Any opinions on Glass - Holes dot com Overflows?

[macclellan]

Anyone have one? What did you think?

 

[gmneil]

I have the 1500gph version on my 125 and it works great

 

[macclellan]

Pretty quiet? What do you have running from your overflow to sump? PVC or flexible tubing?

 

[iamwrasseman]

they work well and install easy but can be a bit noisy if the flow is on the higher end of their limit . it can be quieted some by adjusting the 1/4" flexible anti siphoning tubing by pulling it out of in . i dont mean by removing it but adjusting how far its in the overflow elbo.

 

[macclellan]

Thanks guys. While I'm a fairly experienced aquarists, this will be my first system with a sump and I don't want to farg it up. It needs to keep my corals alive and healthy, not leak, and be quiet.

I'm planning a 40B. Softies (leathers, mushrooms, and zoas) and a few LPS and mini carpet anemones. I have read that I want 3-5x tank turnover through the sump for filtration, which means 120-200gph. So, I was planning on getting the Glass Holes "Super Nano con Dientes Overflow Kit" rated at 300g and using the Eheim 1250 return pump, rated at 160gph (I really trust Eheim products from my experience with their canister filters on high-tech planted tanks, I've also heard some reefers praise their pumps, and I really like the low wattage). Hopefully that is about the right amount of flow and won't be noisy.

The sump is just for my Tunze 9002 skimmer, heater, ph probe, auto top off, and some live rock. Hopefully that all makes sense and is not ill-advised. If anybody thinks I should go with more flow in the sump and should therefore move up to the 700gph overflow, please say so and why and I'll rethink things.

 

[modifyd]

No need to go up to the 700gph as your return pump is now your limiting factor. What does the Eheim flow with about 3' of head?

 

[macclellan]

I would get a larger pump if I got the 700gph overflow. The chart isn't the clearest, but it looks like the Eheim 1250 pumps about 200gph@3'. It is 165gph@4' (it does 317 without any head).

 

[TriMax]

I like the mag pumps. The cost is a little less, I think. The mag 3 is 350 gph. The mag 5 is 500 gph.

I am not sure which is the better pump though. HA! HA!!

 

[modifyd]

Mag 7 and the 700 gph kit would be my choice, although I already have a bunch of mag pumps. If I had to buy a pump the Ehiem would be in my top 3.

 

[macclellan]

Mag 7 and the 700 gph kit would be my choice, although I already have a bunch of mag pumps. If I had to buy a pump the Ehiem would be in my top 3.

Why so much flow? To not need powerheads? Would microbubbles be an issue? That would be about 500gph going through a 10g sump, and is 12.5x tank turnover per hour. That's about the total amount of flow I'd want (I think?).

I was planning on using the two Koralia 1 powerheads I already have and probably adding one more. Maybe running two off my controller in wavemaker mode.

 

[modifyd]

I like a high turn over in the tank it's better for SPS, I think it's just easier to keep the tank clean that way. Lower flow through the sump means more work for you to keep the tank clean.

 

[macclellan]

I see... less detritus settles in the tank with higher flow through the sump. I get that SPS like more flow, but this isn't an SPS tank. I could always get the 700gph overflow for flexibility and a smaller return pump and upgrade the pump if I ever wanted SPS or whatever else needs high flow? Are there any disadvantages to an 'underutilized' overflow? Like a 700gph running only 250gph?

 

[modifyd]

No disadvantages that I'm aware of, and going that route would be a good idea as you would only need to change the pump for more turn over. Slow flow through the sump is very good for a refuigium though.

 

[macclellan]

I guess a larger overflow size than needed could be considered a disadvantage (ugly, less display space), but the glass-holes ones are so small this doesn't really apply, IMHO.

I think that the way I'm designing my sump, the flow through the refugium shouldn't be tooo affected by flow through the sump (water flows over, not through).