To overflow or not to overflow...

I need help deciding whether to use overflow vs drilled for my sump. I am
Getting a 75 gallon on Wednesday, moving up from my 36 gallon. Yay! Also, if going with overflow, what is the best overflow to go with?
Thanks in advance!

 

We went with a DIY drill overflow kit from glass-holes.com. I got the 1500 kit for our 75 gallon. There is an Eshoppes hang on kit that is supposed to be good if you don't want to drill the tank, but I am no expert on it. It was what the local fish store recommended.

Drilling the tank isn't too bad if you watch some youtube videos on it. It is kind of nerve wracking though and you definitely have to be careful. It was an easier decision for us because we got the tank for a great deal and my dad has a "spare" tank at his house that is the exact same thing. The glass-holes website has some videos and the instructions are clear enough, so go for it if you want the "sleek" look....

 

As long as your tank is not tempered glass, I am willing to bet the vast majority will say to drill it! I have an Eshopps overflow, and have not problems at all with it. Has never lost its prime, but I have a float that will turn the pump off if it did.

Knowing what I know now, I probably would have drilled the tank back when I was setting it up though. Good luck!

 

Thank you both for the advice. We live on the 2nd floor in our complex and it would not be good if there was any leakage or flooding

 

Well it is almost impossible to prevent at least some overflowing, flooding, or leaking at one point or another! When you run a sump, you can have leaks from the drain lines to the sump or the return piping. If you don't leave enough space when the return pump is turned off, you can overflow the sump itself. If you use bulkhead, these can develop leaks over time (or right away if you over tighten!). If you run an overflow box, you could lose your prime and the tank could overflow. If you have an ATO, you could overflow if the float valve fails.

Even if you don't run a sump, you can still have a HOB skimmer overflow, or leaks from other filters or reactors.

Not trying to scare you, just letting you know water will end up on your floor at some point or another Now, if you do things right and take your time, you can really minimize your risk. I can go into more details on this if you would like 8)

 

I haven't had in issues with my built in overflow. I went that direction so I wouldn't have to worry about me making a mistake that could cause my tank to leak. Peace of mind was more important to me.

 

Marshall, any details would be much appreciated have had a 36 gallon tank for a while and yes there has been some leakage, but I just want to make sure that I minimize any risk I can do so it does not turn into a flooding scenario.

 

Sure thing. When you install your plumbing, first of all use PVC primer and cement on all joints. Don't just dry fit them! (sounds silly but I have seen some people do this!). Next, in your return piping as it enters the tank, drill a small hole (1/4") in your piping just below the water level of your DT. This will prevent a lot of water from siphoning back into your sump when you turn off your return pump (or lose water!). Once you get the tank and sump filled, turn off the return pump and see how high the water level gets in the sump to make sure you do not overflow. If you use an ATO, don't just run the DI water into the sump controlled by a float valve. Instead run that into a small container and use an ATO system to pump water into the sump. If you go this route vs. just filling a container daily/weekly, then you can get a water sensing shut-off valve that will stop the DI flow on a leak.

If you go with an overflow box, there is a risk of losing prime so it does not siphon from the front of the box (in the DT) into the back of the box (. I have a Reef Angel which comes with two controllable floats. I use one for my ATO, and the other is in my overflow box (the side in my tank). If the prime was ever lost, it will shut off power to my return pump. Also, you don't want to oversize the utubes for the overflow boxes. My Eshopps PF-1000 came with two utubes, however one actually handles the flow so that is all I use. Air bubbles can get trapped in the top of the tubes, especially if they are not full. So in this case you are better off with one right sized tube. Finally, make sure your overflow is overkill compared to your return pump. Don't cut it close (I have a 525 GPM pump and a 1000 GPM overflow ).

I use all of the above precautions and have not had a single leak since I started the tank up 8)

Hope this helps!

 

+1

I run an awesome 'intank overflow', with a HOB overflow that doesn't loose it's prime, and I have an emergency cut off for my Return pump in case it ever did.

But, Drill first and fab a nice surface skimming overflow, that doesn't rely on a siphon, etc.