uncleof6
Active member
Neither. The water line in the overflow is ~ 1" or so below the lowest part of the overflow box...which represents the water line of the main display portion of the tank... E.G. I would not really want to use that box....
Silent and Failsafe Overflow System
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Neither. The water line in the overflow is ~ 1" or so below the lowest part of the overflow box...which represents the water line of the main display portion of the tank... E.G. I would not really want to use that box....
hbash
New member
Attempting to make sense
Attempting to make sense
Not sure where you get that from? First, the lowest point in the overflow box is the base of the box which is 12" below the top edge of the tank. And second do you always discount things that "perhaps" you don't understand due to either a poorly worded description or your own misreadings?
Attempting to make sense
Not sure where you get that from? First, the lowest point in the overflow box is the base of the box which is 12" below the top edge of the tank. And second do you always discount things that "perhaps" you don't understand due to either a poorly worded description or your own misreadings?
hbash
New member
Cad tool?
Cad tool?
I'm not much of an artist. I notice some folks here are producing nice drawings. Can you recommend a CAD program that is low cost (==shareware) and relatively easy to use.
Cad tool?
I'm not much of an artist. I notice some folks here are producing nice drawings. Can you recommend a CAD program that is low cost (==shareware) and relatively easy to use.
hbash
New member
Pics
Pics
Thanks for the pics. My overflow box has the three bulk heads plumbed through the bottom so the pipes will extend up from there. But I appreciate the images. The more images that I can learn from the better. This will show me examples of the heights of the elbows which is good to see. Very nice.
The tank and overflow box are being manufactured at this time and so I don't have a picture. I am trying to get all the details together before the tank arrives as I am working around a catastrophe. My current tank is in the process of bowing and I have placed several 3 foot vise grips front to back to hold it from getting worse. So when the new tank arrives I literally have to hit the ground running and have to get it all up and running with my beasts back in the new tank all within a day. Every day I come home and expect to find a flood (not fun).
Pics
Thanks for the pics. My overflow box has the three bulk heads plumbed through the bottom so the pipes will extend up from there. But I appreciate the images. The more images that I can learn from the better. This will show me examples of the heights of the elbows which is good to see. Very nice.
The tank and overflow box are being manufactured at this time and so I don't have a picture. I am trying to get all the details together before the tank arrives as I am working around a catastrophe. My current tank is in the process of bowing and I have placed several 3 foot vise grips front to back to hold it from getting worse. So when the new tank arrives I literally have to hit the ground running and have to get it all up and running with my beasts back in the new tank all within a day. Every day I come home and expect to find a flood (not fun).
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I can see you are stressed about a possible failing tank...... But with 20+ years in the hobby I am seeing too many red flags. You should take a deep breath........ Buy some trash cans..... And find temporary housing for your critters. I moved my reef three times and rushing the process is dooming you for failure. If you are ordering a custom tank...... Why would you settle for something that is not going to work well for you? I would assume that you are in here because you want a silent tank....and if you are getting a new tank I would do nothing but a Coast to Coast overflow..... By far the best, smallest, and quietest setup bar none
hbash
New member
Ok. Let me try to describe the new tank. It is a 220 gallon (72Lx24Wx30H). The tank comes with a 48" Coast to Coast Overflow with two 18" notches that are 1.5" vertically that has three bulk heads in the bottom center of the overflow box (its manufacturer pointed me at this site and recommended this type of overflow).
Regarding the catastrophe. I have 6-8 weeks from the new tank order until delivery. That is 5 weeks and counting. I have nine 32 gallon rubber maid and huffy brand (heavier duty) garbage cans lined up. Additionally, I am putting together several rubber maid containers to house fish and coral and crustaceans plus some containers for 200 lbs. of live rock. I also have about a 5 heaters and pumps from old tanks that I am soaking in vinegar and cleaning in preparation, along with a couple of air pumps. There will be a crew of five men doing the back and forth removing and discarding the defective tank and bringing in the new one. Once that part of this ordeal has been executed, 3 of the men will leave and myself with 2 experienced Reef builders will reassemble.
I won't mention the name of the manufacturer (25 years of custom tanks with almost 200,000 made with no failures), since the little details I gave about the tank
promoted some unkind remarks and I am a loyal person.
I too have been collecting for a long while, perhaps more than 30 years or so. However truly appreciate your words to go slow and steady and plan etc. and thank you for this greatly.
Regarding the catastrophe. I have 6-8 weeks from the new tank order until delivery. That is 5 weeks and counting. I have nine 32 gallon rubber maid and huffy brand (heavier duty) garbage cans lined up. Additionally, I am putting together several rubber maid containers to house fish and coral and crustaceans plus some containers for 200 lbs. of live rock. I also have about a 5 heaters and pumps from old tanks that I am soaking in vinegar and cleaning in preparation, along with a couple of air pumps. There will be a crew of five men doing the back and forth removing and discarding the defective tank and bringing in the new one. Once that part of this ordeal has been executed, 3 of the men will leave and myself with 2 experienced Reef builders will reassemble.
I won't mention the name of the manufacturer (25 years of custom tanks with almost 200,000 made with no failures), since the little details I gave about the tank
promoted some unkind remarks and I am a loyal person.
I too have been collecting for a long while, perhaps more than 30 years or so. However truly appreciate your words to go slow and steady and plan etc. and thank you for this greatly.
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woodnaquanut
Active member
Best bang for the buck (it's free
) is SketchUp.Since you self-identify as a non-artist and your sig sings the praises of Code
, you might have to put some effort into learning it. There's all sorts of tutorials and Youtube videos to help.
hbash
New member
Old Me
Old Me
Yes, I am a poor artist at best. My background is as a Software Engineer with code on land, sea and air.
I am a bit familiar with Sketcher but am finding making things like plumbing and good scaling the challenge.
Thanks for this recommendation though, it's a good choice albeit a bit more for me to tame.
Old Me
Yes, I am a poor artist at best. My background is as a Software Engineer with code on land, sea and air.
I am a bit familiar with Sketcher but am finding making things like plumbing and good scaling the challenge.
Thanks for this recommendation though, it's a good choice albeit a bit more for me to tame.
uncleof6
Active member
I was interupted, and did not make it back to clean it up a bit... or eloborate... the water level difference is ~1" between main tank level, ( this references the bottom of the notches, (oops I typed box instead of notch the first time,) not the top of the box...) and overflow water level; the centerline of the elbow(s), are around an inch at the most below that, if you are using large pipe, give or take.) I don't know where you read about the measurements you quoted, but they reference a point on the tank, not on the overflow box and apply to 1" pipe only. You can put the elbows where you indicated, but you may end up raising them as the waterfall will be a bit high, and since you are channeling through 18" "notches" it will be louder... largely depending on flow rate... And I reiterate, that I would not do a set up such as this... (not mentioning holes, from experience, is a big clue on what is going on...) I have, and there are better ways. Good thing the client paid for it, not me...
Perhaps you would elaborate on pipe size, and exactly what you are wanting to do, and have already committed to it seems...
hbash
New member
Holes etc.
Holes etc.
I think I did mention holes. There are 3 holes on the bottom of the overflow, so that the pipes get connected to the bottom of the box versus three bulk heads through the back.
That part of the mechanism I think would work the same. The issue is where the elbows center lines are with respect to the two notches which are where the surface water enters the overflow box from.
Also, regarding noise, isn't that a function of notch position, water height in box and the elbow heights?
Pipe size is 1.5" too.
Holes etc.
I think I did mention holes. There are 3 holes on the bottom of the overflow, so that the pipes get connected to the bottom of the box versus three bulk heads through the back.
That part of the mechanism I think would work the same. The issue is where the elbows center lines are with respect to the two notches which are where the surface water enters the overflow box from.
Also, regarding noise, isn't that a function of notch position, water height in box and the elbow heights?
Pipe size is 1.5" too.
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hbash
New member
Okay..... Let me see if I can explain this a little more. One of the key features of this design is the C2C overflow design. You are worrying about placement and water levels and the like. The beauty of this is that it doesn't have to be perfectly setup to still be silent..... Let me explain. In your case a C2C would be 72" wide and have a smooth edge placed roughly at the level of the tip rim of the tank. The water falls over the lip and with surface tension (I stand corrected if this is wrong) a clings to the inside wall of the overflow and makes no noise. It doesn't really matter if this is 1"or 4".....it will be silent if there is nothing to disturb the flow. With the short distance to the bottom of the overflow box anything that falls into it is easy to remove. The strainer is placed on the elbow inside the box to keep snails or the like from getting sucked up. I understand the design you are getting and the two notches will probably have screens in them. This adds a trickling noise in most cases and reaching into the box to clean or work would be much worse than the C2C style. I have the bulkheads just below the rim and the C2C as well. I can adjust the full siphon flow with the gate valve and the water level in the box is not that critical. The level actually just changes how much water goes into the second drain.
hbash
New member
The notches have fingers as guards. I have valves for each pipe although I read you only need one for the siphon. Also it is a c2c overflo unless 48 of 72 inches isn't considered c2c as it is 12" short on both sides.
I'll check your picture though as soon as I get to my pic, thanks much.
I'll check your picture though as soon as I get to my pic, thanks much.
Correct...... Coast to Coast is just that...... 72" of smooth surface overflow. You actually have 36" of overflow through fingers or whatever the filter method that provides maybe half as much area..... So now you may have 18" of actual overflow surface width. I am sure you can see how this will increase the noise and reduce the surface skimming. You are welcome to do what you wish but I have been down both roads and I promise you I will not go back! Maybe you should play on YouTube a bit and see a few in action if our description is not helping you see what is going on.
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