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overflow box or drilled ?
- Thread starter tim000
- Start date
For a 35 gallon tank a sump isnt needed, and IMO more of a hassle then its worth.
For a larger tank I would definatly say go for drilled because this way there is no dried up pumps or overflows to worry about.
See with drilled once the pump stops like it a power outage the water level in the tank only drops a small bit of which the sump can hold all of. Once the power kicks on the the levels return to normal.
With a overflow the power goes out, water level drops, over flow stops, power goes back on, tank overflows, pump runs dry. Some overflows, like the ones from cpr use a pump to restart the overflow but they can be unreliable.
For a larger tank I would definatly say go for drilled because this way there is no dried up pumps or overflows to worry about.
See with drilled once the pump stops like it a power outage the water level in the tank only drops a small bit of which the sump can hold all of. Once the power kicks on the the levels return to normal.
With a overflow the power goes out, water level drops, over flow stops, power goes back on, tank overflows, pump runs dry. Some overflows, like the ones from cpr use a pump to restart the overflow but they can be unreliable.
After dealing with an overflow box for over a year, I'm upgrading to a reef ready tank. I actually have the tank and have had it running with freshwater as a trial -- I can tell it is a vast improvement over the overflow boxes, so that is the route I would recommend at this point.
I would go with a sump for the following reasons
1: More water=greater flexibility. example: if you have a 45 gallon tank, with 10 gallons in the sump, it is equivlent to 55 gallons water.(NOte) you must consider tank size w/fish requirments still)
2: Additives are easier to add, mixed better by pumps.
3: heaters placed there eliminate chances of burns by heaters in main tank to slow moving inhabitants
4: keeping hands out of main tank as much as possible, reducing chances for contamination, and a place to place any filter media/chemicals (carbon, phosphate remover, etc.).
1: More water=greater flexibility. example: if you have a 45 gallon tank, with 10 gallons in the sump, it is equivlent to 55 gallons water.(NOte) you must consider tank size w/fish requirments still)
2: Additives are easier to add, mixed better by pumps.
3: heaters placed there eliminate chances of burns by heaters in main tank to slow moving inhabitants
4: keeping hands out of main tank as much as possible, reducing chances for contamination, and a place to place any filter media/chemicals (carbon, phosphate remover, etc.).
I just prefer small tanks with no sump, it saves money, and there are plenty of HOT skimmers that will do great for smaller tanks.
Tazdevil has some good points though the best one is a sump hides the extra PS pump and heater.
Ive run many smaller tanks, 40, 29, 10 and never with a sump. My larger tanks have all been RR.
Tazdevil has some good points though the best one is a sump hides the extra PS pump and heater.
Ive run many smaller tanks, 40, 29, 10 and never with a sump. My larger tanks have all been RR.
Get it drilled. Period.
I have a 38 gal w/20 gal sump. I use a CPR CS50 overflow box. I rarely have problems with it if it is hooked up to a STRONG pump like the sump pump running the tank. Most of the smaller powerheads(less than 300 gpm)you would be using for this tank probably won't keep it bubble free. I recently averted a major disaster the other day, luckily I was walking by the tank when it started to overflow. I have been running my cpr without a pump, very risky. Another downside to the cpr is the hose that keeps it bubble free is a small airline than can clog easily.
I have a 38 gal w/20 gal sump. I use a CPR CS50 overflow box. I rarely have problems with it if it is hooked up to a STRONG pump like the sump pump running the tank. Most of the smaller powerheads(less than 300 gpm)you would be using for this tank probably won't keep it bubble free. I recently averted a major disaster the other day, luckily I was walking by the tank when it started to overflow. I have been running my cpr without a pump, very risky. Another downside to the cpr is the hose that keeps it bubble free is a small airline than can clog easily.
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