How does aquarium overflow box work?

An overflow box is a device that sits on the lip of your aquarium. As water is siphoned from the aquarium, it is delivered by gravity to the sump underneath, where it is filtered. Then, a large return pump in the sump delivers water back to the aquarium.

What is the point of an overflow box?

The overflow box takes surface water from the tank and delivers it via drilled drains or a U tube drain to a sump where you may have your skimmer, refugium or other filtration devices. The over flow box also sets the water level in the tank by being raised or lowered.

How big should my overflow box be?

When it comes to sizing an overflow, you just need one that is large enough to handle the capacity of the return pump you plan to get. Because the overflow is self-regulating, it won’t drain more than flows into it, if you have say a 500gph return pump; just get an overflow that is rated larger than 500gph.

How do external overflow boxes work?

External Overflow: The unique design of the overflow allows them to maintain a siphon in the event of a power outage by “trapping” water in the bend over the tank so that this area is always full of water and only the excess water that flows into the overflow will drain down to the sump.

How does a aquarium sump not overflow?

Turn off all water pumps and skimmers in your tank. Watch the water level in your sump as it rises. If the water level starts to go above approximately 1 inch below your sump rim, start removing water into the bucket to keep it below that level. This is your “maximum fill” sump water level during normal operation.

Do you need an overflow box?

yes its fine as long as your sump can handle the ammount of water that will drain. it will drian to the bottom of the baskets so make the as high as possible. yes its fine as long as your sump can handle the ammount of water that will drain.

Do I need an aquarium sump?

The answer is no, sumps are not an absolute necessity for a saltwater fish tank. There are many aquariums that are very beautiful and thriving without sumps integrated into their reef aquarium setup.

How is an overflow box used in a sump tank?

Overflow boxes are used to supply water to the sump from the tank when the tank has not been drilled. Normally constructed in a hang-on-tank style, these units are simple to install and make adding a sump to your system easy. Continue to 5 of 6 below.

How do you install an overflow weir in an aquarium?

They can be installed by drilling a few holes in the tank. An external box housing the pipes is connected to a smaller overflow weir box inside of the tank with bulkheads. Two such models of these boxes are the Reef Savvy Ghost Overflow and the Synergy Reef overflow.

What kind of overflow box do you need for a reef tank?

An external box housing the pipes is connected to a smaller overflow weir box inside of the tank with bulkheads. Two such models of these boxes are the Reef Savvy Ghost Overflow and the Synergy Reef overflow. These go for about $200 USD.

Where do you put the overflow valve in an aquarium?

In this case the valve needs to be located it down near the sump to prevent trapped air in the pipe. This can potentially trip you up if you haven’t set up the method before. The main valve standpipe will work at almost any height you make it as long as its lower than the emergency standpipe.