Need overflow?

[lcs]

I'm getting ready to start my first SW tank and I just bought one from a guy on Craigslist. A drain is drilled in the upper part of the back glass. There is a PVC elbow with strainer, but no overlow. Should I build one around it? If so, should it be the full height of the tank with a standpipe or can I just put a box around the existing drain?

Actually, could someone explain the purpose of the overflow? I think I understand the basic idea, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!

 

[cdness]

the overflow will give better surface skimming capabilities. The strainer wll work too but won't have the skimming area of an overflow.

You can build one really cheap out of small pieces of acrylic from lowes or home depot. just uild it without a back and silicone it on. (use lots of silicone)

 

[crvz]

if the drain you have is already high on the tank wall, you may consider doing a coast-to-coast overflow, which runs the horizontally instead of vertically (and gives better surface skimming). You surely don't need to go down to the floor if the holes arent on the bottom pane of glass.

 

[lcs]

Thanks a lot guys! I was actually thinking about doing a horizontal one. Good news I can get the acrylic from Lowes. What about the cuts in the top piece - the periodic slits that go all the way across. Necessary? If so, how hard is it to make those cuts and what do you cut them with?

 

[RocketEngineer]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1257783&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

This will allow you to pull water from a much wider area of the surface as well as keep the critters from getting into the pipes. Mine is a wider slit then is shown but still narrow enough to keep the snails in the tank.