what type of overflow to use?

[adambirk]

hello everyone i am getting ready to upgrade and have been looking for a nice used tank. problem is were i live i cannot find any reef ready tanks used so i will have to drill my own. i would like to have a small overflow box in my tank but i also need something that is dead silent because my tank is in my living room. i will be getting a 150 to 220 depending on what i can find only thing i know for sure is it has to be 6 feet. i have been looking at the glass-holes overflows but would like to know if these are quite? any other ideas would be greatly appriciated.

thanks in advance.

[noboddi]

I have put glass-holes overflows on two tanks and they are very quiet, and very well built. For my money, the best overflow on the market.

[Nerdy Nudi]

fyi, you could always ask a major tank maker to pre-drill the holes where you want them. it would be a waste and large expense to "err" on one of the holes on such a large tank.

[adambirk]

yeah i would have the tank predrilled if i was buying new but i plan on buying a used tank so i can spend my money on a kick *** protein skimmer and vortechs 2- mp40s so the money i save on new to used will help out alot with the equipment. and i really like the fact that the glass-holes over flow boxes are so small. i was considering taking it to a glass shop and having them put an overflow in it but i dont like the huge overflow and really dont like the idea of moving a tank that big multiple times.

[DarG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15459575#post15459575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by adambirk
yeah i would have the tank predrilled if i was buying new but i plan on buying a used tank so i can spend my money on a kick *** protein skimmer and vortechs 2- mp40s so the money i save on new to used will help out alot with the equipment. and i really like the fact that the glass-holes over flow boxes are so small. i was considering taking it to a glass shop and having them put an overflow in it but i dont like the huge overflow and really dont like the idea of moving a tank that big multiple times.

I think he was suggesting having a pro drill the holes instead of you risking cracking the tank. Regardless, a glass shop or LFS that drills tanks wont guarantee against cracking it so ...

The overflow is silent if you plumb it that way. Look up herbie overflow. There are variations on the Herbie Overflow but the concept involves creating a true siphon on the drain from the overflow box rather than an overflow. It requires using a valve to regulate flow and also requires the other end of the pipe to be sumbmerged in the sump. Also MUST have a back up that is an overflow (not a siphon) in case of obstruction to the main drain. I would seriously research and plan the plumbing for the overflow first if you are drilling the tank because it would need to be drilled in accordance with how you are setting up the silent overflow.

Again, look up Herbie overflow. I think that is is Bean Animal who has implemented a nice variation of it with pictures.

[adambirk]

darG yeah i had thought about taking it my lfs to have it done but they put the overflow box that goes all the way down to the bottom and i think it is just wasteing to much room. also they dont guarantee that they wont break it and they wanted 150 to do just one. and with a 6 foot tank i was thinking of doing to of the 700gph glass-holes on each side and having one go to sump with skimmer and the other going to a refugium that drains back into the return section of sump.

then having my return drilled in the center of my tank and a y splitting it into two outlets that i could direct where ever i needed. do you think that this would work out ok?


also i am in the autobody industry and am very comfortable modifiying car parts and custom installations so i do not feel i will have a problem at all. also i plan on buying the jig to make sure that you drill the hole strait.

[das75]

Herbie!!! (or Bean's)

The deal with the Herbie is that they draw in no air so are truly silent with the only noise coming from the water dropping into the overflow chamber (which can be lessened by running the level near the top)

With a Durso, Stockkman, HGB etc they drawn in air along with the water so there's some noise from the device plus gurgling in the lines and where the water exits in the sump.

Stood in front of a couple 150g, one had a Dart and other a large internal and even at 1900-2000gph it was amazing how quite.

This diagram from rban shows the concept rather well, my comment would be run the secondary drain dry and use a gate valve on the primary as easier to adjust. The overflow chamber does not need to be inside the tank and a small external box works well.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/das75/rbarn_herbie.jpg