Just broke my 75 gallon drilling it.

[120reefkeeper]

Very helpful video and yes it works .

 

[BornHandy]

I did it too. I was assured that the bottom was the only tempered panel - WRONG! I got mine on video.

I ended up buying from glasscages.com. They don't temper anything, and the glass was super thick with reinforced seams. I am happy with it so far...\

For your viewing pleasure (or displeasure), I shattered it at around 2:20.

 

[Williamson’s Reef]

@Biggestfish I saw that you're using the eshopps eclipse overflow, right?
I ask you this question because If you drill the tank using the Eshopp template outside, the water line will be bellow the trim. I put mine inside the tank since the trim is smaller/thinner and drill the tank from inside. My water line is right by the trim.

I did notice that so I flipped the template upside down. Measured and put the template were the over box would give me the highest water line. Thanks for the heads up though. The standard template hole location would of been way to low.

 

[BornHandy]

I did notice that so I flipped the template upside down. Measured and put the template were the over box would give me the highest water line. Thanks for the heads up though. The standard template hole location would of been way to low.

Right you are. The instructions that came with mine were...not helpful, and that's being as nice about it as I can be.

Another problem I ran into was the outside box that sits waaaay lower than the inner section caused a lot of water gurgling sound - in spite of the bean animal system. I made a new box, and problem solved.

And yet another issue, the number of gaskets... The way they have you set up the seals, salt water can creep back through the threads of the bulkhead and leak between the tank and the outer box. It needed another seal between the tank and the outer box to prevent that. I ordered spares, problem solved.

For such a great looking box, there were some serious troubles with that product! Hopefully all of that has been corrected by now.

Now, let me climb down from my soap box....Sorry about that, but I just had to let it out!

 

[Williamson’s Reef]

I did it too. I was assured that the bottom was the only tempered panel - WRONG! I got mine on video.

I ended up buying from glasscages.com. They don't temper anything, and the glass was super thick with reinforced seams. I am happy with it so far...\

For your viewing pleasure (or displeasure), I shattered it at around 2:20.

I have to say watching your video made me feel a little better. I’m definitely not alone...lol. It really catches you off guard when it happens. I was almost all the way through when my shattered.

 

[Williamson’s Reef]

Right you are. The instructions that came with mine were...not helpful, and that's being as nice about it as I can be.

Another problem I ran into was the outside box that sits waaaay lower than the inner section caused a lot of water gurgling sound - in spite of the bean animal system. I made a new box, and problem solved.

And yet another issue, the number of gaskets... The way they have you set up the seals, salt water can creep back through the threads of the bulkhead and leak between the tank and the outer box. It needed another seal between the tank and the outer box to prevent that. I ordered spares, problem solved.

For such a great looking box, there were some serious troubles with that product! Hopefully all of that has been corrected by now.

Now, let me climb down from my soap box....Sorry about that, but I just had to let it out!

I wish I could just return it knowing all that. But I used the drill bit. I’ll probably use on a 40b latter. The one i didn’t open I’m returning.

 

[BornHandy]

I have to say watching your video made me feel a little better. I’m definitely not alone...lol. It really catches you off guard when it happens. I was almost all the way through when my shattered.

YES! I had that false sense of security where I was thinking "This was way easier than I BOOOOOM"! I was just about at the half way mark when it happened. The part that surprises me the most is the fact that you can get so far through it before the glass fails.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Glass MUST be tempered and also must have Lots of water flowing over glass while drilling. As Crabs indicated- best bet is to go Reef Ready.
You MAY get lucky and have glass shop cut you a new piece and drill for you and easy to fuse ina new panel BUT. . . at what cost? Then youre better off buying a Reef Ready (RR) tank

 

[BornHandy]

Glass MUST be tempered and also must have Lots of water flowing over glass while drilling. As Crabs indicated- best bet is to go Reef Ready.
You MAY get lucky and have glass shop cut you a new piece and drill for you and easy to fuse ina new panel BUT. . . at what cost? Then youre better off buying a Reef Ready (RR) tank

I am about 50% on board with that, but most reef ready options that are available to the masses (non custom) just don't have the best overflow options. At least where I live, there isn't a list of tank manufacturers spitting out affordable options like the shadow or equivalent.

Megaflows are bulky and just can't flow what a modern box can handle. The sleek look of the custom boxes is tough to beat, and the complete silence to boot!

It makes it worth drilling (and the learning curve that goes with it) to me.