Planning to upgrade our 90 gallon to a 120 at some point so doing some planning research , the 120 is what I should have started with to begin with but that's another story. The question i have is internal single center overflow box , or a external overflow. What's everyone's opinions. The tank I am looking at has both options with a 3 hole internal box I would run bean animal and then have it drilled for 2 returns. Or should I run the external ghost overflow box configured the same way. What's everyone's thoughts on this ? Is it just personal preference or what is the real advantage other than space saving and looks. Thanks in advance
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New tank overflow advice
- Thread starter rrspike
- Start date
Run the external, if you have the room behind the tank.. It has such a smaller footprint inside the tank. And definitly go with 3 hole bean animal. Even the eshopps unit is really nice.
IMHO. Only way to go. Can’t think of one single reason To ever do it differently. Safe, efficient, better looking, smaller foot print, More space inside tank. There simply is NO down side in my eyes. I wouldn’t even consider a tank without it.
In fact I’m so sincere about this. That if some how it became illegal to own one hahaha. I simply would not have a tank
Hockeynut
NJRC Member
Wowza!!!! That’s a man who loves his overflow LOL
I’m gonna draw up a petition to change mans best friend from a dog to a ghost overflow LMAO
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Hahaha hey I’m nothing if not committed. Or wait was that I should be committed? Hahaha
I think I may have 2 or 3 synergy reef overflow units in my basement. I'll have to take a look if your interested. They were gonna go on a tank my dad was building but decided to wait.
Hockeynut
NJRC Member
Make sure you get the right size. When they say 1200gph they mean three 3/4” drains and if you go full syphon 3/4 is kind of small.
for one drain, one overflow, and one emergency.
they will up the bulkhead size for you if you ask.
or just buy a larger size.
good luck
The one I made for my tank, has a 1.5in bulkhead through the tank, and 3 in drains, 1 full syphon, 1 durso and 1 dry safety. Figured if one clogs, theres no way that the 1.5main through the tank will flow more than the box can drain. plus the weir in the tank can only handle so much flow as well
DangerDave
NJRC Member
If you have the space, I agree with everyone here that you should go with the external one. The only thing better would be having a scupper box built for the tank. It's just a bunch of holes drilled, with a grate in front that flows into the external box. Same as the 3rd party ones pictured above, but no inside box.
Hockeynut
NJRC Member
Wow th
wow that’s big pipe. For a 120 shouldn’t need anything that big. Hot big is definitely debatable, the chart you usually find online (reef central) says that 3/4” pvc will only flow 400 gallons full syphon and 1” 600gph full syphon I think it’s much more. But I’m no mathematician and can’t say for sure.
I honestly think 1" full syphon is closer to 800gph depending how much its gated to create the syphon. But wide open I'd say easy 900. And my 1.5in is only what feeds the box from the tank. Not the actually drain sizes.
DangerDave
NJRC Member
I'm running a 1.5 syphon. To get a syphon, my gate valve is like 3/4 closed lol... But, that's good. I say that your drains all need to be able to handle more then the flow of your system running without a syphon.