return line - over the top or drilled?

[scottayy]

If you were going to drill a tank for the overflow box, would you bring the return line over the top or would you drill a hole in the tank for this?

And why?

Also, if drilled, what is a good placement for the return line hole and does it need to be protected from fish/snails/etc entering?

 

[Tomchong22]

Depends on tank size and things like that. I would say if it is acrylic with a built in overflow I would drill the return line towards the top of the tank and use a bulk head and put on a flex sprayer( like what is used in nano cubes. I can't think of the name off the top of my head). Really it is up to you what you want to do.

 

[scottayy]

Seems to me like the return line placement should be towards the middle or bottom of the tank.. to circulate water better.

Would that be a fair assumption?

 

[Gti_Leo]

alot of peopel liek the over the top, this way you can drill a hole in it just below the waterline so it sucks in air quicker and doesn't back siphon to much

 

[scottayy]

I'm going to be doing a nano setup. 10 gallon and I'm going to drill the tank (never done a drilled tank). If I decide to drill the return line wouldn't a check valve prevent a back siphon?

I'm just kind of in the planning stages right now. Can't seem to find anything on google for a drilled 10 gallon tank, except for sumps.

 

[Gti_Leo]

why not get an HOB fuge for a nano. you can get a desent sized one that holds abotu 5 gallons of water, you can hide the heater i ntehre and put whatever types of algaes you want. with less overflowign headaches

my personal opinion is ther is no point in using a sump on a tank smaller then 30 gallons unless you plan on joining it to another system

 

[scottayy]

Yeah I could.

Except I'm wanting to do this without anything HOB, just for experience and the fun setting it up lol.

I have a 5 gallon tank I plan on using as the sump. And it would be cool to have a little fuge in there and have it all under the stand I'm building.

Really it's just for fun.

So I've decided I don't want to bring the return line over the top because I don't want anything over the sides or back. Where would be an appropriate place for a return line hole?

I know 10g glass is very thin and I've broke a few when drilling holes when I tried to make a sump before. I'm going to silicone some 1/8" acrylic over where the holes will be to make it sturdier while I'm drilling. Does that sound like it will work?

 

[Retired_AF]

By my thinking, by placing it at the top you can set it near the overflow and and aim it so floating food would be pushed away from the overflow and kept with the fish. You can also get some surface movement that way.

 

[scottayy]

but won't that just feed the surface water right back into the overflow? doesn't seem like it would be good water circulation

 

[Wy Renegade]

Seems to me like the return line placement should be towards the middle or bottom of the tank.. to circulate water better.

Would that be a fair assumption?

Only if you want a flood when the power cuts off. When power shuts off turning off the return of water, your return will create a siphon and begin working just like a second overflow. The lower it is in your tank, the lower it is going to drain the water volume prior to stopping. I've seen some install a drainback preventer (can't remember the proper name), but those do fail on occassion, so it would always be a risk/disaster waiting to happen.

but won't that just feed the surface water right back into the overflow? doesn't seem like it would be good water circulation

Not necessarily, you can come over the top and create an outlet that points the water in multiple directions; across to the front, down the back, towards the bottom ect. using a locklike attachment.

 

[scottayy]

Only if you want a flood when the power cuts off. When power shuts off turning off the return of water, your return will create a siphon and begin working just like a second overflow. The lower it is in your tank, the lower it is going to drain the water volume prior to stopping. I've seen some install a drainback preventer (can't remember the proper name), but those do fail on occassion, so it would always be a risk/disaster waiting to happen.

Not if I used a check valve on the return line, right? I'm familiar with sumps and siphons and back-siphoning. But a check valve only lets water flow one way.

I'm just wondering which placement would be best for best water circulation?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Not if I used a check valve on the return line, right? I'm familiar with sumps and siphons and back-siphoning. But a check valve only lets water flow one way.

I'm just wondering which placement would be best for best water circulation?

Correct, but again, not if the check valve fails (which does happen - granted rarely), but it only takes once with a saltwater system to loss 100s if not 1000s of $, why take the risk?