Return Placement

[Rudy]

Greetings everyone,

I am about to purchase a custom made 280 gal acrylic tank for my new home I am constructing. The tank dimensions will be 72"L x 30"W x 30"H.

I have elected to have two over flows, each placed at 1/3 length of the tank. I am wondering what people feel is the best overflow position given this set-up? This tank will serve as a peninsula between the formal living room and the eat-in kitchen area so I want a little visible plumbing as possible.

I have attached a rough drawing of the tank dimensions. Any help/advice which anyone is willing to offer regarding the return(s) placement will be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[rbell219]

If it were me, I'd go for one slightly larger overflow box in the center. You can make it large enough to house two drains and returns. I'd also probably split the two returns, pointing them to the four corners---roughly.

 

[Rudy]

I actually considered just one centralized overflow area at dimension of 10" x 10"

Would that big a large enough area of coverage? Could/should I use hoses from low returns to extend the flow to the outer margins of the tank?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[rbell219]

I actually considered just one centralized overflow area at dimension of 10" x 10"

Would that big a large enough area of coverage? Could/should I use hoses from low returns to extend the flow to the outer margins of the tank?

Thanks for the advice.

I think 10 x 10 would be plenty big. Usually - in manufactured tanks - you see the overflow is just large enough to accomodate the plumbing for the drains and returns. But the more surface skimming the better right--so 10 x 10 should do nicely. Maybe someone else have a beeter idea--more experience?

hoses for the return....are you talking about running them on the outside? I would just have them in the overflow box like you also typically see. A cleaner look IMO. The directional spouts you can point towards the outer corners. The ones I'm talking about have the ball joints so you can turn them where you want them. Am I making any sense? Do you know what I'm referring to?

 

[Rudy]

The directional spouts you can point towards the outer corners. The ones I'm talking about have the ball joints so you can turn them where you want them. Am I making any sense? Do you know what I'm referring to?

Yes, I am familiar with the bulkhead fittings to which you are referring. I was thinking, since the tank is 72"L, of running the lower placed returns with a hose which is hidden within the LR to really improve water flow at the outer margins of this tank?

Or, would a more powerful pump be better with the fittings terminating at the overflow box? I guess it is not totally bad to have a little less current in certain areas of the tank. The ocean current is not homogeneous.

Thanks again. I am interested to hear if anyone else has a better plan. Your opinion has reinforced my initial thought, until I changed my mind and began to lean toward the dual towers.

 

[Rudy]

If it were me, I'd go for one slightly larger overflow box in the center...

Aesthetically, I think I like the look of the two towers better. I reason is one larger central overflow will completely occlude the view at the center of the tank. Now that I think of it, this may even be an issue if I were to have a group of small schooling fish, e.g. Green Damsels.

Any thoughts?