Will the Marine Depot Elite Overflow Large fit in a Synergy 16 hole?

[beauT07]

Hello,

I have a 150 gallon tank that has been pre drilled to fit the Synergy Shadow Overflow box. I wanted to try the Marine Depot Elite Large Overflow box since i havent read great reviews on the Synergy and to be honest the price difference is almost 70$. the difference is 16" overflow box for the synergy compared to the 12" overflow for the marine depot. Essentially the size of the overflow does not concern me, its the placement of the 2, 1 1/2" bulkheads for drains. does anyone know if the 2 bulkhead distances are compatible? and that I can use the same holes for the Synergy for the Marine Depot?

Thank you

[Potoooooooo]

I didn't see the Marine Depot drilling template online, maybe if you contact them they can email you a copy. Here's the Synergy Reef template for comparison if you get a copy of the MD version.

https://www.synergyreef.com/Manuals/..._16_Shadow.pdf

[LQT]

I run a 12” Modular Marine ghost style overflow in a 3 foot long 57 gallon tank. I would say that an overflow set up with a 12” internal skim box would be way undersized for a 5 foot long 150 gallon tank. You will be very limited as to how much flow you will be able to push through that set up quietly, and part of that is due to the design. For a 5 foot long tank, I would get an overflow set up with a minimum of a 20” internal skim box.

The reason that the Synergy Shadow gets bad reviews is because of the noisy design. This poor design trait is also shared with the Eshopps, Marine Depot, Fiji Cube, etc. ghost style overflow set ups. Having the external box lower than the internal skim box causes a loud waterfall noise as water rushes through the weir teeth. Because of the extra distance the water has to fall due to the lower external box, you get a very noisy overflow. This is magnified as as you try to push more flow through the set up.

Modular Marine and Exotic Marine Systems are the only manufacturers to design their overflow set ups with the internal skim box and external drain box at the same height, thereby eliminating the loud waterfall noise common with offset height overflow box designs, allowing you tune your system to run quietly at higher flow rates. EMS has been known to custom retrofit their bulkhead layout to match the hole spacing of the Synergy Shadow overflows. This would be a custom request, so you’d have to contact EMS as it’s not standard with their set ups.

[hhaase]

Sounds like you're doing an SCA 150 tank? I opted to contact Modular Marine for my overflow, they made a custom version of their 1600 to fit the Synergy hole pattern. Was about $30 extra to customize it, but looks like it'll perform great once I get the tank running.

I've had a beast of a time getting it photographed though. Shiny black overflow boxes and shiny black rear wall on the tank makes it very hard to see and get pictures.

-Hans

[Vinny Kreyling]

A piece of paper will offset it enough for a pic.

[LQT]

Here’s mine... 12” 1200 gph Modular Marine overflow on my 57 gallon (36x18x20) tank. You can see how the internal skim box is even with the external drain box.

[doonan75]

Originally Posted by LQT

I run a 12” Modular Marine ghost style overflow in a 3 foot long 57 gallon tank. I would say that an overflow set up with a 12” internal skim box would be way undersized for a 5 foot long 150 gallon tank. You will be very limited as to how much flow you will be able to push through that set up quietly, and part of that is due to the design. For a 5 foot long tank, I would get an overflow set up with a minimum of a 20” internal skim box.

The reason that the Synergy Shadow gets bad reviews is because of the noisy design. This poor design trait is also shared with the Eshopps, Marine Depot, Fiji Cube, etc. ghost style overflow set ups. Having the external box lower than the internal skim box causes a loud waterfall noise as water rushes through the weir teeth. Because of the extra distance the water has to fall due to the lower external box, you get a very noisy overflow. This is magnified as as you try to push more flow through the set up.

Modular Marine and Exotic Marine Systems are the only manufacturers to design their overflow set ups with the internal skim box and external drain box at the same height, thereby eliminating the loud waterfall noise common with offset height overflow box designs, allowing you tune your system to run quietly at higher flow rates. EMS has been known to custom retrofit their bulkhead layout to match the hole spacing of the Synergy Shadow overflows. This would be a custom request, so you’d have to contact EMS as it’s not standard with their set ups.

I'm running a synergy 16 on a 40 breeder pushing about 1600 gph ( 2000 gph pump) if you set it up right it doesn't have much sound. You need to set up your full siphon and "trickle" siphon high enough to mitigate the waterfall sound.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[LQT]

Originally Posted by doonan75

I'm running a synergy 16 on a 40 breeder pushing about 1600 gph ( 2000 gph pump) if you set it up right it doesn't have much sound. You need to set up your full siphon and "trickle" siphon high enough to mitigate the waterfall sound.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

But therein lies the other big complaint about the Shadow. Because you have to raise the standpipes in the external box so high to raise the water level to try to mitigate waterfall sound, the external box becomes encrusted with salt creep.



I’ve owned both boxes and am very happy I’m running the Modular Marine now.

[FlyingFishSKYw]

Originally Posted by hhaase

Sounds like you're doing an SCA 150 tank? I opted to contact Modular Marine for my overflow, they made a custom version of their 1600 to fit the Synergy hole pattern. Was about $30 extra to customize it, but looks like it'll perform great once I get the tank running.

I've had a beast of a time getting it photographed though. Shiny black overflow boxes and shiny black rear wall on the tank makes it very hard to see and get pictures.

-Hans

Did you get it to work? How about with the eurobrace? Is there room to work back there?

I just ordered an SCA 150 and am going through the same thought processes....