Modular Marine 1200 GPH - What am I missing?

[Joeg]

I'm getting ready to plumb my new 60 cube tomorrow and was just toying around with the overflow fittings in the rear box and cannot seem to imagine how this could be plumbed as a bean animal. Top down photo below for reference and I apologize for the quality. As I think you can see, there are 3 bulkheads in the bottom of the rear box (what looks like a 4th bulkhead on the far right is actually just a reflection).

The problem I see is that the outermost bulkhead on each side can only have a riser pipe that goes up to the bottom of the bulkheads that come from the tank into the outer box. It seems like the middle bulkhead would have to be the emergency drain which means the primary and secondary would be the outer bulkheads. Since both of those would be below or just at the water level coming into the box wouldn't that create a sloshing sound?

The only way around this which I think might work would be to trim the length of the bulkheads coming in from the tank so they are the bare minimum in length but still able to have the but tightened. I just backed the thread off as far as I could and it sure seems like this solution would work.

I feel like I'm missing something since I don't recall anyone ever mentioning trimming the threaded tailpiece to make an overflow work.

Please tell me if I am being dumb about the way I'm looking at this and missing something very obvious

 

[ca1ore]

That is an odd way to space out the three bulkheads. I wonder why there's a big gap between them. Either way, I trimmed the stems of the through bulkheads on mine. Gives you a bit more room. Ideally you want the water level in the back box about half way up the through bulkheads.

 

[Joeg]

Thanks @ca1ore. It's good to hear someone else had to trim their bulkhead. I think the reason they are not evenly spaced is because that would not allow enough room to use a pair of 90 degree fittings, even if you used a street fitting. The box is only 12 inches wide so there's some limited space.

It looks to me like I'll be trimming the bulkhead threads and then using the far right drop as the emergency drain which then leaves enough room between the other two for each to have a vertical rise along with a slip 90 connected to a street 90 so I can land the water level at an appropriate place.

I've had reef tanks for over 25 years and this is the first time I will have ever sawed a bulkhead to make an overflow work. I feel like there's a hidden camera and this is all a joke. You're in on it, right?

That is an odd way to space out the three bulkheads. I wonder why there's a big gap between them. Either way, I trimmed the stems of the through bulkheads on mine. Gives you a bit more room. Ideally you want the water level in the back box about half way up the through bulkheads.

 

[ca1ore]

Thanks @ca1ore. It's good to hear someone else had to trim their bulkhead. I think the reason they are not evenly spaced is because that would not allow enough room to use a pair of 90 degree fittings, even if you used a street fitting. The box is only 12 inches wide so there's some limited space.

OK, picture make it a little tough to see exact dimensions. The irony of that logic is that the only one of the three drains that actually needs the double 90s (in my case issue a U fitting) is the secondary. My MM overflow was from before they shortened the external box. Mine is the same width as the internal skim box, 32”.

 

[Joeg]

Thanks @ca1ore. I'll hopefully have a solid solution later this afternoon