How hard drill for sump?

[MeCasa]

I just bought 210 with 2 decent sized sump tanks underneath, they were fed from an uptop unit working off a siphon then feeding a filter tank unto a second tank with a pump feeding back to the main tank.

Not sure whether the tank will be salt of fresh (currently have a planted cichlid 150).

Either way a sump might be helpful and I own a replacement window company so I'm not new to glass

But I've never drilled a tank.

 

[Mebbid]

Theres numerous videos on YouTube showing you how, I would practice on some waster pieces of glass first before trying your big tank.

 

[MeCasa]

Would you drill bottom or side?

Better yet, time for me to do a crash course on the pros and cons of sumps followed by the 'best way to build sumps'

 

[Mebbid]

Unless they are specially made for it, the mass majority of tanks have a tempered bottom so the side would be the place to drill.

I personally go more for a refugium with salt water. Just get the biggest tank you can for underneath and make 3 different chambers.

The first chamber is where the tank drains into. This needs to be big enough for the refugium.

After the first chamber do a series of 3 baffles spaced an inch apart. The middle baffle needs to be raised up off the bottom by an inch or two forcing the water to go underneath it to get past.

The second chamber is the biggest so you can grow macro algae in.

The last chamber needs to be big enough for the return pump.

Thats a basic refugium setup, some people enlarge the first chamber to add filter media.

 

[MeCasa]

Thank you, I loaded up most of the equipment today, but the framing, tank and sumps come tomorrow. I'll take some pictures of exactly what sumps I bought and design from there to save money.