Need help with overflow box
 

I need a bit of advice on the overflow I'm building for my 50.. It's a bottom, corner overflow. I'm just wondering about the slots at the top of the box...

How do I determine where the water level will be in proportion to the slot lengths and how high they come up on the tank? I had the tank built with perimeter bracing, so the highest I could have the water level is at about 17 5/8"..

thanks for any help!

[ 23 November 2001: Message edited by: One_Divided ]

Need help with overflow box
 

if you cut your slots the water hight will depend on the flow into the tank.. low flow the water level will be at the bottom of the slots.. if you rais the flow the higher it will be as the slots can only handle a spivific volume so the higher the flow the more of the slot is needed..
you could add up the area of the slots and make them to a specific amout of square inches.. for example 8 slots that are 1 inch deep and 1/8th of a inch wide will give you almost the same flow as a hole that is 1" square..

Hope this helps

Steve

Need help with overflow box
 

To slot, or not to slot? Anyone have any reasons as to why slot your overflows. I use 4"PVC pipe for my overflows and just cut them flat. My thinking was that I would just be taking gunk off the top...

Need help with overflow box
 

Slotting will let you have a greater flow with out the worry of sucking your fish down the pipe

Steve

Need help with overflow box
 

Steve, what program did you use to develope the free webspace through shaw?

Need help with overflow box
 

ahh yes.. I forgot to mention that the return will probably be a mag 9.. Sounds like this will be a little harder to determine then I thought..

good idea on calculating the total area.. I could cut a hole in something a similar size and do a test run of some sort.

Need help with overflow box
 

Troy,

Do you have Shaw as your server?

I can help you set something up easily..

Let me know.. Even if you aren't with Shaw we can get something for you.

Need help with overflow box
 

I used dream weaver to creat my pages but the web space is simple.. just upload your completed pages and bam. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] you get 10 megs of space for every e-mail address you have and you actavate your web space under member services..
hope this is what you wanted

Steve

Need help with overflow box
 

Average fingers on the overflows are 1" long.

If you have a laminate trimmer(small router)you can purchase a 1/4" flush trim bit to cut slots if you want them nice looking.
You will also have to make a small template...this you can do with a small piece of hardwood(the bearing on the bit will ride on this template) and cut it out just as you would the overflow,then you can do as many overflows as you like.

Or,if you dont really care about aesthetics you can just set up a small stop block on the table saw and just rip a bunch of slots...but its easy to break the fingers off this way.

FWIW,i probably have 15-1600 gph going over two 6x6 overflows...fingers are 1" long and water builds about half way up them before spilling over,if i had to make them again i probably would have made them about 1-1/8th"
long...

HTH,Marc.

Need help with overflow box
 

how many 1 inch long slots do you have on each overflow and are they 1/4 inch wide Fudge? and is that 750 to 800 gph for each overflow?

Steve