is a Aqua Lifter Pump used to get water going in a over flow box if you lose power

is a Aqua Lifter Pump used to get water going in a over flow box if you lose power ? i a 125 gallon tank and wanted to put  a Aqua Lifter Pump on it its a drilled tank just wantied to use a cpr over flow box as well would make me feal better my 180 gallon has factory over flow built in it so im good on that one thanks .

 

No it doesn't have anything to do with losing power. It just gets the siphon going and keeps it going by keep air out of the siphon.
Why would you feel better if you have an over the back CPR overflow on a drilled tank??

 

i duno lol just a back up lol

 

Having had an aqualifter on a CPR backpak overflow I am not a fan. The aqualifter needs to be cleaned (by syphoning warm water through it) about monthly or it is very prone to failure. I always kept a back up around because of their unreliability - at least from my experience. Drilled tank is much better and I am not sure why you'd need a back up? An overflow wouldn't help with a power outage because your return pump wouldn't be running so the overflow would provide no backup...but a generator would

 

ya its runing good right now im just scared it will over flow on my floor so i was going to use a over flow box for back up i have two one inch downs and 2 3/4 returns just scared the down pipe might stop working dont know how but its just bothers me

 

If they could only find a way to make gravity more reliable...

 

mine has 2 elbows on them its not a straight pipe if it was straight i would not have to worrie gravity would do it had to do it with 2 elbows sucks

 

that gravity .....what a silly concept......

 

mine does not work all the time is what im saying 3 times it had not started to flow on it own is why i asked on the over flow box i know how gravity works my pipes are not up and down like most thay are off to the side with 2 elbows down in the water

 

A drilled overflow should always start itself or something is wrong. Post some pics of what you are talking about and we will help you fix it.

 

Hey Jason, good to see you around.

 

your 100 percent right it should start it self and 3 times it did not when i tested it one day im not home and we lose power migth cost me $$$$ for a clean up i think its becouse of them elbows the staright up and down it works great but i get this bad sucking sound is why i put the elbows under the water like that i put pvc caps on the ends of the elbows so no fish could go in them and drilled lots of hole in the cap to let water flow threw and not let any fish or any snails get in the drain line

 

Looks like I will be looking to buy another aqua lifter for mine then lol... I havnt had any problems yet but Im sure I will one day....

 

Yes get  a backup Donny. You can also get rebuild kits for the pumps. Also, using opaque black tubing causes them to last longer before plugging up.
Reefguy, can you get us a pic? Honestly, a drilled tank should never have the problem you are talking about. I assume with the elbows you are creating a homemade Durso. Are your elbows vented with tubing?

 

how do i post pics?

 

Get a photobucket account if you don't have one. Post them there and link to there from a post on here. Use the picture icon on the toolbar above and insert the link to photobucket.
I think you can also post pictures to your profile here and then link to your post but I have never done it.

 

If you are talking about an external overflow box, yes an aqualifter is an insurance policy against power outages. I have had several not start up on their own so used an aqualifter.

Just need to clean it monthly.

 

Guess I wasn't thinking of it like that but yes it does get the siphon going when the power comes back on. But a drilled tank is better and should always start so lets get yours fixed. If you have two drilled overflows there is no reason to put on an "over the back" overflow, sort of like using a squirt gun to put out a fire after the firetruck has arrived. I still have one because I have a big tank that can't be drilled otherwise it would be.

 

forgot to say the tank is drilled in the back glass so the water has to make a loop before it goes down the pipe ill try to get soe pics up tonight.

 

A loop? Please post pics. Keith did you check reef central for designs. I know they have several designs and how to there. There shouldnt be a reason for a loop in the tank.