How do you blacken inside overflow??

[Maximitsurugi]

Hey guys. Im designing a tank and im using a similar design like the Mode Aquariums infinity overflow where there is no internal box, only an external one.

How do they blacken the glass so you dont see the piping inside the overflow? Any thoughts?

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Like this. No internal box but what do they use to hide the extwenal plumbing from being seen through the back glass

 

[DaneGer21]

It appears they add a whole piece of black acrylic to the inside panel

 

[Mike Kearns]

It appears they add a whole piece of black acrylic to the inside panel

Yup. That is what my Nuvo ext 100 has.

 

[BlennyTime]

You can use limo tint film from the auto parts store on the outside of the tank, but that wouldn’t be safe for being submerged. Black acrylic would probably be the right choice inside the tank

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Will look into the black acrylic then. Ill just use it in the overflow itself. Thanks team

 

[DaneGer21]

Will look into the black acrylic then. Ill just use it in the overflow itself. Thanks team

I use black vinyl on my tanks.

Anyways, for your case here’s what I would do if I planned for that setup.

Apply black vinyl on the entire back panel.

Mock up the overflow, and use a razor to cut away and then remove the vinyl in the location of the overflow box.

Use black silicone to adhere and attach the external box.

Then place a piece of black acrylic on the inside of the external box.


This would involve a few more steps than just a piece of acrylic. But may depend on how you are doing your return/s. I have mine drilled through the back glass, and like many use bulkheads then loc-line.

If going this route I would be worried of a possible leak between the acrylic and glass, and then through the bulkhead hole. I’m sure it’s rare because of the liberal amount of silicon between the two, and then sandwiching the two together with a bulkhead.
Multiple ways of doing it. Pick what’s best for you and your abilities

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Thats exactlt what i planned to do actually. Good looking out. I was actually going to spray the back glass, then cut a sheet of acrylic or abs and slide it into the overflow then run a bead of silicone to lock it in.

What height do you guys run your waterline from the top of the tank? I wanna know how low to cut the overflow. Thanks

 

[DaneGer21]

What height do you guys run your waterline from the top of the tank? I wanna know how low to cut the overflow. Thanks

Gimme a few, im out in the garage relaxin’ haha

 

[DaneGer21]

Hopefully this will make sense.

I’ll start here...The bottom of my overflow teeth are 1-1/2” below the top edge of the glass.

My water line sits right at 1-1/8” below the top edge of the glass.

But, I have a 36” internal modular marine overflow box. So I have a lot of surface area and many teeth for the water to enter, so that’s why the water only raises 3/8” of an inch onto my overflow teeth.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Well im going with a sort of Calfo overflow but without an internal box. Ill run it 20 inches in the center of a 4.5ft tank. Hopefully with some gutter guard or maybe a strip of glass 1/2 inch above the waterline, there should no fishy business. Im going toothless weir.