120 in the planning stages. Overflow options?

[Holy_makerel]

Hi everyone,

I'm just starting to plan for a 120 4' x 2' x 2' tank that I'll be setting up here in the next month or 2.

I've decided I'd like to go low profile for the overflow and have been looking at the 16" synergy reef shadow. It has 1500 gal/hr capacity which should be plenty. I've read good and bad reviews of this overflow system so i thought I'd ask opinions and experiences with it? If you use something else that you like better please share your thoughts!

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/16-shadow-overflow-synergy-reef.html

 

[hijinks7]

I use that overflow on my 120g and it works great. Most people have issues with it because they didn't set it up right and its noisy from my reading on it. But its a great overflow system and I love the look of it. Well worth the money.

 

[Holy_makerel]

I use that overflow on my 120g and it works great. Most people have issues with it because they didn't set it up right and its noisy from my reading on it. But its a great overflow system and I love the look of it. Well worth the money.

Thank you! Yeah i really like the idea of the low profile design and bean animal overflow. This tank will be on hardwood flooring so minimizing flood possibilities is a must.

 

[Wayward Fortunes]

Thank you! Yeah i really like the idea of the low profile design and bean animal overflow. This tank will be on hardwood flooring so minimizing flood possibilities is a must.

No complaints at all with mine. Completely silent operation. Set the siphon valve with a small amount of flow down secondary drain and done. It can handle more than enough flow for my 125.

 

[Chad3407]

I hated my synergy overflow. Ended up getting a exotic marine overflow. Cost a little more but a night and day difference. It makes absolutely no noise.

 

[Chad3407]

https://www.exoticmarinesystems.com/

 

[Greybeard]

Through the wall overflows are getting more and more common... and that's a good thing. Take up far less real estate than internal overflows, and depending on how you plumb them, tend to be higher flow, more reliable, and less noisy. Even when I do have to work with a 'standard' internal overflow these days, I typically set them up as Herbie instead of the classic Durso style plumbing.

I've not used this particular one, but I've used, or help plumb, several, and found that just about any of this kind of design can be made to perform well, and quiet, if the install is done well.

I use CustomAquariums H2Overflows in my system. They're a bit of an oddball, but I like them. Gives you a great deal of skimming surface area, some flexibility in how it's adjusted, and remains pretty low profile. Outside? Custom external overflow box, with BeAnAnimal plumbing. High volume, low noise, easy to clean, and dead reliable.

 

[cracker]

I have 2 synergy's the 16 & 20 Inch. Takes some work to get them setup correctly ( the heights of the drain pipes in the external side ) & adjust but run very quiet & can handle a lot of water. I have no problem recommending them & well worth the cost. Be sure to leave some extra room behind the tank so you can work out the details & room for the gate valve. Have you drilled a tank before? It's not as bad as one may think.

 

[Holy_makerel]

I have 2 synergy's the 16 & 20 Inch. Takes some work to get them setup correctly ( the heights of the drain pipes in the external side ) & adjust but run very quiet & can handle a lot of water. I have no problem recommending them & well worth the cost. Be sure to leave some extra room behind the tank so you can work out the details & room for the gate valve. Have you drilled a tank before? It's not as bad as one may think.

No, i haven't drilled a tank before. My local glass shop will do it for $5 a hole but I'd rather do it myself i think. I'll know it's exactly what i want if i do it myself

 

[cracker]

5 bucks isn't bad at all . Don't forget a diamond bit for glass will cost You also. Not too pricey at BRS .Also I like the hole slightly bigger than suggested .This gives some play to make sure it's as level as possible. I found while installing my Synergy's 3 times is that the template doesn't give You room for the top for the internal box. I used a wooden paint stir stick laid on edge between the trim & then the template. Don't take this as gospel you need to judge for yourself & another brand might not be the same. As for doing it yourself ? I agree !

 

[Holy_makerel]

5 bucks isn't bad at all . Don't forget a diamond bit for glass will cost You also. Not too pricey at BRS .Also I like the hole slightly bigger than suggested .This gives some play to make sure it's as level as possible. I found while installing my Synergy's 3 times is that the template doesn't give You room for the top for the internal box. I used a wooden paint stir stick laid on edge between the trim & then the template. Don't take this as gospel you need to judge for yourself & another brand might not be the same. As for doing it yourself ? I agree !

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely double, quadruple check before cutting any holes

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

5 bucks isn't bad at all . Don't forget a diamond bit for glass will cost You also. Not too pricey at BRS .Also I like the hole slightly bigger than suggested .This gives some play to make sure it's as level as possible. I found while installing my Synergy's 3 times is that the template doesn't give You room for the top for the internal box. I used a wooden paint stir stick laid on edge between the trim & then the template. Don't take this as gospel you need to judge for yourself & another brand might not be the same. As for doing it yourself ? I agree !

Cracker is absolutely correct. I have a Shadow on my 120 Aqueon with a rim and it is tough to get the lid off. A paint stick's width would have been just right.

I'll add my 2 cents that set up correctly it is completely silent and provides a lot more real estate in the tank to work with.

 

[cracker]

+ 1 for Sierra, I did 2 aqueons, a 75 & 180 . both needed the paint stick. Maybe a different manufacture uses a different trim.

 

[Jeff_H]

I looked at the Shadow, but decided to go with the 18” Reef Savvy Ghost mainly due to the higher GPH (2000). My water volume is a around 150G and I run the Triton method which suggest 10x turnover for best practices.

Both products are similar in design so the setup is basically the same. I believe some people had noise problems with the Shadow due to cutting the Bean Animal pipes to short. If the water level in the external box isn’t high enough you can get a trickle noise as water enters the external box from the internal weir box. At least that was my experience the first time I set it up. Once I fixed the pipe height and tuned the Bean Animal, it runs dead silent.

Good luck with the new setup!

 

[Ocelaris]

Anyone have pictures of their overflow pipes they want to share? I'm tagging along for the details, although I am getting an internal bean animal overflow, so it would be good to have some references.

 

[Water Dog]

Another option would be the ghost style overflows from Modular Marine. I own one and like its turdy acrylic construction. The exterior boxes are fabricated in such a way accommodate for the trim on rimmed tanks. It comes with the glass drill bit too.

https://modularmarine.com/collectio...-low-profile-overflow-box-with-removable-weir

 

[ca1ore]

All the ghost-style overflows are about the same, and work on the same principals. As long as you get one sized for your tank, you should be good.

 

[Holy_makerel]

Another option would be the ghost style overflows from Modular Marine. I own one and like its turdy acrylic construction. The exterior boxes are fabricated in such a way accommodate for the trim on rimmed tanks. It comes with the glass drill bit too.

https://modularmarine.com/collectio...-low-profile-overflow-box-with-removable-weir

I like that design. The ability to remove and fully clean the weir is unique. I do see a possible issue with trying to use a standing wave in the tank with that one. If the water level is above the trim then it doesn't leave much room for back and fourth motion. What are your experiences with it @Water Dog ? Have you tried to do a standing wave?

 

[Holy_makerel]

This typo made me laugh @Water Dog

 

[Water Dog]

Ha... Nice catch!

I installed mine on a rimless tank, which is still being set up. I set my water level at 1.25” from the rim to mimic the approximate water level of a Red Sea Reefer. If you wanted to set your water level lower, you can certainly drill your bulkhead holes lower. However, I find that most with rimmed tanks like to have their water line hidden by the trim.