A coast to coast overflow advantages design

This morning i found one of my fish in my external Coast to coast overflow. Which i though, if it hadn't been there, he'd be dead, dried out by now. A few , a lot of advantages have creeped up about my overflow these past 11 months i've been running my tank, and i wanted to share some of them with you.



This was a custom design tank by Concept Aquarium from Calgary. I wanted a coast to coast because i had one before and knew the advantages of it. So it was first on my list of requirements.







For those who don't know what a coast to coast overflow is. A picture is worth a thousand words.







Its a way to capture the suspended particules floating at the surface of the water due to the wath we call the surface tension. This first illustration is an inside version; a Calfo style, the best actually because their is no break at all its totally smooth through the whole lenght of the tank. Behing is the overflowbox.



We put teeth to prevent inverts to climb and clog the plumbing. That in its self break and reduces the skimming effects but its much much better than just those little central box or corner ones like this







The coast to coast can dramatically increase a skimmers performance , even a medium rated one.



So for a few more dollards in the tank desing you can save big buck on a skimmer. Since a coast to coast will do a huge part of skimming on its own.



Another version is an external coast to coast overflow. This has even more advantages, for one it doesn't impede on your internal space.







-It can serve as a temporary cooling off tank, mine has six inches of water in it.



-Also a training ground for feeding your mandarin mysis or pellets in securaty



- its extra water in your system.

- its easier access and to clean a breeze.

- i've put a gorilla crab in it to clean up, i put my extra bristles worms to eat the extra bits which in turn becomes food for the crab lol.



This is actually a new white spot crab i got. he's the new tenant. the gorilla went in the pod farm yesterday. This guy 2"1/2 will be 4" next year maybe.He's got the whole overflow to himself and all the left overs plus his hightly pellet. Kevlarr is his name. A good Klingon name.











-i've recently put mangrove shoots in it to become nitrates extrators in the long run i'll have a whole row of plants lol. that should be interesting.













Both , the Reef and display refugium have a coast to coast overflow









It has become so efficient that the water is too clean and my softies need food, so i have to stop my skimmer for some period of time. Those who don't have a coast to coast don't understand that concept because they don't see it .But its a fact, no little square box or corner boxes; will even match a full lenght skimming wierd.... Plus if you have a skimmer rated higher than your set up.



In any case thats been my experience with my coast to coast and it benefits.



Please refrain from posting the benefits of the bean animal in a coast to coast as i will ask the moderator to remove the highjacking, this is about the benefits OF the coast to coast design not the other way around thank you.



Whats your coast to coast has done for your system please tell us this is the place for it. Pictures are good for that.