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About Overflow Boxes
Overflow boxes let water flow out of your aquarium
down into your sump. If you do not have built-in
overflow, the alternative is to attach a hang-on
overflow. (Canister filters and bio-wheel filters
should not be used as a sole filter system for a
saltwater tank. This is freshwater technology!)
An
advantage to overflow boxes is that it skims the
surface of the water or provides surface
agitation. Without surface agitation, there
would be a film of dirty build up on your water. To
agitate the surface without overflow boxes, powerheads would have to be pointed up towards the
surface with enough force to move out the water on the surface.
We suggest
built-in overflow boxes with 1.5" drain holes, even for
beginners. This will make it easy to upgrade the
flow in your tank. Many new hobbyists may start off
with a fish-only tank that does not require as much
flow as a reef aquarium. As a result many beginner
tanks are only drilled with 1" drain holes. The
problem here is that a 1" drain cannot drain enough
water for most reef aquariums. This is why we
recommend selecting an aquarium with 1.5" drain
holes in the beginning. You may start off wanting a fish-only
tank, but then switch to an easy reef or an sps tank
that requires more current.
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