BHead707
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Is it efficient to use a drilled tank for a freshwater setup? it was setup for saltwater but was never used.
drilled tank
- Thread starter BHead707
- Start date
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mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
efficient? not sure I follow. Possible, sure. Efficient, well, that depends on what you're trying to be efficient on. A sump or wet/dry is definitely an option on fw, though canisters are usually preferred (or even better would be both. You can plug up the holes if you don't want to use a sump or wet/dry.
OP
OP
BHead707
Aquarium Advice FINatic
how would you go about plugging up the holes? i am new to large tank setups so as well as sumps and wet/dry filters so kinda shooting into the dark here.
OP
OP
BHead707
Aquarium Advice FINatic
im asking because there may be an opportunity to get a brand new tank that was going to be used for saltwater so it was drilled. but the owner never used it
jsoong
Aquarium Advice Addict
How much work was done in the overflow setup?
If you are keeping goldfish, large cichlids, or large bioload fish, running a sump is a great idea with a drilled tank. <And if you DIY the sump, it will be cheaper than a canister.>
Depends on where the holes are (side vs bottom), and how much of a setup there is, as to what is the best way to seal up the holes if you don't want to use it.
If the internal overflow was setup, then all you need to do is to raise the overflow tube to above the water line (or keep your water level below the rakers) and you are good to go.
If there was no setup & all you have are holes, then you have 2 choices:
1. Cheap but not 100% safe - sandwich the hole with 2 sheets of glass of appropriate thickness (thicker than the existing bottom glass). Silicone the pieces in place make sure the pieces overlap the holes enough for safety. (extending 6-8" minimum from furthest edges of the holes). If the holes are next to a vertical seam, you might have to remove the inner seam, silicone the glass patch to the vertical panes, and re-do the inner seams. This works for many, but silicone may fail in time & leak. I might go this route if the holes are up in the sides of the tank, but leaks from bottom patches are a PITA to fix...
2. Use bulkheads & downtubes. A bulkhead is a water tight fixture you put on the hole that allows you to attach pipes. This is the first thing that goes in when setting up the overflow. To seal off the tank holes, you install bulkheads, then either cap the bulkheads underwater or install a downtube that extends above the water line. This is safer than silicone, easily convertible to a sump, and if you use a downtube, you can run your canister returns & various wires & tubes inside for a neat look.
If you are keeping goldfish, large cichlids, or large bioload fish, running a sump is a great idea with a drilled tank. <And if you DIY the sump, it will be cheaper than a canister.>
Depends on where the holes are (side vs bottom), and how much of a setup there is, as to what is the best way to seal up the holes if you don't want to use it.
If the internal overflow was setup, then all you need to do is to raise the overflow tube to above the water line (or keep your water level below the rakers) and you are good to go.
If there was no setup & all you have are holes, then you have 2 choices:
1. Cheap but not 100% safe - sandwich the hole with 2 sheets of glass of appropriate thickness (thicker than the existing bottom glass). Silicone the pieces in place make sure the pieces overlap the holes enough for safety. (extending 6-8" minimum from furthest edges of the holes). If the holes are next to a vertical seam, you might have to remove the inner seam, silicone the glass patch to the vertical panes, and re-do the inner seams. This works for many, but silicone may fail in time & leak. I might go this route if the holes are up in the sides of the tank, but leaks from bottom patches are a PITA to fix...
2. Use bulkheads & downtubes. A bulkhead is a water tight fixture you put on the hole that allows you to attach pipes. This is the first thing that goes in when setting up the overflow. To seal off the tank holes, you install bulkheads, then either cap the bulkheads underwater or install a downtube that extends above the water line. This is safer than silicone, easily convertible to a sump, and if you use a downtube, you can run your canister returns & various wires & tubes inside for a neat look.
