(water splashes)
- Hello folks, Robert from Marine Depot here
and thanks for tuning in.
Being new to the aquarium hobby is an exciting time,
learning all about proper aquarium husbandry
and exposing yourself to a variety of animals
that you probably didn't even know existed.
With all this excitement and anticipation, it's really easy
to purchase a prefabricated all-in-one style aquarium
or throw together a simple tank
with just a canister filter and a heater.
While albeit fast and easy, these types
of tanks can pose some really frustrating problems
in terms of aquarium filtration and maintenance.
Now this brings me to the topic of our video today
in which we're gonna talk all about overflow boxes
and sumps, so get ready to throw away that canister filter
and break out the toolbox 'cause we're gonna show you guys
just how easy and beneficial it can be
to install an overflow box and sump
on your aquarium at home.
A sump is simply another aquarium or container
that can house your equipment and provide extra filtration
for your tank, and it's typically located
below your display tank inside your stand.
An overflow box is basically a box with a drain
and is the best way to draw water
from your aquarium and into a sump.
Overflow boxes are available from a number
of manufacturers and you'll see a wide range
of different styles and shapes.
A hang on overflow box is the easiest way to get water
out of your tank and into a sump.
These types of overflow boxes simply hang on the side
or the back of your aquarium and siphon water
over the edge and down into your sump.
The CPR CS overflows are our absolute favorite
because they take up very little space
inside the aquarium and have a built in feature
to restart the overflow box in the event of a siphon break.
The most common reason for a siphon break,
when using an overflow box, is a power outage
but these CS overflow boxes have a clever remedy.
The small air nipple on top of the box can be attached
to the venturi of a powerhead or to the inlet of an
Aqua Lifter Pump which will continually siphon air
and water out of the overflow box
to ensure continuous operation
and will also restart the siphon in the event
of a power outage.
Some aquariums, usually called reef ready aquariums,
are pre-drilled by the manufacturer
and already have an internal overflow box installed.
Water simply flows into the overflow box
and drains down into the sump.
A return pump then returns water
from the sump back into the aquarium.
For all of you DIY guys out there,
we offer the CPR overflow box retrofits
which are basically prefabricated acrylic boxes
that allow you to permanently install an internal overflow
on your tank without the risk of losing a siphon.
The CPR retrofit boxes will require you
to drill a hole in your aquarium.
The box is then mounted inside the aquarium
which allows water to flow from the surface
into the box then down into your sump.
This type of overflow box does require a little bit
more work but results in a very clean installation
and flawless operation.
So once you've figured out your overflow box and your drain,
it's time to start thinking about a sump.
When it comes to sumps, you have a few different options.
You can build one yourself, you can have one custom made,
or you can purchase a prefabricated sump.
Now if you decide to build one yourself,
it will definitely save you some money and it will allow you
to customize the sump to your liking,
however, it's gonna require quite a bit of extra work.
Here at Marine Depot we carry a
few different prefabricated sumps.
The Trigger Systems sumps are one of the best
and their top of the line Emerald series sumps come
with all the bells and whistles built in
and look pretty darn cool if you ask me.
Trigger Systems put a lot of thought
to the design of these sumps.
One of the coolest features is the filter sock holder
which has an interchangeable plate that allows you
to run both a coarse filter sponge and filter socks together
or individually, whichever you prefer.
When using filter socks, the handy water dispersion plate
evenly distributes water into all of the filter socks
to avoid premature clogging and helps
to drastically reduce the drain noise,
making for quiet operation.
On top of this, the Emerald sumps also feature an adjustable
water height to accommodate different skimmer requirements.
They have a self-adjusting foam block platform
to help eliminate air bubbles, a dedicated section
for filtering media and refugium, probe holders,
and pre-drilled holes for your dosing tubes.
Instead of having all of your equipment hanging
on your tank or sitting inside your display,
an overflow box and sump allows you
to have everything neatly hidden inside your sump.
Centralizing all the equipment also makes maintenance
and water changes much easier.
The added water volume and filtration capacity will also
improve your water parameters and make a more stable
environment for your aquarium animals.
So now you know why so many hobbyists are using sump systems
so if you're still stuck in maintenancing canister filters
or constantly cleaning up leaky hang on equipment,
give us a call today to get everything you need
to add a sump to your system at home.
If you found this video helpful, please like and share it
to help out other hobbyists and until next time,
take care and happy reef keeping.
(water splashes)