Overflow? I'm an Idiot

[Hollygirl]

My husband and I are looking into our first big tank. We are going acrylic, 60 to 80 gallons. What the is an overflow? It is the holiday season and the owner of the LFS wasn't on duty, so we were stuck reading the sales tags with the part time staff. Do I need this?

 

[inkyjenn]

you dont need an overflow. an overflow works as part of your filtration system and can either be the filter or lead to the filter. you can ignore it and use only canister filters if that is what you are more familiar with and comfortable with. but if you are interested in learning more about wet dry filters and sumps, an overflow is great thing to have in conjunction with a wet dry filter

 

[Nolapete]

An overflow allows you to add a sump, so that you can put your heater, filter media, etc. below the tank instead of inside it. It was primarily used for wet-dry filters, but now it is used mostly for other purposes since wet-dry filters are nitrate factories.

 

[Rbishop]

I don't consider wet dry filters nitrate factorys. There won't be any more nitrates in them than what would be in your tank to begin with.

 

[OldMan47]

Of course they are a nitrate factory. They very effectively remove ammonia and nitrites and that all ends up being nitrates. I would not want a filter that failed to have that function. I use only canisters in larger tanks and they had better all be nitrate factories or my fish will be in trouble.

 

[Rbishop]

Yes, but the connotation is they are bad. I agree with you completely OM47.

 

[inkyjenn]

i have a wet dry on my 55 and the nitrates have never gone above 40ppm and usually stay around 20ppm. granted i keep loads of plants in my 55

 

[PuppyFluffer]

What is the difference between a wet/dry filter and a sump? Forgive my ignorance.

 

[Nolapete]

A wet-dry filter usually uses bioballs or some other inert media which is partially submerged thus the wet-dry of the wet-dry filter. None of the media is actually dry, so the term trickle filter is used since water trickles over the part of the media that isn't submerged.

A sump generally serves as a place for chemical media, mechanical media, and a place for heaters. Some people use it for a place to have an algae filter.

My point that they are nitrate factories isn't necessarily a ding against them. I was simply saying that some people have gotten away from using wet-dry filters and just go with a sump for that reason.

 

[Mudfrog]

I use a wet dry on my 120g and I wouldn't have it any other way. With large enough tanks HOB and Canisters just are not as efficient. Typically this is when you get up in the multiple 100's of gallons though.