I have a 15g waterbox nano that has been up for approx. a year. I am debating on adding a sump maybe 15g or 20g . I won't drill tank so my only option is HOB overflow. Thinking either eshoppes nano or a life reef. I know there are alot of people who say do not do it because of flood situations. I was thinking of getting one of the smart outlet to shut off pump if DT level gets high due to lose of siphon etc... Would this be an exceptable option and is there anything else I can do to make it fail safe?
Adding sump debate
- Thread starter Jcraven
- Start date
- Tagged users None
I used an eshoppes HOB overflow for years without issue. Even when the aqualifter pump used to constantly maintain the siphon died, I never lost siphon. Flow generally moves fast enough through the unit that bubbles don’t accumulate.
Retro Reefer
Slow and steady wins the race!
People that complain about HOB overflows don’t know how to set them up properly.. an eshopps HOB with smart outlet would be just about bulletproof.. IMO avoid overflows that need a pump to operate, its just another failure point.
MichaelReefer
2500 Club Member
Thats what I was thinking. I was also considering drilling a new hole high up on overflow as an emergency drain , sensor on auto top off , main display and overflow incase of overflow or running return pump dry.
MichaelReefer
2500 Club Member
It's just such a small tank. I think you would be better off buying a bigger tank or an All in one.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
I have always had a hang on back overflow box and only once had a flood since 2004. That was when I used a tom's aqua lifter (in my early days) to keep syphon going but a power surge fried the aqua lifter. After that I bought a variable speed return pump so I could match the flow going through the HOB overbox perfectly with the return pump. If you do that you will not get bubble build up in the U tube and so will never lose a syphon.
BTW, my tank is in my living room with wall to wall carpet and I feel safe with the HOB overflow box. Also a sump is definitely worth having as it adds more water volume for stability and is a place to hide equipment.
BTW, my tank is in my living room with wall to wall carpet and I feel safe with the HOB overflow box. Also a sump is definitely worth having as it adds more water volume for stability and is a place to hide equipment.
NS Mike D
In the arena.
I have both a HOB and an under the tank in a 29 gal. Overflow is not a concern for either.
I think a sump is a great idea for a nano given the lack of space for equipment in the DT, on the other hand, a nano can be maintained simply by water changes.
HOB is, IMO, great for a nano. CPR has two lines, one with and one without a protein skimmer. They use a pump in the DT to push water into the sump and then if flows out. It cannot over flow. Great for adding macro algae and the heater. Drawback is they don't skim the surface so you get that top film that you don't get from a weir.
My under the tank DIY 10gal sump was pretty easy after thinking it through. I picked up the CPR weir box and siliconed that in place and then fabricated the outside box from an acrylic sheet from HD. That was the hardest part but doable. The plumbing is PVC and flex vinyl.
In 2 years no overflow and no failure to restart either. I cut the power to both sumps everyday in my feed cycle.
tank before the Dino Disaster rebuild
I think a sump is a great idea for a nano given the lack of space for equipment in the DT, on the other hand, a nano can be maintained simply by water changes.
HOB is, IMO, great for a nano. CPR has two lines, one with and one without a protein skimmer. They use a pump in the DT to push water into the sump and then if flows out. It cannot over flow. Great for adding macro algae and the heater. Drawback is they don't skim the surface so you get that top film that you don't get from a weir.
My under the tank DIY 10gal sump was pretty easy after thinking it through. I picked up the CPR weir box and siliconed that in place and then fabricated the outside box from an acrylic sheet from HD. That was the hardest part but doable. The plumbing is PVC and flex vinyl.
In 2 years no overflow and no failure to restart either. I cut the power to both sumps everyday in my feed cycle.
tank before the Dino Disaster rebuild
Just an update, I went ahead and put the pf nano on , 15g coralvue sump , hydor pump to dial in flow and two smart water level sensors. Put one sensor in overflow of tank to cut pump if level gets to high and also overflow. If I lose siphon I have plenty of space for the amount that drains out of tank to sump. Also tested to see if tank would overflow. Not an issue. Put in a hofner gurgle buster and couldnt be happier. Thanks for tge input guys.
