opinions wanted regarding overflow for 150 gallon

[chwkreefer]

I have purchased a new 150 gallon (60"x24"x24") tank that will be put in between two walls and will be viewed from both 60" sides.

I would like some opinions on what overflow setup I should use. Right off the bat, I will mention I will be putting in just one overflow and the overflow will be at one end of the tank, either through the bottom or the side. (That much I am sure about)

Regarding a return pump, I will be using a mag 18 (which I already own) so I will be circulating approx 1300 GPH.

Should I drill the bottom and put in a durso? and box it in on one end of the tank?

Or possibly just drill a hole in the end of the tank and place a strainer on a bulkhead? What would the noise be like? Also, I know the flow capacity isn't as good.

I was leaning towards a durso boxed in and would then either make some agrocrete mould to fit around the overflow box or cut some live rock and use polyurethane foam to attach them around the overflow box (sort of like working with cultured stone).

I saw the use of polyurethane foam for attaching live rock in the book REEF SECRETS by Fossa and Nilsen. I will have to do some research on how long it takes for polyurethane foam to become inert.

Also, depending on which way I go, what size bulkhead?

TIA
Bill

[chwkreefer]

any thoughts anyone?

[Aquattro]

Bill, I think you should ask Steve as he went thru the same questions on his viewed from three sides tank. After a year or 2, he might have some things to say about what he should or shouldn't have done.

[StirCrazy]

Should I drill the bottom and put in a durso? and box it in on one end of the tank?
TIA
Bill

Yes do this.. if you don;t mine losing 6" off your tank silicone a 24X23 sheet of plexy with teeth on the top to make a overflow box in the end.. then put two 1.5" bulkheads on the bottom so you can go with two durso's. even if you only need 1 you can plug the other while you are not using it. or leave it a little taller for a "emergency spill" if the main one fails.

When I move the tank this fall everything will be going into a waiding pool and I will be putting a overflow box in mine.. I wish I would have done that in the first place instead of spending to much time reading on alternatives :rolleyes:

Steve

[Dale D]

Bill

If you will have access to and enough room behind (beside?) the tank at the end you could drill the sides and put the durso stand pipes on the outside of the tank. Then you could build smaller overflow boxes on the inside of the tank,saving space and also have surface skimming. Hope that made sense. I'm still trying to picture how to do it myself as I type this. :eek: :mrgreen:

If you want to drill the bottom and don't want to put an overflow all the way across the end of the tank (then you would have to hide the part you could see into the overflow from the side) you could make a u shaped (3 sided) overflow box and put it in the middle of the end. I can bend the acrylic for you if you want. Or you could get fancy and put a 4 sided overflow in the middle of the tank. :mrgreen:

I would use big bulkheads. It's easier to restrict the flow if the bulkhead is too big, than it is to increase flow if it is too small.

I like the idea mentioned of drilling a hole for an extra bulkhead you can always plug it if it is not needed or use it to plumb a return from the sump.

[Jack]

Yes do this.. if you don;t mine losing 6" off your tank silicone a 24X23 sheet of plexy with teeth on the top to make a overflow box in the end.. then put two 1.5" bulkheads on the bottom so you can go with two durso's. even if you only need 1 you can plug the other while you are not using it. or leave it a little taller for a "emergency spill" if the main one fails.

This is exactly what I did but I lost 7" because I had euro bracing to get my drain pipes through the overflow and edge of bracing. I like my three sided tank but wish it was longer. I really miss the 7". I would do it on a 6' 180gal or your size tank but not a 4' 120gal... gives you only 41"

[Jack]

PS. Can someone tell me how to get it so that it says who I'm quoting from? I've never done it that way!

[Aquattro]

PS. Can someone tell me how to get it so that it says who I'm quoting from? I've never done it that way!

Just use the quote button....

http://www.islandreef.ca/post/quote.jpg

[StirCrazy]

Bill

If you will have access to and enough room behind (beside?) the tank at the end you could drill the sides and put the durso stand pipes on the outside of the tank. Then you could build smaller overflow boxes on the inside of the tank,saving space and also have surface skimming.

Dale, this is what I did but I never put the overflow in.. the problem I have found with putting the bulkheads in the side is that will add two 90 degree bends into your flow right off the bat and lower the amount of water you can put throught the pipe. Mine ended up with 4, 90 degree bends and can only handle about 1000 gph. if you want to use a large return pump the best way is a big hole in the bottom (ie. 1.5" bulkhead) as this will allow the water to fall strait down to the sump.

Steve

[chwkreefer]

Thanks guys for your input. From everything I've read from you all, it seems to me my original idea of drilling the bottom near the end of the tank and building an overflow box around the area (7" deep x whatever) big enough to install a durso would be the way to go. (three sided box like what Dale was talking about)

Would putting in one 2" bulkhead be a bad idea? instead of 2 - 1.5". I appreciate the idea of a backup overflow standpipe, but would rather not take up so much room for the plumbing.

Also, I would rather not partition off the whole end of the tank. I would rather make a three sided box approx 7" deep x 10" or 12" wide. If I did one 1.5"durso and had an emergency drain pipe as well what would you estimate to be my minimum size box to build around it?

Steve, what if I put two 1.5" bulheads on the side of the tank and built a small overflow box for the two drains, would that suffice for flow and how would the noise be?

[Jack]

Thanks Brad!

Dale, going with a three sided overflow box sounds like a great idea... even the horseshoe idea that was mentioned, as long as you can get it too look good ha. Um, I wouldn't be skimmpy on the teeth size on the box aswell. I wish I had made my teeth deeper and bigger so I could run my closed loop intake on the other side of the overflow just for visual cleanlyness. (I'm runninng a U tube, not drilled closed loop) You don't want to max out your overflow just so you can sleep at night :razz:

[smokinreefer]

here is a poor diagram of my overflow, external durso...shown to me by Darren.

http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/durso.bmp

it only utilizes 2 90s.

it is a 1.5" bulkhead, which handles my mag12 return, which goes straight up and over the tank, using a total of 3 90s.

just so you have an idea of what kind of flow i am seeing through the overflow.

so you could certainly use this design on the non-viewable end of your tank. and make a small overflow box, as i did. you could even incorporate a second bulkhead to it.

kinda like this...
http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/2durso.bmp

[Dale D]

http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/durso.bmp
http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/2durso.bmp[/quote]

This is the side drilled design I was trying to describe in my other post.

You will have 2 90's right away, like any durso, but, can eliminate any other 90's by plumbing the bottom of the standpipe using hose to smooth out the flow to the sump.

[chwkreefer]

What are your thoughts on me doing it this way with 2 - 1.5" drains? What pvc parts do I need on either side of the bulkhead? or can I get a non threaded bulkhead to just slip the pipe in.

Could I even go down to 2 - 1" bulkheads? How is this setup going to be for noise.

Thanks for your details btw. I appreciate it. Now I am starting to think about doing the overflow as per your drawing just to keep the tank area bigger.

I would at some point change to flexible pvc or vinyl to minimize the amount of elbows going to the sump.

Thanks,
Bill


here is a poor diagram of my overflow, external durso...shown to me by Darren.

http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/durso.bmp

it only utilizes 2 90s.

it is a 1.5" bulkhead, which handles my mag12 return, which goes straight up and over the tank, using a total of 3 90s.

just so you have an idea of what kind of flow i am seeing through the overflow.

so you could certainly use this design on the non-viewable end of your tank. and make a small overflow box, as i did. you could even incorporate a second bulkhead to it.

kinda like this...
http://members.shaw.ca/smokinreefer/2durso.bmp

[smokinreefer]

i wouldnt go down to 1".
use 1 or 2 1.5" bulkheads.

noise is minimal, it is basically a durso standpipe, only now it is outside the tank.

i use black flex hose from the drain to the sump...thus i get a smooth curve down to the sump.

for the inside of the bulkhead you just need a 90.
for the outside, i used a "street tee", threaded, but a normal "tee" is fine as well. and you'll need a cap, for the top of the "tee" (dont forget to drill a small hole on the top of the cap, for adjusting the air for the durso)
and youll need a barb fitting for the drain hose.

i bought my black flex hose at HD, its where all the tubing is, they have a package that comes with 25' of the flex hose, a 1.5" barb and a hose clamp for ~ $15. way cheaper than buying the pool/spa flex hose, barb and clamp seperately.

[chwkreefer]

Thanks for the details Shao. This set up seems to take up less take space which I really like. So now I'm leaning towards having two 1.5" bulkheads through the end of the tank and making an overflow box.


I think I'll look around and see if I can find all the pvc pieces. If I have a threaded bulkhead that would make finding the parts a little bit harder. I think J&L's 1.5" bulkheads are threaded.
Dale, would you know if Southern Drip has slip bulkheads up to 1.5". I seem to recall only seeing slip bulkheads up to 1" there.

Thanks again guys
Bill



i wouldnt go down to 1".
use 1 or 2 1.5" bulkheads.

noise is minimal, it is basically a durso standpipe, only now it is outside the tank.

i use black flex hose from the drain to the sump...thus i get a smooth curve down to the sump.

for the inside of the bulkhead you just need a 90.
for the outside, i used a "street tee", threaded, but a normal "tee" is fine as well. and you'll need a cap, for the top of the "tee" (dont forget to drill a small hole on the top of the cap, for adjusting the air for the durso)
and youll need a barb fitting for the drain hose.

i bought my black flex hose at HD, its where all the tubing is, they have a package that comes with 25' of the flex hose, a 1.5" barb and a hose clamp for ~ $15. way cheaper than buying the pool/spa flex hose, barb and clamp seperately.

[Buccaneer]

My 300G has a overflow box similar to the drawings shown here except in a traingular shape with 2 x 2" bulkheads ... 2 x 90 elbows ... flex tubing to the sump ( no durso ) ... ( 4MDQXSC as a return pump ... about 1000 G / Hr going through the sump ) ... al this behind a wall in basement so on show side no noise :smile:

This design gives you the most tank space IMO while skimming the surface of the water quite effectively

Cheers

[Dale D]

Bill

Are the slip bulkheads at Southern you are talking about, the white ones?
If so I think they only carry them up to 1". Plus they have a barb type end on the other end so it would be a pain to hook a durso up to them.

We have some slip bulkheads at the store,but, I think they are only 1" or 1 1/4", whatever size Oceanic uses on their tanks.

[StirCrazy]

here is how mine are.

http://members.shaw.ca/s.l.s/diy/stand/inplace.jpg

when I do it again I will have the bottom drilled. The simple reason is that I can have the sump under the tank and the stand can be no longer than the tank as it is going to built into a wall. If you don't mind the stand being longer then the tank then drill on the side but the Illusion of having more room with a box that is 1/2 way up is just that .. a Illusion. I mean sure there will be a extre strip that is water and not overflow box but that space is not realy goodfor a lot of things as it is in the bottom.. I guess you could stack the rocks around it and make a awsome hiding place for your fish.

This is what I am going to be forced to do when I move my tank to get a "Proper" overflow set up but if I could take all my sand bed and such out I would make a box that goes all the way to the bottom but is only wide enuf to enclose my piping. this way I would have the full lenght of the tank and the overflow could be hidden with thin rocks.

Steve

[chwkreefer]

hey how do I post an image here so I can show you my concept drawing?