overflow type ?

WillKatt · Mar 9, 2013

I have been searching for the last couple hours for a build thread where the guy used two center drilled overflows kind of like whats pictured above only separated by several feet (its a big Tank) and he covered the pipes in a combination of reel rock and foam. If I remember correctly he didn't just go straight up with the pipes, he kind of wandered the pipes around in the tank then essentially used the pipes for the double purpose of being the overflow and also acting as a structural support for some of the fake foam rock work. It was really cool. Anyone recall the tank I'm talking about? There is a build thread for it somewhere but I cant for the life of me find it.

GHill762 · Mar 9, 2013

The problem is when the bulkhead fails you will have no way of stopping the flood and if you want to service the plumbing you have to drain the tank. Do what you want but if it were me there is no way I'd risk it. Not having an overflow box is fine if the back drilled near the top because that's all the further it could drain in the case of a failure.

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twintrades · Mar 9, 2013

How did you upload your Google sketch? I tryed but the site says its not a approved doc ??? I made a sketch like you have shown.....

Any who Im looking into doing a overflow. I dont like the idea of a bulk head failing.... Ill prolly do a 4 inch Pvc pipe with 1 drain and 1 return. The return will be split to make the flow for the tank. Id love to get enuf flow without having to use power heads.....

GHill762 · Mar 9, 2013

You can hide pumps in the rockwork for extra flow (although hiding cords would be difficult).. or make a closed loop in the overflow.. they also make a wavemaker that hooks up to pump hoses.. scwd - switching current wave device.. or something like that (it switches one supply line between two hoses for alternating flow) .

Just tossing ideas out there

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WillKatt · Mar 10, 2013

twintrades said:
How did you upload your Google sketch? I tryed but the site says its not a approved doc ??? I made a sketch like you have shown.....

Any who Im looking into doing a overflow. I dont like the idea of a bulk head failing.... Ill prolly do a 4 inch Pvc pipe with 1 drain and 1 return. The return will be split to make the flow for the tank. Id love to get enuf flow without having to use power heads.....

Just orient the view you want then Alt + PrtScrn and paste it in MS paint and save as a jpeg.

twintrades · Mar 10, 2013

thanks kalgra thats what i was looking for! And Ghill yea i have a swcd on my 75. I might do a 4 way lock line on the new tank..... Decisions decisions

GHill762 · Mar 10, 2013

twintrades said:
thanks kalgra thats what i was looking for! And Ghill yea i have a swcd on my 75. I might do a 4 way lock line on the new tank..... Decisions decisions

The scwd's are a little pricey but I have always wanted to try one. Do you like it on your 75?

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twintrades · Mar 10, 2013

yea i do its dependant on the amount of flow from the return pump. Mine switches every 40 secs with the pump i have. Its nice but with my Large koriallas i dont see much differences. It was a free gift from a friend. I might take it off and run a tee up to my main tank and put it on my new one.... Im going to have a large turn over in my new tank. Or atleast would like to!

twintrades · Mar 11, 2013

im not pitching out 50 bucks for a overflow. And having a overflow is going to take up quite a bit of space.... so i think ill just get a darn overflow box and stick it to the back..... Oh well its not the end of the world. just not what i wanted.... But it will make the tank easyer to manage and give me more options in the long run and have better resale later if i break it down..

GHill762 · Mar 11, 2013

Build your own center overflow with pvc conduit. Like 4".. that'll be cheap enough. . Cut slots and paint it black. It will look nice and be cheap. .

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GHill762 · Mar 11, 2013

Then have your drain and returns inside of that overflow. If the end of the return(s) is loc-line it can come up over the rim of the overflow and back down into the water..

Also, it wouldn't have to be 4", I was just using that asan example. It would only neef to be big enough to fit your drain and returns, though bigger would be better so you can fit your hand down in it for cleaning if need be.

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GHill762 · Mar 11, 2013

I can draw up a simple diagram if you want.

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PaulKreider · Mar 11, 2013

What Ghill has been saying i have to say.

+1

If you had gone with your original design of a hidden one, somthing was bound to clog and cause a massive flood. Look up the bean overflow design, has 2 fail safes, personally I dont have an overflow, but on my next tank that is what I plan on doing. Help ya sleep better at night forsure.

twintrades · Mar 17, 2013

Well i might go with just drilling the back glass.... Ill make a simple nano type skimmer box to sillicone to the back of the tank. I have some scraps of acrylic laying around. Seems that that might be the easyer way to go. Its only going to take up a small amount of space..... I was thinking about 3" long by 1 inch and only as deep as the bulk head needs to be.

Is there a good way to get sylicone to stick to acrylic ? for fastening the box on. Or would i be good having glass floating in the air being that small?