I have a 40 gal breeder tank and am wanting to add a 30 sump. I am needing to have some help on the plumbing of it. I have 45's, 90's, a pump, a hang on overflow box and straight pipe. Just not sure about hooking up the plumbing. Any help would be appreciated. You can call or text me at 405-408-5337
Sump-overflow help needed
- Thread starter Cityfish
- Start date
MBryant
New member
Yea most of the bottoms are NOT tempered Unless they have a sticker saying otherwise. If its a aqueon then I'm pretty sure it's not. Normally you can call the company and ask. There's also a trick you can do with a piece of polarized glass but still unsure how to do it. But drilling is normally the best way to do it. You can make a overflow chamber with black abs plastic and the top grille can be bought at hobby lobby in the sowing department
cjilge
New member
Cityfish, its up to you how you set it up but drilling is safer long term, the bottom is most likely the only glass tempered on the aquarium. I do have 2 1" bulkheads if you decide to drill but you can use the overflow you have. The set up and plumbing really depends on how your sump is set up and the pump you are using. How many chambers is your sump, is the pump internal or external, does your pump output match your overfolw? All are part of setting it up. the most important is that your ovreflow can handle more flow than your pump can put out that way you don't flood the tank and your house. The other thing to make sure is you have a siphon break on the return in the tank so when the power is off the return line doesnt start a siphon and flood your sump. It is really easier than it sounds. I promise!
Cityfish,
If you want to use the overflow box, it works fine, just takes up space and does not look really that good. Basically, hopefully, it has an adjustment where you can move the inner and outer boxs "up and down independently".
You will have to mess with it a little bit getting the height adjusted. The inner, well, the teeth just above the water line. The outer, uh... It's been awhile since I ran one.... I do know I ran mine a little on the low side to keep from gurgling. The water maintained a constant level way above the outer inlet, if that makes any sense. I had no filter on the outer intake. That just slows down flow for filtering that was done in the sump. If yours has a U-tube, you want the bottom of the U-tube lower than the intake on the outer box, make sense? U-tube bottom lower in the box than the top of the drain tube. Keeps from breaking the siphon, and a heck of a mess.
If you want to use the overflow box, it works fine, just takes up space and does not look really that good. Basically, hopefully, it has an adjustment where you can move the inner and outer boxs "up and down independently".
You will have to mess with it a little bit getting the height adjusted. The inner, well, the teeth just above the water line. The outer, uh... It's been awhile since I ran one.... I do know I ran mine a little on the low side to keep from gurgling. The water maintained a constant level way above the outer inlet, if that makes any sense. I had no filter on the outer intake. That just slows down flow for filtering that was done in the sump. If yours has a U-tube, you want the bottom of the U-tube lower than the intake on the outer box, make sense? U-tube bottom lower in the box than the top of the drain tube. Keeps from breaking the siphon, and a heck of a mess.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
I'll be #3 in voting for drilling it. It takes all of about 10 minutes to drill a hole in it from beginning to end.
You're also in a very good situation right now, too, and you don't even know it. You actually have options for an overflow box when/if you drill it. You can cannibalize the hang-on-the-back version and use it as your overflow box. Or you could simply make your own. As long as you have something to cut the weirs to make the teeth at the top, a wide range of items can become an overflow box. I've seen plastic food containers used. I've personally used various sections of large-diameter PVC pipe (1/4 section for corner overflows or 1/2 section for full, back overflows) for a rounded overflow box. Lastly, you can just take a piece of acrylic of a decent thickness (eh, around 1/4" for stiffness) and bend it at a 90º angle with a heat gun by slowly heating it over a straight edge like a sawhorse.
Don't worry about if it's not the color black. My ace in the hole is if it's plastic, black Krylon Fusion Spray Paint does the trick!! Heck! Make it hot pink!!!
PVC Being used as a center overflow for a hex tank
Acrylic Painted Black (Was used once before hence the white remnants of coralline algae)
1/2 section of PVC painted black
You're also in a very good situation right now, too, and you don't even know it. You actually have options for an overflow box when/if you drill it. You can cannibalize the hang-on-the-back version and use it as your overflow box. Or you could simply make your own. As long as you have something to cut the weirs to make the teeth at the top, a wide range of items can become an overflow box. I've seen plastic food containers used. I've personally used various sections of large-diameter PVC pipe (1/4 section for corner overflows or 1/2 section for full, back overflows) for a rounded overflow box. Lastly, you can just take a piece of acrylic of a decent thickness (eh, around 1/4" for stiffness) and bend it at a 90º angle with a heat gun by slowly heating it over a straight edge like a sawhorse.
Don't worry about if it's not the color black. My ace in the hole is if it's plastic, black Krylon Fusion Spray Paint does the trick!! Heck! Make it hot pink!!!
PVC Being used as a center overflow for a hex tank
Acrylic Painted Black (Was used once before hence the white remnants of coralline algae)
1/2 section of PVC painted black
Travis L. Stevens
New member
Just aquarium sealant works fine with me. Well, I use GE Silicon I: Window & Door
