I decided to create a thread on just my return box. Had another member asked me over the weekend.
Basically it is a slimline overflow. You can have the box all the way to the bottom. Or as a small short box.
The secret is to mount it, with the "overflow" portion at exactly the same height as your actual overflow. The sides are extended upwards by 10mm and you add a little horizontal portion over the box as a "roof". That would direct the water forward. Creating a lot of surface movement.
Hopefully the following pictures will make it a bit clearer.
Before cleaning up my silicone mess. You need to add the bulkhead first, as after completion of the box you cannot get to it anymore. The box is 20mm wide, leaving enough space in between the bulkhead and front panel for water to flow.
Giving more an idea of water flow
Cannot remember now which return pump were doing duty at the time that picture was taken. But that is a lot of flow. Might have been a 10000L/h DC.
Giving more an idea of the size of the box. Here my son is pulling out tapwater leftovers from the freshwater wet test from the box.
Box dimensions are 150 by 150mm. Inside the box its 20mm wide. The roof section is 35mm wide.
Here is the same basic concept, on my Gandalf's TL550. OK the tank is lying on its back and upside down, still being worked on. So the return is at the bottom right. Here the front panel for both the overflow and return box are one piece of glass.
You can add a piece of ABS sheet to the front of the box, to hide it a bit better. Extremely difficult to clean the silicone inside the box as you simply cannot get in there.
Basically it is a slimline overflow. You can have the box all the way to the bottom. Or as a small short box.
The secret is to mount it, with the "overflow" portion at exactly the same height as your actual overflow. The sides are extended upwards by 10mm and you add a little horizontal portion over the box as a "roof". That would direct the water forward. Creating a lot of surface movement.
Hopefully the following pictures will make it a bit clearer.
Before cleaning up my silicone mess. You need to add the bulkhead first, as after completion of the box you cannot get to it anymore. The box is 20mm wide, leaving enough space in between the bulkhead and front panel for water to flow.
Giving more an idea of water flow
Cannot remember now which return pump were doing duty at the time that picture was taken. But that is a lot of flow. Might have been a 10000L/h DC.
Giving more an idea of the size of the box. Here my son is pulling out tapwater leftovers from the freshwater wet test from the box.
Box dimensions are 150 by 150mm. Inside the box its 20mm wide. The roof section is 35mm wide.
Here is the same basic concept, on my Gandalf's TL550. OK the tank is lying on its back and upside down, still being worked on. So the return is at the bottom right. Here the front panel for both the overflow and return box are one piece of glass.
You can add a piece of ABS sheet to the front of the box, to hide it a bit better. Extremely difficult to clean the silicone inside the box as you simply cannot get in there.
