Overflow Question

[Ermin]

I'm wondering what's the drawback of just adding multiple bulkheads and strainers to work as an overflow versus getting a Bean Animal style overflow?

For example, take a 100g tank.

With Bean Animal, I can have two 2" bulkheads, drain to an outer box. The outer box will have three 1-1/2" bulkheads; consist of an emergency drain, full siphon, and open channel. Similar to how Shadow or Reef Savvy Overflow have incorporated Bean Animal's design. All pipes need to exit slightly below water surface in sump.

With the same tank, another option is I can add four 1- 1/2" bulkheads with strainers. On the outside of the tank, each bulkhead is T'ed. T facing up is open to air and bottom of the T is the pipe that drains to sump. What's the drawback of using this style?

I understand Shadow or Reef Savvy's strainer box provides better surface skimming than what simple round plastic strainers can do. Also, Bean Animal have 3 pipes entering sump, instead of the 4 in my example. But what else? Is it the Bean Animal style can have one of the pipe running at full siphon, thus an increased flow rate? Versus the open air T's are just running with gravity. If, (assuming aesthetically feasible) I use 8 bulkhead strainers to get the same flow rate, would that be the same then?

 

[lmm1967]

Are you trying to run without an overflow box in the tank? If so - how are you going to regulate the water level in the tank?


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[Toby_Kourtney]

When I set up my 125 I ended up going with a herbie setup which is similar to a bean animal just minus one pipe. With the bean animal you will be able to move way more water due to the controlled syphon but the main selling point for me is how much quieter it is. The only thing I can hear when I'm near my tank is the fans on my ati.

 

[Ermin]

Imma1967, the water level will be adjusted by controlling the amount of return flow from return pump. The max amount will be the max amount the strainers can drain. So the water level is always same as the strainers' height in tank.


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[Ermin]

Toby Kourtney, I have ran 5 tanks ranging from 20 - 75g using just bulkhead/strainer combo for the past 6 years. My 20 years old 100g, however, came with "reef-ready" overflow box. It was designed with an inlet and outlet of 3/4" at the bottom of the overflow. Maybe 15 years ago, I changed both to work as drains and enlarged the outlets to 1". And 10 years ago, I added another 1" drain on the end of the tank. I currently have 4 tanks of about 200g total water volume all plumbed together to empty into one common sump. The flow in the sump is very strong already.

I am interested in the Bean Animal setup because I have to change out the current 100g , since the acrylic tank is bowing/pot bellied/ crazed and the top panel had separated by 1/32". I want to learn the advantages of Bean Animal so can figure out which way will I drain the tank.

More flow and more quiet sounds good. I know with a controlled siphon, the same drain gets 3x the flow. It will interesting to actually see how much flow increase I'll get. Looks like I may order a Shadow Overflow to see for myself.

 

[lmm1967]

An overflow box provides much better surface skimming for gas exchange. It also keeps the tank level consistent no matter what the flow.

Herbie and Bean Animal designs both rely on a full siphon line, a partial siphon - Bean Animal adds a dry safety drain. I don't see how having a full siphon plus a partial would be possible without some sort of overflow unless you are putting a 90 elbow inside the tank and putting the strainer on top of that.

Or maybe I'm not understanding you desired setup.


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