Glass Drilling, Sump Connecting Madness

[CEverii]

Ok so after some 3 posts about trying to figure out what im going to do about my sump situation I have figured it out, and I want to make sure it will work. I'm going to use two 10gal glass aquariums connected via pvc pipe as my sump. Im going to have to drill a hole in each tank, then run maybe 6 inches of pvc to connect. Im pretty sure i have a 800gph overflow currently. Im going to have that flowing into one 10g with my skimmer in it. Then i plan on drilling a hole near the top of the tank, and running it into the other tank with my return pump. How big should the holes be so ill have enough water flow between the two tanks so the tank wont overflow.

 

[mr_X]

a 1.5" bulkhead should be fine. i wouldn't go with a 1".
why were you using 2 tanks again? space constraints?

 

[CEverii]

Yeah. The stand i had built for me is tight on the inside. He put the center support beams vertical instead of horizontal so Ive only got 9inch of width between them. I dont want to risk cutting them out and rotating them so i'm just going to do the two 10gal setup. 10gal is a perfect fit. Is the location of the hole a big factor? I want to drill the hole as close to the top of the tank as i can so my skimmer will have pleny of water to sit in.

 

[mr_X]

skimmers have a recommended water depth that is optimal for maximum efficiency. it's usually 8"-10", so i would plan on that depth.

btw, what size display is this? i'm betting you don't even need the center braces. can you post a pic of the stand?

 

[CEverii]

Is a 75g. About 100lbs of sand and 100lbs of rock. Heres the link to the thread with pics of the inside


http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/need-a-new-sump-with-tight-restrictions-129922.html

 

[neilanh]

Just my experience, 10g tanks are extremely hard to drill because the glass is so thin. It's doable, but I shattered 2 tanks before I got one drilled and usable. Luckily their cheap - just don't be surprised if you break one. Set out plastic or something to catch the glass just in case.

 

[mr_X]

i don't think you even need the center brace in the front. just glue and screw a 2x4 across the front of the tank in the place of the brace on end. that's more than enough.
have you seen store bought stands for a tank this size? they are not nearly as well built as yours and hold a tank fine for years and years.

 

[David S]

I see your using an overflow, be aware you need to keep enough room in your sumps to take water from your dt if you have a power cut,make sure when your up and running to drill a hole in the return pipe in your dt just under the water level for an air break to keep back flow water to a min,have a look in my profile under new ongoing tank,I also have 2 sumps due to space!!I personally would keep the connecting pipe at least 4" from the top.