Drilling All Glass aquarium

[Jayson Ledbetter]

has any one drilled a All Glass brand aquarium? I was told I couldn't drill the bottom glass , but could the back. Also the back is painted will this hurt with the drilling process? Thanks in advance

 

[DancingShark]

You will have to verify that the glass is not tempered. Almost all tanks will have bottom glass that is tempered. I would call aqueon just to be safe. You can use the polarized pair of glasses and a lcd screen trick.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

You will have to verify that the glass is not tempered. Almost all tanks will have bottom glass that is tempered. I would call aqueon just to be safe. You can use the polarized pair of glasses and a lcd screen trick.

I've called, they are closed till Monday, I also messaged them. My LFS said the bottom is probably tempered , but the sides shouldn't be, but I need to make 100% for sure

 

[BoomCorals]

What size is it?

 

[BoomCorals]

With aqueon (all glass) everything 37g and up is tempered bottom. Except the 40b.

None have tempered sides to my knowledge but you should still check with them to be sure.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

120 tall

 

[cracker]

Aqueon tanks do have tempered bottoms. My recent 180 does for sure. You can drill the sides. I did mine .

 

[joekool]

my 210 said do not drill enclosure which I took as everything. I would ask them about your particular tank and they will tell you. that way you have no worries about it.

you could get a new bottom with the holes cut before tempering or just replace with epoxy coated plywood.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

Aqueon tanks do have tempered bottoms. My recent 180 does for sure. You can drill the sides. I did mine .

I'm drilling the back, was it fairly easy to do? U have any advice for me?

 

[cracker]

1st time for Ya? It is a little daunting for sure. just take your time & keep the glass wet. Do You have a template ? This really helps to guide the bit & keep it from walking.
I drill outside & use a trickle of water from the garden hose.
Hey Joe I think they say that cuze as soon as you drill the warranty is gone.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

Yes first time, do I need a template?

 

[BoomCorals]

Yes you should have a template for sure. Glass-holes gives you templates you clamp down which is really nice. Otherwise the drill is going to walk all over you when you first start. And take it SLOW. And realize it's going to take a LONG time. Even thin little 20 gallon tanks take upwards of 15 minutes for one hole. Big tanks take a lot longer.

 

[Even Further]

A template can be made from flat plywood or acrylic. It makes it easy to start the hole, and line it up exactly where you want it. Personally I would not attempt to drill unless the glass is confirmed to be non-tempered. Using polarized lens and LCD back light works as a visual tests.

Aqueon is going to tell you they occasionally substitute tempered panels during production, so they cannot grantee what's tempered and what's not.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

What size drill bit will I need for a 120 gallon

 

[BoomCorals]

What size drill bit will I need for a 120 gallon

Drill bit size is determined by bulkhead size.

 

[Jayson Ledbetter]

A template can be made from flat plywood or acrylic. It makes it easy to start the hole, and line it up exactly where you want it. Personally I would not attempt to drill unless the glass is confirmed to be non-tempered. Using polarized lens and LCD back light works as a visual tests.

Aqueon is going to tell you they occasionally substitute tempered panels during production, so they cannot grantee what's tempered and what's not.

Yes I did the LCD , and polorized glass test.

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

I always like to hear that people in the hobby are doing things themselves.
Here's a vid from YT but there are many many videos you can check out just by searching "drill aquarium glass". Some give very good examples of how to manipulate the drill when first starting out.

For the bulkhead size I would go as big as possible. IMHO it's a shame to have taken the time and effort to drill a hole only to find that later on when / if you want to increase the turnover rate on your tank, your drain doesn't support it because it's too small. For a 120, I would make it 2". Your return can be smaller (probably 1")

You should really take the time to plan out your plumbing. I mention this because you might find that also having a hole in the glass for your return pump plumbing is something you might want. Google and YT are your friends for researching what looks good for your preference. Personally, I only do PVC and stay away from flexible tubing for my plumbing.

Anytime I put a new system together I always build the sump first. I know that idea is not popular. (Just rambling, I guess )