Anyone have experience drilling the back wall of a 125? The bottom of my tanks is tempered so im looking at the kit from Glass Holes.com. Any advice or experience from you guys?
we have several guys in here that are good at that. they have drilled a many a tank. just be patient and they will chime in and can answer any questions you have.
I am sorry but you can not drill tempered glass in any shape form or fashion. If you are drilling glass that is not tempered then you will need diamond coated hole bits that can be purchased on ebay, we have not been able to find them locally anywhere in the large sizes that are needed for 1", 1 1/2" and 2" bulkheads. The sizes that you find on ebay will be in millimeters so be sure to get the right ones if you choose to order them and take on such an endeavor. Beanhead uses a hand drill and I have had an extension made for a portable bench drill but whatever you choose to use there is inherent risk regardless of how careful you are. Beanhead and I have drilled the most tanks that I am aware of and we have managed to crack a two hundred and 125 using both methods. I personally am not up for taking the responsibility anymore for drilling anyones tanks but my one, Beanhead still has the will power but I gave it up about a year ago. You might want to do a search for the super sucker over flow that Sam Grimmett has built. I was very skeptical about this design because I have never seen a siphon over flow that worked very well commercial or DIY but I have built on and I think that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread for tanks that can't be drilled.
I am specifically looking at the glassholes.com kit. It come with everything including the bit. They say the thicker the glass the less likely to crack due to the lack of flex in the glass. Only the bottom of my tank is tempered. Im just nervous about the process of drilling not acquiring the equipment. I have said before that I have never had a problem with a U tube overflow but im trying to listen to those that are experienced and stay away from the u tubes this time
There is no way not to be nervous about drilling but again it doesn't matter how thick the glass is if it is tempered you can not drill it. Tempered glass is very strong but will shatter like a windshield on a car if you try to drill it. I took a look at their website and the their overflows are all designed for holes to be drilled on the sides of the aquarium which are typically not tempered but I would suggest that you make absolutely sure because you never know. The bits that they have for sale on their site are the same ones that we have purchased on ebay and are usually good for 4 to 5 holes depending on the thickness of our glass. When it comes down to it their is just a lot of praying to do when drilling a tank.
I guess I'll add my 2 cents worth. First off I would run an overflow box, unless you can have the tank professionally drilled by a glass outfit. The boxes are safe and if it is a mass produced one and not some one off DIY thing they can't flood any thing. If the return pump quits in the sump the water level well drop below the U tube or tubes and the siphon is broken, it is IMPOSSIBLE to overflow the box. You have to cut the U tube so as it is below the tanks water level so that the sump well hold the water to the level the tubes break siphon I have had several of them in the old days. You can buy them with 4 tubes I think for bigger tanks, I know they make 3 tubed ones because I had one. I saw a tank drilled once that a friend of mine had done and the shop had a portable drill press that had 4 suction cups on feet and I mean big suction cups and they mounted that on the glass and drilled the tank with the diamond bit. The drill press had absolutly no movement to it, no wobble what so ever. I doubt that you can find a place in LR that has one. I would use an overflow box as I think you could buy Jason's tank for what that drill cost.
Ahh everyone is trying to scare you about drilling... it is up to you. It isn't hard for me to drill with a hand drill. The first time is always the worst, but the more you do it the more you learn about drilling the glass. I am not sure where you are located, but we might could work something out. Is the tank empty?
OK my two cents............ I would not mind running an overflow box as long as it's at your house. I will never set up a tank again unless it is drilled. That said, I mean a reef tank or frag tank. Some tanks do alright without a sump like a softie or fish only tank that you can put a canister or swimming pool filter on. Chris and Blake have drilled several tanks for me and I have no hesitation in having Blake do the drilling (Chris has opted out) Everyone is talking about the overflow boxes and all I can speak of is the experiences I have had and been associated with the cleanup. The design Chris just put on his setup seems to be a reliable option, but why not be as they say safe than sorry. If drilling is a concern, sell the tank you have and order a reef ready system. The end result will give you more peace of mind and you won't have to look at the floor everytime you get home to see if you have a water event. In this hobby more than any other I have been involved in, and there are a few, "do it right the first time" seems to be the #1 rule to follow.
ah the everlasting overflow debate I can only speak from my limited experience. I have a 55 reef tank that I run an eshopps overflow on and never once have I lost suction. I shut my pump off constantly and it starts right back up....no loss of siphon. With that said maybe im just lucky. If I had not heard of anyone bad mouthing a u tube overflow I would swear they were the cats meow! With that said I got this 125 for a good price and it is up for sale. If I cant sell it then I will have to make a decision. It will be an aggressive fish tank and originally I was not going to run a sump but have now decided a sump is a must. Seems like a U tube save a lot of tank room to me. Ill just let you guys and gals fight it out and whoever wins I will side with them!! LOL Really thanks for the insights and I look forward to more.
Drill it. I am in the middle of drilling my 300g and it's easier than you would think. All it takes is a steady hand and patience. Let the bit do the work, don't try to force it. And use a cordless drill. I drilled my old frag tank without a hiccup.
Very nice Tony D you have more nerve then I Norman I agree with 6mmedic, I have had several of these and never lost the siphon and on a multi tube one that is even less likely. They have some that you can hook a air lift pump to or hook a line from it to a air intake on a power head which well restart the siphon incase it is lost, but like 6mmedic says I have shut mine off in the past to clean the sump and stuff and never lost the siphon when it was started up again. The cpr is a good unit and it doesn't use the u tubes. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...twater_Aquarium_Supplies&vendor=&child=CR1518
I have the CPR CS150 I would sell for $50. I don't use it since I took down my 75gal. It is rated for 1600 gph. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...twater_Aquarium_Supplies&vendor=&child=CR1519
Guess we all have our preferences. I'll stick with drilled tanks for my own piece of mind. I never want to see anyone have problems and hope all runs well for everyone whatever the system.
And now the drilling has been completed. 11 new holes in my 300g tank. 1 of the 2 existing 1.5" overflows Starting the first of two 2" closed loop feeds both closed loop feeds drilled The 4 holes across the top are for the sump returns Here is the complete set of holes.
I used the same bit to cut all nine 3/4" holes, each one taking aprox 3 minutes each. Then I used one more bit to gut the holes for the 2" bulkheads, also taking about 3 minutes each. So the total drilling time was about 35 minutes, but I did it over the course of a couple hours cause the battery needed a charge after the top 4 holes and the 2 feeds for the closed loop.
Thats faster than I thought it would take. I wish I had done that before setting mine up,will be doing that on the next tank ,if the wife ever lets me get a bigger tank. Your tank looks like it will have very good water flow.
I live in Benton but Tony D lives in Oklahoma he is from the COMAS club that came with Paul Witby to reef fest.
