The perfect flow for a mixed reef tank

[Rcpilot]

Originally Posted by Frankie

Thats the great thing about a coast to coast overflow. Tons of room for a large surge of water.
The way you stop the splashing Greg is having the in flow directed on an angle across the tank. Input at one end top, pointed to the bottom corner at the far end of the tank. The biggest complaint about surges is bubbles.

I guess I don't get it. If the water level in the tank drops 3" while the surge tank is filling--whats gonna keep the water flowing over the top of the overflows and into my sump? Of course, they will start flowing again after the surge dumps and fills the tank. Seams to me that your overflow boxes would need to have 3" grates to keep water flowing out the overflows all the time.

If the overflows stopped draining after say 2.5" loss in water height, then your sump pump could run dry before the surge dumped and started water flowing out the overflows again.

If you just run the overflows that low--then you're risking critters going into the overflows all the time.

How do it work? Enlighten me.

[Poormans reefer]

I think as the surge is leaving the holding tank, the pump is big enough to start pumping the water back into the surge tank to prevent the overflows from overflowing. Also when the surge tanks are full, there should still be enough water in the DT to allow the overflows to work properly. I think its got to do with having the timiing just right??? I'm not experienced in this type of flow at all. Might be one of those reasons why I don't even consider this style for flow in my tanks.