No. If the power goes out, the return will back siphon until it sucks air....This means waking up to an empty tank. I wouldn't want to trust a check valve in a salt water application either. They do sell the ones that you can open and clean easily, without breaking down the plumbing, but how would you? While you were cleaning it, the tank would empty.
Is there any support under that overflow box? There will be a non-trivial load on the bottom glass panel when it is running..
No yes and yes.
If that over holds say 5 gallons of water, thats 40lbs supported by the silicone seams and the bottom panel. Granted the center of mass is well supported overall, but you create a line of stress where the stand stops supporting the tank. Under a static load condition, it should be o.k. but as engineer, i prefer to err on the side of caution.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
No yes and yes.
If that over holds say 5 gallons of water, thats 40lbs supported by the silicone seams and the bottom panel. Granted the center of mass is well supported overall, but you create a line of stress where the stand stops supporting the tank. Under a static load condition, it should be o.k. but as engineer, i prefer to err on the side of caution.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Standard silicone at 24' typically breaks at 10 kn/m2, that's about 208 lbs/ft2.
High strengths are available. It's a compressive load so the glass thickness should be taken into account (tensile strength)
(That's why the bottom doesn't crack in my tank)
If you apply that force of 40lbs over the area concerned the results are quite minimal. Off axis loading will be more apparent in this situation so shear strength will be the governing factor. The stress line will in some part be absorbed by the elasticity of the silicone.
(That's why the sides don't burst out in my tank!)
(My tank)
750 litres 198 us liquid that's 1650lbs roughly +substrate and rocks @550lbs.
Crack free, burst free, fish keeping happiness.
Gee I hope that's right!
I use Dow Corning 995 structural silicone adhesive... It's strong stuff.
Same stuff I used on my 800 gallon tank