overflow

[varpanus]

i was messin around with google's sketchit prog, and I started thinking about how I'm going to take the powerheads out of my tank.
anybody have any critiques?


i was thinking about takin everything out of the tank, and just leaving those 2 holes with those bulkhead deals putting the water back in. this has probably been done 110x before,but i was kinda excited I could draw it out.lol. i could potentialy use the heater in this (sump/fuge)? maybe some more live rock or other type of filter? that being said, i could then ditch the cheapo plastic hood for a glass one? mount the light slightly above the tank? i kinda made this thread for some advice from somebody that has done this sort of thing before.

 

[Krish]

Tht's a neat idea TOny and I've never seen it done exactly that way before, but don't see why it wouldn't work really. You'll just have to try and figure out/ calculate how much flow it can handle to know how how much can be pumped back.

About the hood...Do you mean a cover?

 

[LakeEd]

Tony,

On the portion of the box you will have in your display tank... I would do the "fingers" on the top edge of the box... to help with surface skimming.

I don't know the size of your tank *hangs head in shame*, but the design of your "fuge" would require a submersible pump for the return, which can be more than enough flow for most tanks (under 90 gallons), but not if you are talking a large tank.

Other than those 2 thoughts, your idea looks like a very workable, and excellent idea to me.

P.S. Neat graphics program!!!

 

[varpanus]

my idea was having the 2 holes in the overflow on a pump into the fuge, then the other 2 pumps to put the water back into the tank through the 2 holes. it's a 10g tank. i figured, as long as you pull as much as you push, it should even out to the same flow. the teeth on that box would run all the way up and down the front, so small particles would flow through. just not big enough for snails to get in. i'm thinkin about 1/4-1/2" across. the holes in both places would be I think 1 1/2" in diameter. I'm no good at math. about the cover, yeah. everybody keeps sayin no glass cover, but I don't think it would be too bad. as long as you mount the lighting like 6" above it. but then again what do I know. I'm here to learn lol! about the program. it's called sketchit, and you can get it free from google!

 

[Krish]

i figured, as long as you pull as much as you push, it should even out to the same flow

That is a big gamble if I am understanding what you are saying correctly. You would be better off to allow the water to drain into the overflow and just use the pumps to return it back into the tank. That way, whatever is being pumped, will only be returned. You may buy 4 maxi jets to do the job, but supposed one stops working:shock: Even more so, they say these pumps put out so much ghp, but I bet you they aren't all exact. You may get 2 gph more out of one pump than the other (eventhough they are the same model) and then just think of one pump getting alot of build up on it which slows down the flow. SO IMO, I would let the water drain into the overflow (just like they are usually used) and then just use the pumps for the return. Just a thought

 

[varpanus]

that would be smarter...but that means I'd have to drill a glass 10g tank full of holes to get it to drain right? i'm already going to have to drill 2 holes for the returns...i'm not even sure I'm ready for all that lol