A Low Country Reef Tank....one more final upgrade

I placed my order for the tank with James @ Envision Acrylics. He won't start building the tank until the end of January since I can't take delivery of it until early March. As much as I would love to go with an external overflow, I have already pushed the envelope with the 36" wide tank and I don't want to reduce the tank width to 30". So I will go with two internal overflows that will be set in 12" from each side. Thank you everyone who provided some input and pictures.

Congratulations Steve! this is amazing news!
 
I placed my order for the tank with James @ Envision Acrylics. He won't start building the tank until the end of January since I can't take delivery of it until early March. As much as I would love to go with an external overflow, I have already pushed the envelope with the 36" wide tank and I don't want to reduce the tank width to 30". So I will go with two internal overflows that will be set in 12" from each side. Thank you everyone who provided some input and pictures.

Hold on there Mr. Man! I'm not sure that is what we all agreed to? We didn't vote or nothin'. Of course, I jest. I do have a question though. While still early, have you configured the top of the tank yet? When I see acrylic tanks they usually are somewhat generous with the top bracing. How do you plan to get around that?
 
Hold on there Mr. Man! I'm not sure that is what we all agreed to? We didn't vote or nothin'. Of course, I jest. I do have a question though. While still early, have you configured the top of the tank yet? When I see acrylic tanks they usually are somewhat generous with the top bracing. How do you plan to get around that?

A higher power stepped in and made the decision very simple for me :uzi:

The top of the tank will have 3 openings and each will be 24" L/R and 28" F/B. This should hopefully give me enough room to do whatever I need to do.
 
A higher power stepped in and made the decision very simple for me :uzi:

The top of the tank will have 3 openings and each will be 24" L/R and 28" F/B. This should hopefully give me enough room to do whatever I need to do.

Should be more than enough of an opening unless you plan on epoxying the entire live structure outside the tank and then dropping it in like the rest of us. You're screwed. It's going to be impossible to aquascape this tank.
 
Should be more than enough of an opening unless you plan on epoxying the entire live structure outside the tank and then dropping it in like the rest of us. You're screwed. It's going to be impossible to aquascape this tank.

Impossible in general to aquascape or impossible if I build structures before putting them in the tank?
 
Don't try and do. Bean animal drain through the bottom of the tank, I tried with my 450g and result was not great. Yea, the drain worked but the water level in the box was low enough with all the plumbing a herbie would quieter in the long run. External would be nice, I was at 36" width also and could not go any wider.


You can do a bean through the bottom, what I did on my 450g was raise the standpipes so the drop from the top of the weir was minimal, before that it was very loud, now it's silent.
 
Here's a picture that James sent me of a similar tank he built to show me the openings

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Looks good!... But will 'euro brace' be cut out more to allow for more overflow access?

Yeah he will make it so I am able to get my hand in the overflow. The more I look at this picture the more I want to do an external. This might fall under the category of asking for forgiveness rather than permission from my wife. When the tank shows up I could be like "well that's not supposed to be that way!"
 
Yeah he will make it so I am able to get my hand in the overflow. The more I look at this picture the more I want to do an external. This might fall under the category of asking for forgiveness rather than permission from my wife. When the tank shows up I could be like "well that's not supposed to be that way!"

Go for it! Nothing like external. She'll get over it but you won't if you don't lol
 
Yeah he will make it so I am able to get my hand in the overflow. The more I look at this picture the more I want to do an external. This might fall under the category of asking for forgiveness rather than permission from my wife. When the tank shows up I could be like "well that's not supposed to be that way!"

If you have the room you can always frame out the stand and light hood to cover the sides where the cavity of the external overflow will be. It can still be hidden from view. Some construction grade velcro will allow you to incorporate removable panels so you can access the overflows if you choose to go that route. This gives you the chance to get what you want, have 3 viewable panes and still hide the overflows and their noise from the family room. The two doors that access my light hood are held in place with the same velcro. When I was tiling my Jacuzzi wall I did the same thing with the access panel to the plumbing should I ever need to fix something. You could also use magnets but I don't know how that might affect any pumps or powerheads should they ever be installed too close to the magnets.
 
The more I look at this picture the more I want to do an external.

I don't know why anyone would prefer external ... If you have the space to add 6" external overflows, then you have space for a wider tank adding about 60 gallons!
 
I don't know why anyone would prefer external ... If you have the space to add 6" external overflows, then you have space for a wider tank adding about 60 gallons!

Oh the temptation is killing me but the insanity has to stop. :headwally: Im sticking with my original plan of internal overflows.
 
I don't know why anyone would prefer external ... If you have the space to add 6" external overflows, then you have space for a wider tank adding about 60 gallons!

It's nice having a flat back rather then a box inside the tank. It's great for aquascaping.
 
It's nice having a flat back rather then a box inside the tank. It's great for aquascaping.

My internal overflows only extend 6" down from the top! (similar to external box)... they do not take up any room on 'floor' of tank, and do not block light... If any livestock should enter the overflow, I wouldn't even need a net to remove it!
 
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