[joecon]

I am wondering how to work the overflow. it is a glass tank, so I am not too sure about drilling (is drilling on a glass tank even advisable?). I also know there are box overflows available, but I do have microbubbles on the surface of the water from my HOTB skimmer that will cause the U-tube to eventually lose the siphon.

With that said, what logical options do I have in getting water from the tank to the sump under it?

Thanks!

[BubbaWPB]

Overflows and drilling are the major ways of dealing with your situation.

Overflows are not out of the question - there are filters you can use to decrease the bubbles from the HOB skimmer, and depending on how many microbubbles produced, regular attention to free the U-tube from bubbles also works.

Drilling on a glass tank is possible IF the glass is not tempered. Tempered glass cannot be drilled.

[tango]

I put a sump in about 6 mos. ago. I was not real keen on the idea of drilling my tank so I bought an overflow box and hung it on the back of the tank it is the tube type (2) and at the bottom of the box there are 2 bulk head fittings 1" in size,then you run a threaded barb fitting to the box and run your hose to your sump. As for losing your siphon, I learned a neat little trick take and drill a small hole 3/16 or so in the middle of the bend of the siphon tubes and install a one way check valve, put epoxy around it to seal it, then you can hook up small air line tube and suck ALL the air out of the tube. Bubbles should'nt really bother the siphoning as your tubes overhanging in tank side box should be very close to the bottom of it. From what I learned not getting all the air out of the tube will be your biggest reason for losing your siphon. Hope this helps.

[spankerbob]

I ahve been using an over flow box since I started in salt a few years ago, and I have never lost siphon. Get a good quality over flow box that has a U-tube, suck the air out and your done. As far at the return pump, it denpend on the overflow, but general rule of thumb, a 1" pipe can handle about 600gph, so if you have one U-tube and one down tube to the sump that are 1" you can get a pump that will give you 600pgh at the head, and if it has two U-tubes and down tubes that are 1" it can handle 1200gph, get the math?

[8inthechase]

I've been thinking of adding a sump to my tank and have did some research on the net. Drs Fosters and Smith have an overflow that also has a small pump attached to prevent the overflow from losing its siphon.

[Reefland]

CPR's do this as well. You can remove the worry about the skimmer producing bubbles and affecting the siphon by moving the skimmer to the sump when it is running.