Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

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This setup has nothing to do with the return portion of the system. It is only a means of getting the water to the sump.

Your return pump can be plumbed any of a number of ways. It is very common for people to use a single return line that is plumbed over the top edge of the tank. It may or may not be split into multiple discharge points via TEE or a wavemaker such as a Wavy Sea, Oceans Motions, SCWD, etc.

I trip to the local LFS and your local reef club meeting will help you quickly get up to spee with regard to typical system setups.

Hope that helps...
 
Can the overflow be redesigned so it doesn't block so much light? With a coast to coast overflow, you just waste so much of the lighting...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13061430#post13061430 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
Your return pump can be plumbed any of a number of ways. It is very common for people to use a single return line that is plumbed over the top edge of the tank. It may or may not be split into multiple discharge points via TEE or a wavemaker such as a Wavy Sea, Oceans Motions, SCWD, etc.

I trip to the local LFS and your local reef club meeting will help you quickly get up to spee with regard to typical system setups.

Hope that helps...
Click to expand...
Thanks BeanAnimal... I understand the concept and application for your wonderful outflow system; I was concerned about where to introduce the return. With a coast to coast internal overflow, I would imagine that the return line would empty into the overflow !?!?! Of course, being a little slow as I am, I finally figured out that the overflow would be bent 90 degrees and pass over the overflow and then bent another 90 degrees to flow into the tank...
The tip for the LFS and club are well taken... Our local(within 25 miles) LFS are very "retail" oriented - sales is king and knowledge is not always freely imparted( I am not knocking LFS, many are excellent and willing to share knowledge). I am learning a lot reading all the forums here. Will be checking out the area (south central New Jersey) for local reef clubs.
Thanks again for the response!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13061715#post13061715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cpeisher
Can the overflow be redesigned so it doesn't block so much light? With a coast to coast overflow, you just waste so much of the lighting...
Click to expand...
You can always create an external overflow. This is a much better design, but significantly harder to build since it involves cutting a horizontal 'slot' in the back pane for the water to overflow into the external chamber.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13062285#post13062285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bored4long
You can always create an external overflow. This is a much better design, but significantly harder to build since it involves cutting a horizontal 'slot' in the back pane for the water to overflow into the external chamber.
Click to expand...

+1. Mine will be external similar to Coralfragger's at the top of the prior page.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13062285#post13062285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bored4long
You can always create an external overflow. This is a much better design, but significantly harder to build since it involves cutting a horizontal 'slot' in the back pane for the water to overflow into the external chamber.
Click to expand...

the external overflow is a great idea, Bean has mentioned that if he was designing this today he would have done it with an external box.

You dont necessarily *have* to go with a slot, you can drill the holes like normal, then use a single piece of glass slanted from just below the holes up to the water's surface...probably wouldnt take more than an inch or so out of your surface area, so minimal amount of light blocking.

Im pretty sure this aspect was discussed further back...skim thru all the pages in this thread to find it.
 
I saw a couple that were similar, but the ones i remember had slot or something cut in the tank. Since i'll be dealing with a glass tank, holes will be the only way to go. So the follow up question to this is how do you take the bulkheads through the tank AND the external overflow box? Since the gasket will seal the inside tank surface against the bulkhead, you won't have a good seal between the external and the tank, and then between teh bulkhead and the external overflow box. How does this work, i'm sure i'm not seeing something....
 
Now, granted I don't have any *actual* experience doing this, I'm using a internal box, I'm not really positive bulkheads are even needed in the holes drilled in the back of the tank.

They will be needed at the bottom or side of the external overflow box.(whichever way the drain pipes enter the overflow box)

I saw someone talking about using the bulkheads in the tank to hold the external box AND the internal weir, but that doesn't seem like such a good idea to me.

This is the way I think would work.

1) Drill holes in back of tank like usual
2) measure from just below the holes in back of tank to where you want the water level at in tank, then cut a piece of glass that length that goes the width of the tank
3) measure and cut glass to make the external overflow box (only as wide as needed to cover all drainage holes in the back of the tank)
4) drill and install bulkheads at the point you want your drain pipes to enter the overflow box.

I would use silicon to attach both the internal weir and the external box to the tank.
 
So install the flange side of the bulkheads and gaskets like normal accept leave them open for water to flow into the external, drill the matching holes for the bulkheads in the external overflow, place a silicon ring around each hole on the backside, and lay the overflow box onto the bulkheads, then tighten the bulkhead ring-nuts in the overflow, thus sandwiching the silicon....

Is that right?
 
I am in the process of setting up the internal weir and extenal box both attached using four 1" bulkheads drilled through the back. I have the internal that is only 1.5" off the back wall. The prior tank did have a coast/coast internal that was 5.5" off the back and I did love the skimming but hated to give up that much tank space/lighting. This weekend I plan to wet the system and see how it will perform.
 
I don't want to read through 22 pages, but will this overflow system work for a pump pushing roughly 350 gph at 4', or is it only for high flow systems?
 
It isn't just for high flow systems.

the amount of water going through your pipes is determined by the size of the pipes and the return pump.

This allows the same setup to be used across a wide variety of flow rates...it is easily tuned and can handle fluctuations in flow since the open channel pipe is never at max flow.
 
If your using a lower flow rate through the main tank, would it be possible to use 3/4" or 1/2" instead of the "already approved" sizes (1, 1.25 or 1.5)?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13015169#post13015169 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LoneRanger
Right now I am thinking one of the boxes on the right end of the tank will house cheato or the like, as well as the emergency overflow. the other end will house th full syphon and the secondary standpipe. return pump is a Dart it will have around 4 feet of head. thoughts?

If I have to I could block the bottom slits off and have some type of wier just on the top of the boxes for surface skimming.

I really appreciate the feedback-

L.R.
Click to expand...

You will need to cover the slits in the main overflow box to allow for surface skimming... at least that is my thought. The emergency overflow should work as you plan. That is a fairly large return pump. I would certainly plan on using at least 1.5" plumbing and (4) standpipes. I feel that the system should be able to handle the flow with (3) but I have not pushed it quite that far with the 1" bulkheads.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13065439#post13065439 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cpeisher
If your using a lower flow rate through the main tank, would it be possible to use 3/4" or 1/2" instead of the "already approved" sizes (1, 1.25 or 1.5)?
Click to expand...


Yes....

But keep in mind that the system balance point is dictated by the open channel standpipes capacity. Smaller diameter standpipes mean that less air can be introduced before the cross section of the pipe gets chocked off by water and becomes turbulant, defeating the purpose.
 
119493new_tank_plumbing_013.jpg

119493new_tank_plumbing_012.jpg

Just a couple shots here that shows the two boxes
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13065563#post13065563 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
Yes....

But keep in mind that the system balance point is dictated by the open channel standpipes capacity. Smaller diameter standpipes mean that less air can be introduced before the cross section of the pipe gets chocked off by water and becomes turbulant, defeating the purpose.
Click to expand...


Bean, thanks for the input, all plumbing is 1.5" and is not restricted in anyway (EXCEPT FOR THE 2" TRUE UNION BALL VALVES) now, how do you route 3/4" acrylic? :confused: :D :rolleyes:
 
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