Drilled overflow vs. Toms Rapids Pro Overflow

[Brando8719]

Hi,

I'm setting up my first reef tank. I was planning on drilling and making an overflow in my tank but when I went to my lfs for bulkheads they suggested that I buy a Tom's Rapids Pro overflow box which is a hob skimmer/overflow. It's good for 950gph and apparently starts its self back up if the power goes out.

I was wondering if anyone has ever used this before and your opinion on what I should do.

I have a 55gallon display with a 20gallon sump. I'm pretty confident that my glass isn't tempered so drilling would be ok.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[greech]

I have never used the Tom's but I do use an eshopps HOB overflow

Even though I like my overflow and thanks to some mods on my part it works very well I regret not drilling my tank all the time.

Every tank I have going forward will be drilled.

 

[Brando8719]

Thanks for your opinion Greech. Is there any reason why you would decide to drill over the hob? The only benefit I've found for the drilling is that its safer when the power goes out. But if the HOB starts its self back up then that isn't an issue, right? Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

[bcheriyan]

I have the Eshopps PF100 Overflow Box for my 125 gal tank. Didn't have any issues for an year now .. It has a dual and my retur is 950 GPH .. I do clean this out every 4 months .. Not sure about the Tom's Rapids .. .. Don't trust the LFS they will try sell you every thing as they can..

 

[Mr.Tan]

in for more information on that Toms rapids overflow/skimmer setup. I've been eyeing it up for awhile now, i like the all in one thing with the skimmer etc... just need more info!

 

[BuckeyeFan]

I have a HOB life reef overflow I really like it . Have't had any problems with it...

 

[greech]

While it is a valid concern, it isn't so much about the dependability to me but rather the fact that if you make one adjustment you will likely need to spend some time adjusting it to get the flow back where you had it and/or quiet it down.

In my case I use a Hofer Gurgle Buster and a reverse durso to quiet the drain (which these did tremendously). I also used an oversized return pump with a ball valve after the pump to dial in just the right flow for noise reduction and to ensure I had enough flow going through the U tube so that bubbles don't collect at the apex (potentialy causing the siphon to break). While all this works great, if I so much as pull the U tube to clean it or clean the return pump the flow is off just enough that I have to adjust some or all of these to get it back where it was.

Then there are things like not being able to have a simple screen top on my tank because the U tube sticks up over the rim, etc.

Again, I am really making these things into bigger issues than they are but since you asked, I thought I should point them out.

Drilling really takes these things out of the equation and depending on how you drill the tank you can incorporate a number of safety measures such as multiple drains, etc.

I can say that the biggest benefit I have found with a HOB overflow is the ability to remove the entire box to easily catch a fish that jumped in there and also to give it a good cleaning now and then.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Drilled is much better in the long run to prevent the dreaded "tank overflowing onto the living room floor due to a problem with an overflow box".

After it happened to me a couple of times, my wife said "make sure that never happens again, whatever it costs". A drilled tank was an important part of the answer.

 

[greech]

in for more information on that Toms rapids overflow/skimmer setup. I've been eyeing it up for awhile now, i like the all in one thing with the skimmer etc... just need more info!

Not sure if you think the Tom's includes a protein skimmer but it does not. It is a "surface" skimmer but all overflow boxes (HOB or internal) do this simply by design.

 

[Reverend Reefer]

drill it drill it drill it! that is the biggest regret i have with my setup. siphon overflows fail, especially the ones that need an aqualifter to restart the siphon. i'm waiting on a lifereef overflow, which doesn't require an aqualifter and people swear by them.... however, if i had a chance to do it all again, i'd drill it!

 

[03LightningSVT]

I have a 55gallon display with a 20gallon sump. I'm pretty confident that my glass isn't tempered so drilling would be ok.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

55 gallon manufacturer?
55's are notorious for using tempered glass. Please check with the tank manufacturer before drilling. They should be able to provide you with information regarding which panels are safe to drill.

It's only a phone call or email to the manufacturer and could save you time & money, not to mention giving you 100% assurance it's safe to drill at your intended location

 

[stewartms]

Drill Baby Drill.

If you absolutely do not want to drill, then use the standard U tube overflows. I have ran several of these with only one problem. (self inflicted) I did not keep them clean as I should have and one of my two U tubes lost siphon. This did not allow the remaining one tube to keep up with my return. Luckily, it happened while I was performing other maintenance to the tank and caught it before it overflowed the tank.

the overflows that rely on a pump to restart are just disasters waiting to happen. I used one of these for about two weeks and got rid of it. One of the most frequent problems with pumps or powerheads is not wanting to start after they have been shut down. This is the most important time that you need it if you rely on it to restart your siphon after a power outage.

I have never heard of anyone regretting a drilled tank.

 

[Brando8719]

Thanks guys.. I've decided against the hob and I'm going to drill. Might as well take the time to do it right. Hopefully everything goes well.

As for the glass being tempered.. I've had my 55gallon tank for probably 8 years and I got it off a friend who had it for years before that. There are no stickers or anything identifying the manufacturer or whether its tempered or not. I tried using polarized glasses to see if I could see any designs or rainbows in the glass but nothing. The glass is also 3/8'' thick and not 1/4'' which makes me think it's not tempered. Apparently older tank were less likely to be tempered as most 55 are always now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed haha. Unless anyone else has some ways of identifying tempered glass.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[0 tds]

Good choice on drilling!!!! I just drilled 6 holes total for my new system.

As for the 55g being tempered... Check your car side windows, they should be tempered(there will be a label in the corner that said "safty glass") Now you can try the polarized glasses trick on a known piece of tempered glass. This was you will know what you are looking for. I used my net book and the polarized glasses on the car window. Then I came inside and found that the 55g that I had was not tempered. Drilled with no problems.

Good luck!!

If it is tempered, it will take about 45 seconds of drilling before exploding into 1,000,000,000,000,000 pieces.

 

[Brando8719]

So I ended up drilling my tank on the bottom and it wasn't tempered. So a successful drill . I just built my overflow box out of acrylic and I'm now waiting for the silicone to dry before doing a test for leaks. I expect to start the cycle with live rocks and sand next week.

I have a question about the cycle and buying fish for my QT. I've read that the cycle should take about 4-6 weeks. I should also keep any fish in the QT for 4 weeks to make sure they aren't diseased. Does it make sense to buy a couple fish at the same time I start the cycle and put them in my QT? I would probably buy 2x Ocellaris Clown or maybe a yellow tang. I know there is a thread to OK fish purchases but I'm just looking at it timing wise.

Thanks!

 

[jinks]

If the clowns aren't fighting then going with two at a time should be okay. You might want to wait till your cycle ends to buy them so you know everything will be ready. When the cycle ends buy them and your clean up crew. QT the fish and add the cleaners. The yellow tang will get to large for a 55.

 

[Brando8719]

I noticed in the tang thread it also says the min size for a yellow tang is 70gallons. My lfs said the min size is 50gallons so that's why I was considering it.. but if it's too small it's too small. I'm guessing the fact that it's a long 55 (48x13x21) doesn't matter?

and thanks for the advice.. I'll wait before I get anything.

 

[Brando8719]

and when you say "if the clowns aren't fighting" do you mean if I can see they aren't fighting at the lfs? I'm a bit confused by the statement.

 

[jinks]

alot of times they wont fight at a store because they don't really set up a territory, so looking in the shop wont tell you much. If the two pair up when you get them home they shouldn't fight with each other. If they don't they might fight for territory. some stores sell pairs or just have them grab a larger one and a smaller one. You could even divide your QT in half with something they can see through to let them get accustom to each other before you let them be together.

 

[Sport507]

By all means if you are early in the game get a drilled tank. I didn't do enough research getting started and got one that wasn't drilled. However, the Tom Rapids overflow will not siphon back and cause flooding in a power outage, EVER. I know because I use one and live in a small town where the power goes out probably 3 times a week for short periods. It has a very innovative design and you would just have to see it to understand how it works. It is also very silent.

So for those who need an overflow that can carry high volume water return, I would highly recommend this over flow box. When you see how it works and leave the house, you will have great peace of mind.