To drill or not to drill.

[pensfan]

Hello,
I have had a 29g BC up for a little over a year now. I'm wanting to set up a larger tank know. I have a 120 in storage that I was thinking of setting up and it is not drilled. If you have a tank that is not drilled what do you do about a mechanical filter? Use a wet dry filter? Or is it better just to see if I can have it drilled and set up a sump/fuge? I plan on keeping some fish and zoas maybe acans.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Hello,
I have had a 29g BC up for a little over a year now. I'm wanting to set up a larger tank know. I have a 120 in storage that I was thinking of setting up and it is not drilled. If you have a tank that is not drilled what do you do about a mechanical filter? Use a wet dry filter? Or is it better just to see if I can have it drilled and set up a sump/fuge? I plan on keeping some fish and zoas maybe acans.

While you can set the tank up in a number of ways - wet/dry, external overflows, etc., IMO the best option is to have it drilled.

 

[benny z]

drill!!!!

 

[Troylee]

Drilling is always the best option given that you know it's not tempered... Or you can get a hang on the back overflow box but they have there issues.... But a sump and skimmer is always the best option IMO. Although you can just get a hang on the back skimmer but I like the extra water volume personally and no equipment in the tank...

 

[pensfan]

LOL...Great pic benny

 

[rocko918]

Drill and get a glass-holes.com overflow box.

 

[LegoZ81]

drill drill drill drill...
HOT overflows are worse than check valves I've have had them stop working and overflow the display on to the floor.

 

[MitchReef]

Drill and get a glass-holes.com overflow box.

+1, those kits are great. I amu sing one on my frag tank build. Their website has a list of what tanks are and are not tempered....

 

[AlexStinson]

another +1 on glass holes... I used thier 1500gph kit on a previous tank of mine... and its the best overflow Ive ever had (it takes up very very little room in-tank)

 

[bobzreef]

One more vote for drilling the tank, and using a sump. I've done U-tubes.... Never again.

bob

 

[MAKcorals]

drill!!!!

+1 on the drilling. This picture is what got my vote haha.

 

[Breakin Newz]

Drill...

 

[MAKcorals]

Oh yea and the fact that overflow boxes are known for getting clogged and overflowing the entire tank. Not fun!

 

[ReeferBen]

I would drill also. I've drilled many tanks and only broken one. FWIW though I don't know why HOT overflows get such a bad rep. I used a lifereef HOT overflow for many many years and never had a single issue. The air never builds up if the flow is strong enough to keep the bubbles flowing fast enough through and if the U tube is cleaned with your regular W/C's it should never have an issue.

 

[fishoutofwater]

I would drill. Get a hold of a local acrylic builder and have them build you a box for your holes to create an overflow box around your holes or even a coast to coast box. I love my coast to coast. skims the whole tank.

 

[beaslbob]

you could make an overflow from $20 worth of PVC.

just one I tested:

And another:

 

[meisen]

Siphons always scare me, they are too likely to clog/get lost/accumulate air etc IMO. When one of my old systems (90s) failed, I was out of town and lost $1000s in corals. The sump actually ran dry due to the siphon slowly accumulating air without my fish sitter noticing (even though I had warned him of the potential issue). The extra water overflowed onto the floor and then a heater melted into the protein skimmer damning things even more. Before it finally lost siphon completely and burned out the pump, the melted skimmer plastic pumped into the acropora dominated tank and killed everything but the fish and the zoas It sort of soured me on non drilled systems to say the least.

Do yourself a favor and have a fellow experienced hobbyist help you design and build a proper overflow with drilled drains.

 

[makingbubbles]

I have a continuous overflow siphon with a one way valve to an aqualifter, that i been using and have had no problems. I do replace aqualifter every year , and 1 way valves every 3 months just to be on safe side. I never had flood problem. I have tempered glass and thats my reason for not drilling.

 

[meisen]

I have a continuous overflow siphon with a one way valve to an aqualifter, that i been using and have had no problems. I do replace aqualifter every year , and 1 way valves every 3 months just to be on safe side. I never had flood problem. I have tempered glass and thats my reason for not drilling.

Right, that seems perfectly reasonable for your tank situation and having the pump on there does reduce the air build up issue (except if the pump clogs) .

I guess I am saying if I was designing a system from the ground up, drilling or a pre-drilled tank would be the way to go. And yes, a drilled tank can still cause a flood.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Given a choice I would always drill. If its already set up the options are limited and thats where a hang on would come into the picture.