HOW TO: DIY Aquarium Overflow PVC TUTORIAL

[@emeryz10]

Still need this video and it’s 2023! Joey thank you for your dedication to the fish keeping community. We love you. ❤

[@WHY70122]

20 mins of watching this= endless hours of searching for overflow design online. Thanks a bunchhhhhh

[@twinpyramidshoney543]

9 years later and this is still worth a million a minute

[@pauldemke4306]

You know what I found out if you put it together correctly😂 It actually works perfect 🤣🤣🤣

[@fourknotsnowhere]

joey, I'm building another one tonight. figured id stop by and say thanks again for the inspirations over the years

[@Fairbankssteven]

this is the only video that has ever been able to explain this concept to me. congratulations

[@jpressure0908]

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

[@nigelcheung6196]

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...

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

Does it build bubbles in the U section overtime and breaks the siphon?

[@gavynstephenson]

@@kronosdarkangel5290never had mine do that, in fact I am watching this video again to build another one.

[@direNP]

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.

[@CRy3Gen]

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.

[@Reefphreak]

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!

[@itsme6582]

Man have you come a long way with your videos. Nice job sticking with it.

[@rodgerpettibone4031]

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

[@espercasper]

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!

[@colinrob6662]

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!!

[@newj81]

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!

[@hanchonglow]

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!

[@Falcata]

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.

[@robnutt4655]

Tried it and works well. A little bit of noise but muffled the breather stand pipe and couldn't be happier. Thankyou!

[@eduardolibed1082]

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 👍🏼‼️

[@jaysonmetsfan]

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!

[@thomasashe2681]

You use 3/4 inch pvc pipe for 28 gallon tank? What is your flow rate in gallons per hour? Is it enough flow?

[@scottgordin9709]

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.

[@Orticai]

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

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

Does it build bubbles in the U section overtime and breaks the siphon?

[@Orticai]

@@kronosdarkangel5290 it never lost its prime for me, lol this comment is 10yrs old, I still have the tank setup. I did add a check valve to the top of the U section to prime it after water changes though.

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

@@Orticai and still using the same overflow?

[@kronosdarkangel5290]

@@Orticai till this day you are still using the same overflow? do you stumbled any issues about? especially siphon break due to air trap in U section?

[@Orticai]

@@kronosdarkangel5290 never had a problem, that could be due to the 1/4" air line check valve I installed immediately, I had the same concerns.

[@RoysRestorations]

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.

[@RogerC12]

I did this for my tank and its been working fantastically for 6 months now! Thanks

[@aussieaeromodeler]

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

[@Cavush]

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 !

[@icebluemode994]

Great..i have been looking for this kind of vid for so long ..finally .. Very good explanations..

[@Ralisk86]

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!

[@MasonsTanks]

great vid! i made two 1/2" overflows for my 10 gallon saltwater tank, they work really well

[@user-eb6hk6se6s]

Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻

[@aniketpatil1452]

@@user-eb6hk6se6s it's on the size of the tank

[@adamgardner4592]

@@aniketpatil1452 what is an Overflow for I’m new to this

[@Shermanre1]

Me too. Works great!

[@rubyamm]

This actually gave me a great idea on how to drain the water from my tank during water changes! Thanks so much!

[@wozas1]

Just built the overflow system and the wet dry works awesome great video bro

[@jaderule6459]

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

[@eddya9147]

You my man have the best video on KZbin regarding a DIY overflow tutorial thanks buddy cheers!

[@user-eb6hk6se6s]

Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻

[@shawnramcharan8914]

DUDE Thanks alot i searched the inter net and found nothing as awsome as this thanks alot great job .................

[@matthewcurtis3778]

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.

[@xzinx]

i just did the wet dry from this guy and now im gonna try this overflow this dude saved me money =)

[@sbazain]

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

[@whirlybirdrc]

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

[@MRenn0617]

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!!

[@toddnguyen4934]

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.

[@snoap]

the quality on your videos has really gone up!

[@user-eb6hk6se6s]

Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻

[@icebluemode994]

Amazing this is 9yrs ago..still big thanks too you Sir

[@CheriAlex323]

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!

[@TheTioTommy]

Love the videos . very helpful for my projects. When I run into something. First thing I do is go on your channel . thanks !

[@user-eb6hk6se6s]

Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻

[@MegaPB007]

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

[@sammann5716]

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

[@whirlybirdrc]

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

[@mgocchi]

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.

[@christian3628]

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!

[@thekingofdiy]

you were leaking air... simple fix.

[@christian3628]

***** I kinda figured that must have been the problem. Okay, back to drilling! :) Thanks Joey!

[@PREPARED067]

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 KZbin!

[@neehaglee7249]

You truly are the KING !! :D

[@SassyMilkman]

The answer to tampered glass tanks. Thanks again Joey!

[@marvincervantes5448]

Hey man, I got it working very well. Thanks to you.

[@thekingofdiy]

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

[@jaderule6459]

Fair enough,that would get so annoying answering same thing all the time lol

[@joshforeman65]

Where do you run the check valve air line?

[@aliens1990990]

its on the video ....

[@ardinata6273]

Thanks your vidio to help me aplikations bioflok sistem

[@farhanptmp]

The king of DIY

[@bfbaquaculture]

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!

[@HNiCDuke]

Just built a 1 inch pvc overflow yesterday thanx joey.

[@jenzim3639]

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?

[@Derf19761]

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.

[@justinallen4903]

This is exactly what I've been looking for. I have a 400 gallon outdoor tilapia tank with a very expensive pond liner that I don't want to cut a uniseal hole into. This is exactly what I need. Probably gonna use 2" PVC since I have a 1000 gph pump.

[@jlathem56]

thanks for the links in the description Joey.

[@iamtigtube]

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?

[@Aquatictank]

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

[@scratchresistant]

@uarujoey true... sorry about the flak, i was pretty intoxicated the first time i watched this, so i felt it would also be funny to poke fun at Canadians, which i really have no problem with. Anyway I actually came across several of your other videos and they are all very helpful. Thanks for all the time you spent sharing your knowledge.

[@arioneldritch365]

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?

[@StonedReeferGuyRTV420]

Looks good man thank you for this video

[@spang5324]

it works perfecty! ,thanks for the vid!!! greets from Holland

[@BuddySheroka]

I personally used one of these overflows it worked great never had an issue with it happy reefing

[@beef2596]

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?

[@newj81]

Great video just made mine for fun!

[@figueroacastillo]

Justo lo que necesitaba! Excelente video

[@22_floW]

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?

[@combatclifton]

Perfect made and up and running in a jiffy only cost £6 sump level perfect now cheers :-) simply and very cost effective

[@wrmaldonado]

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

[@baseballman1321]

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.

[@MrTeki1975]

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?

[@cgimark]

To prevent the return pump from continuing to pump when the siphon break would cause it to pump all of the water out of the sump you can put the return pump on a water level controlled switch. There are lots of videos on how to do automatic water level controls, just adapt that to the sump.

[@skylerknapp4]

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?

[@joegrafter]

I did this today with 15mm pipework working well, one tip put a airline pipe in the end cap to reduce noise

[@whirlybirdrc]

yeah i saw it yesterday good video's please make more ^^ i look at your channel every day to see if you have more video's :D greetings from holland

[@arioneldritch365]

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!

[@mannbub]

Real nice looking one, How reliable would this be, what if this looses the syphon? This will flood the floor or something.

[@wildkev1010]

awsome video!! Thanks for sharing all your DIY knowledge!!

[@artursm15]

Nice job .. So with this DIY overflow system u can make cheap DIY drip water change system ! right?

[@kw0922]

cool to see this vid from 9 years back. i addes some extra flow to my reef tank so gonne use the idea in my overflow box of my reef tank to feed my reactor

[@bradbartrug82]

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??

[@99FREDO99]

Very clear and well explained thanks!!

[@koonitdo]

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.

[@royeronnevr1522]

en todo youtube no pude encontrar un video mejor que el tuyo, de verdad te lo agradesco, por mas videos que veia no entendia, me gustaria que pusieras la opcion para cambiar subtitulos, lamentablemente no entiendo el ingles... te lo agradeceria bastante.

[@Rizzle280]

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?

[@MiamiPescador]

Got it man, thanks for all the help and making this video to help everyone out. I love your tutorials, your definitely the best at explaining each thing step by step! Only downside i can see so far is the noise level. I decided to do a wet/dry and have a basket i found that fits perfectly over the 10 gallon. The basket will only have water in it i think the last 1-2 inches or so so it should work good with bioballs correct? So the water will run over the bioballs, what should i use for mech?

[@ceralon]

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.

[@R4ju20]

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?

[@bubblegumpink71]

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.

[@grandmastermicochero]

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!

[@s0anxi0us117]

Since the water is draining at the water level of the tank, how does it filter the entire tank (with the waste sitting in the bottom)? I also assume you would need to switch over to sinking pellets, if you don't want to shut off you overflow every feeding time. Another concern I had was with the valve placed on the pump, doesn't this restrict the pump from working and thus can damage it motor, due to build up of pressure? Answers and comments are appreciated , thinking of installing one thanks!

[@gmoney243243]

@TNTDSOL1 most likely.. the hole in the end cap is a vent for air to come in and allows the water to flow down if no hole in the end cap you are just creating a straight syphon and it wont re-start .. if build right these overflows do not need to be re-primed. i havent primed mine in over 8 months and i even drained and moved my tank across the room and still never had to re-prime it.

[@kelvgan]

VERY INTUITIVE diy! nice

[@prabhacar]

great demo! Thank you :)

[@sergioricota]

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.

[@highdef42]

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?

[@ajaypawar5788]

Still the best video compared to those guys who are posting recently 😂🤣

[@user-eb6hk6se6s]

Someone knows how long the tubes on the left are, please tell me 🙏🏻

[@peninsulamike]

I like this design, I have a 28 gall nano and want to put a 5gal sump under the stand. one thing greatly concerns me, doesn't seem like it works on suction, maybe i'm wrong, but is it possible for the water not to flow down the overflow pipe or would that not happen in this setup.