Scared Of Overflowing A Sump!!

[ChiTownRomeo]

Hi I'm a newbie here and love the site!! I have a 46 gallon bow front aquarium and I really want a sump but I am terrified of the thought of it overflowing on my floor. I am on the 3rd floor apartment and don't wanna mess up the floor down stairs. I plan on using a eshopps overflow unit to a aqueon sump sitting under the stand. Is it a myth that they can overflow if the pump fails or the power goes out. I have a sea clear acrylic aquarium and it sucks cause the space is limited cause it only has a few cut outs for stuff. Am I just paranoid? Can someone give me some tips on how not to over flow the water? Also what size power heads should I be using on a 46 gallon bow front with 50 pounds of live rock and 60 pounds of live sand. Thanks!!

 

[techo]

+1 following along

 

[Hardridge]

Check valve

 

[bigbanker]

Sad but true it is not a myth that they can overflow..it will stop putting out water once the water level is below the output. Someone recommended to me an aqualifer but I have been unable to find anymore info on this. Home depot probably sells a valve for this but I haven't had to look.

 

[spoonman]

I have a tank with the bottom drilled and a durso standpipe system. Also have a sump with a fuge in the middle section and a separate return section. If the return pump fails, the tank will drain to the bottom of the durso pipe opening ( putting about an extra 2 inches of water in the sump). If the drain plugs up, the return pump will pump out the return section of the sump and run dry (burning up the pump, but better than flooding 100 gallons of water on the floor). Either way, the tank remains full and the fish and corals are ok!

 

[Qube]

If the tank is brand new with nothing in it, couldn't you just drill it and place an internal overflow in? If you are uneasy doing this yourself, most LFS's will do it for you.

 

[bigbanker]

Spoonman I will look into that...

I know personally my tank says not to drill it for the 55g. I discovered this when I emptied it.

 

[spoonman]

Yes, if the bottom is tempered glass you can not drill. It will shatter. Not many tanks that small are tempered. One way that a glass shop said you can tell is if you can scratch it. If you cant it is tempered.

 

[MikeYQM]

A Lifereef HOB overflow is the way to go if you can't drill. No need for backup pumps etc to keep a siphon. They do not lose siphon.

Drill an anti siphon hole(s) in the return line just below water level and keep enough space in the sump for water to drain back into if the power goes out. Set it up, test, test, test.

 

[Rutrag]

A Lifereef HOB overflow is the way to go if you can't drill. No need for backup pumps etc to keep a siphon. They do not lose siphon.

Drill an anti siphon hole(s) in the return line just below water level and keep enough space in the sump for water to drain back into if the power goes out. Set it up, test, test, test.

I use a pair of HOB overflows on my 75, each of which has a backup drain. I have a traditional HOB overflow on my 37. The anti siphon hole trick works pretty well, but mine are all just above the water surface. (I drilled the ones on my spraybar so they directed the water back down into the tank.) I did almost overflow my sump doing a water change last weekend becasue my anti-siphon holes apparently had become somewhat clogged with algae. I got lucky and the water filled right to the top of the sump, but no further.

You can also get a one-way PVC check valve to prevent back-siphoning through your returns. I don't think they are all that much, especially when compared to a remodel necessitated by a flood.

 

[Pschmitt]

Have been using the ehopps 300 for a while and no problems. I actually drilled 2 small holes in my return line - one just below and one above the waterline. This way I have a backup. The trick is to have a pump strong enough for good water flow that no air bubbles can collect in the over flow tube. Also, I'm using an extra round sponge in the skimmer box which eliminates a lot of bubbles and also keeps it quieter.