reefer newby
Active Member
I was given a 55gal tank that I am wanting to drill. It has a sticker on the bottom that says , tempered do not drill. Its a given the bottom is tempered , but what about the sides?
drilling a tank
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reefnoob616
Active Member
I just tried drilling the side of a 55g and it was drilling good until I just broke through, then boom. It just shattered into a million pieces. But I drilled through my 75g tank that said tempered on bottom as well. Everything went fine with 3 holes on that one. But it was thicker glass then the 55g. Good thing I was just going to use 55for a water supply.
Vw reef
Community Member
Sides are not usually tempered. YouTube has videos on checking your tank for tempered glass using polarized glasses. The trick to drilling a tank is go slow, use a new sharp bit lots of water and no pressure on the drill. I have drilled over a 100 tanks to date without issue. Never attempt to drill tempered glass.....
reefnoob616
Active Member
Well I guess I had the only tempered sided tank.
Find out the make of the tank, usually the bottom is the only one that is tempered. You could do a Bean Animal Coast to Coast off the back.
reefer newby
Active Member
I believe its an ocean view , but not positive.
Shane-o
Community Member
the polarized glasses trick works, we did it with our tank to make sure and you can definitely tell the difference when you look at one that is and one that isn't. Luckily we had a 10 gal sump that we knew was tempered laying around to use as comparison... our tank is a 55 gal as well that we drilled out no problem.
reefer newby
Active Member
This tank has really thick glass. In terms of the glasses , what is polarized , and how do you know if they are?
Vw reef
Community Member
Watch this video for help. The thickness of the glass is not a concerned. Sharp drill bit, lots of water and slow steady control without pressure is key for me.
How to tell if it's tempered glass.AVI - YouTube
Vw reef
Community Member
Maybe this will help....
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/122451-true-false-you-can-drill-tempered-glass.html
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/122451-true-false-you-can-drill-tempered-glass.html
reefer newby
Active Member
Well I practiced on a 10 gal tank this morning. All went well. Got the hole done without breaking it. 1 and 1/2 inch hole. I had a lawnmower break the glass in a door at my business yesterday. I called a glass company to come and replace it. I asked the man doing the work how to tell tempered from non tempered. I told him the bottom was marked as being tempered but the sides were not. He said to empty the tank , stand it on the end and tap the glass with my finger and there should be a noticeable difference in the two. I did this and there was a tremendous difference in the tempered bottom and the sides. Totally different sound. So now I need to figure out the size holes I need , how many and where to put them.
