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Overflow design


Olly

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I am getting a 5' x 2' x 2' tank. I want to put an overflow similar to this: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/3-vt34041.html?start=30

What size should the box be? how far below the top of the tank? how big should the holes be? where should the holes be positioned? What sizes work for the overflow and return pipes? What size return pump(s?) would suit this tank?

It will house big fish: oscars, severums, polypterus etc. Would a silver arowana fit in this size tank?

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Sweet where are you getting your tank from? Is it drilled already..

Google syphon overflows I did recently there are quite a few good designs for high flow ones that seem easy to build..

Return pump just make sure it can do 4+ times the tank volume at whatever headheight you are using.. PRobably around 4000LPH +.

Silver aro will fit in there but will probably outgrow it as I think they get longer than 2ft long but haven't kept one before sure someone else will comment..

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All the sizes sort of flow from each other. Basically you want the plumbing to be large enough to take whatever your going to through at it, and you want the over flow box to be as small as it can be and still hold that plumbing.

I went with 40mm for my overflow (with 50mm durso) and 32mm for every thing else, return etc. Next time I think I'll go 32mm all round, 40mm was over kill even with the UP7 pump I was using doing round 7000lph.

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I'm getting it made by a glazier in Porirua, his name is Ed Torr http://www.cityglazing.co.nz/. I found this set of articles that explain most of it http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php.

It says I need ~400mm around the top of the overflow, and ~32mm piping.

What height should the backup pipe be above the lower pipe?

What sort of tap should I use to control the flow of the siphon?

I have a 3ft, 130L tank to use as the sump, is this an appropriate size?

What sort of media should I have in it?

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Give this post a read. I also suggest you hook up with a marine keeper and go have a look at their setup, one look is worth a thousand words. Trying to put numbers on things is impossible, for example your sump size will depend on how much flow your going to put through it and how much media you are going to use, which will depend on what and how many fish you are keeping.

http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=168430&start=0

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These are a few brands that are commonly used in NZ for return insump return pumps - Eheim, Laguna, Viaaqua and Aquaone

Eheim is quieter end of the scale, Aquaone is the noiser end of the scale.

For an overflow system I utilize a full syphon with a durso as a backup. I find it very quiet

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