Low profile overflow with no standpipe?

[Ashwinclement]

I am considering drilling a 40 breeder for overflow. I was thinking of using a slim low profile overflow like the in the link:

1000 Gph Low Profile Overflow Box - Internal Surface Skimmer 75 Gal Aquarium

1000+ GPH LOW PROFILE OVERFLOW BOX - 1000+ GPH- 8.375" x 1.5" x 5" tall- CNC machined- 1/4" cell cast acrylic (highest quality)- Bent corners (no seams)- Polished edges- 100% water tight joints- Recommended for aquariums up to 75 galInstalls easily with silicone.This overflow box comes just as...

modularmarine.com

Since the overflow is only 1.5 inches thick, i cant use standpipes for the primary and emergency drain. I do have the option of using a thicker overflow box but i like the slim profile, so i was wondering if i can get rid of the standpipe altogether and just have two bulkheads staggered up and down. The primary drain would be at the bottom, below the water line, completely submerged (water level tuned by gate valve) so there is continuous siphon (less noise) and the emergency drain can sit at the top and drain a small amount all the time. I was wondering what does the standpipe achieve apart from setting a water level inside box, which can be controlled by the gate valve right? Here is the crude sketch of what i envision. I know there is an option of buying the full overflow with external box for $150, but i was looking for a way to do it cheaper, low profile overflow is just $25. Has anyone tried this or thought about it? I am looking for suggestions, i am mostly concerned about noise. An 1/2inch unrestricted emergency drain supports roughly 300gph flow i believe, so i guess it should be sufficient for a 40 gallon tank

 

[C_AWOL]

The elbow that would normally go on the main drain in this case prevents air from being sucked in. The air thats sucked in is the main source of noise and will likely generate a very significant amount of salt creep in the sump somewhere if not addressed in some way.

 

[Fish Fan]

Why reinvent the wheel? Take a look at an overflow by Modular Marine:

Overflow Boxes

modularmarine.com

EDIT: I now see that the link you provided was from Modular Marine, why not just use one of their overflow kits? Most report that they are excellent. I just received two, but have not put them to use yet.

 

[Ashwinclement]

Why reinvent the wheel? Take a look at an overflow by Modular Marine:

Overflow Boxes

modularmarine.com

EDIT: I now see that the link you provided was from Modular Marine, why not just use one of their overflow kits? Most report that they are excellent. I just received two, but have not put them to use yet.

Yeah i got one from synergy for my big rimless tank, for a rimmed aqueon 40 breeder thats just $50, i didnt want to spend that much for an overflow. I was just thinking of ways to do it cheaper. Back up is to go with full external overflow box approach.

 

[Ashwinclement]

The elbow that would normally go on the main drain in this case prevents air from being sucked in. The air thats sucked in is the main source of noise and will likely generate a very significant amount of salt creep in the sump somewhere if not addressed in some way.

Air will get sucked in, even if the primary drain bulkhead is fully submerged, below the water line?

 

[slogan315]

What if you made your primary drain bigger, 1in and add a valve to the bottom for tuning. Then trying to match your return and primary drain as close as you can. The source of noise would be too much flow in the secondary, or air in the primary. So goal would be to keep the primary drain maxed out with a trickle down the secondary.

 

[Ashwinclement]

What if you made your primary drain bigger, 1in and add a valve to the bottom for tuning. Then trying to match your return and primary drain as close as you can. The source of noise would be too much flow in the secondary, or air in the primary. So goal would be to keep the primary drain maxed out with a trickle down the secondary.

i do not want a lot of turnover in this tank, which is why i chose 1/2 inch drain. I am going to have a gate valve to tune the primary drain so its fully submerged and maxed out, with a small flow or trickle through the emergency drain, but without the standpipe, through bulkhead holes directly. If you look at the sketch i have attached, you can see the water level inside the overflow box

 

[Ashwinclement]

Bumping for more thoughts and opinions

 

[Grog]

I have a 40 breeder, Aqueon, as my smaller tank. I designed and printed a box in PETG for that tank and have a template for drilling the hole. It is set up for corner mounting, and the odd cut out exists so the silicone joint in the tank doesn't interfere. I've test fit this on 40, 20, and 10 gallon Aqueon tanks and it seems they are standard and it would likely work on any of their tanks. (It has a full back, so the hole alignment is important. But that is good because you can silicone the entire back and it will stick!)

Any slimmer and getting a bulkhead through there would be a total pain. This was designed to be just big enough to fit a standard fitting.

So, if you have access to a 3D printer... You could use my files to print. Or use them as a starting point in Tinker CAD and make exactly what you want. Hard to get cheaper than that.

Installed

Box

Alignment Jig

 

[Txoutlaw]

I'm setting up a 75g and doing a peninsula build with it.ive thought about doing this same setup just with 1in drains and two 3/4 returns.i figured this would work just like herbie overflow since it's basically the same concept. One thing I thought of instead of getting a shallow overflow box like 8" X 1.5" X 5" get one that's a little deeper like 8"X1.5"X 8" that way the main drain will be deeper under the water and will not create a tornado flushing sound? Plus you'll have more room between the top and bottom holes to control the water level with a valve or a DC pump.idk,thats just what I thought about.what do you think?

 

[UncommonSense]

I did this on an old 75g tank!

I had my local plastic fabrication shop make me an open topped box out of black 1/4” acrylic, cut some triangular teeth on my table saw, then drilled one wall to match the holes I’d drilled in the tank’s back wall!

Both drains were 1”, one 3/4” return…

The drain bulkheads were 2” apart, vertically… the primary drain plumbing was submerged in the sump…

I tuned the primary drain via gate valve until the secondary accepted a trickle…

This configuration did come out of adjustment from time to time and start burping air from the primary drain, but was otherwise very quiet, and never did end up with water on the floor!

Are there better ways to do it? Definitely!

 

[Tunaspam]

I did this on an old 75g tank!

I had my local plastic fabrication shop make me an open topped box out of black 1/4” acrylic, cut some triangular teeth on my table saw, then drilled one wall to match the holes I’d drilled in the tank’s back wall!

Both drains were 1”, one 3/4” return…

The drain bulkheads were 2” apart, vertically… the primary drain plumbing was submerged in the sump…

I tuned the primary drain via gate valve until the secondary accepted a trickle…

This configuration did come out of adjustment from time to time and start burping air from the primary drain, but was otherwise very quiet, and never did end up with water on the floor!

Are there better ways to do it? Definitely!

Hey! Thinking about doing this right now, did you have the top 1”bulk head at same level as the box teeth? And would the top drain be inside the box or outside? Was thinking about adding a strainer to this

 

[UncommonSense]

Hey! Thinking about doing this right now, did you have the top 1”bulk head at same level as the box teeth? And would the top drain be inside the box or outside? Was thinking about adding a strainer to this

The top drain is below overflow teeth, you can add an elbow inside the overflow box to adjust drain heights within the box; but the overflow box teeth should ALWAYS dictate the display tank water height, not the drain placement…

Drains inside overflow box always… (overflow teeth function as your strainer… you wouldn’t want a fish clogging an emergency drain!)

Top drain is an emergency drain; it should never have a strainer or anything else on it that can restrict flow at all!

 

[TaylorPilot]

It will be loud, and there won't be any way to quiet it down. You want the water level inside the box to be just below the teeth. By using an open bulkhead as your drain to set the water level, it will be atleast 2 inches below the teeth. It will sound like a water fall. With respect, if this worked, we would all be building them like this without the rear boxes.

 

[UncommonSense]

It will be loud, and there won't be any way to quiet it down. You want the water level inside the box to be just below the teeth. By using an open bulkhead as your drain to set the water level, it will be atleast 2 inches below the teeth. It will sound like a water fall. With respect, if this worked, we would all be building them like this without the rear boxes.

You could also do a DIY external box, and use two bulkhead gaskets per… but that’s closing on the cost of an off the shelf external overflow!

 

[TaylorPilot]

You could also do a DIY external box, and use two bulkhead gaskets per… but that’s closing on the cost of an off the shelf external overflow!

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