I'm curious about overflow systems. I don't know much about them,
or how to use them, or their pros and cons.
I look at tanks with overflows and wonder how you would set one up. I wonder if
I should consider this type of set up.
Are overflows practical for planted tanks, or just extremely large planted tanks?
I read overflows can be used to hide heaters or reactors, devices that can be
moved outside the aquarium. And that corner ones take up less space.
How large does a tank have to be for one?
I've googled and searched here and there, but haven't found much information yet.
OVERFLOWS...........for planted tanks!
I'd personally love to switch out my 75g for a tank with overflows.
The chamber itself...
Essentially, it is a side wall, the side wall it two layers. || Inner layers is shorter by about 1 1/2". They are spaced maybe 1/8" apart.
Outer layer has slits in it - a series 3" or so from the bottom, and again at the top.
These are the water draws - once water is above the lip of the inner layer, water is pulled through the slits and into the overflow chamber.
With me so far?
Okay...
How they are built down under....
Inside the overflow chamber is two holes in the bottom. You use bulkheads - nothing more than pipe fittings that seal to the glass - to make connections to these.
Inside the chamber itself, you attach an intake pipe - the top of it is inverted over, like an upside down J... and a return pipe, which bends over the overflow walls and returns the water.
Underneath the tank.....
Now, we plumb in our fixtures. My tank is larger, so has two overflows. Say one intake for me is intake to my filter. It then returns directly to the outflows of the tank. This is called a closed loop - meaning no sump, no open water under the aquarium itself - and acts just like your filter does.
The beauty of these systems is many. For one, you can hide all your equipment, except obviously powerheads, inside the overflow chambers. For another, they can be pulled and split into many functions - imagine having the water come into the chamber, drain down, split to two places (one filtration and one all your inline stuff).
For me, I have 4 holes.
One is plumbed to the house for my auto water changing. Stand pipe has a lip just above where I want the water level to be..... raise water level, boom, drains to house drain.
Two is plumbed as the intake of my CO2 loop. This returns over the top of the tank, down to the tank floor, and shoots jets of co2 laden water off the floor of the tank.
Three and Four are returns of my canister filter.
But that is what is great about it - so many options!
You are welcome to swing by anytime and check out how I plumbed mine - mine is all closed loops, but I don't know that you need anything more in freshwater aquariums.... Sean runs sumps, I just never knew why.
The chamber itself...
Essentially, it is a side wall, the side wall it two layers. || Inner layers is shorter by about 1 1/2". They are spaced maybe 1/8" apart.
Outer layer has slits in it - a series 3" or so from the bottom, and again at the top.
These are the water draws - once water is above the lip of the inner layer, water is pulled through the slits and into the overflow chamber.
With me so far?
Okay...
How they are built down under....
Inside the overflow chamber is two holes in the bottom. You use bulkheads - nothing more than pipe fittings that seal to the glass - to make connections to these.
Inside the chamber itself, you attach an intake pipe - the top of it is inverted over, like an upside down J... and a return pipe, which bends over the overflow walls and returns the water.
Underneath the tank.....
Now, we plumb in our fixtures. My tank is larger, so has two overflows. Say one intake for me is intake to my filter. It then returns directly to the outflows of the tank. This is called a closed loop - meaning no sump, no open water under the aquarium itself - and acts just like your filter does.
The beauty of these systems is many. For one, you can hide all your equipment, except obviously powerheads, inside the overflow chambers. For another, they can be pulled and split into many functions - imagine having the water come into the chamber, drain down, split to two places (one filtration and one all your inline stuff).
For me, I have 4 holes.
One is plumbed to the house for my auto water changing. Stand pipe has a lip just above where I want the water level to be..... raise water level, boom, drains to house drain.
Two is plumbed as the intake of my CO2 loop. This returns over the top of the tank, down to the tank floor, and shoots jets of co2 laden water off the floor of the tank.
Three and Four are returns of my canister filter.
But that is what is great about it - so many options!
You are welcome to swing by anytime and check out how I plumbed mine - mine is all closed loops, but I don't know that you need anything more in freshwater aquariums.... Sean runs sumps, I just never knew why.
Dave
Okay, so the overflow has an narrow double wall that functions to draw water into the overflow box.
I understand the closed loop idea. The intake line of your filter is the hole in the bottom of one of the overflow chambers, correct?
And the outflow of your canister goes where exactly? Didn't you have some PVC plumbing under your substrate, how is that being used?
I guess Sean can heat the water in his sump instead of the tank, and if he uses ferts, can auto dose the sump as well.
I still need to see it to get a clearer picture. I may visit the Aquarium Depot and check out their display tanks, since they are only 10 minutes away. I wouldn't mind checking out your tank again. I've been trying to conserve on gas. Glad to see gas prices dropping a bit lately.
I understand the closed loop idea. The intake line of your filter is the hole in the bottom of one of the overflow chambers, correct?
And the outflow of your canister goes where exactly? Didn't you have some PVC plumbing under your substrate, how is that being used?
I guess Sean can heat the water in his sump instead of the tank, and if he uses ferts, can auto dose the sump as well.
I still need to see it to get a clearer picture. I may visit the Aquarium Depot and check out their display tanks, since they are only 10 minutes away. I wouldn't mind checking out your tank again. I've been trying to conserve on gas. Glad to see gas prices dropping a bit lately.
Joe
Right, intake is one of the holes.
Outflow returns right back up through the other hole, and up a stand pipe and out into the tank with loc line returns.
PVC plumbing under my tank serves two purposes - one, it is plumbed into the house to drain the tank/deal with auto changing; two is the return of my second inline loop that has my CO2 injection in it.
Outflow returns right back up through the other hole, and up a stand pipe and out into the tank with loc line returns.
PVC plumbing under my tank serves two purposes - one, it is plumbed into the house to drain the tank/deal with auto changing; two is the return of my second inline loop that has my CO2 injection in it.
Dave
