40B Display with 20L Sump equipment and setup

[Michael Stetz]

I started my first saltwater tank in January of this year. It is a 20L with a DIY AIO filter.

I built my own stand and made sure it was large enough to eventually upgrade to a 40B if things went well with the 20. Well I have been waiting for a $1 per gallon sale for weeks and finally got my 40B and another 20L earlier today.

I want to drill the 40 for an overflow and return. I was looking at glass-holes.com and it seems their 700gph overflow box complete kit would work on a 40. The problem I see is there is only one overflow (though it is 1 1/2 inch) should I be worried that there is no emergency overflow?

Is there a better overflow out there in a similar price range? This is my first attempt at an external sump so all advise is welcomed and appreciated.

I plan to transfer live rock from my existing 20L (and some sponges I have left in the internal sump) to seed the tank. I started the 20L with dry reef saver rock but have watched a lot of BRS videos over the last year and plan to order an additional 20lbs of pukani due to its superior porosity. I think I will also add sand to this tank again even though I have a hard time keeping it from mounding up in my 20L. Has anyone found a good way to mix reef saver with pukani or is that going to look weird? I really like the aesthetics of reef saver and the seamless ability to make multiple chunks look like one large rock.

What return pumps do you guys like for this setup? After searching a lot of threads today I have come up with the Sicce 2.0 or Mag Drive 7.

I have many other thoughts and questions but this is getting a little long for now. I will order the dry rock first so I can start the curing process but I clearly have a lot of planing to do while I wait. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Reefing newbie]

So drilling isn't hard. You can use one overflow which shouldn't be an issue with clogging. If I remember correctly those overflows are the ones that go as close to the top of the tank? Or am I thinking of a different design. Either way just make sure you clean the grate portion and make sure everything us running ok. Some people do have an issue with snails or other things going down the tubes but i haven't had any issues yet.

If youre looking for cheaper but less aesthetically pleasing then look at bulk reef supplies. They sell the bulk heads and diamond cutters as well. When I drilled my other tank I used pvc pipe and drilled holes into end caps. To be honest it doesn't look as nice as commercially made items but was cheaper and allowed me to drill more overflows so I didn't just rely on one.

Also i like the pukani rock a lot. I do recommend a bleach and acid bath though. There is a lot of organic material even in the dry pukani and it will leach into your tank eventually. That being said I recommend really researching acid baths as the chemicals can be very dangerous but it is very effective in cleaning everything.

As for combining pukani and reef saver I have done that as well. Here is a picture of my set up in a 75g. Don't mind the algae. I took it before I cleaned things up. Also sorry for the blue light, I am testing out t5s for my system and haven't gotten a chance to hang anything up yet. This is a combination of reef saver rock and the pukani though. I don't remember what went where and I used the tunze coral gum to hold the rock in place.

 

[muffe]

Wouldn't go with less than two for safety reasons. Plan for the worst. 3 would be even better.

 

[Rattzreef]

If its an open back you can always stagger two holes in the space provided.. use two smaller sized bulkheads.. say1 1/4".. I don't have the Glass_Holes version but I used the interior box from an old HOB overflow I had on my first reef and drilled two 53mm holes in it for 1 1/4" bulkheads.. this way I can plumb a Herbie style overflow in my 40g.
Here is a pic:

 

[Michael Stetz]

Thanks guys. The glass holes overflow is pre drilled in the back. They do have one with an emergency drain but it is twice as wide.

I liked that it was a complete kit including bulkheads and drill bit.