Drill or not Drill?

Being new to the prospect of having a sump with my 30 extra high tank I'm not sure if drilling is wise. What are the downfalls of having an overflow?

 

id its a HOB then it just takes up room behind the tank. there is no true downfall to having a sump and overflow though, its a little work that will pay for itsself in the long run.

 

Is my tank too small for drilling for a sump?

 

not at all there are people who drill 5 gallon tanks to have a bit of security. I have drilled before and can say that a quality kit or bit is needed. glass holes is perfect. If you dont want to drill just get a Hang on the back overflow and plum your sump

 

What are the risks of a flood if there becomes a block in the sump plumbing ?

 

If done correctly you wont have much water on the floor. Put your pump in its own section of the sump. Lets say there is five gallons in that section. If the return line was plugged the water from the DT wont drain into the sump. Therefore the section with the pump will be pumped dry and run out of water. The amount of room you have between the water level and very top edge of the DT will dictate how much water goes on the floor. If built correctly there is very little chance of a clog. Also, if there was a clog the amount of water on the floor would be minimal.

 

After having a sumpless system, I would definitely recommend going with one that has a sump.

Inorder to have a sump, you'll need an overflow of somekind. Personally, I have heard enough negativity about HOB overflows loosing their syphon and failing that I am not willing to risk it (word of warning: I have no personal experiance with HOB overflows so I couldn't tell you how big of a risk this is).

I have drilled a tank now, and I can say it's really not that hard, so I would definitely recommend doing it. Just be sure you have some sort of template to keep your drill from "walking" when you are getting started. After it's started, it's really easy and just about patience as it grinds through

 

BeanAnimal's Bar and Grill - Silent and Fail-Safe Overflow System

If you don't go that route, you might end up with a loud setup or one that could flood because of a large snail, etc. Not that there aren't alternatives, but you can't go wrong with a beananimal.

 

No thanks for a beananimal

 

Earlier I meant what the downsides of having a hang on the back overflow going to a sump vs. getting the tank drilled for a sump? thanks