Safe to drill 75 gallon Petsmart tank?

[Zeus440]

So I recent decided to rehome my African cichlids and convert my 75 gallon into a salt water. I want to leave myself the option of turning it into a reef tank and drill it for a sump set up. I just wanted to know if anybody knew if the tanks side glass panels were tempered before I took on the project.

 

[Peace River]

So I recent decided to rehome my African cichlids and convert my 75 gallon into a salt water. I want to leave myself the option of turning it into a reef tank and drill it for a sump set up. I just wanted to know if anybody knew if the tanks side glass panels were tempered before I took on the project.

We can guess, but I always do a tempered glass test with polarized sunglasses before drilling a tank. Here is a video that describes the process and you will find several others that are similar. Good luck!

EDIT: I should say that I always test since that one time. When it shatters you'll know right away if it was tempered.

 

[Crabs McJones]

If its an aqueon it most likely isn't. Every Aqueon 75 gallon I checked was tempered. Best way is to take a laptop and some polarized sunglasses and check if its tempered or not. Calling aqueon won't help much either, the answer I got was "if we had extra tempered glass we used it on the sides, so we cannot tell you if its tempered or not"
This video shows the best way to check

 

[Zeus440]

Well there is a label that warns against drilling the tank so I decided to play it safe and go with my original plan a make it a fowlr tank with no sump. I’ll just have to deal with looking at the heater and other equipment inside the tank and go with a HOB skimmer

 

[MnFish1]

Well there is a label that warns against drilling the tank so I decided to play it safe and go with my original plan a make it a fowlr tank with no sump. I’ll just have to deal with looking at the heater and other equipment inside the tank and go with a HOB skimmer

you could alway use an overflow box

 

[Mical]

Well there is a label that warns against drilling the tank so I decided to play it safe and go with my original plan a make it a fowlr tank with no sump. I’ll just have to deal with looking at the heater and other equipment inside the tank and go with a HOB skimmer

You can always go with a HOB overflow, many of us have them and they have improved over the years so overflow nightmares are a minimum risk these days.

 

[DarthSimon]

I have drilled their 40 gallon breeder a few times with no issues. Obviously use diamond drill bits with water and drill nice and slow...

 

[Zeus440]

I’ll take the HOB overflow into consideration but at least I can fill the tank and get it cycling

 

[MERKEY]

I’ll take the HOB overflow into consideration but at least I can fill the tank and get it cycling

A lot of people hate them but if maintained you could go the canister route. You do have to go big to get the correct GPH but it can be done.

 

[JoshH]

I’ll take the HOB overflow into consideration but at least I can fill the tank and get it cycling

I would do the glasses test and see. The sticker on the bottom saying tempered glass doesn't mean every panel is tempered. It just means that A panel MAY be made with tempered glass, this is just to avoid any legal issues. Do the test and see, you might be able to drill it with 0 issues. Heck if the back panel IS tempered but a side isn't, go for a peninsula style overflow.

 

[Devaji]

I would do the glasses test and see. The sticker on the bottom saying tempered glass doesn't mean every panel is tempered. It just means that A panel MAY be made with tempered glass, this is just to avoid any legal issues. Do the test and see, you might be able to drill it with 0 issues. Heck if the back panel IS tempered but a side isn't, go for a peninsula style overflow.

^this only take a few min. and you know.
welcome to reefing BTW

 

[Rcpilot]

I have drilled their 40 gallon breeder a few times with no issues. Obviously use diamond drill bits with water and drill nice and slow...

I drilled 2 holes for 1-1/2 inch drains and 3 holes for 3/4 inch returns in the back of a 40g breeder. I contemplated a closed loop but didn't want to risk turning the entire back panel into Swiss cheese.

 

[Wiskey]

I have one, but it might not be the same one. The bottom pane on the tank was tempered, but the back was not, so I did a ghost overflow though the back glass.

Whiskey

 

[Billdogg]

We can guess, but I always do a tempered glass test with polarized sunglasses before drilling a tank. Here is a video that describes the process and you will find several others that are similar. Good luck!

EDIT: I should say that I always test since that one time. When it shatters you'll know right away if it was tempered.

^^^This^^^

ALWAYS test EVERY tank before drilling.

 

[EMeyer]

Great advice in this thread. My experience is petoco / petsmart tanks are made with an unpredictable assortment of tempered and non tempered. Now I always test.

I drilled a tempered glass tank once before I learned better. That was a memorable lesson!

 

[MrWheelock]

My aqueon 75 back/front were not tempered, but the sides and bottom were FWIW. I agree with others though make sure to follow the video to check.

 

[Zeus440]

I’ll try the test and see what happens if I can’t what are good options for HOB overflows

 

[JoshH]

I’ll try the test and see what happens if I can’t what are good options for HOB overflows

Lifereef or Eshopps are your best two options for HOB overflows

 

[b4tn]

My aqueon 75 back/front were not tempered, but the sides and bottom were FWIW. I agree with others though make sure to follow the video to check.

My Aqueon 75 was the same. I drilled the back no issues. But I also tested before hand

 

[jd371]

My 75g had only the bottom tempered so I opted for a HOB overflow (eshopps). I've been running this set up for over 5 years now without any issues at all. Hob's are finicky to set up and with the eshopps noisy out of the box. Using a controllable pump helps with dialing it in much easier and installing a DIY stockman standpipe quiets it down to where it's barely noticeable. I have mine right next to where I watch TV and don't hear it.
Flooding is the main concern with these type of overflows. To avoid this you have to set it up so the water flowing through the U-tube is fast enough so no bubbles collect in the tube over time to slow or stop the siphon. Using the right size sump will give you peace of mind if the siphon was ever to break, my sump's return section doesn't hold enough water to flood the tank if the siphon stopped. In the 5 years I never lost a siphon and it starts right up again when I do a WC or there's a power failure.