Where are your bulkheads at?

[nanafish]

I would like to enlist help here from fellow reefers with BIG tanks. Did you ever do something only later to learn it should've been done another way? Or it may have worked out better another way? I am asking for this type of info. I want to have internal overflows- have the job lined up. I am looking for info as far as where you place your bulkheads, what size are they, any general related information for a 180g standard 72 x 24x 24.
I just want to eliminate as many "you should've done it this way"..... comments as possible. Like the next house we build will have a room dedicated for >500g tanks + other reef related necessities. As well as other ammenities that we regreted because we did not spend a little extra for at the time.

Any pictures would be a plus as when my tank is up and running I shall post mine and give due credit to contributors

 

[chuggy]

not sure about the bulkheads but as far as the room in the next house make sure it has eighteen million outlets a big sink and a floor drain. Just my 2 cents im out of outlets my floor drain gets used all the time, and i could not do without my sink.

 

[Murphs205]

it depends on what kind of overflow you plan on running , Beans Pipes ? Dorso's ? it all depends on that,, what you plan on running for a overflow system.

 

[serpentman]

I second chuggy's suggestion on plugs.

I am assuming you are talking about starting with an undrilled tank? If so, I would go with a coast to coast internal overflow with beans pipes.

 

[DiscoReefRover]

+3

 

[nanafish]

Is there a site I can navigate to see these coast 2 coasts? I am definitely wanting to use internal overflows in the tank. I am just stuck in thinking as to where to Place my bulkhead openings. I am looking to provide optimal water circulation and flow without having to sacrifice a sloppy looking interior. Suggestions as to placement of bulkheads and sizes is what I am after. I was planning to run 2 sumps underneath, someone mentioned an Ocean Motions 4 way to use.
What I was planning to have done as far as bulkheads:

In the side/back corners- place a 2 sided overflow there with a drain and return------
In the center have 1 drain and 2 returns. This way I was thinking of the best circulation. This is why I am posting , I need ideas and feedback. For once the tank is drilled......It'll begin the 'you should've done this' responses which I would like to keep at a minimum. I have not had the experience with big reef tanks and am looking for opinions.....

 

[Jeff Trout]

I drilled my old 180g with two 1 1/2in bulkheads in the center,a couple inches from the brace,the center of was like 7in down from the top.But the reason for doing it like that was so I could get a wave going in it and not have it mess with drains.And I was running a big return.you can kinda see them in the pics.

 

[bennyd]

Look through Murph's gallery, you'll see some pictures of the internal over-flow, I just got the same thing made for my 120, also planning on going with beans pipes that you can also find in the above mentioned gallery.

You can have the over-flow pretty much any size you want, I left mine shorter so I can have room for a return on each end of the tank.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14980594#post14980594 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nanafish
Is there a site I can navigate to see these coast 2 coasts? I am definitely wanting to use internal overflows in the tank. I am just stuck in thinking as to where to Place my bulkhead openings. I am looking to provide optimal water circulation and flow without having to sacrifice a sloppy looking interior. Suggestions as to placement of bulkheads and sizes is what I am after. I was planning to run 2 sumps underneath, someone mentioned an Ocean Motions 4 way to use.
What I was planning to have done as far as bulkheads:

In the side/back corners- place a 2 sided overflow there with a drain and return------
In the center have 1 drain and 2 returns. This way I was thinking of the best circulation. This is why I am posting , I need ideas and feedback. For once the tank is drilled......It'll begin the 'you should've done this' responses which I would like to keep at a minimum. I have not had the experience with big reef tanks and am looking for opinions.....

 

[Jeff Trout]

sorry