anyone drill holes in tanks?

[kau_cinta_ku]

does anyone know of a person or place around Sioux Falls area that will drill some holes in a tank for me? i just got a 75 gal. from a fellow reefer and would like to have a closed loop and built in overflow in it drilled (no more external overflow for me) but i have never done it before and am scared i will break the glass. also can anyone give me some ideas on what size holes to put in there and where at? i am only gonna want to put one hole for the closed loop in the tank and then have pvc around the top of the tank for the closed loop but i still am not sure what size holes for the overflow and loop and where to put them. any help would be great. TIA

[Travis]

Okay, could you be anymore broad.:lol: This one is going to take a while to answer.:D

does anyone know of a person or place around Sioux Falls area that will drill some holes in a tank for me?

Not that I know of for sure as I haven't tried contacting anyone to do it. But I would be money on it that somewhere in Sioux Falls there has to be a glass shop that will drill the holes for you for a fee (probably not cheap and they typically won't guarantee that they won't break the tank).

There is a fairly new guy around that used to be in charge of the aquariums at the Omaha Zoo and some famous hotel in Las Vegas. He now has his own business setting up people's tanks and systems. From what I hear, he will soon be working on installing a 20,000 gallon tank in someone's home. I haven't talked to this guy personally yet but I would be he knows what he is doing when it comes to anything to do with tanks. It wouldn't hurt to shoot him an email or give him a call to see if he could do it and how much he would charge. Here is his email: grant@oceansofthemidwest.com His business is Oceans of the Midwest. Not sure if he has a phone number in the business section but it may be worth checking.

Another option is to drill it yourself, if you are brave.:) Have a read through this thread: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=271539
That thread gave me the courage to drill overflow teeth in a 20H. Next, I will make an external oveflow box with a hole for a bulkhead on the bottom and attach it to the back with silicone. If all goes well I plan to do the same with my 75 FOWLR also adding another bulkhead hole to the tank for a CL.

[Travis]

also can anyone give me some ideas on what size holes to put in there and where at?

First, you will need to decide what type of overflow you want. Do you want one where the teeth are drilled in the tank and the box is mounted on the outside so you only see the teeth? Do you want a center trapezoid/rectangular overflow? Do you want a small overflow that mounts up near the top of the tank (picture the box to a standard external overflow siliconed to the top back of the tank with a bulkhead for the drain that goes out the back of the box and through the back wall of the tank)? Do you want a square/rectangular corner overflow? Do you want a long overflow that runs along the whole back of the tank but only takes up the upper part of the tank so it skims very efficiently? etc. etc. etc.

Let us know what type of oveflow you want and we can assist you further on the overflow drain hole. Have a look at this site for some overflow ideas: http://wetdryfilter.com/internal_overflow_boxes.htm

For the CL, you should have the intake drilled low enough that it won't be exposed to air when the return pump shuts off or when you do a water change. But it should still be high enough that the intake screen can be easily accessed for cleaning. I also prefer to have it low enough that you can place your rocks in front of it so it isn't visible. The outlet hole(s) are mostly personal preference. I would recommend two outlets. One in each back top corner but you could really put them anywhere you want. You need to envision how you will aquascape the tank and then decide the best place for the outlet(s).

[Travis]

i am only gonna want to put one hole for the closed loop in the tank and then have pvc around the top of the tank for the closed loop but i still am not sure what size holes for the overflow and loop and where to put them.

Ok, I didn't catch that you were wanting a "Anthony Calfo style" CL return. In that case you won't need to drill return holes in the tank.

For the intake hole I would use a 1.5" bulkhead. This way you will be able to use it for 95" of the pumps out there. With a 75 gallon tank you will probably only be needing a 1" intake but this isn't something you will be able to change down the road if you end up wanting to run a pump that needs a 1.5" intake. I ran an Ampmaster 3000 on the CL of my 75 sps tank that required a 1.5" intake.

I would also recommend a 1.5" drain bulkhead for the overflow. Once again, you can probably get by with 1" but it is better to be safe than sorry. Heck, I use a 1.5" drain on my 40 clam tank. The benefit of a larger drain is that if a snail manages to get in there you won't overflow the tank as the drain should be large enough to still handle the flow even with a snail in it.

As for the sizes of holes to drill, you first need to decide what size bulkheads you will be using. Then check the specs on the bulkheads for what size holes they require.

[Travis]

BTW, you never said whether the tank is glass or acrylic. I'm assuming it is glass. If it is acrylic I will drill the holes for ya. Seriously, check out my website and you will see that my 280 was drilled like swiss cheese. :D I have 17 1.5" bulkhead holes and 2 3" bulkhead holes in the tank. A little over half of them were drilled by the manufacturer. The other half were drilled by me. I believe there is also a description on my website on how I installed an internal center trapezoidal oveflow in my clam tank that might be worth taking a look at.

[Travis]

Dang man... I spend a half hour writing up a nice long reply and not even a thanks...:( Usually, I don't expect anything but I went way out of my way on this one.

[kau_cinta_ku]

hey sorry for not getting back to you sonner not tring to ditch anyone. just was out of town for a while. but i must say when i wrote the question i didn't think it was that big of a prob. till i read all of your great info and then re read my question. but wow you really got me thinking of alot of diffrent optionsto do with my tank. i really love the forum on how he made the external overflow that looks great. but after still reading your options i think i have decided to just drill a couple of holes in there myself and pray i don't break it:p and am also going to go with your idea on using the 1 1/2 bulkheads (bigger is always better) and then make an overflow out of glass like that forum but will be internal. the holes from what i understand are 2 3/8'' holes (if thats right) and all i can find are diamond hole saws in metric that are 60 mm and if i did it right it will leave me with a hole .015 small will that still be good enough?

once again thanks a lot for all the great help just got my mind going alot with alot more diff. options. but once i do decide on how it will end up in the end and get sawing and cutting i will keep you posted on how things turn out.

p.s. you do have a great tank and i think my next tank will also be acrylic so i don't have to worry so much to drill and break it

[Travis]

No problemo, I just thought you were being unappreciative.:) In which case I would have to stop offering you my advice.:lol:

Holes for bulkheads need to be pretty much exact. However, there are a lot of different bulkhead manufacturers and each 1.5" bulkhead will not be the same size and will require a different size hole. Search around for some on the net and see if you can find one that requires a hole the size of that hole saw. Also, check your tank to see if the bottom is tempered. If it is, which most non RR tanks are, you won't be able to drill through the bottom. In that case you can still install a regular internal oveflow, just drill the drain hole out the back of the tank instead of the bottom. Sounds like you are on the right track.:)

[kau_cinta_ku]

yes the tank is tempered so the bottom will be a big no no. but that is also what i was thinking was to drill it toward the bottom on the back left side of the tank and then for the closed loop hole will prob. be toward the middle about 5 inches from the bottom. (fairly easy to get at and can be covered or blocked by rock) i will keep checking around for some diff. bulkheads and also some hole saws and see what i come up with. also one more question how close to the bottom do you think it would be safe to drill and still keep the strength of the glass?

once again thanks for the help

[Travis]

I really don't know how close it would be safe to drill to the bottom. For your overflow drain there shouldn't be too much concern. The overflow itself is holding the water in the tank so all of there is far less pressure against the glass inside the overflow compartment. I would leave at least 3-4" from the edges just to be safe. With your CL intake, I think 5" from the bottom would be fine. Just remember, these are just my "thoughts" and are not backed by physics. I would check with other people or the tank manufacturer first to be safe.

[Travis]

Just an FYI, I just read in another thread where someone took their 75 to a glass shop to have 2 holes drilled in the back for 1.5" bulkheads and it only costed them $20.

[kau_cinta_ku]

well a little late i guess...lol i have the drill bit ordered and should be here sometime this week so i am gonna try it out and do it my self but if i do break it then i guess next time i will have to ask around more for places that do. but i guess the best part of this hobby is knowing that you did it yourself. but thanks for the info

[Jiddy]

Just wanted to say you are great Travis and offer much need advise! If i was strong and you were small id carry you around on my shoulders for a whole day!

[kau_cinta_ku]

Just wanted to say you are great Travis and offer much need advise!

yes i do have to agree on this he has been very helpful and very much appreciated.

by the way the drill bit came today, this weekend is time to see how good i am at drilling:p