Drill or overflow box

[Reefingman]

Right now I'm stuck on whether to drill a 20 gallon long or to get an overflow box. And so I need your guys help.
Could you include what type of overflow box or where to drill and what kind of pipe to get it to a sump.
Thank you

[Jay1982]

I have an overflow box on my 135g aquarium and honestly I wish I would have drilled it. I would say drill it. The next tank I"m getting is a drilled one.

[Allmost]

DRILLL

there is a chance of flood with overflow boxes, and they make noise !

there are different designs out there, u can simply drill on top of the 20G, on the back side, and a flexible tubing down to ure sump. this is the simplest/noisiest method.

u can also drill the bottom, put a inside overflow box and have an elbow on top with PVC to lower noise.

be carefull drilling a tempered glass though.

[uncleof6]

A drilled tank will always out perform an overflow box, is more efficient, more aesthetic, blah blah blah. But one does have to consider whether or not, it is worth the effort for a 20 gallon tank-- or whether a 20 gallon tank is a good place to start with SW. Smaller (nano/pico sized) tanks, take more experience and effort to maintain.

There is no correlation between freshwater and saltwater, other than the H2O. The minimum set up, for a beginner, should be 40 gallon, with the 40 gallon breeder, being a good choice.

Having said that, with a 20 gal, you have to consider what size sump you are going to be able to use: A 10 gal perhaps? Size wise, hardly large enough to run a skimmer and a pump, and just is not a significant enough volume increase, stability wise.

My thought is a CPR Bakpak, some power heads, T5 lighting (I know-- you did not ask about that,) fastidious husbandry, and call it a day. With effort on your part, you will have a nice little reef going on.

Jim

[bmiller1234]

+1 to uncle I started with a 30 long and ran a bakpak and did 5-10 gallons a week water change, no overflows to cause me grief and a flood proof skimmer, never had a wet floor.

[OodleyBoodely]

No guts no glory! That's what I told myself as I put a drill to my brand new aquarium! I practiced on an old 20g first, but, after two practice holes, I was ready to go to the main tank. It was easy and it is so worth it to drill it! An overflow besides being noisy and unreliable/(flood waiting to happen!) will take up an enormous amount of space in a little 20g. If it were mine, I would drill two 1" holes in an upper corner and fit them with a small glass overflow, then, I would add an external glass drain box outside with 3 drainpipes ala the BeanAnimal 'Silent & Failsafe Overflow' design. It'll give you the max space inside the tank with the versatility, quiet, and reliability that you want.

[Reefingman]

So I found a thread and I liked that way he did is drilling and plumbing.
Do you guys think it is good. Here's the link.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...lon+sump+build

No credit towards me. Not my tank.

[vangvace]

Originally Posted by uncleof6

A drilled tank will always out perform an overflow box, is more efficient, more aesthetic, blah blah blah. But one does have to consider whether or not, it is worth the effort for a 20 gallon tank-- or whether a 20 gallon tank is a good place to start with SW. Smaller (nano/pico sized) tanks, take more experience and effort to maintain.

There is no correlation between freshwater and saltwater, other than the H2O. The minimum set up, for a beginner, should be 40 gallon, with the 40 gallon breeder, being a good choice.

Having said that, with a 20 gal, you have to consider what size sump you are going to be able to use: A 10 gal perhaps? Size wise, hardly large enough to run a skimmer and a pump, and just is not a significant enough volume increase, stability wise.

My thought is a CPR Bakpak, some power heads, T5 lighting (I know-- you did not ask about that,) fastidious husbandry, and call it a day. With effort on your part, you will have a nice little reef going on.

Jim

Respectfully Jim I disagree that a nano requires more experience and effort. Larger tanks, while more stable, also take more effort to fix when things go awry. Doing a 100% waterchange on a 20 gal? Hardly and issue if the need for those measures arise. Also a 10 gal sump will still add close to 25% additional water volume. Even though the overall water volume is still low, that is a significant relative increase. Skimmers are an optional requirement imo for a nano as well.

That said though... There is also something to be said for the KISS method of reefing as well. It saves me when I go to the lfs and look at gadgets. Going sumpless, skimmerless, and having good maintenance practices taught me more about reefing when I started with a 18 gal tank than I have learned from my current 75 gal. Space limitations do wonders for stopping regretful impulse purchases on fish and corals.

Originally Posted by Reefingman

So I found a thread and I liked that way he did is drilling and plumbing.
Do you guys think it is good. Here's the link.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...lon+sump+build

No credit towards me. Not my tank.

Not bad at all. There is a lot of good info in that thread. I would do some more searching/googling though to see the different ways you could drill your tank. You may end up buying a 40 breeder in the end to boot.

[sjm817]

Drill the tank. Its not hard to do. You can get a nice DIY kit with everything you need to do the job from www.glass-holes.com

[scott473]

If I could do it again, definitely drilled. Drilled in the center and 2 returns for the back corners and scwd to play with the current. But thats me. lol

For the 20l I would get the 700 gph kit from glass-holes, you don't need all that flow, but it never hurts to run bigger than you need.Plus you can dial back the flow if needed.

[bmiller1234]

Personally with the cost of drillng plumbing return pump etc. I would spend the money on a good HOB skimmer and a couple koralia nanos. Would make for a clean tank good water movement and a lot quieter system. The only major benefit with a sump on a nano would be top off and not seeing the low level in the display.

Maybe even get the CPR combo skimmer and fuge hob set up. This would let you run macro algaes have a offset light schedule to hold ph steady and even run a carbon bag or some phosphate remover.

[chuckreef]

Let's see, cost of DIY kit is about $65; cost of an overflow is about $100.
For about that money, you can probably get your LFS to get you a new drilled tank in the 20 to 40 gallon range, and use your current 20 as the sump.

[mrx66699]

drill baby drill

[VtheMaestro]

Originally Posted by sjm817

Drill the tank. Its not hard to do. You can get a nice DIY kit with everything you need to do the job from www.glass-holes.com

+++++++++1! this is the way to go. check out my drilled build

[ZurichOne95]

DRILL!! I had an overflow box on my 20L. ANNOYINGLY LOUD!

[AfricaOffroad]

This system is dead silent.
No drilling of the main tank, just a drilled external overflow box.

[Inklinkerman]

I'd forgo the sump and go for a refugium instead. You havent much room to play with so get a fuge with DSB, macro and CUC. As for how to connect it? I'd have to go with drilling.

[cody6766]

Drill! toss in a skimmer section and a fuge for your sump and you're all set.

[Reefingman]

So from Glass-holes.com is this a good one to get for my 20L?
http://www.glass-holes.com/700-gph-O...t-gh700kit.htm
Now are these really that quiet? Looks easy. Comes with a diamond coated holesaw. I really like yours AfricaOffroad. Is there a site that makes those? Interested in that one or the one from Glass-holes.com.
Thanks for the suggestions. It will probably be one of these two.

[Reefingman]

For a return pump I was thinking about a Rio 2100 from http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...%20(692%20gph)

Or maybe check eBay for a better price if its available when I have the cash.

[Vegas.]

Originally Posted by Reefingman

Right now I'm stuck on whether to drill a 20 gallon long or to get an overflow box. And so I need your guys help.
Could you include what type of overflow box or where to drill and what kind of pipe to get it to a sump.
Thank you

Definitely Drill. See for your self visit my homepage, it's a 20L.

[Medicoles]

Definitely drill. Glass-holes makes a great product for a good price, and if you watch the video on how to drill it is extremely simple

[sjm817]

Originally Posted by Reefingman

So from Glass-holes.com is this a good one to get for my 20L?
http://www.glass-holes.com/700-gph-O...t-gh700kit.htm

Yes, that is the one you want.

Originally Posted by Reefingman

For a return pump I was thinking about a Rio 2100 from http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...%20(692%20gph)

Not crazy about Rio pumps.

[Reefingman]

What would you guys use as a pump in my point of view? For a 20 long.

[scott473]

If you do dual returns I would go for a mag 5 or 7 with the scwd. You cant beat the price and if anything happens you can always find replacement parts.