overflow options

[jacobsdad09]

ok i was looking into getting a wet dry sump from a guy on craigslist and i posted earlier about sump educating and got a response about a cpr overflow...i looked them up and they are like twice as expensive as other brands....First what is the difference in the two and also is there another option besides overflows to get the water to sump? any help would be appreciated as i havent started my build yet?...

 

[acrylic51]

Have you checked out the LifeReef overflows??????? I'm in agreement with you on the cost of the CPR.....I don't like the aqualifter setup with them though.......Flower could tell you more about the fantastic aqualifter pumps.

 

[saxman]

I'd stay away from the CPR-type O/F's too. Just go with a U-tube type O/F and you'll be a lot happier. Eshopps makes them, as well as several others, inluding some "no name" units, which work fine.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I have an Eshopps nano overflow and I'm a very satisfied customer. It hasn't lost siphon at all, and won't, unless you have it paired with an inadequate return pump.
CPR's to me is too much of a hassle setting it up and getting it going. They also do cost two times more, and I don't feel like it's worth that much more. I think it only costs that much more because of the priming pump that has to come with it.
There are alternatives to external overflows - first you could set your tank up the traditional way using Hang On Back protein skimmers, filters and such. The second way is to buy a tank that is "pre-drilled" with an internal overflow box. The third way would be to buy a tank and drill a hole in it yourself, as long as the glass isn't tempered.
Hope this helps.

 

[1guydude]

Im gonna be drilling a 75gal hopefully next week! Im turning it into a peninsula type tank with the overflow and return on one end of the tank...that way u can walk around it! I got a deal from a fellow reefer in the local club! Lives like 5min from me! Im stoked!

his tank cracked when he switched everything over to his upgrade so i get the leftovers from his 75gal!

 

[jacobsdad09]

awesome!...back to the overflow issuse....those 3 options are great but i dont want to go with a HOB skimmer and im not going to drill my tank becuz i dont feel comfortable enough to risk drilling it and my tank isnt drilled so what is the best method then?

 

[jacobsdad09]

also another question...should i be looking for an overflow to match my tank to more for an overflow to match my return pump? should the overflow be rated higher then my return pump and if so by how much or should they match?

 

[1guydude]

a glass shop will prob drill ur tank but there is no guarantee...

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JacobsDad09 http:///t/387624/overflow-options#post_3413083
also another question...should i be looking for an overflow to match my tank to more for an overflow to match my return pump? should the overflow be rated higher then my return pump and if so by how much or should they match?
You dont not want your return pump rated higher than your over flow, they should match almost but you are going to lose some head on the return so you want them just about the same, but the pump not rated higher. So if you have a 700 GPH Overflow, you want a Return Pump 700 GPH or under. My internal overflow is 700GPH and my Return pump is Rated at 682 GPH

 

[jacobsdad09]

so i have a return pump i just got that is a lil over 500 and should i get a overflow rated for 600 or 800? will it matter?

 

[1guydude]

well i think that is ur overflow pumps out more water than ur return pump can pump back in....than u will lose siphon from the water in the tank getting to low!

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JacobsDad09 http:///t/387624/overflow-options#post_3413090
so i have a return pump i just got that is a lil over 500 and should i get a overflow rated for 600 or 800? will it matter?
It doesnt matter as long as the pump is not rated higher than the Overflow. I would go with the 800 GPH that way you can upgrade your pump at some point if you wanted to.. Just my .02

 

[jacobsdad09]

if i set it up and everything works well why would i want to upgrade my return pump? also with the 800 would i get a louder "gurrel" since less water will be going in? (planning on an eshopps HOB overflow)

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by JacobsDad09 http:///t/387624/overflow-options#post_3413094
if i set it up and everything works well why would i want to upgrade my return pump? also with the 800 would i get a louder "gurrel" since less water will be going in? (planning on an eshopps HOB overflow)
The reason you might want to up grade is more flow into the tank, with returns. I have 2 returns on my tank one in each of the back corners. I dont know you can not even tell that I have my over flow going on my tank unless you are right on top of it. lol Its personal choice on the one that you want to get, I would go with the bigger one that way if you ever up grade your tank then you have the bigger overflow also, but as I said its personal choice...

 

[saxman]

The gurgle has nothing to do with the pump, per se...your standpipe makes that noise. You'll want to run either a Durso-style standpipe or a Strockman mod, and that should quiet the standpipe. However, sometimes tuning the pump to the system helps as well, depending on how hard the standpipe is trying to keep up with the pump (assuming you're running a "hotter" pump).
However, that's easily corrected by bleeding off some of the return back to the sump like this:

 

[jacobsdad09]

ill have to see once i set it up and find out how loud it will be....honestly there is sooo much more to this hobby then just salty water i tell ya, thought it was goin to be a simple thing to get in to salt water and like now i honestly want to know every little detail so that my tank runs great...jsut soooo much info

 

[snakeblitz33]

I run a Rio 1100 (rated at 300pgh at zero head) on an Eshopps Nano (rated for 200gph) At 3 1/2 foot of head, it pumps out 187gph, and I had to fine tune it back to about 160gph but it's doing great now. I plan on making a durso standpipe for it soon. Eshopps overflows are rated for more then what they will actually drain. So, if you buy a pump that is rated for the same amount of gph that your overflow is when it should be dead on.
Yes, there is a lot more to this hobby than you think. It can really get complicated and there are all kinds of things that you have to learn, and a lot of problems that you have to overcome - but it's all worth it!

 

[jacobsdad09]

so should i get the recomended 800 eshopps for my 90 or go with the 600 which is closer to my pump? i know the flow etc etc but what will work best on the start up the 600 to match my pump or the 800 to match my tank?

 

[snakeblitz33]

An Eshopps 800 overflow paired with a mag drive 9.5 with a relief valve like the one shown to you above would be ideal. The relief valve would be great if you were to run a refugium or a turf algae scrubber.

 

[beaslbob]

You can also make you own overflow for $20 worth of pvc also