Drain and return placement question

[AllFin-ished]

So I have a 150g long tank dont have measurements off hand but I could get them later if needed. But I'm trying to think of how to plumb this tank and I am wondering if I could do 2 drains with pvc on one end of the tank with a peice of homemade glass for a overflow to hide the pvc and then have my returns on the other end of the tank? Would their be any issues with this by not placing them in the middle of the tank as the tank is built into my wall and u can see out of both of the long sides. Or should I put one drain on both ends and have them come together befor going into my sump and possibly 2 returns on both ends?

 

[CuzzA]

I'm not quite sure what you're describing regarding a "piece of glass". Keep in mind the primary purpose of a sealed overflow box is to prevent the tank from draining should a bulkhead fail.

As for having drains on one side, this is perfectly acceptable and commonly done with peninsula style tanks. In an in wall setup I'd prefer the return to push water toward the drain. This can be achieved by going up and over.

A picture of the setup and illustration with some clarification of exactly what you're trying to accomplish would help to determine the best setup.

 

[AllFin-ished]

This is the tank when I had it setup fresh water

 

[ca1ore]

One important purpose of the drains/internal box is to affect proper surface skimming. Certainly this can be done with an overflow at one end, it’s better accomplished with one more centrally located. Location of the return doesn’t matter.

 

[AllFin-ished]

My idea comes without drilling the 2inch thick glass as I havent compleatly figured out if its tempered so I was thinking if I put 2 pvc overflows on one end and then blacked out glass so u wouldn't see them it would flow over the top and into the overflows but I'm not 100% if that idea would work as I havent seen one yet in my searching but If i can have the drain at one end and return at the other that will make it a little easier to look good on both sides

 

[AllFin-ished]

In my mind it would be kinda like putting a pvc syphon inside of a bigger pvc pipe with holes or cuts at the top but with glass instead to hide them

 

[CuzzA]

My idea comes without drilling the 2inch thick glass as I havent compleatly figured out if its tempered so I was thinking if I put 2 pvc overflows on one end and then blacked out glass so u wouldn't see them it would flow over the top and into the overflows but I'm not 100% if that idea would work as I havent seen one yet in my searching but If i can have the drain at one end and return at the other that will make it a little easier to look good on both sides

I highly doubt a 150 gallon tank is made from 2 inch glass. That is just ridiculously excessive. But if you say it, then someone decided to build the most overbuilt tabk on earth. Nevertheless, you could run a siphon overflow. There are premade commercial options. They all pretty much suck. Or should I say end up not sucking, even despite an Aqualifter pump. You're going to lose the siphon at some point and maybe more often than you like. This really isn't a good option on a big tank

I'd determine if the tank is truly tempered first. If it is, I'd sell it and get the right tank. If not, drill it and install a proper Herbie or Beananimal overflow. The most impressive SPS tank I've seen to date is a 650 gallon peninsula. 10 feet long. My LFS has an even bigger softy anemone tank, peninsula. And their latest 250 gallon LPS tank, peninsula. With the flow we can achieve from today's powerheads, gyres and wavemakers, moving water to a drain is a non issue.

 

[AllFin-ished]

I will have to measure the glass myself now that u say this. I just sware I saw a stamp on the glass from 1988 with a anchor on it saying 2inch but that might be some other number for something else in not compleatly sure I guess I'll look into the glass some more and see if I can drill it that would be ideal for sure but I really just diddnt wanna take a chance as it took a long while to build this heavy tank into the wall like it is now

 

[AllFin-ished]

Just finished cleaning it out from when I had it fresh water and your right glass is def not 2incs I looked at the emblem wrong but I'm currently trying to test to see if its tempard glass or not so I can figure out if I'm drilling. Hopefully it's not. If I am able to drill my best bet would be drain on one end and return on the other so that they would be hidden