Overflow box or 2 holes?

[Nate Chalk]

Deciding between an overflow box with a Herbie set up or drilling 2 holes in the tank.

Ive always had an overflow box, but could I just drill 2 holes in the tank at separate heights? And the top one leave a slow trickle as an emergency?

I know I'll lose some surface skimming but it's going to be a display fuge connected to my main tank.

 

[MoshJosh]

Deciding between an overflow box with a Herbie set up or drilling 2 holes in the tank.

Ive always had an overflow box, but could I just drill 2 holes in the tank at separate heights? And the top one leave a slow trickle as an emergency?

I know I'll lose some surface skimming but it's going to be a display fuge connected to my main tank.

Are you talking about just installing 2 bulk heads with strainers?

 

[Nate Chalk]

Are you talking about just installing 2 bulk heads with strainers?

Yep! And putting a ball valve on the lower hole and leaving the top hole open

 

[MoshJosh]

Yep! And putting a ball valve on the lower hole and leaving the top hole open

Technically, it should be fine, but you will be sacrificing quite a bit of water height in the tank.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Technically, it should be fine, but you will be sacrificing quite a bit of water height in the tank.

Hmmm.... But I would have it slow trickling down the higher emergency drain like a herbie so no risk

 

[MoshJosh]

yeah, should be just as safe as similar systems that have an overflow box.

Worth keeping in mind you will be draining a lot more water into the sump with this system in comparison to an overflow box set up.

Also, I know rimmed tanks aren't in fashion these days, but keep in mind if you are using a rimmed tank you will have a water line pretty significantly below the rim.

 

[19Mateo83]

Drill two holes and use stand pipes with strainers to bring up the water level.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Roger that. It's going to be a display fuge in my old Mr aqua 12 gallon rimless.

Connecting to my sump and full reef

 

[Spicy Reef]

You could drill the holes and glue an overflow box around them. water trickles over the overflow an into the holes...

 

[Nate Chalk]

You could drill the holes and glue an overflow box around them. water trickles over the overflow an into the holes...

Really trying to go minimalist. I do hear what you are saying probably going to strainer stand pipe. If I can get it quiet and dialed in with the gate on one.

 

[C4ctus99]

I’m thinking of going with standpipes on mine, just trying to find out if their are issues with not having an overflow since everyone seems to have them…

When are you planning on experimenting with this? Would love to know your results

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Give her the ole two hole....and get your stand pipe in there lol hahaha i think the stand pipe idea would be best...

 

[C4ctus99]

Give her the ole two hole....and get your stand pipe in there lol hahaha i think the stand pipe idea would be best...

Out of curiosity, are there any downsides to a standpipe other than loss of surface skimming?

 

[Nate Chalk]

I ordered supplies for stand pipe esk . I don't care about surface skimming it's a display fuge

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

The other thing to consider is surface skimming. With a weir all of the flow going to the sump is skimmed off the surface. With a Herbie standpipes only the small amount of water going through the trickle drain is going to get surface skimmed. You might get more surfactants on the water surface without the weir.

 

[C4ctus99]

The other thing to consider is surface skimming. With a weir all of the flow going to the sump is skimmed off the surface. With a Herbie standpipes only the small amount of water going through the trickle drain is going to get surface skimmed. You might get more surfactants on the water surface without the weir.

Right now I’m manually skimming anyway cause I’m in between tanks in a 20g long so wouldn’t be anything new. Hopefully I can play with water level to pull enough of the surface water in to skim it. Or I can maybe cut slits into the pvc inlet for skimming