A little help with new 400

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
H

Hnddog

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2015
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Brewster, WA
Hello, this is my first posting on the site but I've learned a lot here while lurking. I purchased a new to me 400 gallon acrylic tank this weekend. The tank is 1" acrylic and is beautiful. The stand is going to be replaced as I'm not real fond of it. I need your opinions on how this thing is drilled. It has an internal overflow box with three holes in it. There are no other holes so I'm not sure how they were returning from the sump. Here are some photos.


The tank
image.jpg

Fron of the overflow

image.jpg

Bottom of the overflow
image.jpg

My thoughts are to plumb the overflow as a bean animal and then drill two return line holes in the back corners. I'm looking for all helpful opinions before I start making holes...lol
 
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That's what I was thinking as well. Should be easy enough to go bean and throw return lines over the top if you don't want to drill. If you really like it you can then saw away. Congrats on your pick up by the way.
 
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I think anyone of the ideas work well. You could reuse only what you have for drain and return, or use them all for drains and have separate returns. I have returns go back through the internal overflow as well.
 
It truly is a big upgrade!..lol...bummed I'm going to have to get a stand built, but it will be worth the wait. The current stand is 1" plywood doubled up, top, bottom and sides with no cross bracing. I'd never have the cajones to fill the tank.

So, when you guys say you return through the internal overflow. How does that work? Do you have additional fittings coming out of your overflow box? I'm not picturing how this works for some reason. Thanks for the info
 
Look up reef tanks that how most reef guys do it to see a picture.
I will try to explain it. 1 is your full syphon 2 is your emergency 3 is your return which comes up threw the bulkhead and over top of the box into lock lines or however you want your return
 
millerkid519 said:
Look up reef tanks that how most reef guys do it to see a picture.
I will try to explain it. 1 is your full syphon 2 is your emergency 3 is your return which comes up threw the bulkhead and over top of the box into lock lines or however you want your return
Click to expand...

Got it, thank you. I can see a slit in the overflow "webbing" that must have been what they were doing.
 
Exactly what miller said. Reef guys will usually connect one of those flex directional sprayers out the side of the overflow box or just pvc over the top of the overflow to one side. If you keep the outlet submerged, but near the top, the siphon wont be much more than the bottom of the overflow dam vents. I set up a downward spray bar just below the suface for more even "current".
 
Hnddog said:
It truly is a big upgrade!..lol...bummed I'm going to have to get a stand built, but it will be worth the wait. The current stand is 1" plywood doubled up, top, bottom and sides with no cross bracing. I'd never have the cajones to fill the tank.

So, when you guys say you return through the internal overflow. How does that work? Do you have additional fittings coming out of your overflow box? I'm not picturing how this works for some reason. Thanks for the info
Click to expand...

Is there a hole in the top of the tank? If so, the return pipe can come up through the floor of the overflow box, come out the overflow box and then enter the tank through the hole in the top of the tank. The beauty of this is that all the plumbing can be hidden under the canopy.
overflowbox.jpg



Here's a pic of my 300 gallon tank. The pipe in the front left is the return pipe exiting the overflow box and then entering the tank. (The pipes on the right are poopsucker pipes for our mechanical filtration)
pipes-4.jpg


This picture was taken from Midwest Custom Aquarium's gallery. You can see the beautiful esthetics that is achieved with all the plumbing in the overflow box or under the canopy.
esthetictank.jpg
 
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