zaxs
Member
I keep hearing about overflow boxes and tweaking so that suction is not lost and I think I have a possible solution to the whole thing. I don’t know if this is an original idea but I’ve never head of anyone doing it.
Being that I have a factory installed overflow I don’t have any siphoning problems to worry about. But if you don’t have this option installed then drilling a tank is a frightening task and usually one that Void any warranty that might have come with the tank. What I thought is why not just raise the top edge of the tank all around except where you want the water to flow over the top lip. Most tanks come with some sort of decorative plastic cover for the top that supports the glass covers and the lights and some people build them into their hoods. Well what I thought is why not pop off the top trim and then silicone on a half inch of Plexiglas all the way around the top and cut some groves in it for about 5 to 10 inches across the back and then build a small Plexiglas box with a hole in the bottom and silicone it to the back of the tank so that it catches the water as it overflows the top lip of the tank. And then pipe it to your sump under your tank. You would probably have to do some minor cutting to the trim piece so that it does not block the water from the over flow and you would have to mount the box off the back so that all the top edges are at the same height. But an advantage is you never have to mess with a siphoning again, you could put a sponge in the box to catch big particles, and you could probably then place your tank closer to the wall if you wanted to. The only thing I would worry about. If your trim piece also has a brace for the middle of the tank then you definitely wouldn’t want to remove this or weaken it in any way. I don’t make any claims that this will work or if it’s safe to do. It’s just an idea that came to me while I was driving home from work. I really need to get my radio fixed…
Being that I have a factory installed overflow I don’t have any siphoning problems to worry about. But if you don’t have this option installed then drilling a tank is a frightening task and usually one that Void any warranty that might have come with the tank. What I thought is why not just raise the top edge of the tank all around except where you want the water to flow over the top lip. Most tanks come with some sort of decorative plastic cover for the top that supports the glass covers and the lights and some people build them into their hoods. Well what I thought is why not pop off the top trim and then silicone on a half inch of Plexiglas all the way around the top and cut some groves in it for about 5 to 10 inches across the back and then build a small Plexiglas box with a hole in the bottom and silicone it to the back of the tank so that it catches the water as it overflows the top lip of the tank. And then pipe it to your sump under your tank. You would probably have to do some minor cutting to the trim piece so that it does not block the water from the over flow and you would have to mount the box off the back so that all the top edges are at the same height. But an advantage is you never have to mess with a siphoning again, you could put a sponge in the box to catch big particles, and you could probably then place your tank closer to the wall if you wanted to. The only thing I would worry about. If your trim piece also has a brace for the middle of the tank then you definitely wouldn’t want to remove this or weaken it in any way. I don’t make any claims that this will work or if it’s safe to do. It’s just an idea that came to me while I was driving home from work. I really need to get my radio fixed…
