Drilling my tank.

[DrAsTiC]

Hello everyone I hope you all have a great Easter and weekend,

I am going to drill my tank and just wanted to know where I should drill it.The bottom is tempered so I can not drill the bottom so the back is my only solution.I want to know if I should drill the holes on the bottom of the back glass or the top?Or do I drill one hole up top and the other down on the bottom?I do not have an over flow should I make one and use one?
I know there is a million threads out there about people drilling there tanks but everyone seems to have different opinions. I am using a eshopps rs-200 sump.
Thank you for any comments and help.

 

[fishman1069]

Definitley drill at the top! You want to drill about 4" down and 4" from the corner. If your power goes out, the tank will only drain to the point of the strainer. You want to use a street elbow or a overflow box on the inside of the tank. Check out glass-holes.com.

 

[FoZii]

+1 for the top. I've recently drilled my tank, 2" from the top, I used a diamond drill bit from glass-holes.com, and picked up a drill guide and plumbers putty from Home Depot.

Good luck, and remember, GO SLOWWWWWWW... don't rush it, or it will crack/chip.

 

[bigbris1]

See a vid of me drilling one of my tanks here

 

[DrAsTiC]

Thank you very much for the help guys I posted a pic and hope it works

 

[masterswimmer]

Donald, 2" in from the side and 2" down from the top.
1" overflow on one side and the 3/4" return on the opposite side. Done!

Never put a ball valve or gate valve on the overflow plumbing. You want NOTHING to impede the overflow. That's a sure way to set up a future flood. Your return plumbing you want to include a true union ball valve just after the discharge of the pump. This will permit you to regulate flow to the tank and consequently the overflow, as well as permit you to service the pump if/when needed.

LMK if this was confusing....it was clear when it left my head. lol

Russ

 

[DrAsTiC]

Thanks a lot Russ only reason I put a valve on the overflow is because every summer my power goes out and I am not sure if the water level that will go down the overflow to the sump will flood the sump.I have my music studio under the room where my tank is so if I have a valve I will feel a lot better.I know it is overboard but being in the pipe business I have seen a lot floods in my days and do not want one in my house lol.

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks a lot Russ only reason I put a valve on the overflow is because every summer my power goes out and I am not sure if the water level that will go down the overflow to the sump will flood the sump.

This is the exact reason we recommend ALWAYS doing a power outage test run under a controlled scenario. While you're standing there, you pull the plugs, or just shut down ALL pumps, reactors, skimmers, everything to see where and how the water flows without any electric. Your sump should always have enough 'dry' capacity to handle the power outage siphon volume we're discussing here.

Overkill IMO can be a good thing and sometimes just what it is....overkill. lol The ball valve on the overflow could result in being the cause of a problem as opposed to alleviating one.

R

 

[DrAsTiC]

Thank you Russ I have a generator in my house and I plan on buying a battery backup tomorrow.LOL we think the same I was planning on doing a worse case scenario test with a wet vac handy. So I will take out the valve on the overflow and just leave the one on the return line.I drilled the holes last night and they came out perfect.

 

[masterswimmer]

I didn't have any doubt you'd 'grind' those holes perfect Glad the bits worked out perfect for ya.

Hopefully the wet test goes dry :scratchch

R