How do i use these holes????

[mrwinkle]

Okay i am not new to aquaria, but i am new to overflows, plumbing, and sump tanks. I have a 300gallon 80x24x36 with two overflows with three holes in each overflow. the big one is 2 5/8" and the two smaller ones are 1 1/2" i believe. Most of the threads i read only have two holes which is why i dont understand why this tank has three. So should i design a system that uses all three, if so i would like to know how YOU would design it? Or should i plug the big one and use the two smaller holes? I am using a standard 75 gallon tank for a sump because the fish i have are small right now and therefore will produce a small bio-load. Later when they are bigger i will just add a canister if i have too. Also what sizes bulkhead should i use for the each hole and what are the best websites for buying aquarium plumbing?

 

[studd muffin]

you use those holes for a sump thats all i know but im interested in why there are three holes. im a sump noob my self.

 

[mrwinkle]

you use those holes for a sump

That much i know let me rephrase What design and what holes do i use to connect to my sump?

 

[Oddball]

The largest hole is the drain from tank to sump. One of the smaller holes is for a return line. The 3rd hole is usually for a standpipe that stands well above the water that allows you to run power cords for canopy lighting/fans, etc.

 

[mrwinkle]

thanks oddball that makes alot of sense. I also have two other holes on the top of my tank, are those holes for airline for air stones and such?

 

[pacu mom]

thanks oddball that makes alot of sense. I also have two other holes on the top of my tank, are those holes for airline for air stones and such?

The two holes on the top of the tank are for your return line. The return line comes up through the overflow box, two right-angle turns and then enters the tank. It's a great design, because all of the plumbing lines can be hidden in the overflow box and under the canopy.

Here's a pic of the back of our 300 gallon tank (same dimensions as yours) The pipe in the front left is the return line from our mechanical filtration, coming up through the overflow box and then entering the tank from the top.

 

[studd muffin]

great info!

 

[mrwinkle]

The two holes on the top of the tank are for your return line. The return line comes up through the overflow box, two right-angle turns and then enters the tank. It's a great design, because all of the plumbing lines can be hidden in the overflow box and under the canopy.

that makes sense also but i have two holes on the top of my overflow walls that i thought were for the returns, What are they for?

 

[pacu mom]

Use bulkheads in the holes, and then select the appropriate fittings for whatever size PVC you decide to use. The uptake and return on the Hammerhead pump is 1.5". However, we necked it down to 1" PVC entering the tank.

We were newbies, and didn't know exactly what we were doing setting up our tank. We use only one overflow box and have bulkheads with plugs in the other overflow box. The thermometer is in the closed off overflow box, and we hang the return line from the wet/dry sump to the close overflow box. The 1.5" drain from the working overflow box is sufficient to run our wet/dry, which we use strictly for biological filtration. We have extreme mechanical filtration with two spa filters, and threw in an FX-5 for redundant filtration, hence all the extra holes we drilled in the top of the tank.

There's no one right way to do anything.

 

[mrwinkle]

Use bulkheads in the holes, and then select the appropriate fittings for whatever size PVC you decide to use. The uptake and return on the Hammerhead pump is 1.5". However, we necked it down to 1" PVC entering the tank.

We were newbies, and didn't know exactly what we were doing setting up our tank. We use only one overflow box and have bulkheads with plugs in the other overflow box. The thermometer is in the closed off overflow box, and we hang the return line from the wet/dry sump to the close overflow box. The 1.5" drain from the working overflow box is sufficient to run our wet/dry, which we use strictly for biological filtration. We have extreme mechanical filtration with two spa filters, and threw in an FX-5 for redundant filtration, hence all the extra holes we drilled in the top of the tank.

There's no one right way to do anything.

WOW Super clean may i ask what do you have in your tank?