DIY Ghost Overflow

[northgahillbilly]

I was planning for a new build and sat there drooling over the ghost overflow boxes, but didnt really feel like spending more on an overflow than I did a tank, and beyond that a ghost would be extreme overkill for my small tank, 34 gallons.

I have not messed with acrylic much beyond testing if I can make a bond, but Im pretty happy with how it turned out.

The acrylic is 1/4" black, all cuts were made on a table saw using a melamine blade. I was worried that the blade wouldnt cut it smooth enough, but I am pretty impressed.

There ARE small dribbly leaks on the bottom corners, but I expect that weldon 16 will be able to seal them up without any problems.

Heres the end result, if anyone has suggestions on anything else I should do before I get it going, I would be all ears.

alt="" /></a>https://flic.kr/p/ph4wNs">IMG_00000393</a> by [IMG]https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/">North Ga Hillbilly</a>, on Flickr

[IMG]https://flic.kr/p/pywFWj">[IMG]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15464321242_95cab62e6c_c.jpg alt="" /></a>https://flic.kr/p/pywFWj">IMG_00000394</a> by [IMG]https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/">North Ga Hillbilly</a>, on Flickr

[IMG]https://flic.kr/p/pyytM8">[IMG]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15464670565_0f40706f4f_c.jpg alt="" /></a>https://flic.kr/p/pyytM8">IMG_00000396</a> by [IMG]https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/">North Ga Hillbilly</a>, on Flickr

NGaHB

Side note, if anyone has a 1 3/4" and 1 1/4" diamond hole saws they would be willing to let me use for an afternoon I would really appreciate it.

 

[bluespot]

Nice looking work there especially for a first time try with acrylic.

 

[rdnelson]

BlueSpot;989823 wrote: Nice looking work there especially for a first time try with acrylic.

+1

I have a bit for a 1" bulkhead but not for 3/4". If it helps, bring the tank out here and we can drill it for the 1". Although that doesn't do you a lot of good without the 3/4". :-(

 

[jdw]

I have a couple of hole saws, I will have to check on size though.

 

[myreefclub0070]

nice work there Greg, nice having all that equipment at your disposal to make such nice cuts.
skimmer box is a little narrow, no?
hope you never have to take those bulk heads out.
good work, keep it going!

 

[jbdreefs]

I made one just the same. And had problems with the external part sagging away from the tank. I was using one gasket between the external box and the aquarium. Because of my configuration, I had problems with slow leaks from the bulkheads. The solution I found was to put a small spacer between the bottom of the external box and the tank to prevent the sagging. Two gaskets on either side of the glass may work also. Nice work and good luck!

 

[northgahillbilly]

BlueSpot;989823 wrote: Nice looking work there especially for a first time try with acrylic.

hanks, I'm hoping any future projects will be alittle tighter overall. I need to actually read up on the subject and figgure out the right way to flame polish, I just blasted it with a blow torch.

rdnelson99;989824 wrote: +1

I have a bit for a 1" bulkhead but not for 3/4". If it helps, bring the tank out here and we can drill it for the 1". Although that doesn't do you a lot of good without the 3/4". :-(

I appreciate the offer, I get up your way pretty often, if I haven't gotten it Figgured out before next time I'll see what your up to.

JDW;989825 wrote: I have a couple of hole saws, I will have to check on size though.

I'd appreciate it

MYREEFCLUB0070;989832 wrote: nice work there Greg, nice having all that equipment at your disposal to make such nice cuts.
skimmer box is a little narrow, no?
hope you never have to take those bulk heads out.
good work, keep it going!

Yea, it's nice. A good fence on a table saw is a must. Goal is to make the internal box as small as possible to take up little of my already cramped space.

JBDreefs;989835 wrote: I made one just the same. And had problems with the external part sagging away from the tank. I was using one gasket between the external box and the aquarium. Because of my configuration, I had problems with slow leaks from the bulkheads. The solution I found was to put a small spacer between the bottom of the external box and the tank to prevent the sagging. Two gaskets on either side of the glass may work also. Nice work and good luck!

Thanks for the info, I was hoping someone else had experience with something like this! I've worried about the same thing. I've got the gaskets to put one on each side of the glass, I'm also going to run the overflow pipes down through the top of my stand, I build the stand deeper than it needed to be, so I hope to find some way support the pipes so there's little to no pressure on the box. That's a solid idea with the support piece, I'm going to keep in mind to make one once I see how this it needs to be once I've got the tank drilled.

 

[bcavalli]

Very nice job!

 

[northgahillbilly]

Got the plumbing inside the box worked up, hoping to get the holes drilled in the tank within a week, and then itll be a matter of plumbing the whole thing out. Ill keep updating with pictures of how I end up supporting the overflow box, Marlon and I talked through it and I think ive got several good options worked up

The bulkheads between the boxes will be trimmed after I see how much of them I need to keep.

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[myreefclub0070]

I would say you might have to cut the bulk heads back a bit so you don't have any water restrictions up against the drain pipes.

 

[northgahillbilly]

MYREEFCLUB0070;989992 wrote: I would say you might have to cut the bulk heads back a bit so you don't have any water restrictions up against the drain pipes.

Thats the plan, might be able to get this thing plumbed this weekend.

I was trying to work out a way to hard plumb the dorso/ siphon on the bean animal, heres what I came up with

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[tonymission]

Very nice. Sweet cuts! Are you for hire?

 

[northgahillbilly]

tonymission;990406 wrote: Very nice. Sweet cuts! Are you for hire?

Will work for coral, that way if its ugly you can give me the smaller frag :tongue:

Bgcoop8784;990415 wrote: I like the rigid air line idea, looks much better than my piece of flex and a zip tie.

its 3/16", but a small piece of airline tubing slid over it made it work in the fitting. Ive still got a few feet left if you want a piece, just let me know.

 

[northgahillbilly]

Success! I got the holes drilled without too much stressing.

Note: the skimer box will slide down about 1/4", which should keep me covered worst case scenario that the entire screen gets blocked

alt="" /></a>https://flic.kr/p/pkdkpt">IMG_00000418</a> by [IMG]https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/">North Ga Hillbilly</a>, on Flickr</a>

This really shows how little room it takes up in the tank.

[IMG]https://flic.kr/p/pBs9HB">[IMG]https://flic.kr/p/pBs9HB">[IMG]https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2946/15497385261_8b581cc1bd_c.jpg alt="" /></a>

 

[glxtrix]

Great job! Looking awesome!

 

[project1004]

Nice job. I bet you saved a bunch a money too.
If i was to have my next build, it will be ghost overflow system. So much rooms saved.

 

[northgahillbilly]

glxtrix;990626 wrote: Great job! Looking awesome!

Thank ya sir

project1004;990632 wrote: Nice job. I bet you saved a bunch a money too.
If i was to have my next build, it will be ghost overflow system. So much rooms saved.

Yea, total cost, setting aside the weldon which I used very little of, it cost about 1/3 of the ones on ebay. I couldn't completely visualize how much room it would save until it was on the tank, and it really did cut down on the "sore thumb factor". Looking forward to seeing how it will look when the back of the tank is painted.

 

[tonymission]

Just a great job! You might start a local trend with this one!
By the time I'll need one, I have enough growth to pay with frags.

Look forward to seeing it with the painted back too