Can I have 2 overflows and make one slower?

I am beginning a 150 build and I would like to do one sump for my skimmer etc and then do my refugium as its own tank. Can I just put a valve on the refugium to restrict it or how does that work out. I want to do this because I dont like the idea of skimming off stuff the refugium need if the skimmer is first. On the other hand I don't want pods being skimmed out after. There is probably a good way to go about this I am just unaware.

 

Could you just do one bigger overflow and "T" it off with a valve on one side to restrict some of the flow? Might be cheaper than buying two overflows.

Ivan

 

Well, I am going to do two corner overflows. Sorry, should have included that in the original post. I like the way they look alot better than a big middle one. I am not trying to go the cheapest route really, not that i'm made of money but I am trying to get this as close to my dream tank as possible LOL.

 

is your fuge going to drain into the sump then get returned back to the DT or is your fuge going to have it's own return?

 

It would have its own return. Hmm, poses another problem though - if the pump were to quit on one or the other it would overflow. Damn, theres got to be a way!

 

Just add a tee on a 1" drain run to the sump from overflow and feed the fuge with a 1/2 pipe and valve . Put the throat of the 1x1 1/2 tee facing down vertically , add a stub of 1/2 pipe and a 1/2 valve and gravity will take over the 1.2 valve will be needed to control flow to fuge then just take the 1' on to sump.

 

Take a look at my equipment thread...you'll see a pic of the end of the tank, from the outside, showing 2 duro style stand pipes....one discharges to the refugium and the other to the sump....and the refugium has overflows into the sump...so there is only 1 return pump running....

Otty recommended that by using the PVC repair couplings (these are the ones which expand) you can adjust the height of both over flows to tune the water flow to each component.

I have found this to work very well...

 

YIKES, I am not understanding. Thanks though!

 

vdub,

You have 2 options here I believe:
1. Each corner overflow has it's own drain line. One corner overflow goes directly into the sump. The other corner overflow goes into the fuge. The plumbing that goes to fuge needs to go in this order: bulkhead, T, ball/plastic gate valve. The ball/gate will allow you to control the flow of water into the fuge, and the T is the overflow from this, that can be pumped into your sump along with the other corner overflow drain.

2. Combine each corner overflow into a much larger pipe below the tank, and then split this larger pipe using a ball valve to control how much is going to the fuge, the rest will go to the sump.

 

Hmm, I was just thinking about all of this. I have a 55 that I could incorporate all of this into. I could split it in half and use each side separately with the partition being a couple inches lower than the top of the tank. This way if one of either pumps ever fail it would flow into the other side and hopefully not overflow due to the difference in flow. Any thoughts on this idea?