camineet
Community Member
Hi all,
Got a question about limitations on overflow box size for a small tank I've just bought - a 30g rimless /w dimensions 23.62w x 17.72h x 17.72d inches.
I made a perhaps unusual choice to go with a premade sump that's nearly the same size as the tank and has a 1" drain inlet.
In order to match the sump's 1" drain inlet, I hope to go with an overflow box with 1" drains as well (I read in another post that upsizing from smaller diameter drain to larger can theoretically cause difficulty in purging air for siphon start).
Offerings from Modular Marine and Exotic Marine provide these drain sizes, but the flow capability of those boxes with 1" drains is quite high. I'm wondering if there's any problem with having a overflow box with as high as 1600gph on a 30g tank.
As someone who has no experience with sumps, I'm gathering that I either go with dc adjustable return and/or have a gate valve on my full siphon drain of the 3 in a bean animal config.
I wouldn't imagine there would be a particular problem with having a large capacity overflow box and just not utilizing it to its full flow potential. I would think it would be just a matter of having water flow more slowly through it than is otherwise possible. And in doing so, the only side effect I can imagine would be less noise.
There wouldn't be any issues with getting the siphon started, right? And there would be any issues with keeping it going would there? And there wouldn't be any issues with getting an appropriate water level inside the overflow box would there?
Just want to see what others think in case there's something I'm totally missing as a sump noob. Thanks.
Got a question about limitations on overflow box size for a small tank I've just bought - a 30g rimless /w dimensions 23.62w x 17.72h x 17.72d inches.
I made a perhaps unusual choice to go with a premade sump that's nearly the same size as the tank and has a 1" drain inlet.
In order to match the sump's 1" drain inlet, I hope to go with an overflow box with 1" drains as well (I read in another post that upsizing from smaller diameter drain to larger can theoretically cause difficulty in purging air for siphon start).
Offerings from Modular Marine and Exotic Marine provide these drain sizes, but the flow capability of those boxes with 1" drains is quite high. I'm wondering if there's any problem with having a overflow box with as high as 1600gph on a 30g tank.
As someone who has no experience with sumps, I'm gathering that I either go with dc adjustable return and/or have a gate valve on my full siphon drain of the 3 in a bean animal config.
I wouldn't imagine there would be a particular problem with having a large capacity overflow box and just not utilizing it to its full flow potential. I would think it would be just a matter of having water flow more slowly through it than is otherwise possible. And in doing so, the only side effect I can imagine would be less noise.
There wouldn't be any issues with getting the siphon started, right? And there would be any issues with keeping it going would there? And there wouldn't be any issues with getting an appropriate water level inside the overflow box would there?
Just want to see what others think in case there's something I'm totally missing as a sump noob. Thanks.
