Internal Overflows

[volcomstone]

I have been looking for a 180 gallon tank for quite some time and today I was able to find a fairly great deal for one. It's a 180 gallon tank w/ dual internal over flows and a 70 gallon sump. I was hoping to find one w/o any overflows since I just wanted to use canister + HOB filters and I don't have any experience w/ sumps. This tank is currently set up as SW and I plan to use it for FW ank. I was kinda thinking of removing the overflows and plugging in holes but that will be too much hassle. I don't have any experience w/ wet/dry filters.

Any of you ever had a similar situation where you bought a used tank w/ overflows and necessarily did not need or want them. Did you ultimately find them along w/ the sump to be beneficial? Or do you feel you should've just got one w/o any holes and overflows?

 

[malawi mayhem]

I would grab it and run...!!!!

I have a 125G and a 110G both are AG and they don't have the overflows...

If I could do it all over again I would definetly go for the internal over flows. At the time, AG didn't have the Mega-Flow system. On my 125G, (which is in my office) i have added a external overflow which is good but noisey and unsightly and a 55G sump. I did this because I wanted to add another 125G and connect the two tanks via a common sump. Which is still in the works but now I may move my office.

As far as filtration... I don't use a WD yet... I am working towards having all of the filtration, cannisters, 4 Fluval 405s, running in the 55G sump, (which is run almost full I leave just enough space for the 125G to drain incase we have a power failure), so I don't see any of the filtration... although I may leave 1 or 2 cannister in each tank when I do the final set up as they will be in the corners and hiden behind rocks...

So, I just wrote two paragraphs... If I had gotten the tank with the overflows I would not have al the challenges I just described...

Get the tank... you don't have to use the sump for a wd yet... you can also just close off the drains and returns until you need them... get it you wil have so many more options than I do...

Learn from my mistakes...

Good Luck...!

mm

 

[lighthouse39183]

When I purchased my 125g it had the Mega-Flow internal overflows. I knew that my husband would not tolerate ANY noise from the water so I removed them and used the bulkheads to close the holes in the tank bottom. I have an Fx5 running on the tank and it's VERY quiet. It was a pain to remove the overflows but it was worth it to me. I didn't have any experience with w/d filters or sumps so I felt more comfortable doing this. My tank was also set up as a saltwater before I purchased it. I turned it into freshwater. I guess it is all up to your personal preferences.

 

[Bee0912]

get it and setup the sump. the hard part about a sump is plumbing it. but if he has it set up that part is done. sumps are easy once you start messing with them. i just built one and am using a HOB overflow and started messing with it iand i got the hang of it with in a day. plus they are the best filtration out there!

 

[malawi mayhem]

When I purchased my 125g it had the Mega-Flow internal overflows. I knew that my husband would not tolerate ANY noise from the water so I removed them and used the bulkheads to close the holes in the tank bottom. I have an Fx5 running on the tank and it's VERY quiet. It was a pain to remove the overflows but it was worth it to me. I didn't have any experience with w/d filters or sumps so I felt more comfortable doing this. My tank was also set up as a saltwater before I purchased it. I turned it into freshwater. I guess it is all up to your personal preferences.

Hi... I just read this last post...

I am curious...

Did you try it with the mega flows first....? I ask this because I have not heard that they were noisy like my external overflow is...

Also, I checked to see if AG would sell just the black overflow cover... I wanted to use this to hide all the tubes, heater etc... But they would not sell them seperately s I am looking at having some made...

If they are there you could always just use it like that...

mm

 

[lighthouse39183]

I didn't try it with the mega-flows. I had done a lot of reading on the overflows and everything that I read said they were noisy. This might not have been the case but I couldn't take the chance with my husband. I also didn't want the overflows taking up room in the tank since they were not going to be in use. I removed them, and now that I look back on it, I should have just left them in the tank. I still have everything that I took out of the tank, including the w/d filter. If someday I feel up to trying the overflows, I can just unplug the holes and put the overflows back in. Or if by some chance I just want to sell the tank later, I can put them back in to hide some of the scratches that I caused by removing them. I still like not having them in the tank because they take up so much space.

 

[volcomstone]

I didn't try it with the mega-flows. I had done a lot of reading on the overflows and everything that I read said they were noisy. This might not have been the case but I couldn't take the chance with my husband. I also didn't want the overflows taking up room in the tank since they were not going to be in use. I removed them, and now that I look back on it, I should have just left them in the tank. I still have everything that I took out of the tank, including the w/d filter. If someday I feel up to trying the overflows, I can just unplug the holes and put the overflows back in. Or if by some chance I just want to sell the tank later, I can put them back in to hide some of the scratches that I caused by removing them. I still like not having them in the tank because they take up so much space.

Space is definitely one of the main factors why I don't want any. However, I do understand everyone's point of having the flexibility of being able to use them in the future or use them now w/ the sump. I think for my case its unavoidable since some of the output tubing from the sump feeds directly into the back of the tank So I might as well use it if I do decide to jump on this deal.

 

[malawi mayhem]

Yes, I know that overflows are noisey...

So you didn't read that the "mega flows" were noisy... I think thats what you are saying...

Best,

mm

 

[volcomstone]

As far as filtration... I don't use a WD yet... I am working towards having all of the filtration, cannisters, 4 Fluval 405s, running in the 55G sump, (which is run almost full I leave just enough space for the 125G to drain incase we have a power failure), so I don't see any of the filtration... although I may leave 1 or 2 cannister in each tank when I do the final set up as they will be in the corners and hiden behind rocks...

Thanks for the inputs. However, I just had one question

For the part where you say you'll have your canister filtration running in the 55gal sump, do you mean that
1) All your canister intakes and outputs are inside the sump
2) Intakes are in the tank and output is in the sump or vice-versa
3) Neither something else

 

[malawi mayhem]

You will back on this as one of the better discussions you have on this site...!

Think FUTURE FLEXIBILTY!!!!!

mm

PS/ I wish I had heard this before...!!!!