Coast to Coast Overflow or Pensinula Style?

[Ted_C]

I'm very seriously considering an upgrade to a 280 gallon (72x30x30). I would want to support an external overflow either on the rear of the aquarium (coast to coast) or a peninsula style on one of the sides. The external box would be drilled to support a beananimal overflow into a sump.

Questions:
How deep would the cut in the glass need to be for the external overflow box? I was thinking 1.5 inches x 48 inches on the coast to coast - that'd still give me a water height somewhere around 28.5 inches. I figure it'd need to be deeper on the pensinula - as more water would need to flow through a smaller opening. Figure 1.75" by 24 inches?

I'm also thinking of using gutterguard or that 3/8" screening to keep jumpers from the overflow.

There's not alot of threads on how to figure this out.

 

[nitr8]

I'm very seriously considering an upgrade to a 280 gallon (72x30x30). I would want to support an external overflow either on the rear of the aquarium (coast to coast) or a peninsula style on one of the sides. The external box would be drilled to support a beananimal overflow into a sump.

Questions:
How deep would the cut in the glass need to be for the external overflow box? I was thinking 1.5 inches x 48 inches on the coast to coast - that'd still give me a water height somewhere around 28.5 inches. I figure it'd need to be deeper on the pensinula - as more water would need to flow through a smaller opening. Figure 1.75" by 24 inches?

I'm also thinking of using gutterguard or that 3/8" screening to keep jumpers from the overflow.

There's not alot of threads on how to figure this out.

Mine is about 20" long and the notch is 1.5" down with 1" plumbing bean animal overlfow. This handles my 900 GPH return very easily. Both ball valves are only about 25% open.
I'm sure you have a much larger return pump than me so you're welcome to bring it over and we can see what it can handle.

 

[nhbsab]

I am planning on building a 4' (or5') x 3' x 2'. I had the exact same thought and question. Peninsula or coast to coast, both would have a external overflow with a bean animal design. I decided on peninsula based on my experience with my 210 ten years ago.

With a peninsula the maximum you would need to reach in Ted would be 15"w x 30"d because you could get to it from both sides.

Next I decided to go with a closed loop with the same flow volume as my return pump.

 

[nhbsab]

Oh and also I have a peninsula now that me and a professional tank builder made. There are things I would change in my design. One thing is that in my current tank I does not have enough top skim. But I do have a closed loop. I am currently breaking it down to fix that top skim issue. Lmk if you want to come by and see it (maybe you could give me some pointers of your own).

 

[Ted_C]

That would be my only concern with a peninsula - not enough top skim. How do you plan on rectifying it? changing the flow around to push top water / return water to the peninsula?

 

[nhbsab]

The design I had - the return for both the close loop and sump are at the bottom, middle, front end of the tank 4" high. The drains for both are on the back wall but the skim area is way too small. Plus 2 mp40's middle height on the back wall on anti sequence.

New design - run a coast to coast skim bar on the back wall with mp40's down low and the returns in the upper outside corners. The front end has the close loop feeds (drains).

If the returns effect the top skim then I will lower them (from over the top). A hole or check valve will prevent a back siphon.

 

[nhbsab]

I am setting up a new QT now. Next week I will start that project.

 

[Ted_C]

With a peninsula the maximum you would need to reach in Ted would be 15"w x 30"d because you could get to it from both sides.

Here - I was thinking - the external overflow box only needs to be 5" deep - not 30" deep. It'll be a little box on the side or back of the tank - just enough depth to allow a 1.5" 90 elbow and tee pointing down.

Like this one at Glass Reef

If a fish were to go over the overflow - it's be alot easier to catch in a 5" deep box instead of 30" deep box. A lesson learned from my 120 with the internal coast to coast.

 

[nitr8]

Mines the same.

 

[nhbsab]

Here - I was thinking - the external overflow box only needs to be 5" deep - not 30" deep. It'll be a little box on the side or back of the tank - just enough depth to allow a 1.5" 90 elbow and tee pointing down.

Like this one at Glass Reef

If a fish were to go over the overflow - it's be alot easier to catch in a 5" deep box instead of 30" deep box. A lesson learned from my 120 with the internal coast to coast.

I was talking about the 72 x 30 x 30 dimension you were talking about getting as a peninsula. If you have access on both sides of the peninsula then the maximum you would have to reach in is15w x 30d. I am quite similar with external overflows and the advantage of it being shallow.

With the peninsula you still can have about 28" (coast to coast) on the back wall

 

[RiddleEagle18]

Mines the same.

Love the false wall on the back to hide all the apex cords!

Did you make the overflow after the fact or or was the tank built like that? Trying to figure out how to add a coast to coast external to an aga tank.

Sorry for the hijack.

 

[Ted_C]

Sorry - still confused. I do not understand what you mean by "reach in"

I am a source of the confusion as well - when I say coast to coast - i really meant the overflow is on the back wall (72"). When I say peninsula - I meant an overflow on the side wall (30"). You are correct - technically the two overflows are still coast to coast as they span most of the area available on whatever wall they are on. Sorry about that.

 

[CrazyEyes]

I've got a bunch 1/4" glass if you wanna take it. One 36x18, one 36x16 and one 16x18.

 

[Ted_C]

nope - I'm just going to have it built this way. I dont want to mess with drilling holes or trying to cut out glass. I'll let the manufacturer take care of that. Thanks for the thought though.

 

[nhbsab]

Sorry - still confused. I do not understand what you mean by "reach in"

I am a source of the confusion as well - when I say coast to coast - i really meant the overflow is on the back wall (72"). When I say peninsula - I meant an overflow on the side wall (30"). You are correct - technically the two overflows are still coast to coast as they span most of the area available on whatever wall they are on. Sorry about that.

Sorry for the confusion.

I total understand what you meant, It was my fault for not going into detail with my thoughts. I was referring to ("reach in") accessibility to every inch of the tank. I know we use utensils every chance we can.

Typically when someone says coast to coast it is the traditional setup, but IMO coast to coast just means the skimming method reaches from end to end no matter whether it is traditional(72") or peninsula(30").

 

[nitr8]

Love the false wall on the back to hide all the apex cords!

Did you make the overflow after the fact or or was the tank built like that? Trying to figure out how to add a coast to coast external to an aga tank.

Sorry for the hijack.

I had mine built this way.

 

[nitr8]

I like the peninsula C2C overflows too. Check out the Michigan legend, SunnyX's build. After seeing his tank I decided to go with an external overflow.

http://www.michiganreefers.com/forums/members-tanks/111777-sonnys-rimless-shallow-reef-2-0-a.html

 

[Ted_C]

I like that build as well. It gives me some more ideas.

1 - If I go - I'm going peninsula. I can support 72" long and up to 36" wide.
2 -it'll be starfire on three sides (2x72 and 1 36 side).
3 - overflow on the other 36" side - leaving it unpainted. This side will be against the wall in my apartment.
4 - Everything will be under the tank in the sump area.

Where to mount returns in a peninsula style (non-in-wall , no fish room)?
I was concerned about how to get the returns going back into the tank and that build you linked did give me some ideas. The return well in the sump will be on the opposite side of the overflow. I figure I will run schedule 80 all 72 inches horizontally and bring the returns back up on the overflow side. I might run two returns - one to feed a re-circulating manifold and one just for the tank return. Ideas welcome.

Where to run the MP60's and MP40's?
I took a few tanks through Ecotech's flow calculator. It's suprising - a 72x30 tank with 2x MP60's is too much flow (SPS reccomended is at 1% w/ 2x MP60's but right on the money with 4x MP40's). a 72x36 tank with 2 MP60's is right on the money running at 66%. Figure like Bobby, I can run 2x MP40's on the 72" side. However - that'll be an eyesore on a wall that's viewable I think. Maybe I'll mount them like this and get a good gyre going? (y = MP60, x = MP40)

     X
 ______________________________________
 |                                     |
 |                                     |
Y|                                     | Y (overflow)
 |                                     |
 |                                     |
 ______________________________________
                                    X

Lights: I'm pretty much sold on the metis hyperion S model 3x with 4 t5 and LEDs

Skimmer - Probably an SRO 5000 External.

Return Pumps - haven't decided yet - but most likely external.

Sump: After reading through BobbyV's thread for the third time - I'm thinking of redesigning my 24x48 style sump with middle well refugium. In my 120, I'm not doing any recirculation. All reactors have their own pumps and just get pumped back into their own well.

First well will be a filter sock well. I'm trying to think of a way where the overflow pipes dont need to go directly into the socks (so I can remove socks without needing to remove piping and still keep piping outlets underwater). maybe a 5" wide box to take the overflows and that will fill and overflow into another 5" wide box which holds my filter socks and empties at the bottom into a refugium section (not really a refugium, more like an algae scrubber with exportable macroalgae) then a bubble trap to my return / probe section. I will of course design it with a few extra inches so if the filter socks clog up - it wont overflow my sump.

Like Bobby suggested - 44" high stand.

 

[rfalvey89]

I say peninsula, a tank that big -if you ever move or change the tank's location you have 3 sides to work with

 

[Ali :D]

If you were to do peninsula style then how do you feel about putting either a closed loop or having returns coming up through the bottom glass further away from the overflow. That would eliminate the need for any up top plumbing. Also keeping it open for being a peninsula tank say if you moved home.