After a tank is drilled...

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RLG2182

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
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Rancho Cucamonga, California
So I was thinking of drilling my tank with a dremel via the directions somewhere on this forum.

Not really scared of breaking the tank... more curious to see where I should make the holes: back or bottom of the tank? I called the tank manufacturer and it isn't tempered.

Is this layout good for the back of the tank? Bigger holes are drainage, smaller are return lines (4 bulkheads in all).

I'm assuming in this setup, if power were to go out, the water would drain to the top level of the drainage holes so I would have to make sure my sump could hold the extra water. But other than that... how is this looking?

(If I could avoid using those huge internal overflows that are on most "reef ready" tanks, I would like it better... just because they take up so much room. Will a bare hole with screening work?)
 
Water will backflow in the drain and supply lines. If you just have the whole with a screen the entire tank would flow back to the sump.
 
That will work OK. You'll want to be very careful of the height you drill the holes as this is going to regulate the height of the water in the main tank. Water will also backflow through the pump when it's not running so you'll want the return holes up high too...you might even want to pick up a couple of the "centipede" fittings that are commonly used for tank returns. Another thing you'll need to do is use a tee fitting on the back of the tank. The reason for this is so you can let air into the line. If you don't have some mechanism to introduce air into the drain line, you'll have a very loud gurgling sound as water drains.
 
Are you thinking along the lines of a durso type standpipe sitting in the tank with a screen covering the inlet and no overflow box?

I would think that the screen would clog and need to be cleaned often. I can see possibly placing a piece of perforated (drilled) pvc at the inlet that might help keep critters out. They might still get stuck against the holes.
 
The drain bulkheads should come with an elbow and a screen for the inside of the tank. You can adjust the water level with these. I saw a tank that had drilled just 2 big holes for the drains and then ran a PVC line that hung on the back of the tank for the returns. Each drain had a Durso on the back of the tank on the outside. This worked pretty good and you can design where you flow goes since you are making returns.
 
Yeah... for the return lines I already have 1/2" LocLine returns with a 1/2" flare nozzle. The backflow from the return lines won't be an issue as they can be bent to be near the surface of the water, pointing to the surface of the water.

I just wasn't sure where to buy those pvc drains and the rest of the plumbing. LFS have this kind of setup... I'm thinking I might ask them too. The pvc drain strainer caps look just like an ice cream cone (that's plastic and with slots to protect critters from being sucked down).

So, I guess my main concern is finding a way to make the drain lines not be loud like toilets, and to make sure the water didn't drain too far down. How could I do durso pipes if there was no internal overflow box?

Thx for the advice so far! :D
 
That would work

I just drilled one 2" hole on the bottom and put the drain return and power throught the same hole.
If you go that rout you'll need to make special surface skimmer, otherwise the gurgeling of the standpipe will drive you nuts :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
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