[map95003]

I know what you mean Jeremy, bringing the return back into the overflow(or anywhere close to the overflow) does seem weird but I guess it works, I saw quite a few pics of setups here on RB like that....I'm new to this too but I would have thought it would make more sense to have the return on the other side of the tank to prevent fresh/filtered water from going right back into the overflow pipe.....I can't wait to hear the answer on this one because I was planning on posting the question....you beat me to it.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

The main reason for bringing the return back thru the overflow is for syphon protection and a little bit of convenience.As for where the return flow ends up after it leaves the the over flow box is up to you all you need is pipe.In the last elbow in the return line before the pipe goes back into the tank you drill a small hole so it points down into the overflow.If your pump quits for any reason an air bubble will form in the pipe breaking the syphon.I can prettymuch guarentee that if you dont do it this way your best piece of equipment will come from lowes, a shop vac a mop and a bucket lol.Its always good to question any answer you get here on RB,its not good to defy the laws of physics.

[Jeremy0322]

So then i guess all i need now is the answer to this. I know that I am probably going to 2 overflows maybe. They will be on either side of the tank. One will be for the drain and the other will be for the return. Then, if I ever would want to do multiple drains for some reason i could use both overflows. I was really planning on using the return as a spray bar so i dont know how that will work with the return going into the overflow. Will it be a 1" for the drain and a 3/4" for the return(bulkhead sizes that is). That is probably the one question that needs answered at the moment because that is one that i am still a little shaky on that.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Jeremy I just looked back thru the thread abd dont see your tank size,what is it?

[Jeremy0322]

It is a standard 55 gallon(48x12x21) with a 20 gallon long sump

[plecosword]

Really? mine is 48x13x21, I think you are off by an inch!

[Jeremy0322]

That would make me happier, i really wanted a tank that was 18 inches wide. But i just could not find one that was in my price range.

[plecosword]

that would be a 75 or 90g, thisis were i got the idea of getting a 90g, it is still 48" long, I have no idea about price Aquarium Sizes and Weights

[Jeremy0322]

Yea, i wanted one that size but i could not find anyone selling one used for a decent price, and then i got the killer deal on the 55 and just said screw it, ill take that one and get a new one in a year or two.

[Jeremy0322]

I think that I am going to make a single overflow in the back right corner of my tank behind where the majority of the live rock will be. I am planning on it being around 8 inches long and i will bring the drain line and the return line through it. All that i am going to do is instead of making it a jet to bring the water back out I will bring it down into a spray bar. Look at Figure 6 in the middle of this page, it will give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sumps, Part I by Greg Taylor - Reefkeeping.com

Instead of having the LocLine return jet i will just bring it back down and into a spray bar. Then, i will drill holes in that pipe around an inch down from the regular water level to make sure that the siphon will break incase of a power outage. I will just make the overflow out of plexiglass or acrylic(depending on if i can find it, any ideas?) and use some form of silicone or other sealant to make sure it stays in place. I will just use like, a dremel tool or something like that to make the slots for the water to drain over the overflow. Now all that i need is some confirmation that the drain line will be one inch and the return line will be 3/4 inch, using the plan that i have laid out previously.

One last thing, is there a specific distance that these holes need to be. I dont know how far away they have to be, so i dont know how i will be able to fit them in a space that will be about 21 inches high by 8 inches wide. Just a thought...

[pogodzib]

A 1" drain line with a 3/4" return line sounds good. I've never made a spray bar, so I can't tell you exactly how to make it. For starters, make sure that you have a fitting at the beginning of the spray bar so you can rotate the bar and remove it if you want to modify it. I've seen people use 1/4" holes and have the holes spaced closer together as the bar gets farther from the pump so the spacing wasn't uniform throughout the entire length. From what I have seen, many people start out with their holes spaced on average of around 1" and then use a new PVC pipe if needed to redo it with a better spacing if needed.

[Jeremy0322]

Alright, now the last thing that i need is how far apart the holes need to be for them to safely be drilled.

[pogodzib]

I take it you mean the distance between holes in the glass. I'm not going to answer that one because I'm not going to held liable if the glass broke. OK, I know a few people that are so called "experts" when it comes to drilling glass aquariums so I'll see what they say.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

On my tank its a tiny bit over an inch.you need room for both bulkheads and some breathing room.At least thats what Brian told me to tell you lol.

[Jeremy0322]

haha, well as of today the place that was going to drill my tank can no longer do it, and that is pretty much the same story that everyone else is telling me. After calling 11 different places to try and get this tank drilled i think my only other option is doing it myself, which sucks alot. I am probably just going to make two 1" holes so that i only have to buy 1 drill bit but does anyone know where i can get them that will not cost me a ton of money. Everyone said that if it was a pane of glass it would work fine but since it is a box no one wants to do it. With the two 1" holes cause a problem because I am assuming i can just convert the return line from a 3/4" to a 1" and not have too many problems?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am sure you wouldnt be the only one out there with two one inch holes.you can actually reduce them to 3/4 on both sides of the bulkhead.And dont start sweating bullets,when you are done you will be amazed at how easy it was to do.Build a dam of plumbers putty to hold cooling water,use lite pressure and low speed.Put a toel on the glass below where you are drilling the hole to catch the glass and go for it.

[Jeremy0322]

Anyone know a good site to get the drill bits from, and the bulkheads too.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am sure Marine depot and Foster/Smith have them.As for price I dont have a clue,but elliot does.

[Jeremy0322]

They will have the drill bits aswell???

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I am sure Marine Depot will have them.

[Jeremy0322]

I didnt find any on there. I am starting to think that an overflow box is my best bet anyways. It seems like if they are set up right they work great, it is something that if needed i will have down the road, for the cost of the box and the pump i can get ALMOST one whole drill bit, and i wont be taking up some space in my already narrow tank with an overflow box that goes down to the ground. At the moment it just seems like my best move. Elliott has one and loves it and i will just do a bunch of fail safe tests on it to make sure that it all works nice and good before i actually set the tank up.

[Lowej82]

salt depot on ebay for bulkheads & bits, just ordered 2 bits & bulkheads, steve will send you alot a info on drilling also, you cant beat the price or the custer sevice. Plus drilling is easy the hard part is in your head!!

[Jeremy0322]

how much would 1 bit and 2 bulkheads be though?

[Lowej82]

not much here is the web site.

eBay My World - saltydepot

[Jeremy0322]

Is this what I am looking for.

1 3/4 Inch Diamond Hole Saw Bit ,Glass, Rock, Marble - eBay (item 220190122490 end time Jan-15-08 11:47:01 PST)

For 13 dollars i dont see how i can not just drill the tank and get it over with.