Setting up Tank Via Holes Drilled in Bottom of Tank?

[jeffnyc]

Hello!

I am researching setting up my first planted aquarium and want to hide all mechanicals behind slate in the back of the tank.

I want my proposed 25 gallon cube created with two holes in the bottom for a:
• CO2 system
• Internal Filter

Then, (using the best, longest lasting tubing possible) I would seal the holes with silicone. The stand would have corresponding holes.

Any thoughts or suggestions on the feasibility of this plan? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I haven't had a tank since I was a kid.

Thank you!
Jeff

 

[jsoong]

Hi & welcome to AA!!

You will not want to attempt the connections with silicone!! It will fail & you will get a leak....

The proper way to connect stuff through a drilled tank is with bulkheads, like these:
Bulkhead Fittings

The bulkheads allows you to make water-tight seals through holes in your tank. For holes in the bottom, you would attach a pipe (the stand pipe) to the bulkhead inside the tank. Make the pipe taller than the water level & you can pass tubes,etc. through it without fear of leaks.

This is however, a rather complicated way to plumb a tank for your purposes. A drilled tank is really useful in sump setups. It is overkill (not to mention risk of flooding) to drill a tank just to pass your hoses through.

If you want to hide your mechanicals, a better solution is a canister filter. The filter can sit under the tank in a cupboard, and the intake & return hose hang over the rim of the tank. You can use strainer & spraybars that are almost completely hidden by your canopy. <But this setup only exchange water from the top of the tank. So some would place them deeper in the tank. In that case, you would have 2 vertical pipes visible, still pretty easy to hide.> You would T in your CO2 to the return of the canister (some build a diffuser in line with the return). Add an in line heater, and all your equipment is out of your tank & hidden.

 

[ccCapt]

My only comment is get the tank with the holes already drilled if you are going that route. Pretty much every tank has a tempered bottom which can't be drilled. The factory will drill the holes before the glass gets tempered.

 

[jeffnyc]

Thank you! Drilling really doesn't seem very practical. I'll look into your other suggestions.