Overflows?

[Darrell Ward]

I've always had tanks that had overflow boxes that needed stand pipes to keep them from "flushing". Now, I'm trying to plan a new fishroom outside the house in a different building, I'm out of tank space and the lady of the house is pushing for it. :D Anyway, I want to drill a bunch of tanks and drain them to a central sump. If I just drill a bulkhead at the water line, and install a strainer, will this work without problems, or will I need use a 90 pointed down to kinda act as a skimmer to prevent it from sucking more air than water? :confused: Or, I just had another thought. Maybe it would be better to place the bulkhead farther down, so that it would always be under water?

[Consigliere]

Darrell,

Overflow filtration and water movement by gravity / sump return type system can be as simple as you have pointed out. Simply drill a hole for an overflow and run it to a filter and have a return line into the tank from that filter.

However, imagine a fish dies overnight and is sucked onto your overflow and blocks all flow. Now you are pumping directly from the filter onto the floor until all your tanks have been sufficiently drained just below the overflows.

Here is a link for a 3 overflow system that is close to fail proof. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1310585

Now fail proofing the sump is another matter. I suggest doing some searching on the reef forums for overflow design principles. They are the best at it in general according to my experience of information available online.

If you are doing a whole fish room the sky is really the limit here for you in terms of the design. Keep us posted.

[ApacheDan]

Darrel, unless you got tons of experience drilling glass, I would advise on drilling holes too close to any edge....very easy to crack the tank, been there,done that. The best way to accomplish what you want is to drill a hole pretty much in the middle of a wall, use 1" bulkheads and then make a "Z" shaped PVC pipe, with a strainer at the end. Wrap the end that goes in the bulkhead with plumbers white tape. Just by swiveling that end, you can control the water level at any height you want. A big plus is that the strainer will be parallel to the water surface & act as a skimmer too. The strainer will never be fully underwater and the water will flow smoothly & silently.. I've been using these Z pipes for years with no problems and excellent results...
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s298/thunderfoil/CIMG0236.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s298/thunderfoil/CIMG0217.jpg

[Darrell Ward]

Thanks guys. The "z" pipe is a great idea. I seen those in dozens of pictures. I don't know why it didn't "click" in my head. Old age I guess. :D

[rbarn]

Make an overflow box that only goes down about 3" and run
pipes out back.

Check out this thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1541946

[johnwe]

I've been using these Z pipes for years with no problems and excellent results...
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s298/thunderfoil/CIMG0236.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s298/thunderfoil/CIMG0217.jpg

Is this the best way to do an overflow system for Discus, or is the three pipe version more safe? ( http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=71800 )

I am considering drilling the back of a 110 tank and using the calfo/3 pipe system but I am a little concerned about how large the plumbing becomes on the back of the tank (see http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx )

Is this single Z-shaped overflow nearly foolproof?

[rbarn]

Thing with the Bean 3 stand pipe system is its dead quiet.

Z-pipe will not be.

Big fish room .... no big deal.
In the den ....... can be a big deal


Both systems work fine. One requires more work and space but makes less noise.

[johnwe]

Thanks, if I reduce all my plumbing to 1" with a 1" bulkhead, and use only 1 valve in the main drain, will the calfo design work well and quietly?

I am trying to save the space, the 1.5" plumbing will be pretty large

[tcup]

what are stand pipes?

[johnwe]

Standpipes carry water from an overflow to a sump

see

http://www.beananimal.com/media/4065/standpipe-back.jpg

[tcup]

so basically they replace the flex tubing that i have running from the overflow to the sump and get rid of all the "running water" noise?

[kareen]

Take a look at this web-page www.glass-holes.com hope this helps

[tcup]

thanks guys. got my new weekend project now.