Best overflow plumbing for a reef ready 120
 

Hey,

I'll be setting up a reef ready 120 tank that has 2 prebuilt overflows
and the standard 2 holes drilled on inside bottom of each overflow.

1 for drain and 1 smaller one for return in each overflow.

Would it be better to use both holes for the drain on each side?

I do not have a problem just plumbing the return over the top.
And I would prefer as quiet a drain as possible.

Please leave me your input!

Why not use drains as intended with gate valve one for quiet operation and other as emergency

^^^ do a quick search on herbie overflows

Yes I run a herbie.

Works great.

Although if he doesn't trickle down the emerg being seperate overflow the water could get nasty.

Not sure what you mean?

So just put one drain and one return on each overflow?
Have one drain fully open as an emergency? And have a gate valve on the other return drain?

Would both drains from each overflow connect into a single drain going to sump?

Thanks.

Yep you got it. Just make the emergency slightly higher so If main syphon plugs the water level will rise to go down emerg

And keep both seperate. If main syphon plugs then the emerg would also be plugged(if kept together)

So with a 120,

I'd use 2 holes for return lines, 1 on each overflow.
1 drain on 1 overflow As an emergency line.

The other drain on other overflow will have gate valve.
This would be the only "working" drain? Is that right?
Unless of course something gets clogged,
then water would rise and go down the emergency line.

Would it be better to have one gated drain and one emergency drain in each overflow? And just run the returns over the top of the tank.
(Not using any holes for returns)

Yes you got it.

You could do it with 2 main and 2 emergency. Your choice.

Are all 4 drains the same size? I know some RR tanks have different drain size in a tank which makes setting up Herbie a little difficult(not much but extra planning).

No there diff. Prob 1" and 3/4"

Yeah, I think that's right.

I plan on using the 1" drains with gate valves.
Using the 3/4 drains as the emergency drains.

Plumbing my returns over the top.

Will adding a "durso" to the drains accomplish anything?

(or just leave the gated main drain as just a straight standpipe?)

Throw the durso standpipe in the garbage IMO

For your to main 1" drains put a standpipe with a strainer about half way up the overflow box, with the 3/4" emergency drains put standpipes going 1/2"-3/4" from the top of the overflow box with open pipe no strainer

Make sure all 4 drains have their own deprecate plumbing down to the sump, if you plumb the emergencies in with the mains it defeats the purpose of the emergency and creates alot of noise