Overflow size question. Experienced help needed

[mta_morrow]

Hello. I️ am looking to purchase an SCAquarium 150 gallon shortly.

It has a 1” drain, 1” emergency drain, and a 1” return.

From what I️ have researched, the max gph for a 1” gravity drain is 600-900 gph depending on where you get your information.

I️ May go Triton which requires 10x water turns per hour at a minimum.

I️ do not want to rely on the emergency drain to meet that requirement.

SCA will drill for a 20 Synergy overflow and 2 separate 1” returns.

I️ am not asking for opinions on which overflow is better as I️ already know that answer.

I️ need to know if 1” drain is truly to small for 1500 gph and should I️ really not count on using the emergency drain.

Or, is using the emergency drain as well common practice?

I️ think I️ know the answer, but I️ am going from an AIO to this and want to be sure.

Thanks in advance for whomever shares their experiences.

 

[mta_morrow]

Bump

 

[mta_morrow]

And another bump

 

[madweazl]

A 1" drain at full siphon is capable of flowing 2000+gph (this doesn't account for various losses). I have the same tank and am plumbing the internal box for beananimal with separate returns.

 

[mta_morrow]

A 1" drain at full siphon is capable of flowing 2000+gph (this doesn't account for various losses). I have the same tank and am plumbing the internal box for beananimal with separate returns.

Thanks for replying. Where are you going to drill and install your returns?

 

[madweazl]

I'm not sure if I'm going to drill them or run them over the back yet. I drilled the 75g and it was easy but if I ran black PVC over the back it would fade away against the back pretty well. I plan on running the returns (either option) close to the internal box so that I have easier access to the majority of the back of the tank. A big part of running over the back is that I can significantly reduce the amount of water that back siphons to the sump when power is cut to the return pump.

 

[mta_morrow]

I'm not sure if I'm going to drill them or run them over the back yet. I drilled the 75g and it was easy but if I ran black PVC over the back it would fade away against the back pretty well. I plan on running the returns (either option) close to the internal box so that I have easier access to the majority of the back of the tank.

Thanks madweazl. I️ like your plan for doing bean animal. From what I️ have read, Steve at SC would drill the returns before he would ship I️f requested.

Any special reason you are doing bean animal vs stock plumbing if it can handle 2000 gpm?

 

[mta_morrow]

Gph, not gpm!

 

[madweazl]

Thanks madweazl. I️ like your plan for doing bean animal. From what I️ have read, Steve at SC would drill the returns before he would ship I️f requested.

Any special reason you are doing bean animal vs stock plumbing if it can handle 2000 gpm?

I thought about running a Herbie setup instead and actually using the extra as a return but I just like the security of the beananimal. I've had the beananimal running on the 75g for 18 months now without any issues so I know the herbie is more than adequate as well, just a matter of personal preference. I may give it a shot though.

The reason I didnt have it drilled is because it's recommended to keep the holes three inches from the edge of a pane and this places the return holes lower in the tank than I want them. I'll be running a 50g long (48x18x13) sump with a 20g refugium built into and have just over 12g available for a back siphon. The return holes would back siphon more than that so it wasn't an option for me.

 

[mta_morrow]

Thanks. I️ really appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me.

I️ have a lot to think about now but it sounds like I️ can run 1500 gph with the stock plumbing. Hmmmm. I️ plan on doing something similar with the stock sump as well. Rearranging for chamber 1 to have filter socks and skimmer, section 2 a large chaeto area, last section for return pump. Do you have a build thread so I️ can follow along?