Using Bulkheads as overflow?

[ace1uno_00]

I want to use three 1 inch bulkheads to let the water flow down to my sump/fuge and two 1 inch bulkheads to flow the water back into the tank with a 4 way to make water flow pass the bulkheads so it will not suck up food and towards the front to make a good water flow.
The tank is a 90 gallon long.
What do you think?
Should i do 3 intake and 2 return or 3 return and 2 intake?

 

[ace1uno_00]

the ones with the arrows are the returns with the 4 way thats how the water will come out. the ones with the x over it represents the intakes with the screens. lol

 

[mp3z24]

you will need more flow area for the water going to the sump. so, 3 intakes, and 2 returns is the better option.

also, you will need to look at how you will stop the flow of water if a power outage occurs. i would say that your intakes need a 90 degree elbow (or something) to turn them upwards. that way, there is a defined surface under which no water can flow out the intake if the power goes out. in addition, the return lines also need something to bring the return water over the normal surface level of the tank, and then turn downward under the surface... then you can use your 4 way to distribute the flow. you will need to drill a hole in the return piping that is submerged in the tank. place the hole just below the normal water level.

i know it sounds like rambling... but you dont want to overflow if you lose power.

~mike

 

[ace1uno_00]

Sweet! Thanks mike.
whats the best drill bit to use on acrylic?

 

[greenmaji]

I would build a interior overflow box all the way across the back if I had it drilled up top (best way to get the surfase water out of there to get skimmed IMHO)
Ive seen it called a calfo overflow before..

 

[ace1uno_00]

All the way across the top?!?!? You got a link for that?
TIA

 

[mp3z24]

i would agree on the idea for an internal overflow box. probably the best option for skimming the tank water into the sump.

as for the drill bit, i know that there are special drill bits for plexi/acrylic/etc, but i think you can also take a standard drill bit and modify the tip to make it work on plastic. there was a post up here somewhere....

some outside reseach led me to this...
http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/drill_acrylic.htm

this was the one i was thinking of...
http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/acrdrill.htm

~mike

 

[ace1uno_00]

A overflow box would be more effective?
Whats the reason for that?
I figured 3 bulkheads taking in surface water would be enough.

 

[greenmaji]

protein floats. the most concentrated water is the surface water.. the wider the intake of that water the more effective your skimmer will be.. Ill see if I cant find a link to another site that has one of these things built.. Ive seen them

 

[greenmaji]

this is the only place ive seen pictures of this project.. RC.. but.. Ill add a couple of the pictures here.. (you have to be a member of RC to see the pics..)
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=473152

it is posible to go all the way across the tank with it.. you would have to go with a lower water level.. teeth are not required either its called a weir when the teeth are absent..
you can go just below your center brace with the top of the overflow is what Im saying.. and the only part of the overflow box that needs to be that big is the parts that go over the bulkheads you can make the rest of it more shallow... HTH

 

[ace1uno_00]

ok i see. thats easy to make!
So just put a box infront of my bulkheads. thats cake.
so i should run one line staight to the skimmer and another to the fuge and both flow over to the return pump right?

 

[greenmaji]

so i should run one line staight to the skimmer and another to the fuge and both flow over to the return pump right?

It sounds like you have figured it out to me.. in other words that sounds fine..

just make sure you have big enough bulkheads for the amount of flow you want to put down there.. wich you have probibly already figured out

 

[seaham358]

That box is ok but not needed. On both tanks I have bulkheads with no box and I get great surface skimming. I have the elbows with the plastic vented covers to keep fish out and they work great. You need to adjust them so it skims the way you want IMO the box takes up room and does not look that great.
What do you mean have it go to the skimmer? The the area in the sump where the skimmer is? Running to the fuge is a good idea..

 

[greenmaji]

he's talked about gravity feeding his skimmer.. or just to the skimmers chamber.. gravity feeding would work ok if the flow matched or if it was a recierculating design IMO.

 

[greenmaji]

seaham.. have you read any of Anthony Calfo's advice on how to get more performance out of your skimmer? thats were these idea's came from..

 

[seaham358]

No have not read it... Im all for having the water from the tank go into the skimmer chamber, thats what I have.
I'm gonna stick with my other post that the surface skimmer box looks like crap in a tank.. JMO.. May work wonders for surface skimming but does nothing for tank appearance.

 

[greenmaji]

well.. your right.. the skimmer box in the picture doesnt look all that great.. but.. you can design one of these to only go down that far around your bulk heads and bring the depth up to shallow were the bulkheads are not.. so. instead of having holes visible you would see little boxes going up to the top of the water the shallower box shouldnt be hardly visible from the front of the tank.. the idea gets more surfase water to your skimmer were the protien floats..

I would feed all the water from the box to my skimmer then let the output of the skimmer feed the fuge and only put as much flow as the skimmer could handle though the sump.. and make the rest of the flow with a closed loop.. these system flow design desisons are JMO though..

I can understand not wanting it in the tank.. heck you could cut slots all the way across the back of the tank and build a collection box that attached to the back of the tank if you were conserned about how it looks.. no ugly bulkheads.. lol JK..

Function over pretty I say!.. JK

have you heard this one.. "that skimmer is too big and ugly" responce "it is more effective and gets the job done".. this modification isnt completeley nessisary.. it just gets that skimmer produseing more skimulate.. and Im all for that..

 

[seaham358]

I can understand not wanting it in the tank.. heck you could cut slots all the way across the back of the tank and build a collection box that attached to the back of the tank if you were conserned about how it looks.. no ugly bulkheads.. lol JK..

A member of the reef club Im in did this on the end of his tank and it works great. He used a dremmel and cut the slots across the end of his I think 120. I thought he was nuts... But he did a great job and his tank is filled with large, nice corals.

 

[greenmaji]

we had this discusion. of course he's nuts.. he's a reefer spending booco bucks on fish and coarls

reefer= at least a little nuts..

 

[ace1uno_00]

Yeah i scratched the box idea. I dont like how it looks. lol

I'm gonna go with five 1 inch bulkheads. Three to run water down to the sump and two for the return.
But right now i'm focused on my 40 gal. I'm waiting on my lights to come and to fill it and let it cycle.