New 75gal Reef Tank Step-By-Step Setup DIY - Page 4

PowerManJ316 · 01-26-2006, 01:07 PM

Thanks Geoff,
I appreciate the quality advice...especially since I know how busy you are with your tank right now

PowerManJ316 · 01-26-2006, 08:11 PM

holes, holes, holes, I am thinking i am going to need 4 holes drilled in my tank. Is this a DIY thing or not? If not where is the best place to get it done? Can a Home Depot or someplace similar do it or do you need to go to a special glass store?

three90s&125sump · 01-26-2006, 11:29 PM

I called A glass shop... They wanted 600 for 15 holes. So roughly 40 per hole. If you can aford to do that I suggest it. I drilled my own holes and it was very laborous. I didn't like it at all.

PowerManJ316 · 01-27-2006, 01:43 PM

wow...40 bones for a hole? Thats a lot more than I was expecting I guess. I will probably attempt this myself then. Anyone else find a cheaper source? Thanks for the info Jason.

Geoff · 01-27-2006, 02:08 PM

i do them myself, but then again i am a glutten for punishment.

i have drilled several holes using the expensive diamond bits. these are the same bits that the glass shop would use. generally about $100 a hole saw. this is why they are so expensive to drill.

i have just bought a bunch of the cheap china bits off of ebay. have not tried them yet, but will either this weekend or next. i have a 72mm diamond hole saw that i got for $15 shipped form China. much better.

G~

three90s&125sump · 01-27-2006, 02:11 PM

I didn't use the diamond bits I used steal cylinders with some kind of abrasive powder. The entire set might cost 20 bucks and the powder is prolly 5 for a 10# bag I used about 5 ounces of it to drill my 15 holes. The first one I drilled took me over an hour but I got better at it and the last one took me about 15 mins.

three90s&125sump · 01-27-2006, 02:13 PM

If you know someone with a water laser...

PowerManJ316 · 01-29-2006, 09:44 PM

I am currently lookin for tanks for my refuge and my sump. Looking for a 20-29H for the fuge and a 10-15 for the sump. After this I plan to start drilling the refuge (2 holes) and starting the overflow for the display tank. Let me know if anyone is getting rid of any tanks of these sizes.

PowerManJ316 · 01-29-2006, 09:45 PM

Also...I was hoping to make the overflow out of acrylic. My display tank is glass. I have talked to the local glass man and he said this could be a problem trying to bond the acrylic to the glass. Anyone have any solutions?

whatevva · 01-30-2006, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Also...I was hoping to make the overflow out of acrylic. My display tank is glass. I have talked to the local glass man and he said this could be a problem trying to bond the acrylic to the glass. Anyone have any solutions?

All glass tanks have plastic overflows...won't silicone work?

PowerManJ316 · 01-30-2006, 08:51 PM

THe guy didn't know how well silicone would bond to acrylic...but he also didn't think 1/4" acrylic was thick enough to build a 15 gallon sump

. I just wanted to know if anyone has had any problems/recomendations since i know people must have bonded acrylic to glass before.
Jeff

Geoff · 01-30-2006, 10:28 PM

silly cone will work for overflows since the pressure is inward. the silly cone will adhere well enough for this application. it does not bond well enough to support outward pressure. 1/4" is plenty for the overflow. the overflow will still be full of water so the pressure is not that great, so 1/4" is plenty strong.

G~

PowerManJ316 · 02-02-2006, 05:00 PM

For plumbing purposes i've read that the larger diameter pipe you use, the better. I am planning on using 2" PVC. Are there any disadvantages to using larger diameter piping, like 2" for example versus 1" or 1.5" other than the slightly higher costs?

PowerManJ316 · 02-02-2006, 05:04 PM

Also, i was going to use rigid schedule 40 PVC for most of the plumbing, but wanted to use flex PVC in some areas too. In areas with low flow, is flex PVC ok to use? I have heard it can be prone to slow leaks, is this true?

Geoff · 02-02-2006, 07:14 PM

since you are mainly dealing with only 5-6' of head changing pipe sizes will be more annoying than any benefit you would get from going to a bigger size. i would not go any smaller than what the pump has its inlets and outlets sized to. using spa flex in certain areas is fine. it can leak if not allowed to cure properly. it is more likely to push out than straight PVC. i prefer the straight PVC, but this is just a personal preference. if done right there is nothing wrong with using all spa flex.

G~