Looking for a good overflow box

kwiker · 03/31/2006, 10:41 AM

I want to setup a sump and I am looking for a good overflow box. Are the ones with the J-tubes better than the ones without? What are the better brands? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

HippieFish · 03/31/2006, 10:49 AM

Check out this place some great overflows.

kwiker · 03/31/2006, 11:05 AM

Any other opinions?

Skiuseme19 · 03/31/2006, 11:13 AM

CPR Overflows are great you can find them at a bunch of online stores and ebay

®eefer · 03/31/2006, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skiuseme19
CPR Overflows are great you can find them at a bunch of online stores and ebay

I would never use a CPR or any other overflow that requires a pump to stop air bubbles from breaking the syphon. What if the pump fails to restart after the power goes out, bubbles build up and you lose your syphon? YIKES!!
Go with a good u-tube type model. The syphon will not break and you will have peace of mind. There are some good cheap ones on ebay. Get something made of plexi. The thin acrylic stuff can crack very easily.

®eefer · 03/31/2006, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ToddrtrexsGF
Check out this place some great overflows.

Lifereef is ok. I have one. It was kind of expensive. It is well made. But itt was noisy before I built a stockman standpipe for it.

jeffb3t · 03/31/2006, 05:23 PM

aquacorals.com is another place to purchase overflows with the u tube. Great customer service too.

Jeepman3sk · 03/31/2006, 05:50 PM

The ones with the U tubes do lose their syphon over time.

Herbie · 03/31/2006, 06:42 PM

Hey,
I just set-up a "Quietflow" from Hurricane Filters. It was very reasonably priced, and works great. The overflow is very quiet......even has a special lid to muffle any noise. The hose they supply is a little loud though. Its that corrogated spa type of hose, which can make the water tumble around as it drains down. I am going to install some smooth pvc to see if that is any better.
It is a "j-tube" style of overflow, and it is VERY reliable. Once its primed it wont lose its siphon if the power goes out.......... I have tested it for several hours. I also "test" it EVERY night when I feed the fish.......I always turn off my tank pumps for at least a half hr a night........to feed. No problems with losing siphon.
I think the key to having a reliable "j-tube" overflow is to have a good amount of flow.......at least , say 400 gph, (not sure of an exact number, just my experience). If you have too little flow, bubbles will slowly start to accumulate in the tube. High flow will not have this problem.
Check them out........
http://www.hurricanefilters.com/
HTH.........Herbie

sjm817 · 03/31/2006, 06:45 PM

Lifereef is the best on the market. They have been selling them for 20 years without a reported failure.

Avi · 03/31/2006, 07:56 PM

I have to agree...though if you can find an Amiracle overflow, you'd be fine with that but they did just sell to another company.

sjm817 · 03/31/2006, 08:32 PM

AFAIK, you can still get Amiracle from Aquacorals. Very good overflow as long s you are not pushing too much water through it (Mag5 or less).

Paulairduck · 04/01/2006, 12:03 AM

these overflow's are @ premium aquatics or ocean pro aquatics, and they work quite good for half of the price. Just like the lifereef they due need the stockman overflow, to keep them quiet. The key to a good overflow is that is has to have a seperator on the back of the overflow to maintain the water level, in which retains the siphon, palstic is plastic to me. I have the lifreef and it is great and built like a tank, but they cost. I have used the eshopps and I have tried to get this thing to fail and it restarts everytime!!!

®eefer · 04/03/2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sjm817
Lifereef is the best on the market. They have been selling them for 20 years without a reported failure.

Not entirely true. I have a life reef and another brand which I cant remember right now running on the same tank. If the 2nd overflow is lower than the lifereef, the lifereef will break its siphon. I just have to remember to keep the lifereef lower than the other overflow if i need to adjust the skimmer boxes, otherwise I could have a problem on my hands. The other overflow is made with cheaper plastic but wont lose it's siphon regardless of the height it's placed at. I have also had problems with the lifereef breaking its siphon while it was the only overflow box on the tank, but this was due to the "leveler screw" not being adjusted properly. Mostly just test your setup thoroughly, peace of mind is key.
I'm pretty comfortable with my setup right now, but I also have a controller comming next week which I plan on using a water sensor on the floor with "just in case".

JonnyD91 · 04/03/2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sjm817
AFAIK, you can still get Amiracle from Aquacorals. Very good overflow as long s you are not pushing too much water through it (Mag5 or less).

What factors in to how much flow the overflow is rated at? Im thinking of replacing my amircle with a larger flow one custom built.

jmccown · 04/03/2006, 09:54 AM

I guess this is a good place to ask. i have a pro clear twin flow. I am running a via aqua 3300 which is 1100 gph. I lose my siphon at least once a week. There are a lot of air bubbles that come into the box and then into the tubes. Is 1100 gph too much?

Reefbox · 04/03/2006, 09:57 AM

I've built and experimented with many overflow boxes over the past couple years and I found 2 important factors that are required for it to work every single time.

1. U tube design only, so all bubbles get sucked through.

2. Velocity through tube. You need enough flow going through the tube to pull bubbles straight through. This can be achieved by the pump size or increasing/decreasing U tube size. (larger/smaller tubing)

03/31/2006, 10:41 AM	#1
kwiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lafayette, LA Posts: 153	Looking for a good overflow box I want to setup a sump and I am looking for a good overflow box. Are the ones with the J-tubes better than the ones without? What are the better brands? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

03/31/2006, 06:45 PM	#10
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	Lifereef is the best on the market. They have been selling them for 20 years without a reported failure. __________________ - Scott

03/31/2006, 07:56 PM	#11
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	I have to agree...though if you can find an Amiracle overflow, you'd be fine with that but they did just sell to another company. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

03/31/2006, 08:32 PM	#12
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	AFAIK, you can still get Amiracle from Aquacorals. Very good overflow as long s you are not pushing too much water through it (Mag5 or less). __________________ - Scott

04/01/2006, 12:03 AM	#13
Paulairduck I LOVE FREE FRAGS!!! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Chino Hills Posts: 2,909	eshopps overflow these overflow's are @ premium aquatics or ocean pro aquatics, and they work quite good for half of the price. Just like the lifereef they due need the stockman overflow, to keep them quiet. The key to a good overflow is that is has to have a seperator on the back of the overflow to maintain the water level, in which retains the siphon, palstic is plastic to me. I have the lifreef and it is great and built like a tank, but they cost. I have used the eshopps and I have tried to get this thing to fail and it restarts everytime!!!

03/31/2006, 10:49 AM	#2
HippieFish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 102	Check out this place some great overflows.

03/31/2006, 11:05 AM	#3
kwiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Lafayette, LA Posts: 153	Any other opinions?

03/31/2006, 11:13 AM	#4
Skiuseme19 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Onalaska, WI Posts: 7	CPR Overflows are great you can find them at a bunch of online stores and ebay

03/31/2006, 05:23 PM	#7
jeffb3t Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Okinawa, Japan Posts: 1,327	aquacorals.com is another place to purchase overflows with the u tube. Great customer service too.

03/31/2006, 05:50 PM	#8
Jeepman3sk Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Charlestown, MA Posts: 601	The ones with the U tubes do lose their syphon over time.

03/31/2006, 06:42 PM	#9
Herbie Yep,that one Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Central PA Posts: 694	Hey, I just set-up a "Quietflow" from Hurricane Filters. It was very reasonably priced, and works great. The overflow is very quiet......even has a special lid to muffle any noise. The hose they supply is a little loud though. Its that corrogated spa type of hose, which can make the water tumble around as it drains down. I am going to install some smooth pvc to see if that is any better. It is a "j-tube" style of overflow, and it is VERY reliable. Once its primed it wont lose its siphon if the power goes out.......... I have tested it for several hours. I also "test" it EVERY night when I feed the fish.......I always turn off my tank pumps for at least a half hr a night........to feed. No problems with losing siphon. I think the key to having a reliable "j-tube" overflow is to have a good amount of flow.......at least , say 400 gph, (not sure of an exact number, just my experience). If you have too little flow, bubbles will slowly start to accumulate in the tube. High flow will not have this problem. Check them out........ http://www.hurricanefilters.com/ HTH.........Herbie

04/03/2006, 09:54 AM	#16
jmccown Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northport, Alabama Posts: 3,185	I guess this is a good place to ask. i have a pro clear twin flow. I am running a via aqua 3300 which is 1100 gph. I lose my siphon at least once a week. There are a lot of air bubbles that come into the box and then into the tubes. Is 1100 gph too much? __________________ "When I die, my biggest fear is that my wife sells all my toys for what I TOLD HER I paid for them" Former member of the "Huge tank club" Current Tank Info: 300 Deep Dimension FOWLR

04/03/2006, 09:57 AM	#17
Reefbox Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Butler, PA Posts: 1,045	I've built and experimented with many overflow boxes over the past couple years and I found 2 important factors that are required for it to work every single time. 1. U tube design only, so all bubbles get sucked through. 2. Velocity through tube. You need enough flow going through the tube to pull bubbles straight through. This can be achieved by the pump size or increasing/decreasing U tube size. (larger/smaller tubing)