Calfo Style Overflow boxes
- Thread starter Jeremy Blaze
- Start date
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
The glass for my overflow has been ordered.. I will let you guys know how it works out.
space-ace13
New member
just picked up my 180 today. can't wait to get started on it.
YankeeDoodle
New member
Beananimal, where did you get black glass for your overflow? How much? Can you link to the site if you did it via the internet?
Thanks!
Sean
EDIT: Or would smoked black acrylic bond well enough to the glass with silicone?
Thanks!
Sean
EDIT: Or would smoked black acrylic bond well enough to the glass with silicone?
DonBossung
Premium Member
Nice job Jeremy.
On my 75, I have a 40" tray that is made of window glass, no notches. I felt that not having notches would make it easier down the road to clean. I made a snail/fish screen from egg crate and that has worked well. Before using this I was concerned about the front glass on the tray deflecting, but there is no deflection at all. I was planning on putting some short braces along the length but it was unnecessary.
One suggestion. I would run a drain pipe from each bulk head to the sump. Using flexible PVC makes this a snap. The best price I have found is on savko.com. On my 29G I had 4 1" bulkheads with a mag 1200 that dumped into a 2" manifold and then a single 2" pipe to the sump. I used the T's just like MarcS did.
When I first set the 29 up I had an iwaki 30 xlt on the retrun and it shot water right out the top of the tees. I ended up putting about a foot of 1" pipe on the top of the tees to handle the overflow on startup. After calming down the the bulkheads were constantly under water and a slight gurgling. I went to the mag 1200 at startup there was still a rise above the T's but only an inch or two but the bulkheads are still under water.
On the 75, I used 3 1" bulkheads and a 1" drain pipe for each. No T, just a 90 from the bulkhead to the pipe. With the Iwaki 30xlt there is no back pressure and the bulkheads handle the flow just fine, In fact, even during startup, the bulkheads are never completely submerged.
On my 75, I have a 40" tray that is made of window glass, no notches. I felt that not having notches would make it easier down the road to clean. I made a snail/fish screen from egg crate and that has worked well. Before using this I was concerned about the front glass on the tray deflecting, but there is no deflection at all. I was planning on putting some short braces along the length but it was unnecessary.
One suggestion. I would run a drain pipe from each bulk head to the sump. Using flexible PVC makes this a snap. The best price I have found is on savko.com. On my 29G I had 4 1" bulkheads with a mag 1200 that dumped into a 2" manifold and then a single 2" pipe to the sump. I used the T's just like MarcS did.
When I first set the 29 up I had an iwaki 30 xlt on the retrun and it shot water right out the top of the tees. I ended up putting about a foot of 1" pipe on the top of the tees to handle the overflow on startup. After calming down the the bulkheads were constantly under water and a slight gurgling. I went to the mag 1200 at startup there was still a rise above the T's but only an inch or two but the bulkheads are still under water.
On the 75, I used 3 1" bulkheads and a 1" drain pipe for each. No T, just a 90 from the bulkhead to the pipe. With the Iwaki 30xlt there is no back pressure and the bulkheads handle the flow just fine, In fact, even during startup, the bulkheads are never completely submerged.
brackishdude
Member
I've done something similiar, weir rather than toothed, and with overflow boxes on the outside as shown:
It only projects 1" into the tank plus glass thickness (3/8") plus slate thickness (.25"). It's nice to not have to limit the flow in the tank-holes by needing a bulkhead there. 'Course, coulda just made a bigger hole if needed. . .
I did end up putting braces within the internal overflows (to left of hole in tank in the second pic), but they are nested about 1/2" below the lip to rest eggcrate upon.
I intend to put stockmans on the 4 x 1" bulkheads on the external boxes. I wouldv'e probably made the external boxes taller, but this glass I aready had lying aroud, and just had it cut professionally. I would have prefered to have a single long weir with two holes draining to a single larger external box. But watcha gona do? Yes, that is a triplet stroller at the top of the third pic. Some projects take precedence over others (says the wife)
Any thoughts on problems with the shallower boxes?
It isn't up and running yet, and won't be till after our move at the end of the year. I have high hopes. Per DonBossung's advice I'll consider running the drains from the external overflows separately to the sump (I have 1.5" flex-pvc). THoughts re noise/flow?
This is a brackish tank, not reef, so the slate shingles are my background, without hope of ever being coraline-covered.
It only projects 1" into the tank plus glass thickness (3/8") plus slate thickness (.25"). It's nice to not have to limit the flow in the tank-holes by needing a bulkhead there. 'Course, coulda just made a bigger hole if needed. . .
I did end up putting braces within the internal overflows (to left of hole in tank in the second pic), but they are nested about 1/2" below the lip to rest eggcrate upon.
I intend to put stockmans on the 4 x 1" bulkheads on the external boxes. I wouldv'e probably made the external boxes taller, but this glass I aready had lying aroud, and just had it cut professionally. I would have prefered to have a single long weir with two holes draining to a single larger external box. But watcha gona do? Yes, that is a triplet stroller at the top of the third pic. Some projects take precedence over others (says the wife)
Any thoughts on problems with the shallower boxes?
It isn't up and running yet, and won't be till after our move at the end of the year. I have high hopes. Per DonBossung's advice I'll consider running the drains from the external overflows separately to the sump (I have 1.5" flex-pvc). THoughts re noise/flow?
This is a brackish tank, not reef, so the slate shingles are my background, without hope of ever being coraline-covered.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I had glass cut at a local glass store. The "black" glass I ordered came in "smoked" by mistake. I would not use acrylic, the bond will not be good and will likely leak down the road or if exposed to stress.
DonBossung
Premium Member
Great idea brakish.
brackishdude
Member
Thanks, I have posted pics on several threads on similiar topics and gotten no response, favorable or unfavorable. I will count you as a "favorable". Can't wait to get it up and running
trmiv
Active member
I'm about to do this on my 75, but I'm undecided on how to do it. I'm either considering one 30" long overflow, or two 14 or 15" long overflows (they will be about 3.5" wide, and 5" tall). Either way, I will have two 1" bulkheads in there. Would 1.25" bulkheads be better?
I can't decide between the two though. If I did do a 30" long overflow, would I have issues keeping a box that large secured to the glass with silicone? I know silicone doesn't grip acrylic that well, that's why i thought two 14 or 15" long boxes would be better.
Another question do I need downward facing elbows on the bulkheads to help quiet this down, or will plain bulkdheads be OK? If I did plain elbows, I might be able to get away with the boxes only being like 2.5" wide.
I can't decide between the two though. If I did do a 30" long overflow, would I have issues keeping a box that large secured to the glass with silicone? I know silicone doesn't grip acrylic that well, that's why i thought two 14 or 15" long boxes would be better.
Another question do I need downward facing elbows on the bulkheads to help quiet this down, or will plain bulkdheads be OK? If I did plain elbows, I might be able to get away with the boxes only being like 2.5" wide.
DonBossung
Premium Member
You will need to size the bulkheads to the amount of flow your return pump is producing. IMO each 1" bulkhead handles about 600gph.
I would over design the number of bulkheads you need. I have a mag 700 (about 500gph at head on my system) with three 1" bulkheads. The bulkheads are never submerged, therefor they are silent. The sound is caused by the bulkhead being submerged, air building up in the drain, and then water weight causing the water to rush down the drain sounding like a toilet flushing. Another reason to overdesign is so you can upgrade to a larger pump later down the road.
I would make the overflow wier out of glass. I used window glass that was cut to dimension at Ace Hardware. Then I used 120 grit sandpaper on a block of wood to take off the sharp edges/corners and siliconed it up. If you want, you can use thicker glass. FYI the wier I have is 40" long x 5" tall and 4" deep with a bulkhead in the center and one at each end.
I did not use elbows as the flow does not cover the bulkhead opening. Be careful making the box too narrow. If there is not enough area in wier to handle the surge of water when the pump starts and you may have some overflow.
I would over design the number of bulkheads you need. I have a mag 700 (about 500gph at head on my system) with three 1" bulkheads. The bulkheads are never submerged, therefor they are silent. The sound is caused by the bulkhead being submerged, air building up in the drain, and then water weight causing the water to rush down the drain sounding like a toilet flushing. Another reason to overdesign is so you can upgrade to a larger pump later down the road.
I would make the overflow wier out of glass. I used window glass that was cut to dimension at Ace Hardware. Then I used 120 grit sandpaper on a block of wood to take off the sharp edges/corners and siliconed it up. If you want, you can use thicker glass. FYI the wier I have is 40" long x 5" tall and 4" deep with a bulkhead in the center and one at each end.
I did not use elbows as the flow does not cover the bulkhead opening. Be careful making the box too narrow. If there is not enough area in wier to handle the surge of water when the pump starts and you may have some overflow.
Shooter7
New member
Don, would you happen to have any pics of your setup? So, because you have 3 one inch bulkheads, thus the capacity to drain up to 1800 gph, they easily drain what the pump is pushing up to the tank and into the box - that's how you keep the water level from covering the bulkheads, right? How do you determine how far down to have holes drilled for the drains? thanks
trmiv
Active member
I think I'll do two 1" bulkheads then. I use a Mag 7 for a return, but I keep it pretty restricted, because I'm not flowing a lot through my sump. I feed directly into my skimmer, so I only want like 200 gph through the overflow.
The only thing I don't like about doing it in glass is, the overflow would be clear, which would look bad against my black background.
The only thing I don't like about doing it in glass is, the overflow would be clear, which would look bad against my black background.
Jeremy Blaze
Former Reef Addict
Update.
This tank has now been running for close to a year. The overflows are farily quiet. They can handle much moew flow than what I am feeding the tank at this time, which is a good thing. Because of this, I am going to look into adding a surge tank to the system.
I have a few frags growing on the ledge. You have to glue them on good or the snails will push them off.
I have been working on taking some good pics of the tank, and will hopefully post a thread of tank shots in a month or so.
This tank has now been running for close to a year. The overflows are farily quiet. They can handle much moew flow than what I am feeding the tank at this time, which is a good thing. Because of this, I am going to look into adding a surge tank to the system.
I have a few frags growing on the ledge. You have to glue them on good or the snails will push them off.
I have been working on taking some good pics of the tank, and will hopefully post a thread of tank shots in a month or so.
Jeremy Blaze
Former Reef Addict
Sounds like an idea. Although, I do not get much of a shadow from mine.
DonBossung
Premium Member
Shooter7 said:
You got it! I am off to work right now so I will post pics later. I was told to put the top of the holes 1.5x the diameter down from the top. The hole for my 1" is 1.75, so the top of the hole is 2.5" down from the top
Don
