New project

Hello all,

My girlfriend has been asking me to make a sump/fuge and an overflow for her 20 gal reef... So i made the sump out of a 10 gal tank with the baffles and everything based on designs that i got from you guys here on 3reef. Now its time for the overflow... But the thing is i don't want an overflow... don't like the bulkiness and the space they take up on the back of the tank. So i would like to drill the tank. 2 holes on the back glass a couple inches below water level, 1 for intake and 1 for the return.

Now here are my questions.

1. Under the tank there is a sticker that says "tempered glass do not drill" does that mean all the glass or just the bottom piece?

2. Can i risk drilling the tank while there's stuff in it. i can just lower the water level a couple of inches, put something for protection so the glass shards don't fall in the water and i would be set no?

3. What size holes would be best to drill.

Any answers, ideas or tips that could help me out would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Marc.

 

What brand tank is it. From my experience with All-Glass aquarium is that only the bottom panes of glass are tempered, the sides are not and can be drilled.

I think you would be okay drilling the tank with water in it, but I would probably drain it below half making sure glass doesn't fall in. I would drill a hole to fit a 3/4 bulkhead.

Others can chime in here, but I don't think your scenerio for the intake is going to work for you as well as you'd expect. From what I understand and have seen before is that having an intake on the side of the glass will be very noisey and it might not be able to handle enough flow.

Sean

 

Also, make sure you get a really good drill bit made specifically for drilling glass.

 

Thanks for the advice skennelly, to answer your question its a plain old 40$ 20gal aquarium... dont remember what brand it is. but it is all glass.

As for the noise i was thinking of making something a little like this but instead of being on an overflow box it would be directly on the tank. Plus I would box in the intake with a acrylic box. see the attached file for more details.

Oh and i knew about the drill bits, ill either go rent some (maybe buy if my girlfriend lets me : ) or ill call in a glass guy to do it.

So thanks again for the advices.

Marc.

 

i would just drill one hole on the side for an exit, and just let the new pipes come in from over the top with nozzles attached to adjust them.. good luck with your project. sounds cool. carefull with those glass shards.