Plumbing--need your help

[Delphinus]

The blue lines are your overflow lines? Ok, it's not going to work (sorry). You need to add an overflow box over the holes.

Problem #1 - in a power failure, water will drain to the lowest point - the lower of the two holes. That's a lot of water volume draining into your sump - unless your sump has enough "empty capacity" it will spill onto your floor.

Problem #2 - you'll never get water level control in the main tank. Ie., you'll likely only get a couple inches at best of water pushing above the holes. You probably want water up near the top of the tank.

My suggestion - get some glass pieces cut and silicone them in over the holes to make internal overflow boxes. Here's what I mean (this is the tank journal thread of my 65G FW tank, it shows the overflow box idea that I'm suggesting might work well for you. The glass cost was minimal - something like $15 IIRC):
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28505

[sharuq1]

Well I was thinking of having upturned pipes to take care of that problem so it would just skim the surface of the water, like the tanks at Golds. would it work then?

[Delphinus]

Oh. ... Yeah Ok that will work fine then..

[mark]

Depends on the amount of return flow but I'd be concerned about noise with just an upturned pipe (again flow, but wondering if a Herbie would work with two upturned pipes one just a little higher than the other?).

Horizontal drains seem interesting also.

[Delphinus]

That's true about the noise. I have a tank with just a standpipe and it gurgles. That's why I suggested the overflow box. The horizontal drain idea looks pretty neat, thanks for the link.

[sharuq1]

We don't really spend much time in the living room, so noise isn't a huge issue. I would like it as quiet as I can get it, but a bit of noise is ok. A huge flushing gurgle all the time...not so ok, lol.

Sooo...looks like my idea for the upturned pipe deals might work. Would I be better off doing it like in #1 or #2? I know the advantage of having two lines incase one gets clogged, but it is simpler to do just the one. Opinions?

Does anyone know how they managed to get the upturned pipe overflows at Golds as quiet as they are? Just adjusting or bigger pipes or...??

Having seen your post Tony I will consider the overflow idea. I am just scared to do that sort of thing. I also considered the horizontal overflow prior to this but decided it was just too fugly for the living room, despite being a good idea.

Anyone else have any comments on how I should change it to make it better? Please say so

[Slick Fork]

I would avoid ball valves on the return lines, you don't want to be restricting that flow at all.

I would also recommend some sort of glass overflow, do you remember how mine was set-up? You could do something like that and not lose a whole lot of real estate using the lower hole as the primary drain and the upper hole as a safety. It will look better and be a little more functional.

[sharuq1]

What if I were to make a coast to coast inner overflow that is 2.5" across by 48". Then, because the holes are at different heights, divide it with a piece of glass down the middle, essentially making it into two overflows with the look of one?

Also the ball valves I was thinking of to put on there were mainly if I wanted to turn it all off for whatever reason.

I was thinking of teeing in a valve to one of the outputs that goes "nowhere" in case in the future I want to plug another tank into the system on the bottom (like an extra refugium or something?). Or would I be better off teeing that to the return pump instead just in case I don't put it on the bottom?

Does anyone know where I could find some flatter strainers to fit over the bulkheads to keep snails etc. from getting in?