Overflow Ideas

[Triggerman]

O.K. I need some overflow ideas. The tank will be 175 gal. bowfront viewed from all 4 sides. So I need to situate an overflow system without it looking hideously out of place, since I can't put any big boxes on the sides or back of the glass. I was thinking of maybe column overlows covered with the foam great stuff. 2 coulmns for the intake and 1 for return. Closed loops will be added to the aquarium for better circulation.

Texreefer, you have experience with this, I missed the meeting. Have you had any problems?

I was thinking the columns could be made with acrylic tubing like the protein skimmers.

Ace, since you're pretty good with acrylic can teeth be cut into the column easily?

feel free to give me your ideas...

Thanks,
Ray

[Bill S]

I have an end calfo on my 215. It really doesn't show - and it's a HUGE surface skimmer (1800gph).

[Triggerman]

Well the tank is going tobe an island so everything needs tobe contained inside the aquarium and under the stand.

[erikharrison]

he should think about going throught the bottom like that post on marsh!

[hobogato]

ray, teet wont be a problem if you must have them, and i would do exactly what you suggested in your first post. for each overflow, you will need a drain hole and a return hole, so you are looking at about 6" X 10" for a total footprint on each.

[Bill S]

If your tank is an Oceanic - and you already have it - the bottom is probably tempered. If you are special ordering it, Oceanic can drill the holes before they temper it.

[LoneStar]

Just make sure you can drill that tank (not a tempered bottom), if you already have it.

[captexas]

If you can drill the bottom, why not put one single overflow right in the middle of the tank? That way all four sides have a clean view into the tank. A closed loop drain and returns can be done separately and hidden in the rock work. If the center overflow is large enough, you can do a large drain pipe and two returns. One return would be for the sump and the other return would be for the closed loop, extending up above the overflow and branching off to different parts of the top of the tank with locline nozzles.

[Texreefer]

the foam would work fine but there would be a couple of obstacles to overcome, first if you use a round overflow you will have some difficulty getting the foam to stick before it cures as it needs a horizontal surface,, so the tank would need to be repositioned when doing each side.. the other and the better idea isto poam the overflow before it goes on the tank,, you can easily trim the bittom flush and still be able to silicone the overflow to the bottom of the tank

[LoneStar]

A center overflow would look neat. It its acrylic, you could weld on some branches on it and foam them. Would make some interesting ledge work with the addition of live rock for corals.

[Bill S]

If you do the foam, you could use a trash bag covered form the same size as your overflow, and then slide it over.

[Triggerman]

Thanks for all the input guys...

tex, i would definantely foam the overflows before siliconed to the aquarium. The trashbag idea seems like a pretty good idea.

Ace the columns i was thinking of having constructed would be round rather than rectangular. So I didn't know if it would cause alot of problems cutting teeth around them. 2 column would be strictly drains (left 1/3 & right 1/3 of tank), then the 1 center column would be strictly a return with directional outputs using locline along the top. My thoughts were the columns would be pretty easy to hide and make nice rock ledges and formations. I need to figure out the diameter of the cloumns maybe around 3" dia.

The island overlow box was my original plan, but they're usually pretty big and take up quite a bit of space since I would need at least 3 holes drilled. The footprint of the tank is not really that big since it's a bowfront.

Ray

[Bill S]

Ray, I'd maybe think this way: With a circular column, you have the least edge per square inch of tank you are giving up. The overflow needs a lot of "coastline", and you would maximize this with a long skinny rectangle. No reason to not have your returns coming back up thru the same column?

Another thought. How about a centerline calfo - in the middle of the tank. Just the top 3". Connect it to the bottom of the tank with 2 drain columns and 2 return columns. It's much easier to hide 3 or 4 1-1/2 inch columns to the top, than it is a big cylinder. BTW, I prefer 2 drains for reduncancy - it's easy to clog a single drain and overflow your tank. Here's a really lousy drawing: