New guy here......

[Street]

Hey everyone, im new into the hobby and i have a 75G tank that im going to be using as a FOWLR for sure, possibly a reef tank with a 15G tank as a sump.

Since i will be using glass tank and rather not drill so ill be using an overflow set up, i know about power failures and the overflow losing its siphon and that causing a flood >.< .

If i get an overflow like the one below, will it be able to function my 75G and how do i find that out......

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps/ps_ViewIt ... E1318.html

any info on the subject or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks guys!!

 

[Brian5000]

It sounds pretty nice. Overflow boxes are a touch subjest here, I think. Those that have them stand by them. The rest avoid them thinking that it's not a question of if it fails, but when.

If you're worried about figuring out how to pumb a drilled aquarium, or don't have anyone around that can drill for you, All-Glass-Aquarium has a line of aquariums with overflows built into them right out of the factory. the plumbing is very easy to put together (I managed to do it ). There may be other brands available too, I don't know. I think you should really consider something like that before you fall back on hang-on overflows.
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[Street]

ahhh....well ill def. look into that appreciate the tip!!

 

[IslandCrow]

Look into Life Reef overflows (http://www.lifereef.com/siphon.html). They're pricey, but very well built overflows you don't have to worry about losing siphon in the event of a power outage. I've heard Hurricane overflows are good as well, but I've never used one. We seem to have power outages in my area quite frequently, and in over a year, I've never had it lose siphon.

All that said, if you set your sump up correctly, you never have to worry about a flood. The sump tank should be big enough to hold all the water that could possibly drain from your tank via your overflow. If it doesn't, empty some of the water from the sump. In addition, set up baffles in your sump if you haven't already so that the chamber where water is pumped back into your main tank is small enough so that even if you lose siphon, your return hose gets blocked, etc., there isn't enough water in that last section to flood your tank. With a 75g tank and 15g sump, that may be difficult. A 30g sump would probably be ideal if it's an option for you.

 

[mr_X]

i disagree about the life reef. get a CPR overflow, or one that utilizes a suction pump. then if the power goes out, no problem. when the power goes back on, so does the suction pump and the overflow starts back up.
like these:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_ove ... sp?CartId=

i think that person who made the review works for the company who makes those overflows, because it can't cause a flood unless:
1. it clogs, which means you haven't cleaned it in 5 years.
or 2. the suction pump wore out. this can happen, but you'll notice it will work less and less, and will be given plenty of warning before total failure.


i've never seen that overflow you are considering running on any tank. sorry i can't comment on that. i do have 2 CPR overflows running on 2 separate tanks, and i also believe them to be next to silent.

 

[Street]

Well thanks islandcrow and MR.X for the info. Im still looking on overflow boxes. The CPR CS100 looks nice, since it can be used up to 175G tank, be nice for when if i upgrade down the road.

But thanks again guys for the info and input, really appreciate it.

 

[IslandCrow]

What happens if the pump dies? I'm probably just being overly cautious, but when there's a mechanical solution to a problem, I generally take it over an electrical one. Truthfully, though, I don't think I've heard very many flood stories that were really because of the overflow. CPR overflows are certainly much cheaper.

 

[mr_X]

What happens if the pump dies?

what if the glue on the tank fails? what if an earthquake happens and the tank falls over?
something can always happen. but i have used those "J" tube overflows before and i have had it fail to start back up on more than one occasion when the power was turned off. those suction pump overflows haven't failed me (except for the above mentioned situation) yet. if it's a real concern, keep an extra pump just incase. put a "T" fitting on the overflow and run 2 pumps....now you've doubled your chances.

 

[cindre2000]

We currently use overflows built just like the Life Reef overflows at my work. I turn the off to the return pump in one of those aquariums about once a week for an hour or two and have never had a problem with it not restarting. However, I have had the tube lose it siphon twice now in 7 months, not due to power failure.

Why don't you want to drill the tank? It is really easy and normally you will not have a problem if you take the right precautions to do it right. I recently drilled 5 holes in my 120, took about 45 minutes and now I do not need to worry about losing siphon.

 

[Street]

I'd like to avoid drilling if i can, because im not exactly the greatest handy man in the world :wink:

and power failures is something i rarely have where i live, so if get a really dependable overflow box i'll feel comfortable.

 

[cindre2000]

I understand your sentiments. However, drilling a tank is easier than putting together a bookshelf, unclogging a drain, and almost as easy as changing a lightbulb .

Step one: Find out if the glass if tempered on the side you are going to drill. If it is, do not drill.

Step two: Decide on the hole size and number of holes.

Step three: Buy the bits on e-bay.

Step four: Wait for them to arrive.

Step five: Mark the placement of the holes on your tank. Make sure there is at least 1-2 hole diameters to the edge of the glass. Also, do not go overboard on the holes if you are worried about structural stability.

Step six: Place Duct Tape on the inside glass behind the holes. This will keep the glass from falling out after it is drilled.

Step seven: Tape a hose to the tank to have water running over the hole you are drilling. This will keep the drill bit and the glass cool. You could also use a well of water; however, I find that I have to replace it too often.

Step eight: Put the drill bit in a drill (preferably one with a powercord).

Step nine: Start drilling. A drill press is a really nice item to have, however, I have free handed all the holes that I have drilled so far. You run the drill as a high rpm and use no pressure. Just let the bit sand away at the glass until you get a deep enough groove to prevent it from sliding. I allow the weight of the drill to do all the work for me.

Step ten: You should feel the drill break free of the glass and be on the duct tape. You can now remove the tape with the glass circle and rinse down any residual glass dust. You can also get some sand paper to clean up the hole if it is not clean enough for your tastes.

Step eleven: Have a refreshing cool beverage.

Step twelve: Install the bulkhead & overflow.

 

[IslandCrow]

I can definitely understand not feeling comfortable drilling a tank. I've drilled a couple now, but they were both second hand tanks I got for $10 and $20 respectively. Sometimes your LFS will drill tanks for you, though, so you could ask if you haven't already. If they can do it for you, I'd suggest watching them while they do it, and maybe you'll decide you can drill your own next time. I also tried out my drilling technique on a couple glass mason jars before I went full scale.

And Mr. X, I'm certainly not saying you're wrong about the CPR style overflows. I've heard mixed opinions from hating them to loving them, but I've never used one myself, so I'm not speaking from experience here. Whatever you go with, Street, as long as you set it up correctly, you should never get a flood unless something just plain breaks.

 

[Street]

Well thanks for the steps cindre , i wouldnt know where to start for drilling....



and thanks islandcrow for the tip....i never thought to ask the LFS if they would drill for me. Im going friday to look around for some tanks and ill def. ask about if they can/will drill. Thanks again.


ohh btw, im from crestview as well, whats your name im sure we know we know each other.....its not exactly a huge town lol

 

[cindre2000]

You can also call up some glass shops and ask if they could drill. That can sometimes be more reliable if your LFS does not specilize in fish.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a question that relates to this since I'm a newbie myself. From my understanding (please correct me if I'm wrong), as long as the available volume within the sump is greater than the volume of water in the return and drain pipes there should be no flooding in case of power outages?

For siphon overflow boxes, if it loses siphon it means water is not being drained down to the sump but the return line is pumping continuous water into the display tank causing it to flood from the display tank? I don't understand how and where the flooding would occur on HOB overflow. Are there any methods to prevent or reduce the chance of flooding for hob overflows?

thanks in advance for your help guys

 

[Brian5000]

Not only will the water from your pipes end up in the sump, but the overflow will actually suck water out of your tank until the water level goes below the it and air breaks ther siphon. Depending on how things are setup in your tank, that could equate to several gallons.

As for the other way, you're exactly right. The lost siphon can't restart on its own as all the water from your sump is pumped up into you tank and onto the floor.

The best solution I've seen to this potential problem is the CRP overflow, which has a small pump continuously priming the siphon. As long as the power is on and the pump is running, you're absolutely safe. Many people say, "what if the pump burns out." As Mr. X said though, that's a big "if" and at no more risk of failure than any of the other devices we rely on.
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Honda CBR250

 

[Anonymous]

Not only will the water from your pipes end up in the sump, but the overflow will actually suck water out of your tank until the water level goes below the it and air breaks ther siphon. Depending on how things are setup in your tank, that could equate to several gallons.

As for the other way, you're exactly right. The lost siphon can't restart on its own as all the water from your sump is pumped up into you tank and onto the floor.

The best solution I've seen to this potential problem is the CRP overflow, which has a small pump continuously priming the siphon. As long as the power is on and the pump is running, you're absolutely safe. Many people say, "what if the pump burns out." As Mr. X said though, that's a big "if" and at no more risk of failure than any of the other devices we rely on.

Thanks Brian, that helps. So for siphon overflows, in case of power outages, as long as there is enough room in the sump there should be no flooding? Flooding only occurs when return pump is on but siphon pump is burned out? If that's the case the "risk" doesn't seem that bad, although if it does happen I'll be in big trouble

 

[mr_X]

no worries island crow. it's all good. :wink:

 

[IslandCrow]

Thanks Brian, that helps. So for siphon overflows, in case of power outages, as long as there is enough room in the sump there should be no flooding? Flooding only occurs when return pump is on but siphon pump is burned out? If that's the case the "risk" doesn't seem that bad, although if it does happen I'll be in big trouble

Here's how you prevent flooding when the return pump is still going, but you've lost your siphon. Install a baffle on the side of the sump where you have your return pump. What the baffle will do is isolate a small chamber in the sump. If you lose siphon, only water from that smaller chamber will be returned to the main tank. As long as the chamber is small enough, and you have enough room in your main tank, you can't physically pump more water into your main tank than it can hold. The result, no flood.

As a bonus, if you're using an automatic top-off, the water in that smaller section always goes down first as water evaporates. This is nice because it doesn't take as much evaporation before your ATO kicks on, whether you're using a static pressure switch or a float valve.

 

[mr_X]

i think if the last chamber in your sump is small enough to not overflow the tank in the event of siphon loss, you'll NEED an automatic topoff.