Need some help with plumbing....

sharkboy11 · 10/15/2009, 08:21 PM

So I found a good price on this setup, 200 for tank, stand, and sump. However the tank is drilled with two holes in the back. Should I make a overflow and glue it to the back and use the two holes as drains? Or is it setup a different way?

I would most likely build a new stand since i wasn't looking to get a black stand.

sharkboy11 · 10/15/2009, 09:00 PM

any ideas?

sjm817 · 10/15/2009, 09:32 PM

Yes, I would put an overflow over each of those bulkheads. Check out www.glass-holes.com They have overflow kits that may work for you.

sharkboy11 · 10/15/2009, 09:36 PM

Would it be better to make one long overflow for better surface skimming instead of two separate overflows?

sjm817 · 10/15/2009, 09:43 PM

Yes, you could do that too.

madean · 10/16/2009, 08:08 PM

sharkboy11- you hit it on the head with a coast to coast overflow. You will be processing more crap out of the water with a coast to coast overflow. Which will benefit your tank in so many ways. You can still acheive good "crap" processing with out a coast to coast but definately figure out a way to put some kind of overflow box in that tank. You will not rergret doing so. If that was my tank I would actually have more holes drilled and set up two durso method overflows with emergency backup drains and have an overflow box installed over or around the holes drilled. The one draw back to a coast to coast overflow is that when you feed your tank more food ends up in the sump compared to tanks without the coast to coast. Some people have put in valves to divert water. So when they feed a few valves are manipulated to divert more water to be circulated through the sump and only the sump so less water is going back into the tank which in turn means less water is leaving the tank, which equals less flow in the tank and more time for animals to eat food. Once feeding is done reverse valves and return all water back to current flow. understand?

sharkboy11 · 10/16/2009, 08:38 PM

wow yeah that all makes sense. However I have never drilled holes or made an overflow before so I am not sure whether to pass and wait on another tank?

madean · 10/16/2009, 10:50 PM

sharkboy did you check out the website that sjm817 posted. Good site, probably not to hard to retro an overflow kit. So it just depends on how bad you want the set up. Just saying you could make it work, just do some more research and then some more research and if you really dont feel comfortable taking on what ever task you have in front of you evaluate whether or not you are willing to pay someone to do it. If you have dought maybe then its not for you and wait until something better for you comes along. But in this trade there is always a learning curve for something. Good luck, and dont be afraid to ask questions even if people lambaste you here, gotta learn new things somehow right!

10/15/2009, 08:21 PM	#1
sharkboy11 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 249	Need some help with plumbing.... So I found a good price on this setup, 200 for tank, stand, and sump. However the tank is drilled with two holes in the back. Should I make a overflow and glue it to the back and use the two holes as drains? Or is it setup a different way? I would most likely build a new stand since i wasn't looking to get a black stand.

10/15/2009, 09:32 PM	#3
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	Yes, I would put an overflow over each of those bulkheads. Check out www.glass-holes.com They have overflow kits that may work for you. __________________ - Scott

10/15/2009, 09:43 PM	#5
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	Yes, you could do that too. __________________ - Scott

10/15/2009, 09:00 PM	#2
sharkboy11 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 249	any ideas?

10/15/2009, 09:36 PM	#4
sharkboy11 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 249	Would it be better to make one long overflow for better surface skimming instead of two separate overflows?

10/16/2009, 08:08 PM	#6
madean Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 994	sharkboy11- you hit it on the head with a coast to coast overflow. You will be processing more crap out of the water with a coast to coast overflow. Which will benefit your tank in so many ways. You can still acheive good "crap" processing with out a coast to coast but definately figure out a way to put some kind of overflow box in that tank. You will not rergret doing so. If that was my tank I would actually have more holes drilled and set up two durso method overflows with emergency backup drains and have an overflow box installed over or around the holes drilled. The one draw back to a coast to coast overflow is that when you feed your tank more food ends up in the sump compared to tanks without the coast to coast. Some people have put in valves to divert water. So when they feed a few valves are manipulated to divert more water to be circulated through the sump and only the sump so less water is going back into the tank which in turn means less water is leaving the tank, which equals less flow in the tank and more time for animals to eat food. Once feeding is done reverse valves and return all water back to current flow. understand?

10/16/2009, 08:38 PM	#7
sharkboy11 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 249	wow yeah that all makes sense. However I have never drilled holes or made an overflow before so I am not sure whether to pass and wait on another tank?

10/16/2009, 10:50 PM	#8
madean Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 994	sharkboy did you check out the website that sjm817 posted. Good site, probably not to hard to retro an overflow kit. So it just depends on how bad you want the set up. Just saying you could make it work, just do some more research and then some more research and if you really dont feel comfortable taking on what ever task you have in front of you evaluate whether or not you are willing to pay someone to do it. If you have dought maybe then its not for you and wait until something better for you comes along. But in this trade there is always a learning curve for something. Good luck, and dont be afraid to ask questions even if people lambaste you here, gotta learn new things somehow right!