Drilling bulkhead

[Bleigh]

I'm about to drill my 60 gallon non-tempered tank. I am installing a Fiji Cube overflow box. Is there any rule on how high the water level should be? Also, how close can I safely drill the tank to the top edge of the glass?

 

[rainmaker]

I have a 60 rimless cube an water level is about 1 1/2 from top if that helps

 

[JoshH]

Water height is more of a personal preference and the usual consensus is the higher the better. Keep in mind the bottom of the weir teeth will not be the height of the water it will be roughly 1/4"-1/2" higher than that depending on your flow rate and the width of the weir. And that the higher the water line, the more limited you will be in serious flow in your tank as too much will cause splashing. The general rule of thumb is to keep the holes the same distance away from the edge of the tank as the same diameter of the hole. So if you're drilling a 2 inch hole, you would want to keep it atleast 2 inches away from the edge of the tank.

 

[reefwiser]

They supply a template for drilling I would use that to drill the tank. Tape it in place on the tank and drill where the template says to drill.

 

[dantimdad]

They supply a template for drilling I would use that to drill the tank. Tape it in place on the tank and drill where the template says to drill.

This is the answer to your query.

Wise choice in overflows. Mine is fantastic, so is the sump.

 

[redfishbluefish]

As already pointed out, the instruction/template will tell you where to drill. Now, to answer your question about how close you can drill....the general rule is at least a diameters length to any edge or other hole. But again, instructions are going to tell you where to drill.

A couple tips on drilling that have worked well for me:

1. As mentioned, duct tape the template in position. I also use a little plumbers putty between the template and glass to help hold cooling water.

2. On the back side of the glass, apply duct tape as well. Using bar clamps, I now lightly clamp a piece of scrape wood to the back side, covering the tape. This is done to minimize chip out.

3. Drilling....slow drill speed; keep water in the template to keep bit and glass cool; no pressure on the drill....let the bit slowly grind the glass away. Depending on the thickness and size of the hole, takes between 10-20 minutes to drill. OK to take breaks when drilling....clean out the hole and check progress.

4. Especially when approaching the end, no pressure on the drill....you want to minimize chip out.I

5. Once you successfully drill your first hole, you're an expert.


HERE's a link to my most recent drilling.