What's the purpose of bulkheads on the bottom of the tank?

[Joshua Jordan]

So I am very familiar with the concept of a sump and an overflow, which is why I totally understand holes/bulkheads near the top part of the aquarium. However, I have been doing a lot of research lately and watching a lot of videos and I am interested in possibly drilling one of my own tanks in order to install a bulkhead and a sump/refugium in order to avoid having a HOB overflow box.

What I don't understand is what is the purpose of a bulkhead on the bottom of the tank? I mean, there's substrate there, right? (at least on mine and most every reefer's tanks I've seen) The only thing I can possibly think of is a pipe coming straight up through the bulkhead all the way to the surface and maybe use the pipe as a skimmer? (but the suction sound would be ungodly loud)

Please help me understand what I am missing because obviously I have totally missed something and I really want to understand?

Thanks.

Josh

 

[Beonedge]

closed loop circulation ...breafly -using pump instead of wavemakers

 

[Joshua Jordan]

closed loop circulation ...breafly -using pump instead of wavemakers

I don't understand what you mean. ...is the bulkhead at the bottom of the tank for INTAKE or for RETURN?

 

[Rikki Reef]

Hi, I have 2 @ bottom of tank one for return and 1 for supply, the noise in my return isnt as loud as you would think. my only regret is I have a see thru set up and Return box is in corner vertically I wish now I went 2"x 2" Horizontally across the backside Top (office) side. and just left pipes exposed in DT collecting corals lol

 

[Beonedge]

its for return ...a example and another

 

[Rikki Reef]

its for return ...a example

Maybe I'm wrong or missing something The only thing I dont like about this set up is no siphon break?

 

[Rikki Reef]

So I am very familiar with the concept of a sump and an overflow, which is why I totally understand holes/bulkheads near the top part of the aquarium. However, I have been doing a lot of research lately and watching a lot of videos and I am interested in possibly drilling one of my own tanks in order to install a bulkhead and a sump/refugium in order to avoid having a HOB overflow box.

What I don't understand is what is the purpose of a bulkhead on the bottom of the tank? I mean, there's substrate there, right? (at least on mine and most every reefer's tanks I've seen) The only thing I can possibly think of is a pipe coming straight up through the bulkhead all the way to the surface and maybe use the pipe as a skimmer? (but the suction sound would be ungodly loud)

Please help me understand what I am missing because obviously I have totally missed something and I really want to understand?

Thanks.

Josh

for me it just a cleaner design thru top of cabinet to sump underneath , But you need to beware of Siphon

 

[Beonedge]

its for return ...a example

for me it just a cleaner design thru top of cabinet to sump underneath , But you need to beware of Siphon

there's no syphon effect on closed loop systems ...because system is closed theres no room to water to be syphoned in case of pump stopped

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Internal overflows use bulkheads on the bottom of the tank.

 

[Waters]

As Robin stated, the bulkheads are inside the internal overflow. My tank has 4 bulkheads on the bottom, inside the overflow. Two returns and two drains.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Mine has one in each corner in the overflow box at the bottom. The returns come in from the back wall. I also originally drilled for closed loop system, so I had many holes in the bottom. For both in and out.

 

[OffgridLife]

I'm looking for a tank with a bulkhead at the bottom, so I can answer this question. I want to gravity feed from a below ground tank, to a home located downhill from the tank. If your offgrid, gravity is the way to go.