OVERFLOWS

[bhappy]

Hi fellow fish freeks!
I have changed my plans from a 72x30x36 to a 96x30x36 acrylic custom with two corner overflows. (My wife is so understanding!) I have an Oceanic 58g the 1 overflow box has slits top,midway and lower. Asked the company to do similar on my new tank for better circulation and help clean or filter on all levels of tank. He said he dosn't recommend it? I was wondering why? Is it best not to have them and just go with standard skimmer fins on top of box or what? Better to use powerheads to move water? Want to keep tank free of cords and wires if posssible? Wanted some insight or opinions before I ask him why.

Thanks in advance! Safe Holidays for all!

 

[fox3]

The overflow with slots on the bottom and midway will do a better job at picking up floating detritus.

The reason he does not recommend it is because he is not building a dual wall overflow and if the power were to go off the weir would always be full of water. He would need to build the overflow and then wrap it with another about 3/8" apart for the slots to work midway up and still be able to control lossd of water in the event of power_off.

 

[groovylime]

Wow, that's a nice sized tank! Congrats.

In a power-off situation, the tank water will drain into your sump down to the lowest point on your overflow weir (slots) or the return, whichever is lower. So for a single wall overflow, you wouldn't want slots on the side or bottom as this would defeat one of the purposes of the overflow: to keep the water in the tank at "full" level, so as not to flood and overflow the sump.
I'm not sure about dual walled overflows, though.

 

[bhappy]

thanks but still a little confused? my 58g have them? In the pre filter box I have (anti-siphon kit) (PVC with an elbow ) I was told that would keep from Flooding if power went out? so was I BSed or I'm not understanding the consept? Sorry if I seem daff dont mean too! Just if I'm going to spend $ on a custom tank want to make it right not hafe assed! other than my 58 with wet/dry my other tanks have Eclips or Eclips/Fluval fiters?
So ask if he put dual wall overflow? Does anyone else have a Oceanic with overflows? are they double wall?

Thanks again in advance!

I also have a 12g inverts and others,40g barbs and others, 58g bichers, demcyes and others and approx 2000g pond in back yard koi, gfish, turtles others.

 

[fox3]

thanks but still a little confused? my 58g have them?

Yeah you have a double walled overflow box. The inner box, w/ out the slots midway, determines the waterlevel in the display tank. In a power_off situation the water level will drop to the top of that weir.

The outter wall has slots innit at the bottom, middle and notches on top. Water gets "pulled" in from different levels in the water collumn, and goes over the weir. They work very well at keeping the lower level of the water collumn clear.

If you were to cut slots midway up inna single wall overflow it would not work as well and you would be at the mercy of draining the DT to the level of the lowest slots in a worst case situation. Not Good.

 

[bhappy]

Thanks for the info! I finally understand! The tank will be a 400 gal, I have one (new in box) 300 wet/dry by living color filter. I plan to get another one for this tank and run both? Or should I do somthing else?

 

[xthao3]

what the 2nd and 3d guy said!