new overflow/ drain (pic)

[Gary Majchrzak]

Here's what I chose to do:
drill the new aquarium near the top of one short end. There will be no "overflow box". This arrangement is very similar to the drain standpipe I'm using right now except it has some 90's and it won't run up and down inside the aquarium. This will give a very "clean" appearance to the display.

photo courtesy of dgasmd

 

[jcanute]

nice. thats a miracales tank, correct?

 

[PCIALF]

The next on I do I believe I am leaning toward a horizontal overflow

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...page=25&highlight=calfo overflow&pagenumber=2

 

[jcanute]

kent has a horizontal overflow on his 450.

 

[chrisguy]

I did a modified version of the horizontal overflow and regret not doing it the right way. It works very well. For my next tank it will be a full lenght 1" deep by about 4" tall with the plumbing external on the back of the tank.

 

[RandyO]

Hey Gary,
I'm guessing that's not your tank. How many holes do you plan on putting in the side panel? If you want to put three in it, like the tank in the pic, you might want to find out if it can take it structurally. That tank in the pic looks like it could be 1/2" or even 5/8" glass. A tank with thinner glass might not be able to handle the holes.

And if that is your tank in the picture, than I congratulate you on a nice piece of glass.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Congrats aren't in order, Randy- that's not my aquarium.
I was planning on drilling two holes, not three. I'll need to research this more before the diamond bit hits the glass.

 

[SteveL]

Gary:

I'd still consider an overflow box (doesn't need to go to the base of the tank) around the standpipes for three reasons:

1) It increases the surface area you skim - effectively taking a thinner film on a continuous basis.
2) It acts as a screen preventing snails/fish etc going down the drain.
3) It allows you to hide Durso mods or whatever silencer system you want on these drains - otherwise you could end up with an ungodly noise out of these.

SteveL

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks for the suggestions, Steve.
I don't know why these drains would be noisier than the ones I have right now, but I won't know until it's actually up and running.
I've always used nylon windown screening on my standpipe drain and it works great to eliminate noise and prevent snails and other critters (except magnificent anemones!) from clogging it.
The 90 degree elbows are the only difference in my current drain and the ones in the picture.
The one thing that had me concerned with these drains was the surface skimming area, but the owner of this aquarium reassured me that these drains effectively skim the surface of his aquarium.
It does look like the side of his aquarium was reinforced and/or tempered- and that's what I need to look into. Can a non tempered glass 225 gallon aquarium be run safely with this type of drain arrangement?