Customizing a standard tank question
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TheGreatWave
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I cut out the overflow of a rimless reef ready to make a big AIO, same idea minus the drilling of overflow. I didn't need the holes in the bottom so I put a glass 5 1/2" square down with silicone to cover them.
I wanted to post this exact question but did not because I figured it’s been asked already....seems nothing is original on the more popular forms
....anyway I hate those overflows and separating them using a razor seems daunting... following,,
iams447
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I realize it’s going to be a tedious job to get everything to look good but I have always wanted a peninsula style tank and the 300DD I have currently I think would make a great candidate with its width. What thickness glass did you use TheGreatOne? I was just going to use bulk heads and cap them
TheGreatWave
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I used 1/4" glass to cover the holes in the bottom and to make the divider / weir. (The tank itself is a little thicker, but IMO 1/4" is plenty thick enough to cover those small holes, it's not a wall in and of itself, just a patch)
Google said to go 1" past the edge of the holes which is how I ended up at 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square.
I'm not against the bulkheads, but it was an added cost and I would have had to drill out my stand to accommodate them. The plate was cheap easy and adequate so I didn't fight it. The glass I had on hand. If I didn't have glass on hand and the cutter already out for the weir, I would have used bulkheads if I had them instead.
The plate also satisfied my need for no external plumbing which was kinda a theme for this tank, but other wise doesn't mean much.
Take your time it's worth it to get what you want, at the same time it's less stressful if you can be flexible. I didn't want a reef ready tank, but it turned out nicer because it's rimless at the top compared to the typical rimmed frag tank I was trying to purchase without the reef ready plumbing.
To aid in the removal of the plastic overflow, i used a thin guitar string to cut as far as I could down the sides, then I just slowly pried it out. I recall making some score cuts in the silicone on the bottom of the plastic weir and maybe a little bit in the corner to help break it lose. I'm not sure if it helped or not, the plastic eventually lets go from the silicone.
After that I did a careful cleanup with razor blades and vinegar, I used acetone for final prep before installing new silicone.
My tank is a peninsula despite being placed up against a wall for the time being. (That's why I didn't paint any sides)
I debated using tinted glass for my overflow, but in practice it didn't really block any light installed like that.
I used temporary ~1/16" shims at the corners of that bottom plate to keep me from squishing out all the silicone, to avoid and glass to glass contact.
It's been a fun project, this is my hybrid display/propagation system. It uses no wave makers, just a Adam's hybrid closed loop does everything. It's a little sparse, I'm literally just getting it running and stocked now. Soon it will be full of glorious algae.
Google said to go 1" past the edge of the holes which is how I ended up at 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square.
I'm not against the bulkheads, but it was an added cost and I would have had to drill out my stand to accommodate them. The plate was cheap easy and adequate so I didn't fight it. The glass I had on hand. If I didn't have glass on hand and the cutter already out for the weir, I would have used bulkheads if I had them instead.
The plate also satisfied my need for no external plumbing which was kinda a theme for this tank, but other wise doesn't mean much.
Take your time it's worth it to get what you want, at the same time it's less stressful if you can be flexible. I didn't want a reef ready tank, but it turned out nicer because it's rimless at the top compared to the typical rimmed frag tank I was trying to purchase without the reef ready plumbing.
To aid in the removal of the plastic overflow, i used a thin guitar string to cut as far as I could down the sides, then I just slowly pried it out. I recall making some score cuts in the silicone on the bottom of the plastic weir and maybe a little bit in the corner to help break it lose. I'm not sure if it helped or not, the plastic eventually lets go from the silicone.
After that I did a careful cleanup with razor blades and vinegar, I used acetone for final prep before installing new silicone.
My tank is a peninsula despite being placed up against a wall for the time being. (That's why I didn't paint any sides)
I debated using tinted glass for my overflow, but in practice it didn't really block any light installed like that.
I used temporary ~1/16" shims at the corners of that bottom plate to keep me from squishing out all the silicone, to avoid and glass to glass contact.
It's been a fun project, this is my hybrid display/propagation system. It uses no wave makers, just a Adam's hybrid closed loop does everything. It's a little sparse, I'm literally just getting it running and stocked now. Soon it will be full of glorious algae.
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