Refugium

what is an overflow?

 

the hole or the Tube that the water leaves the tank.

 

over flow is where water flows from top of tank into box or drain. It help to skim off top of water gunk and also can keep fish from getting sucked into high intake pipe. When water flows into box then it is carried away to sump or filter. Hope this helps.

 

It allows water to flow from the display down to the sump of fuge Then you need a return to bring the water back to the display.

 

how would u be able to setup a refugium without one??
and i dont get the hole thing... how u needa setup the pump ratio

 

Looking down into an overflow pic:

Some are built in and some hang on the back.
With a sump underneath water level always stays the same.. and as said above keeps water surface clean.

 

i'm also having questions similar to smiley... is there a way to get water from the display into a fuge without an overflow? and the return would be pretty straight forward correct? place the return in the bottom of the tank somewhere and cover it with a piece of live rock so that it can't be seen?

 

its not so much getting the water to the refuge (any syphon tube would work) the problem is the syphon needs to start back up on its own if the power gos out and without a self starting syphon the return pump would flood your DT and probably go all over the floor.

 

wouldn't you just use pumps? if the power goes out they'll be no water pumping into or from the fuge

 

Maybe the pump will stop but you will then have a siphon going on which will then cause a flood in your livingroom. An overflow box will stop siphoning at a certain point which will prevent a disaster.