Drilling my tank

[AquaNovice]

I have gotten diamond bits to drill my tank(glass), but I am not sure where I should drill. I want to add a sump/refugium, but don't know whether I should drill the bottom, and make a standpipe for a drain, or just drill the back at the lowest point I want the water to be able to get to should the return pump stop working. Advice, ideas, pics of setups all welcome input. Thanks

[three90s&125sump]

Might not be able to drill the bottom. If it is tempered it will just shatter when you break through the back. What sized tank and who is the manufacturer.

[AquaNovice]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

Might not be able to drill the bottom. If it is tempered it will just shatter when you break through the back. What sized tank and who is the manufacturer.

OOPS, sorry I forgot to include this information, It is a 24g current aquapod.

[johnqx4]

couple of thoughts...
1) as was stated, it is safer to drill the back as it is probably not tempered.

2) I have drilled several. I used to drill them up high (say an inch below the top) and them build an overflow around them. then you dont need a "durso like" pipe but i cracked one. Not drilling it, but by tightening the bulkhead too tight ($%^&)

Note: Life is hard, but it is a lot harder when you are stupid!

3) Now, I drill them a little closer towards the middle. then I screw a 45% piece of pvc (pointing up) and add pipe up to the level that I want the water. I still use a plastic overflow (I make them out of the cheap white cutting boards that you can get anywhere).

my piece of pvc sits about 1/4 to 1/2 below the depth of the overflow.

using the pipe, you could skip the overflow.... but, i don't want anything getting to the pipe to clog it and i use the overflow as an in tank fuge.... Always seems to be full of pods!

[three90s&125sump]

Its acrylic? If so I would drill the bottom. I am not fermiliar with the aquapods you may want to wait for someone with experience with them.

[Geoff]

regardless on where you put the hole you will run a pipe up to the water level you want to keep the tank at. the tank will not drain to where the hole is unless your drain pipe leaks. it would also be a good idea to put an overflow box over the standpipe to also act as a water level controler.

G~

[AquaNovice]

Originally Posted by Geoff

regardless on where you put the hole you will run a pipe up to the water level you want to keep the tank at. the tank will not drain to where the hole is unless your drain pipe leaks. it would also be a good idea to put an overflow box over the standpipe to also act as a water level controler.

G~

Not sure what you mean by this??? I'll try and draw up a diagram of what i mean.

[AquaNovice]

Originally Posted by three90s&125sump

Its acrylic? If so I would drill the bottom. I am not fermiliar with the aquapods you may want to wait for someone with experience with them.

The aquapod is glass, that's what I was hoping for, finding somone with experience drilling one.

[AquaNovice]

Ok, here is what i was wanting to do, is this ok??, or do I need to drill the drain hole lower, and put a 90 inside the tank, and run a pipe with a strainer at the top up to the lowest point i want the water level to get should my return pump stop working. Hole on right is drain hole, left is return hole.

[Geoff]

that will work, but will be noisier and hell. you will also need to be perfect on where you put those holes in order to get the water level correct. you will need to put a Tee on the bulkhead on the external side. here you will put a cap on the upward leg with a 1/8" hole in it. this will allow air to escape and quiet things down a bit.

it really would be better to drill the holes near the bottom of the tank than run the durso in the tank using slightly larger plumbing. this allows for a quieter tank. it will not be as pretty, but will be quieter.

G~

[AquaNovice]

Something more like this?? I probably don't even need the strainers on either diagram, since there is one already built into the aquapod, all this would be hidden behind the black wall/strainer section. Hole on left is return, lower hole on right is drain to sump. Pipe inside tank is 1 1/2", outside tank is 1" , bulkheads are 1", have several 1" bulkheads I am trying to use. 24g aquapod, no SPS planned, mostly softies maybe LPS, DSB, so I'm only looking for 300-450 gph through the sump.

[AquaNovice]

Any ideas on these two tank to sump drain setups?? Which is a better choice?? Modifications??

[AquaNovice]

Anyone??

[Geoff]

sorry, had a busy day to day. the second one is the better choice. the only thing you would need to do different is change the elbow going down to the bulkhead into a Tee. you wil add a cap to the top of that tee with an 1/8" hole in the top of it. this gives the air a quiet way to escape.

why do you want to drill the tank for the return? how big of a sump do you have for the tank? i like to go over the top for my returns less risk of flooding the sump over. it also allows a higher water level in the tank during a power outage.

G~

[AquaNovice]

Originally Posted by Geoff

sorry, had a busy day to day. the second one is the better choice. the only thing you would need to do different is change the elbow going down to the bulkhead into a Tee. you wil add a cap to the top of that tee with an 1/8" hole in the top of it. this gives the air a quiet way to escape.

why do you want to drill the tank for the return? how big of a sump do you have for the tank? i like to go over the top for my returns less risk of flooding the sump over. it also allows a higher water level in the tank during a power outage.

G~

Thanks for your help,
Yeah, caught that "T" thing after I had redrawn the first drawing, so I understand what you're saying there. I don't really have to drill for the return, just put it in there to get ideas. I'll probably just go over the top like you say. Plan on 10-15g for the sump/ bb refugium w/chaeto.