Do I need to Drill?

[MobiMike]

I have just set up my Juwel Trigon 190 litre tank (Bought stocked with fish etc, secondhand) and am currently running it with Live rock/sand and an external canister filter (Fluval 206). I understand this is not ideal and would like to install a sump.

My quandary is that my tank is drilled in the bottom, the drain pipe rising from the bottom of the tank to about 1/3 of the tank height (25cm/10" approx) up, ending in a simple strainer. The return pipe rising from the bottom of the tank to about 2/3 (40cm/15" approx) of the way up the tank, ending in Y-type Duck-bills. The Fluval canister filter is currently connected underneath the tank to these pipes

My plan would be to extend Both pipes so that they are closer to the surface-water, as in their current configuration a lot of water would be draining into the sump.

Would this work?

If not, what would be the best solution?

• Drilling the back of the tank?
• Overflow weir (how would I return water to the main tank?

I hope I've made this clear enough to follow.

Any advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DLHDesign]

Using the existing lines should work, but I would be concerned about the lack of a secondary (emergency) drain. In a closed-loop system, that's not really a concern because a clogged drain will stop the return flow. But in a sump system, a clogged drain won't stop the return pump from emptying the sump into the DT - very likely overflowing it. For that reason (and others), you pretty much must have at least one backup drain for a sump-based tank.

One option is that you could use the two bottom-drilled pipes as your drains. Set them up as a Herbie overflow. Then run a return line up and over the edge of the tank. If you are willing to drill the tank, you could drill it slightly above the desired water line (based on the return pipe height you would extend to) and use the new hole (or holes) as return points.

 

[cracker]

Ya could cap these holes & drill for the more common overflow. Many options involved .

 

[MobiMike]

Using the existing lines should work, but I would be concerned about the lack of a secondary (emergency) drain. In a closed-loop system, that's not really a concern because a clogged drain will stop the return flow. But in a sump system, a clogged drain won't stop the return pump from emptying the sump into the DT - very likely overflowing it. For that reason (and others), you pretty much must have at least one backup drain for a sump-based tank.

One option is that you could use the two bottom-drilled pipes as your drains. Set them up as a Herbie overflow. Then run a return line up and over the edge of the tank. If you are willing to drill the tank, you could drill it slightly above the desired water line (based on the return pipe height you would extend to) and use the new hole (or holes) as return points.

One drain + one emergency drain pipe and an up-and-over return line sounds ideal. Is the overflow/weir box essential on the "Herbie Overflow" system or can I just use strainers on both drain-pipes?

Many thanks for your expert advice.

 

[MobiMike]

Ya could cap these holes & drill for the more common overflow. Many options involved .

This is an option I'm considering, I'm just very nervous about drilling glass.
Many thanks for your suggestion.

 

[Even Further]

I would design it with an overflow box. The overflow box will set the water level in the display tank, and keep it steady. The overflow box will also allow for fluctuations in the water level as you fine tune the siphon with a valve. The overflow box is also critical to minimize drain back to the sump. When you kill the power to the return pump, ideally you want to minimize the drain back to the sump to prevent sump overflow or spill over. I would always design a system without check valves, so drain back, and sump capacity should always be accounted for.

 

[DLHDesign]

If you went with the existing pipes, I would not put a strainer on the emergency overflow - it's goal is to be fully open at all times to allow for full flow. Strainers, valves, etc. get in the way of that and could compromise the effectiveness of the drain.

I would suggest an overflow for all the reasons @Even Further mentioned. But that does require drilling the tank - which you seem hesitant to do. Totally understandable, that; it's not something that should be taken lightly, though it's really not that hard. Once you ensure that the tank isn't tempered (which would be highly unlikely in a reasonably modern tank), the key is to go slow, keep things moist, and use a good drill bit of the proper size. There are videos out there for sure; Google search will find them. You can always get an extra pane of glass and test on that before actually drilling the tank (the drill bits are certainly capable of multiple uses).

If, after watching videos, you still don't feel comfortable drilling the tank yourself, you could check around (usually at your LFS, if you have one) for someone to drill the tank for you. You could even ask here for members who might be close to you to help you out!

 

[Mandelstam]

Go get a drill bit, a cheap scrap piece of glass and just practice and test it out until you feel comfortable with it. It's understandably a scary thought to cause a massive break when you've never tried it before, but when you have you usually feel much more comfortable.

 

[Reef-junky]

Take your time. Don’t force it. Use water and a guide. It seems scary but it’s not hard at all. Also put tape on the other side and a towel down so when the glass pops out it doesn’t chip or break the other side.

 

[MobiMike]

Many thanks to all for the expert advice, you folk are wonderful!

I am almost certain now that the best way forward for me is to to drill my tank (Gulp! Dreading this, particularly as I have to drill the tank upright - Curved front remember) for a BeanAnimal system (Three holes to drill!). I will also cap the drains in the bottom of the tank from underneath as well as siliconing a plate of glass over those holes inside the tank.

I am also leaning towards a homemade glass internal overflow-box running the whole length of one side (minus 3" or so at one end due to the curved glass front) of the Trigon tank and silicon-ed into place - so a nearly "coast-to-coast/calfo overflow design"

Please feel free to point out any errors in my plan

 

[Reef-junky]

Many thanks to all for the expert advice, you folk are wonderful!

I am almost certain now that the best way forward for me is to to drill my tank (Gulp! Dreading this, particularly as I have to drill the tank upright - Curved front remember) for a BeanAnimal system (Three holes to drill!). I will also cap the drains in the bottom of the tank from underneath as well as siliconing a plate of glass over those holes inside the tank.

I am also leaning towards a homemade glass internal overflow-box running the whole length of one side (minus 3" or so at one end due to the curved glass front) of the Trigon tank and silicon-ed into place - so a nearly "coast-to-coast/calfo overflow design"

Please feel free to point out any errors in my plan

You’ll be much happier in the end.