Having tank overflow without the bulk...

[FloridaFishMan]

Hi,
I am trying to figure out how I want to do my tank. I want to have an overflow but I don't want to have two big black boxes along the back of my tank. I saw some have the "old school" standing pipe but that seems like it may be noisy and I have heard it doesn't do as good of a job skimming the top.

Is it possible for me to do an overflow in the corner of the tank? Something that forms a triangle with the back and one of the sides. Do any of you have an overflow like that? Can someone post a picture? If you have any other ideas please feel free to post them.

Chris

 

[AllenFord_SC]

I have seen the corner overflows but couldn't for the life of me tell you where. Have you considered an external overflow?

 

[Ira NZ]

Yup, that's perfectly doable, Fishman. That's what I'd likely do if I was setting up a new tank.

 

[FloridaFishMan]

Great to hear that this is doable. I think that is the way I am going to go.

I have an external overflow and I don't think it looks that good. I think it takes away from the overall tank. Plus you never have to worry about loosing siphon on an internal overflow.

thanks guys,
Chris

 

[gonefishy]

i've seen it done they drilled hole in the sides near the corner and frabicated some plexiglass box in the corner. check out the diy forums.

 

[GSchiemer]

A very clean and simple approach is to simply use screened bulkhead fittings in the two back corners of the aquarium. You'll only have to drill two holes in the back glass to accommodate the bulkhead fittings. I use this method on two of my reef aquariums and it works great and it takes up virtually no space in the aquarium.

Greg

 

[rdmpe]

I've seen tanks with two corner overflows. I think I saw them at Ocean Blue in Winter Park? I think you'd want more than one corner so that you have a decent length for the water to flow over. Otherwise you may end up with a really loud waterfall.

 

[integlikewhoa]

Any thing can be done for a price. What size tank are we talking about here? Have an acrylic shop make a tank for you. Its not much more and you can have everything done to fit your needs. You can make any size or shape overflow you want. 1 or 2 overflows if you want. I know some in Cali. a bit far for you. But it costs me the same as if i were to buy a prebuilt one.

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

I like the external horizontal overflows, unfortunately my quick search only found this thread and it isn't what I was looking for exactly.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...749374&highlight=external+horizontal+overflow

The one I was thinking of was a box outside the main tank, sealed to the top on the outside of the back of the tank, with teeth cut into the top of the tank. Of course that needs acrylic, but you can duplicate to some degree with glass, lots of small holes across the top of the back glass emptying into a glass box on the outside. The external box having bulkheads going to the sump. All outside and not easily seen, also skims the entire width of the tank surface. The drilling would be tough diy, but I bet someone could do it professionally for a reasonable amount.

Could limit to a section of the back instead of whole width.

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

Here are some more links:

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63647

(skip down to pic in link below, exactly what I meant)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...id=756100&highlight=external+overflow+acrylic

 

[p4ck37p1mp]

Another example:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=654764&highlight=envision+overflow

Would be a little different in glass, the slots cut into back would have to be drilled holes, ideally several 1/4" or so but fewer larger holes could be screened off so critters can't be sucked into the sump.

Incidentally I've seen all the glass tank horrors also, my next tank will be acrylic with an overflow like this. I hate the huge AGA Megaflow in my tank space, very hard to hide.

 

[AllenFord_SC]

That is the type of external overflow I was refering to in my earlier post. I didn't mean a hang on over flow. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[AllenFord_SC]

If you wanted to do it in glass the best way would be a full length overflow and have the rear pane of glas cut about one inch shorter than the sides. Then just mount a screen on the overflow to keep the fishies in the tank.