overflow ideas

[fishlife1]

Hi,

Trying to think of a way to make an overflow, and have come up with two easy cheap options but am somewhat unsure. My first option is a totally homemade overflow with a bottom half of a bottle inside the tank with slits for the water to come in, and then the top outside with a pipe draining the bottom of it through the normal opening. A U tube would be connecting the two with a siphon pulling water through. The second option is converting a hob filter, which I have seen several people do. I would drill and attach probably a 1 inch bulkhead into the back of the filter, and the tank would drain into the sump from there. What I am uncertain about is what size return pump I would need to use for either option, and I am unsure about how to find this out without actually buying and testing each flow rate. Any thoughts?

 

[asudavew]

Why not drill the tank and install an overflow?

Try looking up Bean Animal Overflow.

Or look up glass-holes.

 

[fishlife1]

Why not drill the tank and install an overflow?

Try looking up Bean Animal Overflow.

Or look up glass-holes.

I would rather not drill the tank if I can avoid it because it is already set up. I am just trying to upgrade by adding a sump now.

 

[Steveb]

Make sure your tank can hold the entire volume of the sump/return section when the siphon fails (u tube), and at some point it will. I would also include some type of float/pressure switch to shut the return pump off if the sump volume drops below a certain point.

I would also look to purchase one rather than DIY it. They are not super expensive. What size is your tank?

 

[fishlife1]

Its a 30 gallon long. I have looked at some online; What size/ gph rate for a 30 gallon with ten gallon sump?

 

[Steveb]

This:
http://www.marinedepot.com/CPR_CS50...or_Aquariums-CPR-CR1511-FIOFEB-CR1511-vi.html

and this:

http://www.marinedepot.com/Tom_Aqua...low_Boxes-Tom_Aquatics-OE11371-FIOFOA-vi.html


and then some type of return pump in the 150-300 gph range.

something like:

http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_Un..._Aquarium_Pumps-Eheim-EH1046-FIWPSBUF-vi.html

http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_10...pact_Pumps-Eheim-EH1000-FIPHCP-EH1002-vi.html

or a little smaller....


and this for your return:
http://www.marinedepot.com/U_Tube_w...s-Plumbing_Parts-FT0001-FIFTRP-FT0001-vi.html

 

[Steveb]

something like this for low/high water level cutoff... kind of expense and there may be other kits/devices that are cheaper and how much you want to DIY. This would protect your pump in the situation where the siphon overflow is no longer drawing water from the tank and the return pump section of your sump has gotten low..

http://www.marinedepot.com/Tunze_Wa...water_Aquariums-Tunze-TZ7191-FITEMOID-vi.html

 

[reepher315]

I had alot of issues with my hang on overflow. Syphon never fully broke but slowed way down at times. I just hate how it looks honestly.

 

[Steveb]

I did with mine too back in the late 80's & 90's. I would be tempted to buy another 30g and have it drilled... and use the old tank as the sump.

 

[fishlife1]

Alright. I'll keep looking around, but maybe i'll just try to figure out a way to drill it without disturbing everything.