Drinking straws as a bio-filter?

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C68LxtvEkVY[/YT]

Normally you use a overflow box so if there is a power failure once the water level in the tank drops to the skimmer it stops. The problem with what your describing and also with the setup above is if the return pump quit it will continue to drain the water from the tank and overflow the filter.
 
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