Overflow/ Return Pump Opinions

I'm thinking about drilling my acrylic 112g tank with a 1 inch overflow, and was wondering your opinions on whether I really need an overflow box. Can't I just put a strainer of some sort on the pipe?

Also I have a 400GPH submersible pump laying around. I know it's a little small for my tank, but do you think it would do the job? I'm have 3 maxi-jet 1200 powerheads that I will be using so the flow in the tank should be pretty good.

Thanks!

 

You could put some type of screen to strain it but that will require cleaning. An overflow box reduces cleaning to almost nothing.

 

Are you talking about having a pipe go up from the drilled hole to the top of the water level? I have seen overflows like this yes. It will work. They also make the strainers you are talking about specific for 1" piping. The 400gph pump will work just fine. If you have good flow just mainly needs to get water back up. With that type of overflow you can push as much water as you want and it will drain it, up to the limitations of the size of the pipe of course.

Sounds like a plan to me, i wont ever have a salt tank without a sump. Makes life so much better.

 

yes that is correct, basically a hole at the top of the tank with a bulk head and pipe protruding into the tank a couple inches with the strainer to keep snails etc. out. The other end would flow into the sump and the 400gph pump would be the return pump.

 

Ohh nevermind I thought you meant drilling the bottom and having like a smoke stack type overflow. I have never seen it done in the side of the tank without an overflow box on the outside.

 

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Oh now I see. One of the LFS here has all there tanks done like this. I would try to get a strainer with as much straining surface area as possible to keep snails from blocking the whole thing. It should work just fine though.

 

I should clarify, the overflow will go at the top of the tank but through the side. There would be no syphon needed.

 

should work fine. basically the same as the standpipe which is how mine is just through the back and not the bottom. you could come through the glass and elbow up to get your water level above the black trim on your tank where it would actually be full. i hear the snail stuff all the time but with a 1 inch pipe it is highly unlikely a snail is going to stop that. my snails never even think twice. or you could simply put some netting perferably not real fine mesh over the pipe and put a rubberband around it.

 

This is mine. It's 1 1/4" though.

 

Thanks for the pic dixiedog, do you mind explaining to me where your overflow enters the tank?

I think I'm going to steal your idea for my strainer ;D If you don't mind?