger pump just get another tubing that you used
Kakashi101sensi 1 year ago
this helped so much. THANKS.
haha you said U tube
gs4449 1 year ago
@gs4449 your welcome :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
love your video
gueedoballz 1 year ago
@gueedoballz Thanks! This was one of my first videos, and although the camera work isn't great, there is a lot of great info.
earthling1984 1 year ago
i had the same bubble problem with my overflow. i took about 4 or 5 bioballs and sat them right in between where the water comes from the tank and where it drops in the box. this slows it down just enough to eliminate the bubbles. :) if needed i can make a quick video of what i did if anyone would like an example
Glissonshoods 1 year ago
@Glissonshoods I was having one heck of a problem with those stupid little bubbles in my overflow. I read your comment last night, threw six bio balls into mine and checked this morning to find that there are ZERO bubbles in my U tube. You are a genius. Thank you for the fantastic tip. It is very much appreciated. I hope that other people find that little tip of yours just as helpful as I did. You should make a video.
sauronsmouth81 1 year ago
@sauronsmouth81 no problem i am glad i could help. i will make a video and you should too that way it gets out to more people :) if there is anything else i can help with just let me know.
Glissonshoods 1 year ago
Good information, terrible video quality. It was miserable to watch.
xboxalot 1 year ago
do you have any slurping noise from ur out of tank overflow box? cuase thats my biggest problem with trickle filters? lastly is that new siphon tubing flexibe?
jptzy 1 year ago
do you have any slurping noise from ur out of tank overflow box? cuase thats my biggest problem with trickle filters?
jptzy 1 year ago
@jptzy no slurping noise.
earthling1984 1 year ago
i dont get how the siphon stops taking water out of the water.....
vett3l0l 1 year ago
so how do u make it so that ur punp is pumping water at the same rate ur siphon is syphoning water down?????
blackdeath6544 1 year ago
If you drill a hole in the side of your tank and via that hole your water drains directly down to the pump, you've eliminated any need for a syphon (there is no risk of losing your syphon) on the way down. That way, your tank cannot overflow. As far as the sump overflowing due to a power outage, you can put a one-way valve on the tube that carries water back upto the tank. This way, even if your powerhead stops working, water cannot flow backwards back down and overflow your sump.
shimyns 1 year ago
@shimyns That is true.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@shimyns drilling a hole in the side of the tank makes for a extremely hard job and will forever be an immemse weakness in your aquarium
vett3l0l 1 year ago
Hi can you please tell me where u got ur overflow box
MiniReef17 1 year ago
im confused. When power off, why doesnt the syphon drain the last of the water in the overflow till it breaks? (no more water to syphon) how do you stop the syphon from terminating if ther is no more water to supply it??? or im i missing something lol
JohnnyX50 1 year ago
@JohnnyX50 your missing something :) The overflow box has the in tank container, which stays full of water, and it has *two* out of tank containers. One of which stays full(the one that the tube is in).
earthling1984 1 year ago
Good explanation ! Thanx
J1SMOKES 1 year ago
was the overflow box a diy project if so can you tell me the where to get the plans for it. thanks
vdre3 1 year ago
@vdre3 I do have an overflow box DIY video. The overflow box in this video is a purchased one though. The DIY video I have shows what you need.
earthling1984 1 year ago
im running a 600 gph pump flowing thru that same 1" overflow tube down to my 29g sump on my 55g saltwater tank. there is no bubbles in it at all ever... they dont get a chance to hang out in there. how big is your pump? also ditch the bioballs, and get more liverock. bioballs just harbor nitrates. live rock does the same thing, and wont load up with nitrates like bioballs do over time. i see the small strip light makes me think you have no corals? correct? :) and whats with the brown sand?
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
@SpAwNTRiAD yes, as I said, a larger pump would do the same thing as a smaller u tube. my pump is only 350gph, which is why i needed smaller tube.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 so what kind of sand is that?
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
@SpAwNTRiAD live sand or something similar.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 never seen brown live sand. it looks just like the play sand i have in a freshwater tank. home depot, 3.88 for 50lb. its not good for saltwater, as its a silica sand and thats bad bc it will give you nitrates down the road. its a non issue in freshwater but supposedly bad in saltwater... i had the same thing in my puffers tank and replaced it with crushed coral / aragonite.
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
@SpAwNTRiAD Thanks for the info. As for my sand, it is not playsand, I have never purchased sand from homedepot or any store... other than a pet store... for my tanks.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 eh... i understand people have budgets... but... ive spent more than the cost of pump on a single coral colony lol... it just irritates me when people compromise on their aquatic life support systems for their tank inhabitants... in the grand scheme of things, 100 bucks is nothing for a saltwater tank, that only ammounts to about 10 pounds of some premium live rock. not trying to be a dick im just sayin lol.. but all in all i like your tank, its very clean. :)
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
@SpAwNTRiAD I never compromise my animals or fish environments. You asked about sand earlier, and I use quality live sand and figi live rock. I use an overflow box and sump setup filled with more live rock, protein skimmer, and refugium. I agree with everything you have said, and I do all the things you mention...
earthling1984 1 year ago
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SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
@earthling1984 no no you missed what i said, looks good but i meant the smaller pump... thats only the flow of a 30-60 gallon hang on back filter.... which is pretty bad for a 55 gallon tank... regardless if its saltwater or fresh. ill be putting a 600 gph pump on a 20 gallon long im building now lol. i meant no offence. if you keep SPS corals you shoot for a 40X turnover rate. softies you can get by with about 20X. thats all im saying. (rate includes powerheads for flow in tank)
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
Comment removed
SpAwNTRiAD 1 year ago
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Nice Videos! could you check out mine? I make some animal vids and some fishing videos!(Weekly updates too.)
BooMWildLife 1 year ago
How Can You Get the water from one side of the over flow to the other side? And The Water Goes Threw The over flow box it goes down To were the sump is then pumped back in the tank im i right? Im Starting My Fish Tank and i dont know how it works?
2424Anthony 1 year ago
@2424Anthony it works by the syphon. The overflow box drains water as the main tanks water rises from the pump in the sump that pushes the water up. all the overflow box does is drain rising water from the main tank.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Ok. That makes sense then. I've seen some crazy ideas on how to approach making a DIY w/d/r. Have you ever thought of adding solid partitions in? Because you are already more than half-way there. I am currently planning to build my own out of a 25 gl tank and was doing some research when I ran into your video. It may be 2yrs old but it's still getting attention. :) Good luck with your tank and thanks for sharing the video.
frogz74 1 year ago
Are those partitions the ones that keep fish separated? From the looks of it, you have them continuous from top to bottom. Which means that they aren't really acting as partitions like other wet/dry/refugiums which uses partitions of various heights to control water flow / micro bubbles. Nice set up, but doesn't really achieve the true function of a w/d/r because it is basically a tank with some porous partitions. nice try.
frogz74 1 year ago
@frogz74 The point of the partitions in this setup is to keep the different sections of the sump/refugium separated(so plants don't get into the other sections, and so the bioballs are held into place)... I agree it isn't a 'traditional' sump/wet dry setup, but it worked great! This was my *first* setup of a sump/refugium, and it worked amazing. Thanks much for your comment, and I am always learning new things. This video is 2 year sold now :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
the fish are like. omfg omfg omfg omfg where is all this water comming from!?!?! and the yellow one was swimming in circles...
r2Kd0ugernaut 1 year ago
Thank you for the video. Good stuff.
cloudrider007 1 year ago
Thank You omg perfect vid
fliplunatic999 1 year ago
Nice video, I like the advice about putting a small hole in the return line to prevent siphon in the event of a power failure. Keeping it above the water line is a 100% sure method too.
For the pump, you can run the pump on a float switch so that it will shut off when the water level drops.
ArizonaFishkeeping 1 year ago
@ArizonaFishkeeping Thanks for the comment! And yes, a float switch is a perfect idea!
earthling1984 1 year ago
Where did you get the overflow box?
TheDamschroder 1 year ago
@TheDamschroder online, from drsfostersmith
earthling1984 1 year ago
i have the exact same u-tube and i already see a huge bubble in it (and my siphon had slown down). i'm going to try and do what you suggested.
meiravtk 1 year ago
could you do a video on the canister filter
thank you
force52xxxx 1 year ago
whats the extra return to the main tank not the clear tube the black plastic foot looking thing
force52xxxx 1 year ago
@force52xxxx hmm, I didn't rewatch this video, but it would probably be the canister filter line.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Thanks for explaining it...I kept wondering what the other vids were talking about since Im new to all this. So the water just siphons from the main tank into the sump(travels through various chambers) and then you have a pump that returns that water to the main tank...? When you have this setup, do you need a canister filter as well or is the point of a sump and refugium to replace a canister filter?
CraEggD320 1 year ago
@CraEggD320 no problem :) You should still have some type of filter on the tank - to take out large debree and poop and such. The sump/refugium is more meant to be a biological filtration 'center' and keeps your water quality good for the fish.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Love your videos but you have to do something about the camera noise, it is driving me crazy.
smrp1984 1 year ago
or instead of getting a new tube you could have used a piece of flexible tubing and suck the air until the syphon starts lol
titaniumkiller 1 year ago
@titaniumkiller yes, you stick in a tube, and suck out the air till the syphon starts. I didn't get a 'new' tube, air tubing most people have sitting around if they own fish tanks.
earthling1984 1 year ago
earthling1984, hi, great filter I have a ?? how do u regulate the water coming from the overflow? I'm on a tight budget, but i got my hands on a pond pump, i'm not so sure how many GPH it pumps. So what do I do if the water pumps into the tank faster than the overflow. thank you ET1984. If I get an ansewr on this ????, I'll be asking a few more, if you don't mind. thanks again grags58
grags58 1 year ago
@grags58 No problem, ask away :) but send a PM instead of posting a lot of questions on the video. If it pumps too fast(faster than your overflow box) you would have to get a smaller(less GPH) pump.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 sorry but i don't know what a PM is. my pump pumps 170 GPH is that to much?? thanks again. george
grags58 1 year ago
@grags58 170gph pump is actually pretty low for an overflow box. That should be lower than any overflow box I know is rated at.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Quick question...
Instead of using an overflow box and a siphon to get the water to the pump, could you just use two of the same pumps? One in the tank pushing water to the sump, then one in the sump pushing water to the tank? It seems like this out eliminate a possibility of an overflow during a power out and would just be a whole lot simpler...
GuitarMasta37 1 year ago
@tigrexofwow Hey..
1. Yes, you can make one for any size tank really.
2. You start the siphon by putting a smaller air tube inside the U tube, then suck out the air with your mouth. Once it is full of water, pull out the air tube.
3. Having a sump will greatly help your biolotical filtration.
4. yes, if you set it up correctly, but one would probably be easier.
5. I don't know, I just am :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
nice tank setup i have a similiar overflow but rated at 600 gallon per hour flow but i have a dumb question for you since this is my first overflow sump setup. with the u tube siphon how do you get it to start siphoning? and if you have a power outage how does it resiphon? thanks for any info
brownsdawg81 1 year ago
@brownsdawg81 put a small air tube into the syphon / u tube then usd your mouth to suck out the air, then remove the small air tube. If the power goes out it will stay. Full of water and will resume automatically.
earthling1984 1 year ago
sorry about all the comments but about your problem of the pump overheating in case the siphon fails, you could just get one of those electric floats that cuts off power when the water level floats up the floaty. These are used in ac units encase the drainage fails you dont have water poring through your roof in ur attic. Ive also seen them used in Reverse Osmosis water filters to add water to you aquarium.
bobiana289 1 year ago
Just a little advice bio balls really only work with wet/dry filters and it looks like your bio balls are submerged. Ceramic works better submerged. And if you do have a wet/dry sump you can also use those plastic pot scrubbers that you get at the dollar store, there cheap and have a lot of surface area just make sure you clean them well first.
bobiana289 1 year ago
@bobiana289 Thanks! I agree ceramic is a better underwater. Bio balls do work(they are in canister filters aren't they?!? yup :) ) But I agree, a wet/dry would be much more effective with them!
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 Yes bio balls do work but are better off in a wet/dry filter set up. All of the Canister filters that I have seen use ceramic instead of the bio balls. But they will work just not as good as the ceramic submerged. What you can do to make it a wet dry is where your hose siphons into ur sump put a plate of vinyl with holes in it that way it trickles into your bio balls so they have some air with them so they grow bacteria better.
bobiana289 1 year ago
@earthling1984 Without O2 bacteria cant grow, obviously you have O2 in your water but not anywhere near as much if it was a wet/dry. That's the principle behind the food saver bags, without O2 bacteria cant grow. Im not saying that the bio balls wont work im just giving advice that i have done a lot of research on. And i appreciate you not being a douche about my comment unlike numerous youtube users that i have encountered. Yery nice set up you have but i have a question about the siphon.
bobiana289 1 year ago
@earthling1984 why does the intake siphon not overflow the sump when the power is cut off? thanks, Bob
bobiana289 1 year ago
@earthling1984 what kind of divider is tat?that does allow water to pass through doesnt it?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 it is just the plastic type divider you can get at the pet shop. Yes it has holes in it so water can pass through.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 oh
9912699125 1 year ago
what did u use for dividers in the sump
liv4daoutdoors 1 year ago
@liv4daoutdoors they are just the cheap plastic dividers you can find at almost any pet / fish shop
earthling1984 1 year ago
@liv4daoutdoors to save money you can just go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a small sheet of acrylic for like 8 bucks and you should be able to use it as two dividers in a ten gal sump.
bobiana289 1 year ago
nice setup you got there mate, im looking to build and overflow for my kids 60l tank, nice info very informative...
dentyx 1 year ago
@dentyx Thanks! If you have any questions as you build your overflow just let me know! :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
Bubbles in the syphon tube are caused because your return pump is not powerful enough... I experienced the same problem. The overflow box will keep up with a more powerful pump and you will get better filtration and more water flow.
troconn 1 year ago
@troconn yes I know. I said in video I didn't want to buy a bigger pump, so using a small u-tube provides the same fix :)
Thanks for your comment!
earthling1984 1 year ago
how does the water get sucked by the tube you put in? it dont have a pump right, coz what i think is when you shut your pump down, and the tube reaches the level where it cannot suck water anyomore, it will stop right? but when you turn it on again, how will it suck water back? im planning to do stuff for a looooooooooooooooooooooooong time, and i cant do it perfectyl, can you link me to a step by step process on how to make a filter like this? pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease... thanks! Gosbless!! :D
icddppol 1 year ago
how did you get it so both ends of the siphon are still underwater when no more water flows into the overflow?
jrich22009 1 year ago
@jrich22009 that is how the overflow box is setup. It has 3 compartments. The first one is in the tank. Then there are two in the out of take section. The tube stays underwater because when the water stops flowing, the two sections the tube is underwater in simply level out - they have nowhere to drain, they level out with the tube underwater still. Normally when the system is running, the out of take section overflows and then drains down to the sump from a different section.
earthling1984 1 year ago
@earthling1984 this is the comment that gave me my epiphany! thanks man! seriously! wow!
mindciller 11 months ago
good work dude! I want to build one, but I only have a 2.5 gal freshwater tank lol. No need for a sump that's as large as my tank....
but you're right. that smaller tube is flowing water faster and not letting the air bubble out in time.
really good work, good system and well thought out design.
Sobreviviente08 1 year ago
@Sobreviviente08 Thanhks :) Soon you will have a large enough tank! Then maybe you can use that small tank as an added on refugium!
earthling1984 1 year ago
Why not just put a pump on the tube in the overflow box. That would eliminate the bubbles and be the only prevention you need from overflows.
bcummings8521 1 year ago
Very nice set up!
topher437 1 year ago
@topher437 Thanks :)
earthling1984 1 year ago
I just bought a denitrifier and was wondering if my plants would live even if there was no nitrate
TheFishKeep3r 1 year ago
@TheFishKeep3r I doubt the 'denitrifier', as you call it, will take out all the nitrate.
earthling1984 1 year ago
Hey earthling just reading through and noticed on notoriousbunies comment you sad, "Planes and algae 'eat' nitrate." just to verify did you mean Plants and algae??
sasorix8 1 year ago
@sasorix8 lol, yes of course ;p My mind is sometimes 'stuck' in one of my 'other' hobbies... this time it was RC planes ;p
earthling1984 1 year ago
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
Baja617 1 year ago
@Baja617 Try another hydrometer. I havne't had problems with mine, but if yours is acting funny, I suggest getting a new one to double-check!
earthling1984 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
Baja617 1 year ago
Hey dude I have a question about you hydrometer. i have the same exact hydrometer and every time I test the salt water it goes to hight salt to low salt to perfect salt level . Do you have any problems with this hydrometer??Its weird what my hrydometer has weird readings and I know my salt level is fine because even before the hyrdometer had this problem i t has fine readings Please respond back
Baja617 1 year ago
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