Are overflow boxes reliable?

[Acros]

Got it. I’ll think i’ll go for the the marine depot one. Do I have to break the siphon to do water changes?

The siphon breaks automatically when you switch off the return pump and will resume when your switch on the return pump. The siphon will break once there is no more water entering the overflow box. It will restart as long as you did not move the u tube out of water.

 

[gizzo12]

The siphon breaks automatically when you switch off the return pump and will resume when your switch on the return pump. The siphon will break once there is no more water entering the overflow box. It will restart as long as you did not move the u tube out of water.

Ohh that makes total sense thank you

 

[zenx2]

Can anyone recommend a list of products for my tank size? I’m having trouble
Pump
Sump (i think i got that one)
Skimmer
HOB Overflow box
Tubing/pvc size?

Hands down best HOB and IMO safest is lifereef.com...jeff makes best HOB I have ever owned...I believe he boasts...never a failure

 

[Bob Escher]

I’m starting to consider adding a sump to my 45 cube reef because the maintenance on a canister is starting to get annoying. But the problem is I can’t drill the tank because it’s up and running. Are overflow boxes a reliable option?

I have done that with my JBJ45 gallon AIO with a overflow very safe and efficient
i have videos of how I did it. If you want i be happy to share what I did

 

[gizzo12]

I have done that with my JBJ45 gallon AIO with a overflow very safe and efficient
i have videos of how I did it. If you want i be happy to share what I did

That would be great actually thanks!

 

[drblakjak55]

Eshopps 120 HOB. Two 3/4 inch siphons. Two one inch pvc flexible tubes into sump. Four years.

 

[JRAD]

+1 for lifereef. Had the nano size on a 30 gallon and never had a problem. Very well made.

 

[gizzo12]

+1 for lifereef. Had the nano size on a 30 gallon and never had a problem. Very well made.

I would totally get one but it’s a little pricey once you get all the components. I’m sure it’s worth it. Maybe people are selling used ones here?

 

[gizzo12]

Would anyone be willing to make me a stockman standpipe and send it? I can pay.

 

[jd371]

Would anyone be willing to make me a stockman standpipe and send it? I can pay.

It isn't hard to make at all with just a few dollars worth of PVC. It doesn't have to be exactly like the one in the video but you get the idea.

 

[gizzo12]

It isn't hard to make at all with just a few dollars worth of PVC. It doesn't have to be exactly like the one in the video but you get the idea.

Oh great thanks!

 

[Acros]

My marine depot OF-300 is dead silent. Here is how I did it.

• Install a ball valve/gate valve on the return line and the overflow line.
• Adjust them so that you have just under a cm of water above the drain pipe of the overflow box.

I do not use the sponge silencer it comes with, I just use the white pipe that is supposed to be inside the sponge silencer.

Edit: Added a picture for reference. I am doing a tank reset and hence do not have a picture of it working.

 

[Jen1978]

Would it be safer to just stick with a canister? If so any way to optimize it so I don’t have to clean as often? And also is there a better canister anyone recommends maybe with a heater in it?

I personally use this. I didn't like the canister idea and wasn't knowledgeable enough for a sump. I like it alright. It will just be a pain to do maybe a deep cleaning of the pump in it.

HF-M Hang-On-Back Multi Filter with Protein Skimmer

Complete hang-on saltwater aquarium filtration system for up to 60 gallons. Great for reef tanks or fish-only tanks!The AquaMaxx HF-M filtration system is designed to be the complete filtration system for your saltwater fish or reef aquarium. The simple hang-on back design allows you to hang the...

www.marinedepot.com

 

[Borg]

my first saltwater tank was a 40 breeder with an eshopps 800 overflow box. Worked great , never had an issue with losing siphon.

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

As with all things its install and implementation that will determine the outcome. I'm using a CPR 102 on my 220. and I can confidently say its never been the overflow box itself or its design that's even failed. Thankfully I have float switches and a APEX that's caught any disaster that's almost happened. Those emergencies were always outside the overflow box itself. I had a siphon pump issue, and siphon line failure, the bulkheads on the bottom also have come loose. But they were all things that happened before I had a real disaster.

 

[2Sunny]

Not saying a properly installed and setup HOB overflow doesn't work just sharing my experience.

I flooded my basement with 100 gallons 3 times in the past couple months whilst using an eShop HOB overflow. It appears as if the flow from the return pump on my 'fuge is insufficient causing the siphon to slowly lose siphon and break. I ordered a new refugium from Glass Cages with a built in overflow. The need to match flow to drain is to me ridiculous and not mentioned anywhere in directions not to mention LifeReef.com says explicitly that matching flow is not necessary. I don't know who or what to believe. All I know is a new tank with a built in overflow is on it's way and I will never try to use a HOB overflow again. If you do just bear in mind that although many, many folks have never had a problem other people have. For what it's worth when I told Randy, the owner of Life Aquatic in New Canaan CT, that I was installing a HOB overflow his comment was "oh, you mean one of those boxes that floods your floor." Apparently he has had similar experiences with his customers as well.

 

[Water Dog]

Not saying a properly installed and setup HOB overflow doesn't work just sharing my experience.

I flooded my basement with 100 gallons 3 times in the past couple months whilst using an eShop HOB overflow. It appears as if the flow from the return pump on my 'fuge is insufficient causing the siphon to slowly lose siphon and break. I ordered a new refugium from Glass Cages with a built in overflow. The need to match flow to drain is to me ridiculous and not mentioned anywhere in directions not to mention LifeReef.com says explicitly that matching flow is not necessary. I don't know who or what to believe. All I know is a new tank with a built in overflow is on it's way and I will never try to use a HOB overflow again. If you do just bear in mind that although many, many folks have never had a problem other people have. For what it's worth when I told Randy, the owner of Life Aquatic in New Canaan CT, that I was installing a HOB overflow his comment was "oh, you mean one of those boxes that floods your floor." Apparently he has had similar experiences with his customers as well.

I’m sorry for your flooding issues. Sounds like a terrible experience. However, one look at your picture leads me to believe that your U-tube did not lose siphon. If your U-tube lost siphon, the flooding would be from the display tank, not from the external drain box. Looks like the U-tube is maintaining siphon and flooding the exterior drain box. I see the black prefilter sponge in there which leads me to believe that over time, the prefilter sponge got clogged with detritus and blocked the water from going down the drain tube. That’s why I always recommend people to ditch the prefilter sponge and replace it with a Stockman standpipe which won’t clog. If you’re gonna keep that prefilter sponge in there, you must be diligent and rinse it out throughly every couple of days to prevent it from clogging up.

Again, I’m sorry for your flooding issues. I hope you have better luck with your new tank with built in overflow.

 

[2Sunny]

I’m sorry for your flooding issues. Sounds like a terrible experience. However, one look at your picture leads me to believe that your U-tube did not lose siphon. If your U-tube lost siphon, the flooding would be from the display tank, not from the external drain box. Looks like the U-tube is maintaining siphon and flooding the exterior drain box. I see the black prefilter sponge in there which leads me to believe that over time, the prefilter sponge got clogged with detritus and blocked the water from going down the drain tube. That’s why I always recommend people to ditch the prefilter sponge and replace it with a Stockman standpipe which won’t clog. If you’re gonna keep that prefilter sponge in there, you must be diligent and rinse it out throughly every couple of days to prevent it from clogging up.

Again, I’m sorry for your flooding issues. I hope you have better luck with your new tank with built in overflow.

I just now understand what you are saying. Holy bad directions!! If only I had understood this before. I think you are 100% right. I am heading downstairs now to pull that fool sponge off. Me thinks that will end the problem, but the siphon loses siphon everyday now so if that's not the issue I will be able to report back tomorrow AM. Fortunately my sump room is in an unfinished part of the basement so flooding is not really a problem not to mention that I always have 150 gallons of spare sea water on hand for just such emergencies AND the return pump on the refugium is in the top 1/3 of my sump so even if it overflows the 'fuge the main circ and skimmer stay running with the remaining water in the sump.

 

[Water Dog]

One of the other things that the sponge is there for is to muffle the gurging noises from water going down the single tube drain. In your situation, noise mitigation shouldn’t be an issue since it’s a basement sump/refugium set up. The Stockman standpipe serves the purpose of noise mitigation well without the potential for flooding. I’ve heeard it mentioned a couple of times in this thread already where some people are restricting the single drain with a valve to cut down on noise... NEVER ever do that. In a single drain situation, that is a bad idea! In any event, please report back. I’m pretty confident that removing that prefilter sponge will fix your flooding issues. Good luck!

 

[Saltyreef]

Yeap looks like you lost the vent since the drain terminates under the water.

Not enough push from the gravity drain to reliably break that seal of that huge tub of water.
Needs more vertical fall, or terminate the drain right at the water line with a 90 half in half out of the water.

The foam isnt helping either as said above. I hope removing it fixes your issue first.