What size of drain / return for overflow box? please help.

[l and l]

Hello,
My 100 gallon tank is getting drilled next week for two 6x9 overflow boxes. The company standard is a 1" drain and 3/4" return in each box.
I just ordered 1 quiet one pump and 1 velocity T4 pump. I'm going to try these out. Hopefully I can live w/ the heat added...because I need silent running pumps. If not, I'll probably get the Ampmaster 3000.
What size of drain and return do you like?
Should I get 1.5" or 2.0" overflow drain pipes? Do snails do get stuck in there from time to time? ...it seems that they would slide on through with a larger drain.
Does the "Durso" method still work to keep the noise down on larger pipes?
I can get him to drill / install whatever size I ask him. But after next week, I will live with it forever......
Tank Specs:
100 g (60x18x20)
(2) 6"x9" overflow boxes (1" drain, 3/4" return)
30 g Sump
thank you for your time,
L and L
Vicksburg, Mississippi
loguell@bellsouth.net
100g Reef - 120 lbs Fiji, 4" DSB, MH 2@175W, VHO 2@140W. Broke down and getting built-in overflow box installed...for 30g sump and 10g refugium.
30g FOwLRLS - 70 lbs Fiji, 4" dsb, NO flo's, (1)3" Yellow Tang will move to 100g when ready, (1) Green Chromis, (1) Royal Gramma, (1) Neon "blue" Goby, (1) Cleaner shrimp, (1) Peppermint shrimp, (2) Brittle banded starfish, (10) astrea snails, (3) Cerith snails, (1) Turbo snail, (15) blue hermits, (1) 4" dia Rock Anemone and (1) 2" Rock Anemone. 4 months old. Two 402 hagen powerheads and 125 Penguin bio-wheel (phasing out)
10g Hospital

 

[ebeckels]

this is probably a question best answered by the equipment forum...not the reef tanks forum...this is more for reef fish and corals and anemones...not equipment stuff. Maybe a moderator could move it for you.

 

[mr . salty]

I would definatly have him drill it as large as possible.That way you can always increase the pump/GPH without any problems.But if he drills them too small,and you want more flow down the road, you may need it redrilled....I also own a QUIET ONE,,,and love it.I think you will too....The size of the returns will be determined by the pump.If the pump has a 3/4 inch outlet,,,use a 3/4 inch line.A larger diameter line(1"line on a 3/4" pump) will NOT increase the flow....

 

[wolffam]

Just recently (last month) had my 135 gallon tank redrilled. Had 2- overflow boxes with 3/4 drains. I wanted more turnover and setup couldn't handle the increase in water returned to the tank. My new setup is 6 - 1" drains skimming from the surface with 4 - 3/4" returns. This easily is handling my water return to turn the tank over approximately 9 times an hour. Fish and coral are injoying the adding motion. This also allowed me to remove the two powerheads that I had in the tank making it look better also. Hope this helps. We drained, drilled and re-filled in 5 hours. HTH