Project External Glass Overflow

This has been a great thread, I'm about to drill a hole for a 1 inch bulkhead in a 29 gallon using what I have learned here! One question Tunjee, you mentioned that silicone will eventually peel from a glass and acrylic union, would this be on high stress areas only, like your overflow box, or would baffles in a sump(low stress) do the same?
 
Okay after reading this thread last night I was on a mission this morning,, Went to home depot and Lowes and found the two bits ( 7134 and the 7103 ) and went to town on a 20 Long... started out with the 7103 the rocked the 7134 Bit up and down til i completed my hole for bulk head,, I took epoxy for frags and made a circular Damn to spray my water in to keep the bit from over heating,, ran my dremel on about 2 and a half ,, 20 minutes later,,, 1 "3/4 hole for bulkhead,, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hi Tunjee,

I have been reading this thread and find what you have done fantastic. I am getting a new tank soon and have been considering the external overflow but didn't really have any info on one. Now I feel confident enough to have one built on the new tank. My only question is; are you just using gate valves to force water back up into the overflow drains to quiet them down? Or are you using some thing else? I am doing the same thing now with ball valves on my current tank. The external overflow that is not built on and made of acrylic, is very quiet using this method, but what I don't like is occasionally the water level gets so high on its own and starts to overflow the tank. The other thing I don't like is if there is any loss of power, unless the ball valves are wide open, the tank will overflow when restarted. This is very annoying and something else I'd like to fix. Do the gate valves offer more precise control? Do you have similar issues when the tank is powered down, then restarted?

Thanks
Patrick
 
toccata:
Thanks! I use only one gate valve. The second drain line which is not valved at all acts as an emergency overflow but also has a small amount of flow through it at all times. HTH
 
Do you guys find that by either reducing the flow rate through the overflows and/or by trying to make them quiet by building standpipes that you have detritus settling out in the overflow boxes? I had standpipes on mine starting out, but I didn't like that detritus would settle out in the boxes. If I just let the drains go wide open the detritus drains into the sump immediately.

My return pump is only 400gph and I have two 1" drains so the noise isn't very bad anyway.
 
flaunt said:
Do you guys find that by either reducing the flow rate through the overflows and/or by trying to make them quiet by building standpipes that you have detritus settling out in the overflow boxes? I had standpipes on mine starting out, but I didn't like that detritus would settle out in the boxes. If I just let the drains go wide open the detritus drains into the sump immediately.
Click to expand...

This is normal. I just siphon out the bottom of the overflow chamber every few months. Much easier to remove from the overflow chamber than from the sump.
 
original-reefland said:
This is normal. I just siphon out the bottom of the overflow chamber every few months. Much easier to remove from the overflow chamber than from the sump.
Click to expand...

Well I prefer to give the skimmer a chance at removing the detritus before allowing it to settle... But I see your point.
 
There is some build up in my external box from time to time, (dual bulkheads), I use the prefilter sponges in there and they get cleaned often, so the rest does as well.
 
Holes vs. Slots ???

Holes vs. Slots ???

Tunge,,, I've just finished reading this entire thread. I'm impressed !!! I have one question,,,, Why coudn't you just drill a series of small (1/4" to 3/8") holes, staggered like a collander, instead of the slots ??? If you increased the flow and kept the outer box around 5-6" lg. , wouldn't it still work if you had say 3 rows horizontal, or would the water level adjust to the first row of holes ??? Even at that, if you increased the flow it would have to go up to the next row ??? My question was the main reason I kept reading. I can't believe that someone else hadn't asked ???? I have a 75 gal with 1/2" glass. Even if you had to go with larger holes, 2 overflow boxes, 1 at each end, for safety. Insure that one box could handle the full load, then split it up between the 2. Could you use sponges over the return pipes in the overflows and ballcocks to adjust flow rates ???? If theoretically speaking this would work, is there a better way to drill the holes and polish them afterward. I'm starting to get excited here, please stop me if I'm shooting at the moon :eek2:
 
toccata said:
Well,
Tunjee, do you find the valves have to be opened if the tank is powered down then restarted?
Click to expand...

No. It makes some gurgling and burping sounds for the first minute after restart but then settles out all on it's own. Kinda like me after my first beer. )
 
Curtis1:

Ya I guess you could dremel out holes instead of slots sure why not? I've seen overflows in pet shops that were holes instead of slots.
 
tunjee i just drilled my 50 gallon breeder on the side with a rotozip bit that cuts tile went right through took 20 minutes to do the whole thing, the tank is going to be viewed from 3 sides so thats why the hole is on the side hole is 12 inch long by 1.5 wide.
thanks for the inspiration bro :)
tank has 1/2 inch thick glass no center brace

DSC06028.jpg
 
LOL,, this is hilarious,, everyone is cutting their tanks with dremels and rotozips,,,LOL,, See what you have done Tunjee... :thumbsup:
 
well if EVERYONE is doing it....

well if EVERYONE is doing it....

well, I guess I had to go and try this for myself! I was able to do it without any brew-ha-has however, boy was I thirsty by the time I finished!
23488DIY_drilling_001.jpg

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23488DIY_drilling_005.jpg

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23488DIY_drilling_006.jpg


muchas gracias Tunjee!
 
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