Overflow for a 20L?

hobbzz

hobbzz

How do I change this?
Did a search here and on google and came up with 0 results...I need an overflow box for a 20L, and don't want to make my own. Does anyone know of one that would be good for a small tank? The smallest CPR makes is for a 65gal...found this on ebay...anyone ever use it? http://cgi.ebay.com/Quietflo-600-OV...7QQihZ009QQcategoryZ46310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What kind of gph should I be looking at for a 20l? Not much info on small tanks like this out there.
 
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Thanks but I'm looking to purchase one before resorting to building my own...I don't even know if there is anywhere in town that sells acrylic.
 
You'll want to make sure you match up the return pump to the overflow's range. That's more important than rated tank size.

Have you considered just drilling the tank? Is it set up?
 
My rock has only been curing for about a week so it's not set up yet, but I don't want to drill. I've never done it before and wouldn't want to try. I had a drilled 75g and the huge internal overflow was a very ugly sight. I'd prefer to just take the easiest route possible and buy a plug and play overflow box (preferably u-tube) with no modification necessary. I've already spent the last week building my canopy and don't want to spend another few weeks building an overflow (wether internal or a box). ;) What about Amiracle overflows?
 
I have an overflow just like this:
Overflow

I got it with a stand and sump for a 20L from Steve in the WRS group. He used it for his 20L setup and spoke very highly of it. I will be drilling my tank, so I will not be using it.

Mine does not have the bulkhead. The thumbscrews are also missing. But, the price is right. I'll take $10 for it.

There is an attachment for a lift pump that makes it continuous siphon. Big bonus.

Like I said, I have not used it. Others are welcome to chime in with opinions on this piece of equipment.
 
There no "need" for a huge internal overflow...a simple hole with a tube going down will do it. If you want to do a true overflow, it need be only a couple inches tall.
 
I wanted to save space in my tank, so I decided to get it drilled, but I didn't like the huge overflow box in the tank, so I decided to go with less flow and use a pvc pipe running most the lengh of my tanks back, I cut slits for the water, and conected it to elbows to the bulkhead. Plain and simple, yet lots of surface skimming area (better than a bulkhead strainer on each bulkhead) the low flow (200gph through 2, 3/4 bulkheads) makes no noise, well not no noise but not alot.

here, pics help better than all my rambling...

overflowcloseup.jpg


4-11.jpg


Good luck, what ever you decide.
 
If I were to go back on what I said earlier and drill it (not likely), is there anywhere in Green Bay/Fox Valley that sells acrylic (not plexiglass) and will also cut it to size? The only table saw I have access to does NOT cut straight. I found that out the hard way when making my canopy...:rolleyes:
 
I don't know if the shops do it, but there are plenty of folks on the board who can help out. Dan and Jason helped me out greatly with building the under/over baffles for my as-of-yet-unused 100g acrylic sump (read: they did all the work because I'm no good with acrylic!).

Bri, love the lava lamps and guitar, you look like you're about ready to put together a 70s-style love song about you and your reef. :D
 
Wait till thier on Fred, then you just wanna break into a verse of the "Teach the World to Sing..."

When I was at his place I kept watching around the corner for Eric or Donna.... :D :D


Seriously, a hole is like 10 minutes of my time, and finding the bit and setting up will take longer....than the actual deed. you could just put a bulkhead in and a 90 and a strainer, dosent take any more room than that. so, a fool proof system for... 20$ - or paying off a good friend to come watch the siphon while your on vacation.... I had to spend an hour with my father, and my mother in law teaching them how/what to watch out for with my old overflows. Not thatI don't want to spend the time, but the technology is inherintly a PITA. Now I just say.... "Make sure nothing plugs that".... and then send them an email from my vacation because there won't be water on the floor.

If you want glass for an overflow, you could proly get that for 10-15$... I may even have some lying around, but it's been getting tighter these days... I have almost used it up.

I saw this one that I thought was simple and easy... a 1/2 section of pipe.... (this is not my work, but I pirated the pic for future ref.)

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c205/jmkarcz/DSC03798w.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

I put this in my "I could do that..." folder

Bet that's a 20 long...
 
And if it were drilled on the back wall I wouldn't need an overflow box that ran the entire height of the tank correct? Could I just do a 4-6in tall box (4-6 inches measured down from the top)? I saw that somewhere yesterday but cannot, for the life of me, find the website it was on. And that would still leave me with nothing accurate to cut the acrylic with...If I used glass for the box, what would be used to secure it to the tank? Just marine silicone? And how would I determine the gph flow rate of the overflow to match it up to a return pump? Just by the diameter of the pvc piping? As you can see you guys opened up a whole can of worms when trying to convert me to drilled! :lol:
 
those overflow boxes run like 60 bucks! best thing I ever did when setting up my new tank was to take it to J's

I saved prob $40 and saved an area within my tank about the size of a shoe :) thats precious realestate in a 20 or 30g!!!

He will open many a can o' worms for you.


IMO, use a smaller pump so not as much water is going down and up, like I said i have 200gph through 2, 3/4 and the sound is minimal.

and the greater the overflow surface area (length of overflow wall or # of teeth) the more actual "surface skimming" Another words, more overflow area is better.

Check into the calfo style overflow
 
Drill it! It will be fun I promise =)

If you want to make an overflow box inside the tank, but does not reach the bottom, you really have two options.

1) Made out of glass and fixed to the tank with Silicon II. Built like a box and don't worry about the teeth. You can cut it with a cheap glass cutter and a ruler. You do have to be careful of the sharp edges and will want to knock down the sharp edges with an abrasive block or some coarse sandpaper. I'd wager you could even find a scrap of tinted glass from someone like valley glass for a cool look.

2) Made out of acrylic (someone will have to help you cut it square if you aren't comfortable w/ that), glued together with weld on (tricky your first time - but easy after you see it done), and fixed to the tank with the bulkhead itself. The acrylic will not stick to the tank with silicone alone if it doesn't rest on the bottom. But you can make a 5 sided box out of acrylic, drill the same size hole in the back of it as your tank hole, and put the bulkhead through the tank backwards with the seal on the backside of the display. That way the box will be held to the back of the tank with the bulkhead itself.

I totally agree with Bri Guy on using a small return pump - you don't need massive flow to your sump and you won't need to supersize your plumbing.
 
So a 3/4in. bulkhead, with 3/4in. pvc plumbing, and a mag 3 or 5 (210gph to 250gph after head loss)?
 
But I have that going through 2 of them! I use a eheim 1250

Im not sure of the exact measurments of the plumbing, I used the smaller bulkhead that you find at Fleet farm. the hole you drill, and the plumbing are totally differant sizes.
 
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