Cubic aquarium design - hidden overflow.

mkr · #1 03/27/2004, 10:25 AM

Hello
Here's an idea for hiding the overflow box outside the tank.

This 52 gallon tank will be plumbed to the sump of my 90 gallon reef system, and will host a saddle toby (first I will need to have a lionfish for some period).

There's gonna be a small gap between the overflow and the tank, this allows me to fit in an plexiglass background painted with spraycans (3 shades of blue to make a gradient)

Any feedback is welcomed.

Mantis806 · #2 03/27/2004, 01:22 PM

i thought of the same idea a while back. but in reality, it's not practical for me to try this idea on a glass tank. it's a great idea for your acrylic tank tho. nice space saver. the only prob i thought of was that i was worried about the flow rate that the overflow box can handle. plus having only one side of the overflow box exposed to the tank to surface skimmer limits it's ability to do a lot of surface skimming. JMO. easy fix to the probplem is just to make the oveflow box wider. since it's on the back of the tank, no one will see or care anyway. goodluck, post updates...i wanna see how it goes.

mkr · #3 03/27/2004, 01:42 PM

I rethinked the design and came up with an even more efficient design. The idea here is that the holes are connected with a 90 degree pipe, and there is two standpipes within the overflow - one is backup pipe.

As you say, the flow handling is easily enhanced by widening the box - if required to the whole length of the aquarium.

The good thing is that you can cover those pipes with a Deep Sand Bed, making the only visible thing the grid where the water escapes, rendering the overflow virtually invisible.

The return from sump hole has been removed, as I might aswell run a pipe through the light canopy on the back.

vapovick · #4 03/27/2004, 02:22 PM

looks cool. what program are you using to draw these ?

mkr · #5 03/27/2004, 04:52 PM

Thanks... they're done in 3d-max. I will get this custom build by a pro, as I have not build an aquarium before. Starting out the first time with a more complex design than an standard tank and 52 gallons is a bit risky.

gev · #6 03/27/2004, 05:00 PM

Why not make your life easier and simply add a divider panel a couple inches from the back of your tank? Then you can notch teeth in the top and have the entire back be an overflow.

Much easier to build.

mkr · #7 03/27/2004, 05:07 PM

True... it's much much easier. The only thing about that method is that i cannot fit in the plexiglas background - this method allows a gap between the tank and the overflow. The plexiglas will completely hide the overflow and standpipes.

gev · #8 03/27/2004, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mkr
True... it's much much easier. The only thing about that method is that i cannot fit in the plexiglas background - this method allows a gap between the tank and the overflow. The plexiglas will completely hide the overflow and standpipes.

I don't understand, why can't you fit the divider in? Cut it to size, put it in diagonally and then straighten it out.

Also, If you want to hide the overflow box, use colored acrylic for the divider.

mkr · #9 03/28/2004, 05:32 AM

Fitting in a tank divider is not a problem, but doing this will eliminate the possiblility for a gap between the tank and overflow.

I need this gap to be able to fit in the background - this gap is the key for hiding the overflow box.

This illustration should show the concept more clearly. I could use colored acryllic as a divider, only I'm certain I will have a hard time finding the right color - not to mention a blue gradient color.

Also the acryllic could get scratched easily when scraping algae.

gev · #10 03/31/2004, 12:42 AM

I'm not sure you're understanding what I'm suggesting. Create a tank divider of acrylic or glass, the same size as the inside back panel (the size of the panel less the thickness of the sides and bottom). Mount this about two inches in from the back of the tank, parallel to the back of the tank. Now the divider IS the back of the tank and everything behind it is the overflow. This is easier because you can cut the strainer into the divider before installation (easier than cutting the tank) and it has less glue/weld points than your design. If you brace the divider properly, you won't have any problem with the strength of the new "back".

Quote:

Originally posted by mkr
Fitting in a tank divider is not a problem, but doing this will eliminate the possiblility for a gap between the tank and overflow.

I need this gap to be able to fit in the background - this gap is the key for hiding the overflow box.

This illustration should show the concept more clearly. I could use colored acryllic as a divider, only I'm certain I will have a hard time finding the right color - not to mention a blue gradient color.

Also the acryllic could get scratched easily when scraping algae.

gev · #11 03/31/2004, 12:46 AM

If you are concerned about placing a background back there, then sandwich it between two layers of glass/acrylic and silicone up the top edge.

However, I don't think you'd have much trouble finding a piece of acrylic in a color that you'll like, and who cares if it gets scratched? It's opaque.

Quote:

Originally posted by mkr
Fitting in a tank divider is not a problem, but doing this will eliminate the possiblility for a gap between the tank and overflow.

I need this gap to be able to fit in the background - this gap is the key for hiding the overflow box.

mkr · #12 03/31/2004, 01:46 AM

that's an idea

about finding things... I live in Denmark, it's usually hard to find stuff like that.

gev · #13 03/31/2004, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mkr
that's an idea

about finding things... I live in Denmark, it's usually hard to find stuff like that.

That's why they made mail-order.

mkr · #14 03/31/2004, 09:29 AM

True, but it might be just as expensive as building this tank

I'll figure something out...

MotorcycleMan · #15 03/31/2004, 10:46 AM

Have you thought of using a piece of colored acrylic as the back panel of the tank? you can then just build the tank like normal. notch out the back panel as you see fit and then glue another box onto the back of the tank after its all finished instead of trying to do wierd dimentions or leaving spaces for backgrounds. Very simple to do especially with acrylic.

Also why drill for return pipes? have them come over the top of the tank this way you wont see them

mkr · #16 03/31/2004, 01:19 PM

It will be build in glass.

I'm not sure how the water would fall down if I ran the return to sump pipes over the top of the tank (asssuming you are talking about those?)..

I will run the return from sump over the tank though.

Great ideas btw. thanks!

MotorcycleMan · #17 03/31/2004, 02:29 PM

oh im sorry i did not realize it was glass

gev · #18 04/01/2004, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mkr
It will be build in glass.

Ok, so build the divider out of glass and then silicone a piece of colored acrylic to either side of the divider. The colored acrylic is reef safe, another background may or may not be.

Otherwise, you're working very hard to keep two glass boxes in close proximity to each other.

You could just build the slots in the back of the tank and add a chute/spillway and have the overflow tank not actually be attached to the tank.

Quote:

I'm not sure how the water would fall down if I ran the return to sump pipes over the top of the tank (asssuming you are talking about those?)..

I will run the return from sump over the tank though.

He was talking about the return-from-sump piping. It can easily come over the top of the tank and be out of site.

zenguitar · #19 04/01/2004, 10:55 AM

I think it's very nice. My next tank will have an overflow on the outside of the tank similiar to this but I will use stockman overflows in the box and have the drain go straight out the bottom. It's too bad I did see the idea of the outside overflow with the slots on the back tank wall a month or two sooner as the current tank would have been made this way.