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Lucky Week + Overflow Cover Question

MolaMola

Supporting Member
The Bad and the Ugly:
Has been a super difficult year (again) at work.
Couple weeks ago one circuit and part of a second stopped working.
Classroom lost climate control during weeklong Thanksgiving Break and it was cool during the day and way too cold during the nights.
Monday morning I walk in to loud noise of emergency drain flowing full force and could not make it stop, so had to shut off return pump and isolate sump and had no time to deal with it in the evening.
Today at lunch planned to drain sump and skimmer of stagnant water, had multiple issues, had to stop. Quickly finished after work before appt, turned it on - same problem, but had to go.

The Good:
Whole messed up tank was white with bubbles and I feared for our fish. After it was calm for awhile they all came out!
Went back tonight expecting to be there for hours, figured out a big snail was blocking the drain. Remembered (from when this happened a year ago) I can just unscrew the overflow standpipe and take it out. Back in business!
While waiting to see if tank flow was stable, tried again to work out logistics of setting up lowboy frag tank and think I've got it figured out!
Yesterday awesome HVAC guy came and fixed my system and I think it is still running independently of the rest of the automated school district no-climate-control-after-hours setting! (I hope.)
He also secretly fixed my electrical problems with some amazing reset tool!
@svreef has led me to reconsider NetFlix and am looking forward to upcoming Puff program!
Yesterday met cool local reefer @anthias who also brought some super useful items for the classroom!
Been waiting a long time for various Tunze repair parts and ATO stuck in port in Germany. Everything was delivered out of the blue!
Two days of good fortune overall!

Reality Check:
TWO times I have had a big snail stuck in main drain pipe, so I need to take care of that. Tried in the past without success to cover the overflow. I will take photo tomorrow, then ask you awesome people for suggestions. Feeling hopeful.
 
I might have a spare strainer as well. Lmk what size you need. I also have extra gutter mesh that might work as well. Happy to share some with you.
 
So we don't need to cover the whole overflow? I have the main drain, a higher emergency drain (no valve on it), and lower refugium drain (has valve).
Strainers do not get easily clogged with algae or the like and mess up the flow?
I had not planned on a cover when I set up the tank, so the white PVC fittings are a bit higher than the weir and I have a center brace a couple mm above the weir.
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The right side would need cutouts for the plumbing like this, right? And likely should be a separate piece from the left. Could you get a 2d sketch/measurements and let me know what you'd like the cutouts to be? We can then add any other features you like, and I can export an STL for someone close to you to print. I'll add fillets and could even do a little rim so it sits flush in the overflow area.

I am also open to other ideas as well and can cad them up relatively quickly.

Is the large white pipe your main drain? A net or screen could go over that too.


 
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