Converting 210g RR to a beananimal

Littleguy · Oct 28, 2018

Need some help:
I have a 210g RR aquarium with a center overflow that has 4 holes (two 1" and two 3/4"). I am planning to run a triton method sump (high flow) and just purchased a Cor-20 pump (2000gph). My question is can I use one of the 1" holes as a return (before splitting to two 3/4" locline return nozles) and if so which size hole should I use for my emergency drain? The Cor-20 has a 1 1/4" outlet so I would still be restricting it some by downsizing to a 1" return. Or for my flow do I need to drill the 3/4" holes out to 1"?

I really would like to avoid drilling if possible.

Has anyone converted there RR overflow to a beananimal?

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Ratherbeflyen · Oct 28, 2018

I converted a reef ready 220 gallon peninsula tank to a DIY external bean animal. It previously had a return line with a check valve on the left and bottom drilled drain on the right. I covered all of those old holes with some 3/8" glass and drilled new holes the back of the tank. I built my own overflow box out of glass, but the holes are drilled for a ghost overflow if I want to change it. I'm using 1 1/2" drain lines for all 3 bean animal drains, but even at ~3500 gallons per hour the gate valve on the main drain is more than 50% closed. If I built anther one, I would use 1" drain lines. I made my return line hang over the back and loop around the center brace with a 1/4' hole every half inch as a spray bar.

don_chuwish · Oct 28, 2018

I think that's pretty clever to remove the internal center overflow, plug the holes and just drill the back for a Shadow. You get back so much real estate in the tank.

Littleguy · Oct 28, 2018

Love the look and real estate. Unfortunately my tank needs to sit flush against the wall. So an external overflow won't work.
Do I need to drill out the 3/4" holes to make them 1" or is that overkill?

DaneGer21 · Oct 28, 2018

Do you always run your sump that full? Looks like an accident waiting to happen...overflow.

Ratherbeflyen · Oct 28, 2018

DaneGer21 said:
Do you always run your sump that full? Looks like an accident waiting to happen...overflow.

Yes, it's a 75 gallon sump and I engineered it to have more than enough room to not overflow.

KJAG · Oct 28, 2018

Littleguy said:
Need some help:
I have a 210g RR aquarium with a center overflow that has 4 holes (two 1" and two 3/4"). I am planning to run a triton method sump (high flow) and just purchased a Cor-20 pump (2000gph). My question is can I use one of the 1" holes as a return (before splitting to two 3/4" locline return nozles) and if so which size hole should I use for my emergency drain? The Cor-20 has a 1 1/4" outlet so I would still be restricting it some by downsizing to a 1" return. Or for my flow do I need to drill the 3/4" holes out to 1"?

I really would like to avoid drilling if possible.

Has anyone converted there RR overflow to a beananimal?

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Bushing down the pumps output from 1.25 to 1" is fine, as long as its the output. I would never run drains on a Bean at 3/4", and per the inventor of the system, I recall he also advises against it. 1" minimum on both the drains and the returns. I would drill it.
(Obviously theres exception to the rule. Like if this was a 20 gallon: 3/4" drains would be fine. But a 210 gallon?...)

KJAG · Oct 28, 2018

DaneGer21 said:
Do you always run your sump that full? Looks like an accident waiting to happen...overflow.

Not sure what youre talking about. His water level looks pretty standard to me.

Ratherbeflyen · Oct 28, 2018

Littleguy said:
Love the look and real estate. Unfortunately my tank needs to sit flush against the wall. So an external overflow won't work.
Do I need to drill out the 3/4" holes to make them 1" or is that overkill?

Sorry, it seems like every time someone is doing a bean animal overflow its always external anymore.

2 drains 1" in diameter will be close to the 2000 gallons per hour you want to run. If the 1" drain line fails for some reason, the remaining 3/4" lines are not going to be big enough to handle 2000 gallons of flow. If you don't want to or can't drill the tank, I would either make sure the 1" drain is the emergency. I would then either use the 1" for the return and tune the flow to be able to use the 3/4" drains to accommodate that flow. Water from the return will always flow more than a drain of equal size, so it might be a better idea to use the 3/4" for the return. The other option would be to make a new hole or run the return over the back and have all 4 holes available as drains.

If it were mine, and I had to use the existing holes, I would make the return 3/4".

DaneGer21 · Oct 29, 2018

Shores805 said:
Not sure what youre talking about. His water level looks pretty standard to me.

The fuge level appears to be at MAX, but hey if it works.

DCR · Oct 29, 2018

You won't get anywhere close to 2000 gph with a COR-20 and 1" return piping. It will likely be less than 700 gph. It is also questionable if the center overflow would allow even be long enough to handle 2000 gph over the weir. It is really difficult to run the Triton 10X on large tanks and doubtful that it is worth the extremely large pumps and piping required.

Littleguy · Oct 29, 2018

Appreciate all the info. I have ordered a glass drill bit and plan to make all four holes one inch running 3x 1 inch drains and one 1" return. Im sure it will not be 10x with the Cor-20, my hope is that I can upgrade the system down the road with a larger pump if needed. Thanks everyone for your help.

Littleguy · Oct 29, 2018

Can anyone comment on how loud the Iwaki MD-100RLT is? I'm looking for a pump that puts out 2,000gph and is quiet.
My aquarium is in my living/TV room. Or am I better of just sticking with the Cor-20? Looking for as close to silent as possible.

DCR · Oct 30, 2018

I would suggest a Fluval SP6. The 100RLT will be too loud for a living room.

KJAG · Oct 30, 2018

DaneGer21 said:
The fuge level appears to be at MAX, but hey if it works.

Yes but that’s where his where his drains terminate. The chamber(s) where the return is located has some room to fill. Without knowing what overfill preventions he has setup(siphon break etc etc) it cant be called a flood risk.

Engloid · Nov 1, 2018

What is the advantage of high flow through your sump. If you were able to get the full 2000gph, what's that going to do?

Littleguy · Nov 2, 2018

Quicker turn over rate

Engloid · Nov 2, 2018

Littleguy said:
Quicker turn over rate

and the advantage of that is what?

Littleguy · Nov 4, 2018

Faster mech filtration, water is filtered more in a period of time.
Part of triton meathod

Ariel V Rosa · Nov 10, 2018

I would advise using your smaller drain as the main drain and your larger diameter as the back up. That way you set your flow to the smaller drain and have the space you need under emergency with the larger drain. If you use the larger drain as the main drain, your flow is tuned around a larger drain and the smaller drain as the back up wont handle the water flow.