DIY OverFlow Box

[Flame Angel]

Eventually I may need one. Right now I need to concentrate on saving up some rubels to purchase a large tank.

Might be a good instructional class for one of the meetings or available on You-tubein the near future.

Knowledge is power.

Either way good job for taking the initiative and not being afraid to try on your own.

 

[ReefGrlGLH]

Sweet... Maybe you can help me with making one for my 29 gallon tank.....

 

[president89]

So, just that bulked gasket between the overflow and the glass is what is sealing this thing off? I guess that sounds ok, now that I'm typing this. I wasn't thinking of how the bulkhead normally seals against the glass. Now instead of the bulkhead sealing against the glass, the overflow itself is squashed against the gasket..

Great job!

I only have one other comment. For those of you who might have thought the following is a good idea. At first thought, I wondered why he needed a short bulkhead. My immediate thought the answer was to cut a hole in the acrylic before assembly. Yeah, that's probably not a good idea, because if you installed the bulkhead and then assembled the overflow, you'd never be able to remove the bulkhead. That's probably not a good idea.

I figured I'd throw that in there incase somenoe tries it not thinking, because I thought I was Mr. Smarty pants there before I thought better of it.

 

[Bobbofin]

Looks like a galss holes dot com

 

[NeverlosT]

ooooh i think I might do this. So you cut the glass with a dremel? wild...

 

[Doherty]

ooooh i think I might do this. So you cut the glass with a dremel? wild...

Yup..... You have to make sure the bit is made for cutting glass...... It's pretty easy, just take your time.

 

[Doherty]

Looks like a galss holes dot com

You could say I got some inspiration from them.....

 

[number1gsxxr]

I think I'm going to copy your build but I have a few questions before I start gathering materials.

I have two holes drilled in my 75-gal for 1.5" bulkheads. As measured from the right-hand side, inside the tank, the center of each hole is 13" and 21", respectively.

I saw on the glass holes site that their 1500gph box measures 2"W x 6"H x 12.25"L and accommodates (2) 1.5" bulkheads. By the time I install both bulkheads with the spacing I have, 12.25" is cutting it close. I was also thinking of putting street elbows inside the overflow box, so that means I'd have to build mine wider than 2".

Does the shape and size of the overflow really matter? If two 1.5" bulkheads can drain 1500gph then I assume as long as the box skims at least that much water into it, I can build it any which way. Correct?

Also, does the size and spacing of the overflow box teeth make a difference? I guess more teeth let more water in, or does it all depend on the volume of the return pump?

 

[STiTCH87]

Okay, so I obviously know in general what an overflow box is... Keeps the tank from overflowing. But why exactly would someone need one? Like when would it overflow? Is this something that I could use on my 29g running the berlin method? Sorry I know I must sound stupid, but it's just my tank water evaporates and lowers, not increasing, so i'm just a bit confused. Is it to catch the high waterline from a wavemaker so the water doesn't wave too much and splash out of the tank?

 

[shrkbait]

Checkout the red light / green light animation http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

 

[JohnK]

Okay, so I obviously know in general what an overflow box is... Keeps the tank from overflowing. But why exactly would someone need one? Like when would it overflow? Is this something that I could use on my 29g running the berlin method? Sorry I know I must sound stupid, but it's just my tank water evaporates and lowers, not increasing, so i'm just a bit confused. Is it to catch the high waterline from a wavemaker so the water doesn't wave too much and splash out of the tank?

On overflow box serves a few purposes. Mainly it's for a tank with a sump and return pump continiously circulating water through the tank.

By using an overflow box you accomplish;
-a constant water level in the display tank (evaporation changes the level in the sump only)
-a better surface skim than say just a bulkhead with a strainer (this is better for feeding protien skimmers)
-it keeps critters out of the plumbing (for the most part)
-it hides the drain so you don't look at it (though the box takes up more space)