Overflow Bulkhead Help for a Newb

C

claire1000

New member
Setting up my first saltwater tank, second aquarium. Thanks in advance for all of the help and millions of pages of help that have gotten me this far.

29g bowfront and 20L sump.

I have the sump setup with 3 sections and the baffles. I am ready to drill the bulkheads and install the overflow box in the main tank.

I would like to do a "herbie" method and have the two bulkheads and the gatevalve.

I am unfortunately confused about the overflow installation. The box is pretty small, but is big enough to put the two 1" bulkheads in one of top of the other. In a lot of the pictures I'm seeing, the overflow runs the entire vertical length of the tank, but what I got goes at the top. Will that work with the Herbie setup? The pictures I'm finding all are for bottom drilled bulkheads rather than the back of the tank.

Thanks again!

Claire
 
You need to put the two holes side by side. They are not going to work on top of each other. If they don't fit you might need to get another overflow box. It doesn't matter if the holes are on the top of one of the glass sides or through the bottom of the tank. The principles are the same.

Can you post a pic up of what you're doing?
 
Just curious, but why wouldn't the two vertical holes work? The bottom hole would be the full siphon and the top hole would be the emergency drain.

Is this drilled on the side?
 
jerzeedevl said:
Just curious, but why wouldn't the two vertical holes work? The bottom hole would be the full siphon and the top hole would be the emergency drain.

Is this drilled on the side?
Click to expand...

It is a moot point. There is no reason to run a siphon system on a 29gallon tank. A 1.5" durso will handle the needs of this system rather nicely, and quietly. The siphon system would be a wasted of effort.
 
claire don't let em bring you down. here is a good video of the guys at BRS doing a herbie overflow mounted on the back of a tank. they have the bulkheads diagonal from one another.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aaDDKNA4cn0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I have to agree with Adam, holes stacked on top are fine. I'm actually thinking about doing this with an extra 40 breeder I have. It'll work just fine.
 
AdamPLawrence said:
claire don't let em bring you down. here is a good video of the guys at BRS doing a herbie overflow mounted on the back of a tank. they have the bulkheads diagonal from one another.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aaDDKNA4cn0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>
Click to expand...

A 29 gallon tank is too small to justify the work involved in setting up a safe siphon system. It is like going after a mouse with a bazooka. Couple that with an overflow so small you have trouble figuring out how to get bulkheads in it, and it is even less worthwhile. BRS videos put me to sleep; I find the check valve an interesting notion, and it does not matter what side of the tank the flange is on, as long as the gasket is between the flange and the tank. I could not watch it any longer... ;)
 
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Yes I can see this would work on top of each other in theory. But if the overflow is so small you can't put them side by side can you really fit two bulkheads on top of each other? That is awfully close with the holes I'd be afraid that the tank will break during drilling. Is it just an internal box? If so will a box that small fit any kind of plumbing parts or is there just room for the bare bulkheads? I have a skimmer box I just got for my 125 that is 12"x4"x5" and it isn't wide enough for any appreciable plumbing to fit (I got another this one will sit on the shelf).

Just do your research before committing to this!
 
Thanks so much for the replies and I'm sorry for the delay, work has been busy!

Here are pictures of the overflow I have, the tank and sump setup, and the bulkheads I'm planning to use.
 

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Most unwise! Bulkheads are much too close together to maintain safe clearance between the holes in the glass. I'd certainly not attempt to grind two holes that close together. Frankly, tank is small enough that a durso will have plenty of excess capacity to handle any drain-o-sclerosis; put a screen on the top and your chances of a catastrophic blockage are close to nil.
 
First - the holes need to be at least the width of the hole apart from each other (edge to edge), the edge. It will be tight.

It might be hard to dial in if the distance between the two is so short. I had to shorten the siphon pipe because the elbow on the emergency was causing a small hydraulic whirlpool to form above it.

Also might want to make sure that the elbow for the emergency will fit below the trim line of the tank. If it doesn't, that defeats the purpose.

It would be easier with a bigger box - no doubt. I have my herbie set up with one through the bottom and the emergency through the back. The only monkey wrench I have had in there is sometimes the elbow from the emergency messes with the hydraulics and creates a loud whirlpool into my siphon.

20150213_123120-e1423859709521.jpg
 
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claire1000 said:
Also, sorry for the typo, it's a 39g tank and 20g sump.
Click to expand...

The tank is still too small to justify a siphon system, and the risk associated with the holes being cut too close together. Looking at that little OB, you would probably be better off with a commercial HOB OB, and you will most likely get better performance out of it. There just isn't any point to running a drain system capable of 1200gph, on a system I doubt will get up to 200 gph. :)
 
Thanks so much everyone for the info and feedback. I definitely am worried about cracking the tank now by drilling them that close, so I am going to not do that.

So, now I either looking at drilling one hole and using my little box (BRS says I have the right sized box) or just getting the HOB. I am trying real hard to keep everything clean and out of sight, so that's why I'm hoping to go internal.

If I go with one hole, and it's too loud, I guess I can switch to a bigger box and two holes and complete the herbie method.

Thoughts? Thanks again for all of the help.
 
Internal works good. But sorry to say, the box you have is too small. BRS sold it to you, they are not going to say it is too small. The box in the video is too small. They are selling product, not performance. It is called Marketing.

In terms of surface skimming/renewal performance, the full width of the back of the tank is the right size. You lose with anything less. That is not marketing an idea, it is based in science.

I am serious when I say your system does not need a siphon system, but you would be very pleased with a BA siphon system, in all 1" pipe. But if you are going to go to that trouble, may as well do it right, two pieces of glass and some silicone, and you have a C2C overflow L shaped. 3 - 1.75" holes in the back, and plumb it. Run the return up over the back of the tank, paint it black and no one will pay any attention to it (it is called stage effect.) Probably more important is to not place so much stock in what an LFS (local or online) says for marketing purposes. BRS is a good one stop source for many supplies for our systems. Buy them, but be informed when you do, and leave it at that.
 
Uncle sites a bunch of physics hoping it actually applies to the biology of corals. You can keep a nice tank just as easily with an overflow box as you can a Calfo coast to coast. In another thread Rich Durso is slapped for his non scientific design, yet just seach archives as to who had the tank that you would rather have he or the bean, or whoever else is giving you advice? Decide for yourself. The point is, is to not lose sleep over this. Do the best you can do with what you have and can do. Keepin a good tank is soo much more than the most complete means of surface skimming and turn over rate. I would rather have a single upturned elbow draining my tank than two four foot Long glass panels, and that's not just me; neither will make or break your tank.
 
Cool. I'm going to try the small overflow and I can make it bigger during tank cycling if needed. I went for the durso and am going to install it this weekend. I have it assembled though. Thanks again for the advice and encouragement.
 
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