OVerflow for my non-drilled tank?

[Gaffes]

Hello,

First post here. Woohoo!

I have an 80 gallon glass tank. It is currently FOWLR, but slowly morphing into a reef. The problem is that the tank is not drilled, and I want to add an overflow/sump/refugium. What are my options? Has anyone used one of these oveflows for non-drilled tanks, or am I just better off getting a new tank?

Personally, I think this would be a great excuse to get a bigger tank, but at my current place that is not an option. So I would have to shell out to buy another 80 gallon drilled tank. Alot of work...

 

[MandarinFish]

strong consensus opinion around here is, in order of preference:

1) drilling

2) Lifereef overflows

3) CPR or other brand of overflow, possible disastrous wet floors

Welcome!

 

[sally1]

Go with the Lifereef and you won't be sorry. I learned the hard way with a CPR.

 

[fishfarmer]

Ditto what MandarinFish and sally said.

 

[Chucker]

Had a CPR, and I had quite a few problems with a wet floor.

Switched to a LifeReef, and have only had one problem- I did not lose siphon, but the sponge was clogged enough from stirring up waste in the tank that it drastically slowed the overflow. Return pump then outstripped overflow.

 

[MandarinFish]

Chucker, Fishfarmer, and Sally are correct from what I've read.

I researched it for a long time.

I have a half million dollar house in the Oakland hills which my wife's family and I put our entire savings into.

For me, the cost of a Lifereef double overflow is infinitely less than spilling a 135 gallon tank full of saltwater onto 2nd story hardwood floors and have my wife poke a voodoo doll of me.

Use the Search feature to find out about it; it's been gone over a lot here. Same for drilling glass.

Again, welcome Gaffes.

 

[Ryan22]

Can you get the lifereef overflows anywhere other than the lifereef website, or do the not sell them to retailers?

 

[Chucker]

MandarinFish- be sure your overflow use justifies buying the double. If you're not going to be running near the full capacity of the overflow, it will actually be more to give you problems, as any air bubbles that reach the peak of the U-tube will be less likely to be swept through.

 

[kcinminni]

Why is Lifereef so much better than CPR? What is the difference that prevents the "wet floor" syndrome?

 

[fishfarmer]

CPR's have a square enclosed siphon chamber. I can't really call it a tube. It looks like a fine overflow very slim and compact. Since it has a square top it NEEDS a hole engineered into the design for attaching a airline and 300 gph+ powerhead.

Lifereef has a U tube as the siphon. There are other overflows designed like this. I don't have a Lifereef( I went drilled the second time around) but I believe they don't have the hole in the top of the tube since they probably don't need it and you can also remove the U tube for cleaning.

 

[Chucker]

CPR's have a square enclosed siphon chamber. I can't really call it a tube. It looks like a fine overflow very slim and compact. Since it has a square top it NEEDS a hole engineered into the design for attaching a airline and 300 gph+ powerhead.

Actually, it's not really the square top that causes the problems. Air tends to collect because there is a fair amount of flow spread over a pretty large area, and the resulting velocity of the flow is relatively low. This low velocity prevents bubbles from being swept through the peak of the overflow.

 

[DontYouJustWish]

I vote for buying a new drilled tank.

 

[bowfront]

Your cheapest and best (IMO) route is to temporarily break down your tank and have it drilled. If the tempered glass thing has you spooked drill the back instead of the bottom. Most tanks your size don't have tempered sides. As a disclaimer I have seen exceptions but your chances are better with the sides than with a questionable bottom. If you don't want to go the extra mile with tank drilling then I would suggest looking at a new tank already drilled (reef ready). For something your size you aren't going to break the bank in the scheme of things. If you are still leaning toward an over the top syphon heed the others advice and go Lifereef or something else top shelf.