#Overflow box how to#
#Overflow box install#
#Overflow box full#
#Overflow box plus#

You might be asking yourself why donвЂ™t I skip the overflow and just put a drain pipe in. This way the height of the water in the tank will not exceed the height of the overflow and when the power goes off the tank will only drain until it reaches the top of the overflow (though be careful about back siphons down your return pump line). The excess water flows over and then proceeds down the drain and into the sump. The only way water goes over and into the overflow is if the water level in the main tank exceeds the height of the overflow. You have the high water side of the dam (inside the tank) and the low water side (inside the overflow where the drain is). The top of the dam is the overflow teeth. When you setup an overflow in a tank you are essentially creating a dam. Really this concept is just gravity at work. One of the biggest benefits (and most misunderstood concepts) of an overflow is how they maintain steady water levels in the display tank and are self-regulating. The principles with an external overflow are the same, just the means of getting water over the side of the tank is different and I will get into more detail with towards the end. For the purpose of explaining overflows I am going to use the internal overflow as the example. First is the internal overflow and second is the external overflow. Your typical self-installed overflow will fall into one of two categories. If youвЂ™re more interested in how the concept works, then keep reading!

#Overflow box install#

In the case of an internal overflow, itвЂ™s worth mentioning that you want to make sure you have enough room for any fittings you plan to install as well, but generally speaking they are all sized to house typical size plumbing fittings anyway. If you have a return pump thatвЂ™s going to be 500gph, get an overflow rated for at least 500gph, as long as the overflow is big enough it will self-regulate itself to any pump slower.

If youвЂ™re looking for the simple answer to вЂњWhat size overflow do I need?вЂќ The answer is: Purchase an overflow that is rated for more flow (generally rated in Gallons per Hour) then your return pump will be. I think the hesitation and the question comes in from the fact that how an overflow system works seems complicated though, like most things, once explained it turns out to be pretty simple. One of the most common questions I see is вЂњHow big of an overflow do I need to buyвЂќ and itвЂ™s a bit ironic because the answer is so much simpler than most folks expect it to be. They allow you to hide all your ugly equipment outside of your display tank, allow you to use bigger, better, and more equipment, and they make for a steady water level in your display tank.

#Overflow box full#

Is this a full proof plan? Any advice and guidance is greatly appreciated.Overflows are great. 4) to further prevent the sump return pump overflowing the display tank, keep the water level in the Return Pump section of the sump low enough that your display tank can hold the additional volume of Return Pump Section of your sump. 3) Keep the hang on back overflow box intake box low enough below the surface of the display tank waterline so that air bubbles dont flow over and gather in the U siphon tube and break the overflow siphon causing your return pump to continually flood the display tank.

#Overflow box plus#

2) Sump water level should have reserve space: Keep the waterlevel in your sump low enough to hold a volume of water from the display tank equal to the volume of water in both return and drain lines plus the level of water above the overflow box on the surface of the display tank in case system shuts down and all plumbing drains into sump. Here is what I have learned about making External Overflow boxes safe but I need some oversight: 1) Drill holes in your display tank return nozzle just under the waterline to prevent any back siphon from the display tank back into the sump through the display tank return nozzle should the return pump die. but once I had the tank running that quickly went out the window! -now I just bought a Trigger Systems Saphire 26 sump, a Reef Octopus Classic 110 Skimmer and a Marine Depot 800GPH Hang on back overflow box with a Sicce 3.0 Return pump(rated at about 600GPH distance from sump to outlet return nozzle.) So the pump is rated less GPH than the return and seems a safe choice. I had initially decided to use a hang on filter, skimmer.etc. I just started setting up a 65 gallon standard tank with no internal overflow.

#Overflow box how to#

I need some advice on how to make an external overflow box reliable -prevent flooding please: