Over the weekend, I put together my own hang-on-back siphon overflow.  I don’t have the U-tube or prefilter sponge for it yet, but I will soon.  The total amount spent so far is $20.  When purchased premade, this type of overflow starts at around $100 and can cost a few hundred dollars.  I estimate that I will have to spend roughly $20 dollars more to finish the project.

Parts/Equipment Needed:

• $10.99 – Lee’s Aquarium Specimen Box (Large)
• $9.99 – 1″ Bulkhead Kit (includes strainer and L-shaped PVC adapter)

According to my research, the 1″ bulkhead will give us a maximum of 600 GPH, which will be more than enough for my application.  Here’s a picture of what it looks like so far:

On Saturday, I visited Captain Nemo’s, a store in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and bought a green star polyps frag.  After drip acclimating it for a little over two hours, I put it in the tank and it opened up within 12 hours.  Green star polyps are a great addition to any reef tank, and relatively easy to maintain.

On a side note, I changed my activated carbon today. and yesterday I used a turkey baster to clear off the live rock and sand.  Who doesn’t love a little maintenance?