New 40 Gallon Setup and Transfer

[Bdonaldson]

You can just drill the tank yourself. You can order diamond hole bits off ebay for a good price. If you have a drill, water, and a steady hand, then your good to go!

Sounds good. I think I will give it a try. Thanks for the advice.


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[paul87]

Sounds good. I think I will give it a try. Thanks for the advice.


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No problem! Its not as hard as it would seem. YouTbe has plenty of videos. You just want to be steady, make sure you got the right size for your bulkhead, and keep running water (water hose) on the drill bit while you are dilling it. Good luck!

 

[paul87]

I believe I got mine pretty cheap from a seller by the name of TexasHoleyRocks on eBay. Good quality for the $$$.

 

[Bdonaldson]

[QUOT E=paul87;3076255]No problem! Its not as hard as it would seem. YouTbe has plenty of videos. You just want to be steady, make sure you got the right size for your bulkhead, and keep running water (water hose) on the drill bit while you are dilling it. Good luck![/QUOTE]


Thanks, I will give it a try this weekend. I will let you know how it goes.


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[Bdonaldson]

What is a good size bulkhead to get?


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[Bdonaldson]

I decided to go with a 1.89" schedule 80 bulkhead. I am not sure how many holes to drill for a 40B. I know you need one for the intake and one for the return. I guess the question is should I drill a set of holes on both sides of the backside of tank? or drill one set of holes in the middle back of the tank? What do you all think?


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[paul87]

I decided to go with a 1.89" schedule 80 bulkhead. I am not sure how many holes to drill for a 40B. I know you need one for the intake and one for the return. I guess the question is should I drill a set of holes on both sides of the backside of tank? or drill one set of holes in the middle back of the tank? What do you all think?


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I ended up using the "herbie method" created by a member on RC. Im really glad I did because it is quite and failsafe. Here's a page that goes over it. Herbie Overflow Plumbing Guide for Quiet Reef Aquariums - gmacreef
There are plenty sites that go over it as well as videos and all. All you need is 3 holes, 3 bulkheads, George Fischer Y-check valve (for return/failsafe), PVC, over flow box, ball valve, and PCV glue. Hopefully I didn't miss anything but you can read up on it. Here is what mine looked like when I got done with it. Haven't had one problem with it yet, which is why I will probably be doing the exact same overflow design for my new 65 gallon when I get it.

 

[paul87]

On a 40B, IMO, I would do it identical to how I have mine. It has been absolutely perfect. It can handle a lot more flow than what I have going through it too. You could always switch sides or scoot the overflow box over if you wanted. All the holes should be in the back. I forget what size bulkheads I used and why but I did a lot of research at the time. I know I used (2) 1" PVC for the drains & (1) 3/4" PVC for the return. The holes themselves need to be bigger (two different sizes for the return and the drains) for the bulkhead to fit, because they are actually bigger than the PVC. Hope all of this helps and that I didn't confuse you, tried to keep it simple!

 

[Bdonaldson]

I ended up using the "herbie method" created by a member on RC. Im really glad I did because it is quite and failsafe. Here's a page that goes over it. Herbie Overflow Plumbing Guide for Quiet Reef Aquariums - gmacreef
There are plenty sites that go over it as well as videos and all. All you need is 3 holes, 3 bulkheads, George Fischer Y-check valve (for return/failsafe), PVC, over flow box, ball valve, and PCV glue. Hopefully I didn't miss anything but you can read up on it. Here is what mine looked like when I got done with it. Haven't had one problem with it yet, which is why I will probably be doing the exact same overflow design for my new 65 gallon when I get it.

Wow! That looks very nice. I had heard and read about the Herbie overflow system a while back but didn't quite understand it all. I think that's the route I will take as well. I appreciate the advice. Your picks will come in handy when I get ready to set it up. Thanks Paul I appreciate it very much. Being a women, plumbing is not really my strong suit but it doesn't look that hard to do. I just have to make sure I get all the right parts.


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[paul87]

Wow! That looks very nice. I had heard and read about the Herbie overflow system a while back but didn't quite understand it all. I think that's the route I will take as well. I appreciate the advice. Your picks will come in handy when I get ready to set it up. Thanks Paul I appreciate it very much. Being a women, plumbing is not really my strong suit but it doesn't look that hard to do. I just have to make sure I get all the right parts.


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No problem. Its not as hard as it may seem. Get you a pair of PVC cutters and cutting the pipe will be a breeze with no mess or burrs. Glue it and insert. Aquarium safe silicone to attach the overflow box. No glue needed for bulkheads. I recommend a variable speed drill though for the drilling of the tank. Steady and patience at a constant speed, not too fast, not too slow with constant water running on the bit. Just remember, water and electricity don't mix! So be careful of the cords and drill.

 

[Bdonaldson]

I will make a list of everything that I will need and check to see what I already have on hand.
I plan on designing my sump and putting that together this weekend. I already have all the plexiglass cut for it. I will let you know how everything goes. Thanks again.


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[paul87]

I will make a list of everything that I will need and check to see what I already have on hand.
I plan on designing my sump and putting that together this weekend. I already have all the plexiglass cut for it. I will let you know how everything goes. Thanks again.


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Sounds like a plan. Happy to help!

 

[Bdonaldson]

I didn't get a chance to put my sump together last weekend so I am hoping I can get the sump put together and drill my tank this weekend. Wish my luck on the drilling.


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[paul87]

I didn't get a chance to put my sump together last weekend so I am hoping I can get the sump put together and drill my tank this weekend. Wish my luck on the drilling.


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Good luck! Have you watched any videos on drilling the tank and are you sure on placement of the holes? Remember if you are doing the herbie method like me with the same size overflow, the two bulkheads fit just right within in. Don't want to space them to far and the box not fit, or put them too close where the bulkheads hit one another when you install them.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Good luck! Have you watched any videos on drilling the tank and are you sure on placement of the holes? Remember if you are doing the herbie method like me with the same size overflow, the two bulkheads fit just right within in. Don't want to space them to far and the box not fit, or put them too close where the bulkheads hit one another when you install them.

Oh ok, maybe I will wait until next weekend to do the drilling. I want to get it right. I did watch some videos on the drilling so I think I can do it without breaking the tank. I haven't picked out my overflow box yet so I guess I should get that first. Thanks for the reminder Paul.


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[paul87]

Oh ok, maybe I will wait until next weekend to do the drilling. I want to get it right. I did watch some videos on the drilling so I think I can do it without breaking the tank. I haven't picked out my overflow box yet so I guess I should get that first. Thanks for the reminder Paul.


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No problem! Here is one I found on eBay that will work great for you. It looks to be identical as the one I have in measurements and construction. Mine is very durably constructed and I have not had any problems whatsoever out of it. Its says its rated for 75-110 gallon tanks, but that is a good things. Just enough room for the two bulkheads to fit nicely in it for the herbie method.

Aquarium Overflow Box 1200 GPH Surface Skimmer | eBay

Also here is one of the y-check valves I found on eBay as well (for return). They are very pricey but make the system fail-safe, and in my opinion worth it. You may can find one cheaper, just wanted to share.

George Georg Fischer Y Strainer 3 4" 192 306 350 New in Box | eBay

 

[Bdonaldson]

No problem! Here is one I found on eBay that will work great for you. It looks to be identical as the one I have in measurements and construction. Mine is very durably constructed and I have not had any problems whatsoever out of it. Its says its rated for 75-110 gallon tanks, but that is a good things. Just enough room for the two bulkheads to fit nicely in it for the herbie method.

Aquarium Overflow Box 1200 GPH Surface Skimmer | eBay

Also here is one of the y-check valves I found on eBay as well (for return). They are very pricey but make the system fail-safe, and in my opinion worth it. You may can find one cheaper, just wanted to share.

George Georg Fischer Y Strainer 3 4" 192 306 350 New in Box | eBay

Thanks, I was wondering what size I should get for my tank. I will definitely check into it.


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[Bdonaldson]

Ok Paul ordered the items above. Would I use a 3/4" bulkhead for my intake and outtake?


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[paul87]

Ok Paul ordered the items above. Would I use a 3/4" bulkhead for my intake and outtake?


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I used 3/4" for my return line (from sump pump to display tank) and 1" for both of my drain lines (from DT to the sump). However the 2 bits that you will need to do this will be bigger than the actual size of the pipe you are using because the bulkheads will he bigger so the pvc can slip in it. I forget how they size the bulkheads but if you do it like that you will need one bulkhead that allows 3/4" to fit in, and two bulkheads that allow 1" to fit.

 

[Bdonaldson]

I used 3/4" for my return line (from sump pump to display tank) and 1" for both of my drain lines (from DT to the sump). However the 2 bits that you will need to do this will be bigger than the actual size of the pipe you are using because the bulkheads will he bigger so the pvc can slip in it. I forget how they size the bulkheads but if you do it like that you will need one bulkhead that allows 3/4" to fit in, and two bulkheads that allow 1" to fit.

Ok thanks Paul. I appreciate all the help. This process can be very confusing when your not familiar with it. I have learned a lot through our conversations on here. I started on building my sump yesterday. I have the first stage completed and hope to have the refugium and return stages done later today. I have to get one more panel cut at lowes and then I can complete the sump.


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