Just starting a 40b, having serious issues deciding on a overflow box.

[October Sky]

TL;DR: what overflow box is best for a high waterline on a 40b rimmed tank?

It's certainly not for lack of searching, the opposite is more likely, but I cannot find the perfect match.

Most overflows of the "ghost" design seem to have the same complaint of having the water level too low for rimmed tanks. I'd like a bean animal setup, but then I hear it's overkill for a 40b because my return pump rate wont cause enough harm. To counter this, people say "don't get teeth" but I can't find any without teeth. To counter this, I've switched to looking to for a coast to coast, which people have all sorts of opinions about. Now I'm thinking I'll just drill the bottom, and be done with it, but then I've lost the reason I bought a 40b and not a reef ready tank, to keep as much as possible "out of the tank."

So I guess I'm seeking help on figuring out how to tell where the water line is going to be on a tank. Is it the bottom of the teeth? Middle? I've come to the conclusion that it's a combination of drain plumbing and return pump rate, but even then, there's so many variables that I just don't have the experience to know. Some come in 1/2" some 3/4" and some 1". Any and all help would be very much appreciated.

Stats if it helps:
40b/20l sump
2 Jebao PP-4 wave makers
Return pump is wholly undetermined, but would prefer DC
Would like bean animal overflow for safety reasons
Uncertain on drain pipe diameter
Tank will be largely LPS, softies, with easy to grow SPS.
Lights are black box LED

 

[Water Dog]

Go with the Synergy Reef Shadow overflow. Most of the complaints about the waterline below the trim are from the Eshopps overflows, as their teeth are cut very deep. The Synergy Shadow overflow has a drilling template that shows you where your waterline would be. I have a tank with a similar footprint as your 40 breeder, a non reef ready Deep Blue 57 rimless (36x18x20) that I will drill for the Synergy overflow. I will be reducing the plumbing from 1-1/2" to 1" using reducer bushings right after the unions so it won't be overkill at all.

Here's a video where @mixer911 actually uses a 40 breeder in the Synergy Reef drilling demonstration video.


And here is his plumbing video where he shows you how you can reduce the plumbing size.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Grandpa style is way more efficient at skimming. with teeth, the water level is dependant on the height of the teeth and water flow.

 

[Water Dog]

No doubt it's more efficient... I just get nervous about losing fish and having nomad snails clogging things up.

 

[Tokash23]

I used the glass-holes overflow for my setup and with the proper flow from the return pump to keep things relatively quiet keeps the waterline right at the bottom of the trim. If i had to choose again i would probably do something different. The glass-holes setup only has one drain and no emergency setup (however it would be quite a feat for something to get through and clog up the "1 1/2 drain line) which is somewhat unsettling. Just thought i would add my 2 cents good luck. Ohh and if its an aqueon 40b i dont believe you will be able to drill the bottom because its tempered glass fyi.