An aquarium overflow does exactly what it sounds like, it allows water to overflow out of the tank. The primary purpose for this is to route tank water to a sump to house your equipment out of sight, however that is just one of the benefits.

How do you size an aquarium overflow?

When it comes to sizing an overflow, you just need one that is large enough to handle the capacity of the return pump you plan to get. Because the overflow is self-regulating, it won’t drain more than flows into it, if you have say a 500gph return pump; just get an overflow that is rated larger than 500gph.

How does overflow work aquarium?

An overflow box is a device that sits on the lip of your aquarium. As water is siphoned from the aquarium, it is delivered by gravity to the sump underneath, where it is filtered. Then, a large return pump in the sump delivers water back to the aquarium.

How does aquarium overflow work?

The aquarium overflow box work normally on a siphon based system. This does have its disadvantages. The main one is that the siphon can stop. When it does the water will stop overflowing down to the sump yet the sump return pump will still be pumping water back to the display aquarium.

What is the best filter for an aquarium?

Canister filters are the Cadillacs of the aquarium world, and they provide excellent filtration for larger aquariums. While they are usually considered the best type of aquarium filter, they tend to only be used aquariums larger than 29 gallons (132 litres).

Where does the water go from the overflow tank?

An overflow tube in the center of the tank drains excess water into the bowl if the level in the tank gets too high. This tube is also the channel through which the float valve sends water to the bowl during the refill cycle. Herein, where does the toilet overflow tube go? The Overflow Tube empties directly into the toilet bowl.

How does sump filtration in an aquarium work?

Sumps work by having water drain down from the main aquarium via a weir and overflow section and into the sump. The water then passes through the filtration in the sump before being pumped back up to the main aquarium. The circulation of water never stops providing the ‘Return Pump’ is operating.