Overflow boxes, plumbing help please.

[brewmaster15]

Planning a project everyone and need some info,advice,etc.
looking to build a tank system. 75 gal top,75 gal bottom.Consider the 75 gal bottom to have same water volume as top..I want water to drain from the top tank go the bottom and be pumped back to the top tank. Inline I would have a shut off ball valve from top tank to bottom.and another on the return.I would also plumb in a T and another ball valve and pipe to shut the flow of water off from the return and shunt it to a drain pipe..in effect letting use the pump to do the water change.. How would "YOU" do this?

Also...has anyone here used the overflow boxes/kits from
Glass-Holes.com?

Admittedly in all my years in the hobby and thousands of gallons I kept...I have never plumbed a tank. Now that the sprawling fishroom is gone and I am looking at a more streamline efficient way of doing things...plumbing is a necessity and for the experiment I am planning..I need the above system. Of course I understand the basics,however,rather not run into the common pitfalls.

Btw..the tanks are tempered glass bottoms...so no drilling there.



THANKYOU!
al

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Al are you wanting an overflow box with 1 or 2 drain holes like this brand?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EUAL5Y/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHE9WM3WSCKRU

[brewmaster15]

Al are you wanting an overflow box with 1 or 2 drain holes like this brand?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EUAL5Y/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AHE9WM3WSCKRU


yes Jeff, something like that... I was looking at this one...

http://glass-holes.com/1500-gph-Overflow-Box-Complete-Kit-gh1500kit.htm

looks like a deal... same flow, complete box and comes with

Package Contains

1 1/2" Bulkhead Gasket
1500 gph Overflow Box
2 3/8 Glass Cutting Holesaw
1 1/2" 90 degree Street Elbow Mpt x Soc Sch 40 Black (410)
1 1/2" Bulkhead Thread x Slip Short

for $99

[DiscusLoverJeff]

That is the perfect setup if you are not planning on straining the water.

[brewmaster15]

That is the perfect setup if you are not planning on straining the water.

okay indulge me here..:)

When would you not want to strain the water? if the water is going into a filtration box like a wet drys prefilter area? I guess I am wondering when you would strain the water and when you would not?

thanks

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Like the example box I gave the link to. It has a back box with sponges that help strain the larger particles from getting into your sump. Just take them out once every couple weeks and give em a rinse and put them back. It is like when people put filter socks over the intake line going into the sump. You don't need it per-say but it helps.

[nc0gnet0]

I think filter socks are a more service friendly option myself.

[Ken]

I cant say this strong enough, DO NOT USE CPR STYLE OVERFLOWS, they all need an extra pump to make them work reliably. I have never had a U-tube overflow fail on me and the crp style have failed many times.

Check on reef central, Herbie style are the best, ALWAYS drill a vent hole to break the siphon on your return line to your tank or your sump will over flow from the water in the upper tank.

To do a water change like Hans does, drains the sump not the tanks, 2 valves and a "T" above your return pump to direct the flow to your tank or water change.

[ZX10R]

I use this one on my 120

http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-filters/eshopps-overflow-box-pf-1000.html

Been using it for years and never had a single problem

[Ken]

If you are going to use Filter socks, check http://www.filterbag.com/Aquarium-Filtration-13.html,

I picked up these http://www.filterbag.com/PENF25P1-p3764.html and just use a spring clamp to hold them in place.

[MKD]

Im not friend of overflow, i would drill holes better.
Are you using wet /dry or just 2 tanks?

[kris2341]

Those overflows look too narrow for my taste, not sure if I'd be able to get my hand in there if a fish happened to get sucked in or jumped over...

I much prefer the larger CPR retrofit overflows

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bulkhead-Mount-Overflow-Box-CPR-ROF24B-Surface-Skimmer-Up-to-300-gal-Aquarium-/390667267239?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af5956ca7

[farebox]

Please check out life reef.com for overflow box. "No flooding".


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brewmaster15]

I'd like to avoid doing CPR on my tank please.:o

Actually lets assume I don't understand what a "CPR" overflow stands for or is.. Instead lets assume I have always drained my tanks the old fashioned barbaric way....a hose. Just in case some out there reading this aren't as well informed as me.:)

Can someone dummy it down please?

thanks,
al

[kris2341]

Hang on tank overflows have some risk involved if the siphon breaks, U tube overflows like the one farebox linked are known for their reliability, but you can only do so much with them and they arent the quietest things around.

Drilling the tank is practically bulletproof if done correctly and as Ken stated, the Herbie design is one of the more optimal ones.

http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/

It essentially involves the use of a full siphon and an emergency drain line.

[kris2341]

I'd like to avoid doing CPR on my tank please.:o

Actually lets assume I don't understand what a "CPR" overflow stands for or is.. Instead lets assume I have always drained my tanks the old fashioned barbaric way....a hose. Just in case some out there reading this aren't as well informed as me.:)

Can someone dummy it down please?

thanks,
al

what people mean by CPR overflows are the actual CPR brand hang on back overflow unit with their funky little pumps and weird design.
http://www.cpraquatic.com/products/overflows.html

http://www.primepittsburgh.com/dasea/220/Prop_Tank/IMG_3734a.JPG

awful stuff, that pump on it that looks like an air pump (its actually a water pump that is meant to keep your siphon going) is LITERALLY a bandaid for a bad design that is prone to breaking siphon. If the pump goes, the tank will lose siphon and flood your home eventually

What I linked was a retrofit overflow box that you would have to drill and glue/silicone to the tank and run pipes from, a bulletproof system if done properly. It is the same thing that you were looking at but just better designed IMO

[daffyfish]

PM sent

[Ken]

The problem with CPR style overflows is that they are based on weir; the speed at which the water travels over the weir is slower than a typical U tube overflow. The slower speed at which water flow is not sufficient to clear bubbles that enter the weir, they collect to the point that the siphon is broken and you have a miss-match between the upper tank and lower tank= flood. The fix for that problem is that they added a air lift pump to contentiously cleat the air bubble from the weir, and they work until the air lift pump doesn’t work fast enough as in a power failure or air lift pump failure.

A U tube type can fail also if it is over sized to much and the water flow is reduced to the point that the tube cannot clear any bubbles and will lose siphon and flood. On one of my tanks I added an extra U tube to the overflow, because more is better. Both tubes collected bubbles and one lost siphon, when it did the other tube had much more flow and cleared the bubbles preventing a loss of siphon and a flood.

Drill baby Drill LOL

[brewmaster15]

Hang on tank overflows have some risk involved if the siphon breaks, U tube overflows like the one farebox linked are known for their reliability, but you can only do so much with them and they arent the quietest things around.

Drilling the tank is practically bulletproof if done correctly and as Ken stated, the Herbie design is one of the more optimal ones.

http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/

It essentially involves the use of a full siphon and an emergency drain line.

Thanks Kris!
Thats a great article..very detailed but not overly technical... that should definetly help!

-al

[farebox]

The lifereef overflow has an silencer for it, which makes it very quite...have my 125G in the living room. Wife is okay with it while watching TV.

[brewmaster15]

The lifereef overflow has an silencer for it, which makes it very quite...have my 125G in the living room. Wife is okay with it while watching TV.

I'm a visual kind of guy.. have to see this stuff to really understand it... any chance you could post
a few pics?
thanks,
-al

[farebox]

I


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[musicmarn1]

I think this has convinced me to drill my first tank !! im just too in love with the whole sump thing and have a 75g i want to sump up, but needs drilling first. i LOVED someone's suggestion somewhere that I should get a couple of cheap practice throw away tanks on craigslist but i might just jump in with the 75g since i have decided not to plant that one . Going to heavily plant up the 90 and keep two 75g bare bottom. Whew should be fun,

look forward to seeing how you proceed Al !! :D

[kareen]

I put The Glass-Holes overflow on my 120 tank it work great and I know I could trust it. I had a HOB overflow could not trust it. you have to make sure your water level is right or thay suck air up in the tubes and stop working. or when the Electric go's out the HOB overflows can still pull the water out of your tank. With the G-H overflows once the water go down below the teeth on the overflow box it can not drin no more.

[Len]

yes Jeff, something like that... I was looking at this one...

http://glass-holes.com/1500-gph-Overflow-Box-Complete-Kit-gh1500kit.htm

looks like a deal... same flow, complete box and comes with

Package Contains

1 1/2" Bulkhead Gasket
1500 gph Overflow Box
2 3/8 Glass Cutting Holesaw
1 1/2" 90 degree Street Elbow Mpt x Soc Sch 40 Black (410)
1 1/2" Bulkhead Thread x Slip Short

for $99

Al, that is almost identical to the one I use on my 77gal. Mine was made locally at a fishstore where he makes his own acrylic tanks and cost $25, so if you want to save some money, you could easily make it yourself. The one thing I would do differently next time though is add a top to it. I've had several incidents where discus ened up jumping into to the overflow and one died. I'd also make sure there was a strainer on the inside of the bulkhead in it. I've had numerous smaller fish end up in the sump.

[lksdrinker]

I have nothing but good things to say about glassholes and Mike from over there. Great customer service and they seem to know their stuff. Now I dont have much experience with sumps and overflows, but the product I got from glassholes seems pretty nice to me! I will admit however that I set this thing up originally with one intention, then changed plans a few dozen times before deciding that this tank would be an african tank setup at my office. Best laid plans however as its still in the basement and has not yet been stocked.

Here is what I set up which includes my version of a siphon break (drilled a hole facing up on the return line and plumbed some airline tubing back into the tank)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqkmvIkVydc&index=1&list=UU03RaLi9YIBYEkoO5uaKngw

[smuggy89]

I ordered this setup for a 46g bow front(salt) and it worked great. A little patience with the drill, lots of water, and change clutch setting to the lowest. Very quiet and I didn't have any issue with jumpers getting in my sump but you wouldn't want a fish to block the overflow or you would have a giant mess on your hands. I do plan on ordering another set for 72 gallon. bow front.