90 gal aga overflow question

[jck9]

i just got a 90 gal reef ready aga tank for my upgrade and have a question about the built in overflow. i thought the overflow was only supposed to overflow the water from the surface. the overflow has near the bottom and the middle. whatis the benefit to this? is it better if i plug those slots so that the water only overlows from the top. all of the custom overflows i have ever seen dont flow water from the bottom or middle. just the top. just trying to get some info here. trying to decide if it is better how it is or would be better only overflowing from the top.
thanks in advance.
-john

 

[gaspasser1]

Are the holes drilled from the overflow compartment into the tank itself, or are the holes in a standpipe within the overflow box? A multiholed straight standpipe within the overflow box is old school but fairly common.

If these holes are into the tank, holy cow. Your whole tank would drain dry after the first power outage or even if you turned the pump off! You would have a biblical flood in your sump, and your fish would be high and dry, not to mention the corals, etc.

The water should only exit via a overflow at the top, or water surface.

 

[rbursek]

Gaspasser,
In the AGA overflows there is an overflow tube, that sets the water level when the pump is off, and will not drain the tank! The purpose of the slots at the 3 different levels is to get flow from the different areas of the tank, bottom, middle, and surface, so you do not have stagnant areas.

 

[Amoore311]

Don't block them up. I mean you can if you want to..... but it really serves no purpose.

It just allows your overflow to pull a small portion of water from different parts of the water column.

 

[jck9]

good deal. thats what i needed to know. thanks guys
-john

 

[gaspasser1]

I get it.

You will have to remember to keep those lower openings clean.

Good luck with the tank!