A coast to coast overflow advantages design

[basile]

This morning i found one of my fish in my external Coast to coast overflow. Which i though, if it hadn't been there, he'd be dead, dried out by now. A few , a lot of advantages have creeped up about my overflow these past 11 months i've been running my tank, and i wanted to share some of them with you.


This was a custom design tank by Concept Aquarium from Calgary. I wanted a coast to coast because i had one before and knew the advantages of it. So it was first on my list of requirements.

For those who don't know what a coast to coast overflow is. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Its a way to capture the suspended particules floating at the surface of the water due to the wath we call the surface tension. This first illustration is an inside version; a Calfo style, the best actually because their is no break at all its totally smooth through the whole lenght of the tank. Behind is the overflowbox.


We put teeth to prevent inverts to climb and clog the plumbing. That in its self break and reduces the skimming effects but its much much better than just those little central box or corner ones like this

The coast to coast can dramatically increase a skimmers performance , even a medium rated one.


So for a few more dollards in the tank desing you can save big buck on a skimmer. Since a coast to coast will do a huge part of skimming on its own.


Another version is an external coast to coast overflow. This has even more advantages, for one it doesn't impede on your internal space.

-It can serves as a temporary cooling off tank, mine has six inches of water in it.


-Also a training ground for feeding your mandarin mysis or pellets in securaty


- its extra water in your system.
- its easier access and to clean its a breeze.
- i've put a gorilla crab in it to clean up, i put my extra bristles worms to eat the extra bits which in turn becomes food for the crab lol.


This is actually a new white spot crab i got. he's the new tenant. the gorilla went in the pod farm yesterday. This guy 2"1/2 will be 4" next year maybe.He's got the whole overflow to himself and all the left overs plus his hightly pellet. Kevlarr is his name. A good Klingon name.

-i've recently put mangrove shoots in it to become nitrates extrators in the long run i'll have a whole row of plants lol. that should be interesting.

Both , the Reef and display refugium have a coast to coast overflow

It has become so efficient that the water is too clean and my softies need food, so i have to stop my skimmer for some period of time. Those who don't have a coast to coast don't understand that concept because they don't see it .But its a fact, no little square box or corner boxes; will even match a full lenght skimming wierd.... Plus if you have a skimmer rated higher than your set up.


In any case thats been my experience with my coast to coast and it benefits.


Please refrain from posting the benefits of the bean animal in a coast to coast as i will ask the moderator to remove the highjacking, this is about the benefits OF the coast to coast design not the other way around thank you.


Whats your coast to coast has done for your system please tell us this is the place for it. Pictures are good for that.


i write big for my iphone friends

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[N1Husker]

I have a coast to coast interior design. I love it because it draws water from clear across the entire aquarium. I, so far, have had one fish, my salon wrasse jumped into the overflow. I noticed it pretty quick but I couldn't get him out. He was in there for a week and I thought he died from when I tried to get him out. I did a water change and my wife noticed he was still swimming around. We lured him up with food and he was hungry and we were able to get him and put him back into the main tank. Now I put some plastic mesh over the entire thing and now they can't get in there. I love my coast to coast and wouldn't have another aquarium without one.:clap2:

 

[basile]

I have a coast to coast interior design. I love it because it draws water from clear across the entire aquarium. I, so far, have had one fish, my salon wrasse jumped into the overflow. I noticed it pretty quick but I couldn't get him out. He was in there for a week and I thought he died from when I tried to get him out. I did a water change and my wife noticed he was still swimming around. We lured him up with food and he was hungry and we were able to get him and put him back into the main tank. Now I put some plastic mesh over the entire thing and now they can't get in there. I love my coast to coast and wouldn't have another aquarium without one.:clap2:

LOL my fish fall in that sometimes and i'm happy they do because at least they don't die and drie out. And i get them out with a big net you need a big net not a small one . I use a small one to block them but i catch them with the large one sometime just by covering them closer to the side of the glass and they come easy. If you put a mesh they'll die . Let them fall in its a safeguard. IMO.:bigsmile:

 

[N1Husker]

It isn't a loose fitting mesh, what I use is a rigid plastic canvas, that I got at JoAnn's Fabric. I made it at an angle, so if the fish jumps on it, he/she will simply roll back into the water. I have a hood over my tank and the tank is completely covered, since I do have jumpers. I haven't had a problem since.

 

[geckoejon]

i will tag along for this ride...

i am trying to decide on the details for my next upgrade and debating on a coast to coast.

thoughts on internal vs/ external?

 

[basile]

It isn't a loose fitting mesh, what I use is a rigid plastic canvas, that I got at JoAnn's Fabric. I made it at an angle, so if the fish jumps on it, he/she will simply roll back into the water. I have a hood over my tank and the tank is completely covered, since I do have jumpers. I haven't had a problem since.

Oh ok make sense , cool picture pictures lol its easier to grasp the concept lol. Thanks for sharing.

 

[basile]

i will tag along for this ride...

i am trying to decide on the details for my next upgrade and debating on a coast to coast.

thoughts on internal vs/ external?

Well i had both internal and now i have the external because when i had the internal and made my aquascape in the other tank with the internal one i promise myself that in the next tank i'd put my coast to coast out of the way, so i've put it external, you need the external overflow box anyway, so why not put the whole thing as well. That's the reason i could do this with my scape

Its a clean look all the way up.
No issues with the waterweight(however mine was done by a company and by engineers.

 

[KJAG]

Nice thread and some cool pics in here. Confused on the above statement that " you need an external box anyway"
You don't, actually. I currently have a 180 at my shop, a 225 and a 52, all full length C2C Beans, however the 225 and 52 are currently dry because I'm remodeling at home.
I personally prefer a smooth weir because there's zero backup from slotted teeth, but yes, fish over the top can be an issue. I'm still working on a plan that won't hinder flow as much as teeth and think I have a solid fix in mind..
But agreed: I can't imagine running a few tank without a C2C. No other method can compare to the surface skimming that is achieved.

 

[basile]

Nice thread and some cool pics in here. Confused on the above statement that " you need an external box anyway"
You don't, actually. I currently have a 180 at my shop, a 225 and a 52, all full length C2C Beans, however the 225 and 52 are currently dry because I'm remodeling at home.
I personally prefer a smooth weir because there's zero backup from slotted teeth, but yes, fish over the top can be an issue. I'm still working on a plan that won't hinder flow as much as teeth and think I have a solid fix in mind..
But agreed: I can't imagine running a few tank without a C2C. No other method can compare to the surface skimming that is achieved.

Thanks for your interest. As for the statement , most of the internal C2C have that little box for the bean animal i've noticed. I gues i over stated lol my bad lol. I had mine without a box at the back but it was a direct herbee a silent one , and i never had a single problem lol. The one i have too is a herbee but thats another argument LOL hahahahaha .

The smooth weir was my first choice but i got influence too much by the nay sayers about snails, should of gone smooth anyway, grrrr **** nay sayers lol, never listen to them. Go with your first instinct. As for the mesh over the c2c i don't bother i figure its better for the fish to escape in the overflow in water than on the floor, or get damaged on a mesh or net. Plus i use my overflow as a mini tank, for cooling customers, and training purposes. Mine is big enough i made some separator and trained my pipefish to eat mysis, same with my mandarin. now i have a White spot hermith doing the rounds and eating the srcaps and cleaning it of debris, i feed him as well lol. Pretty soon it'll be full of mangrove shoots to grow and make a nice background behing my tank lol. I'm already experiementing with a few.

The others will grab roots on my tonga sculptures

Should make and interesting root system down there......

Something in that region i hope lol

 

[rayn]

I have don't the C2C as well in the past. Mine was internal though, drilled my returns through it with bulkheads. It worked very nicely pulling all the surface water through. It was smooth with no teeth cut in it, just add some egg crate to the elbows in the plumbing and you solve your issues of snails.

Never thought of adding something as a permenant resident there though, not a bad idea. Being as it is under the lights for the most part, mangroves are also a good idea and will create a great backdrop if th area is seen at all

 

[N1Husker]

I like my C2C, much better flow.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

resurrecting this one for more input.

 

[scchase]

I love mine, been installed for 10 years now, and just realized I need to put some mangroves in as soon as I get home.

 

[Homer Allman]

More on my external version can be seen here. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/300-gallon-125-gallon-attempted-build.205256/page-2#post-2422031

 

[Dustin1300]

Love the coast to coast. Biggest regret on my 600 is buying a used (But only stored/never filled) tank that has an internal overflow, would love the overflow off the back like I originally wanted

 

[Chillywilly]

Big fan of the coast to coast overflow. If you're not going custom then you can make a somewhat decent version using the overflow here - https://www.fishtankbank.com/coast-to-coast-overflow/

 

[BZOFIQ]

Old thread but still applies,

I'm planning to add one that's 66" long on a 82" tank, how wide should it be and how deep does the external box need to be for bean animal type setup.

 

[BZOFIQ]

anybody ? Please

Need suggested width & dept, planning to use 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" schedule 80 bulkheads.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Perhaps a drawing would help

 

[EAsalty]

Google Coast -to coast images and you will find many images to review and some with dimensions as well.