Machine cut tank wall to external overflow box

[FishingLovingSons]

First of all this tank is in preliminary planning phases and probably a couple years out still. Wife gave me the go ahead to starting accumulating supplies and design aspects. I have heard- yet never seen- of people designing their tanks to have one of the panels machined with a “u-shaped” channel to act as a weir to an external overflow box. This is extremely intriguing for me for aesthetics and wonder if anyone has ever done or seen this?!

Let me try to explain better:
-A tank wall (mine will be a side panel) is machine cut almost coast-to-coast to the water level
-This cut then acts as the lip to an external overflow box plumbed in the Herbie or Bean Animal style of drain
- There is NO INTERNAL BOX at all! Just a channel/groove cut on one wall that allows the water to skim over and out of the tank

Anyone have a photo/video of this setup and running?! I’ve tried to search for pictures or posts on many forums. I found this mention from @MaccaPopEye:

I don't know if they do them elsewhere but in Aus I have seen a few tanks (glass and acrylic) where the plumbing is in an external box and there is no internal box. The water flows over a groove in the back panel and into the external overflow, this groove is machined in (like a very wide U) and replaces the internal box and drilled holes. So in that case there are fully external overflows, fully internal overflows, dual internal/external overflows (like the ghost) and hang on the back/siphon overflows.
......

This post came from this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-or-external-overflow-box.274174/

 

[Breadman03]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-coast-to-coast-overflow-advantages-design.179734/

Here is one I found by searching for "external coast to coast overflow site:reef2reef.com". I am running a coast to coast overflow, but the box is internal. The nice thing about it is the surface of my water is always crystal clear and there is no sound at all from water unless a snail decides to eat from the back side of the weir.

I highly recommend running a coast to coast overflow along with a BeanAnimal drain system, though I have some negative points to share. I've lost a couple fish that decided to go over the weir and get sucked down the drain. I should have shrouded my siphon line with something to prevent them from getting sucked in. I can't dispense sinking foods onto my tank because they go down the drain before sinking. I resolved that by setting up a funnel to a tee on my return pump intake, which results in my pellets being dispensed nicely.

 

[FishingLovingSons]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a-coast-to-coast-overflow-advantages-design.179734/

Here is one I found by searching for "external coast to coast overflow site:reef2reef.com". I am running a coast to coast overflow, but the box is internal. The nice thing about it is the surface of my water is always crystal clear and there is no sound at all from water unless a snail decides to eat from the back side of the weir.

I highly recommend running a coast to coast overflow along with a BeanAnimal drain system, though I have some negative points to share. I've lost a couple fish that decided to go over the weir and get sucked down the drain. I should have shrouded my siphon line with something to prevent them from getting sucked in. I can't dispense sinking foods onto my tank because they go down the drain before sinking. I resolved that by setting up a funnel to a tee on my return pump intake, which results in my pellets being dispensed nicely.

Thank you Breadman! Exactly what I was looking for. Guessing a toothless design would be almost impossible to keep fish out of the box... maybe fixing the elbows on a BeAn drain with a screen over the teeth may keep them out of the sump at least. Wonder how that would manipulate the true siphon tho

 

[lapin]

Fish will find the box. Esp when new to the tank. What I do is have a egg crate and plastic mesh screen that I clamp on to the top. It keeps the newbies out. It also acts as a temp algae scrubber. After a few weeks I take it off. If ya have gobys they will get in there all the time. Make it deep and put those flat screens over the intake pipes. I net my green one out every 2 weeks.

 

[FishingLovingSons]

Fish will find the box. Esp when new to the tank. What I do is have a egg crate and plastic mesh screen that I clamp on to the top. It keeps the newbies out. It also acts as a temp algae scrubber. After a few weeks I take it off. If ya have gobys they will get in there all the time. Make it deep and put those flat screens over the intake pipes. I net my green one out every 2 weeks.

Awesome @lapin, thank you. Do you notice a severe enough restriction of flow or increase in noise with the screen on vs when it’s off?
Also, could you send me or post a picture of what your overflow looks like with the screen attached? Thanks again

 

[mtfish]

I have exactly what you are talking about. Center of back panel is U cut with black plastic with vertical slats to keep stuff in the tank. Back panel has vinyl to hide equipment room. Beananimal set up in external overflow box. I love not having to take any space inside the tank for overflow. I go over the top split in each corner for return flow. I have no issue with flow. I have had baby banggai cardinal make it to the sump before.

 

[lapin]

Here is with the screen attached. I have 2 baskets of macro growing. I have the water level a bit low now so it doesn't float out of the baskets. Most of it will go in the display soon. It make a little more noise with the screen. More bubbles = more noise. I will take a pic later without the screen.

 

[FishingLovingSons]

I have exactly what you are talking about. Center of back panel is U cut with black plastic with vertical slats to keep stuff in the tank. Back panel has vinyl to hide equipment room. Beananimal set up in external overflow box. I love not having to take any space inside the tank for overflow. I go over the top split in each corner for return flow. I have no issue with flow. I have had baby banggai cardinal make it to the sump before.

Perfect! Guess I was using the wrong combination of search parameters... but exactly my thoughts on it. Long story short I’m ripping out an unused gas fireplace and replacing it with a reef tank! We are adding on to the rear of the house so this will be viewable front and back; overflow will be on a side panel to sump underneath. Quick measurements I have 8’x4’... with side overflow C2C style I will have about 45” of weir to overflow box. Still trying to decide on depth because I don’t want to snorkel to get to the sandbed lol. Considered using one of those library ladders on rollers completely around the tank for ease of access . 45” front to back gives me all kinds of scaping options and will be accessible from all 4 sides. 30” tall would put it around 450 gallons. 78”x45”x30”. May go shorter though

 

[FishingLovingSons]

Here is with the screen attached. I have 2 baskets of macro growing. I have the water level a bit low now so it doesn't float out of the baskets. Most of it will go in the display soon. It make a little more noise with the screen. More bubbles = more noise. I will take a pic later without the screen.

Thank you Lapin! Love seeing everyone’s setups to give me more ideas and options.

 

[lapin]

A look from the viewing side. Next post......
http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/38910-tank-sump-build-500-gal/?page=5 (look at dec 11th, 24th and 28th with box attached)

 

[lapin]

For gots the picture

 

[FishingLovingSons]

A look from the viewing side. Next post......
http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/38910-tank-sump-build-500-gal/?page=5 (look at dec 11th, 24th and 28th with box attached)

Thank you for the link! What thickness of acrylic did you use? Also, what was the overall dimensions and size? Looks like a big ‘un

 

[lapin]

Thank you for the link! What thickness of acrylic did you use? Also, what was the overall dimensions and size? Looks like a big ‘un

I used 1" for the tank and 3/8 for the sump. The tank is 60"x 60"x 34". The overflow box is 48" long , 11" wide x 12" deep. I left a "mid-brace" on the back panel for the top to attached to. It is 6". I was not sure how much pressure would be on the back being open 48" . I was prob a bit paranoid.

 

[FishingLovingSons]

I used 1" for the tank and 3/8 for the sump. The tank is 60"x 60"x 34". The overflow box is 48" long , 11" wide x 12" deep. I left a "mid-brace" on the back panel for the top to attached to. It is 6". I was not sure how much pressure would be on the back being open 48" . I was prob a bit paranoid.

Wow definitely big... 500ish at water level? How difficult is it to reach things in the bottom of the tank?

 

[lapin]

Ya some where between 500 to 600. At this size I dont think it really matters. Could be bigger if I had the room. hahahahaha. It has a view from 2 sides (corner) Access is from the back 2 sides. I have a platform i can stand on thats level with the bottom of the tank. If i rmove the swirls I can lay on the top and reach thru the cut outs. It is very hard to reach the front corner or a lot of the stuff thats more than 2 feet down. I don't plan on moving stuff once its in. If something like algae, aptasia or... is an issue its gonna be mother natures critters that fix it. I knew this going in so I dont let it bug me.

 

[buddy.]

I did this on my first tank a long time ago. The back glass was just cut out at a glass shop by hand. I also got them to cut me the panels for the overflow box and I just siliconed it all together. I should have put the bulkheads in the bottom of the box but it still worked like this.

 

[FishingLovingSons]

Ya some where between 500 to 600. At this size I dont think it really matters. Could be bigger if I had the room. hahahahaha. It has a view from 2 sides (corner) Access is from the back 2 sides. I have a platform i can stand on thats level with the bottom of the tank. If i rmove the swirls I can lay on the top and reach thru the cut outs. It is very hard to reach the front corner or a lot of the stuff thats more than 2 feet down. I don't plan on moving stuff once its in. If something like algae, aptasia or... is an issue its gonna be mother natures critters that fix it. I knew this going in so I dont let it bug me.

That’s my problem trying to decide on tank depth... just don’t know what may need to be “handled” in the future. I do know that a 78” long tank would look better with at least 30” height. Here’s to a strong top like you have!

I did this on my first tank a long time ago. The back glass was just cut out at a glass shop by hand. I also got them to cut me the panels for the overflow box and I just siliconed it all together. I should have put the bulkheads in the bottom of the box but it still worked like this.

Thanks Buddy, exactly what I want to see. The distance you have on either side of the “u-cut” to the side panels... is there a formula/guideline on how wide this area should be?

 

[buddy.]

I think I read somewhere to keep it 1.5x the diameter of the hole away from the edge of the glass but it was a bigger distance than that anyway.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

Good to see you got some replies with good pics as examples

I've only ever seen one tank like this in person but it worked really well for him. He doesn't have any pics on his FB specifically of the overflow but here are some (from a few years ago) zoomed it so you can see it better. In the first pic you can kind of see the machined U channel in the back glass. And then there is a fairly thin piece of acrylic over the front that has built in teeth to stop fish from getting in and also hide the plumbing.

Good luck with your build, when you start make sure to link your build thread here so I can follow it!

 

[lapin]

The distance you have on either side of the “u-cut” to the side panels... is there a formula/guideline on how wide this area should be?

For bulkheads in glass, its generally (as stated above) 1 1/2 the dia. of the hole away from the edge, measured from the center of the hole, and 2 times if 2 holes are drilled. If the tank is over built with added thickness for a large safety factor then you can prob go less. If you stick with that in mind you should be ok. A tank builder should know.