Will this overflow design work??

[Scotty LaBeouf]

I have a 5 gallon mixed reef on my desk. Its the UNS 45S, but I'm not happy with how I built the filter box in the tank. The reason I'm looking into these options is because there isn't rimless glass tank out there with the footprint I want. There's two routes I could take to achieve my goal:

1. Drill 4 holes in the back glass of the UNS tank and have two open bulkheads for drains that spill into an acrylic external sort of sump directly behind the tank. The bulkheads would marry the glass and acrylic back to back. I could make a little internal overflow box for each bulkhead. My only concern here is the drains will be too loud, but its only a 5 gallon tank so I feel like it wouldn't. This is the route I'd rather take because glass is easier to clean than acrylic. (I've attached a drawing of what this would look like).

2. I build a complete tank with the same all in one design that I want out of acrylic. The only reason I would want to do this is because I would get the exact tank footprint and design that I want, BUT acrylic would be a nightmare to keep clean and scratch free.

 

[cilyjr]

I don't know how thick the glass is on that thing, but in my experience drilling a 5 gallon tank is difficult because of thickness of the glass. Is it usually cracks. Not necessarily because of drilling but just threading a bulkhead into it.

 

[Scotty LaBeouf]

I don't know how thick the glass is on that thing, but in my experience drilling a 5 gallon tank is difficult because of thickness of the glass. Is it usually cracks. Not necessarily because of drilling but just threading a bulkhead into it.

its 3/16". I figure that shouldn't be a problem. I can always use some silicone caulk to help seal it so I don't have to crank the bulkhead down too tight.

 

[cilyjr]

its 3/16". I figure that shouldn't be a problem. I can always use some silicone caulk to help seal it so I don't have to crank the bulkhead down too tight.

It's not just that it's the weight of the plumbing and everything. I'm not saying don't do it. You do you!
I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if it cracked. I have first-hand knowledge of this. I have cracked a few 5 gallon tanks helping someone plumb a phytoplankton grow out.

 

[Scotty LaBeouf]

It's not just that it's the weight of the plumbing and everything. I'm not saying don't do it. You do you!
I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if it cracked. I have first-hand knowledge of this. I have cracked a few 5 gallon tanks helping someone plumb a phytoplankton grow out.

OHH I see. There won't be any weight from the plumbing. I'm building an acrylic sump box that is going to sit flush to the back of the tank. The drain bulkheads will be wide open and just dump right into the sump. No weight from the return either.

 

[cilyjr]

OHH I see. There won't be any weight from the plumbing. I'm building an acrylic sump box that is going to sit flush to the back of the tank. The drain bulkheads will be wide open and just dump right into the sump. No weight from the return either.

I will be curious to see.

I have drilled five gallon tanks before successfully. Literally put no pressure on the drill. Let the weight of the drill do the work.