questions about drilling, what configuration did you guys use?

[Devaji108]

Hey all I have been out to the hobby for around 2 years. decided yesterday I am gonna build a 40 breeder. thinking about drilling it. unfortunately the bottom is tampered glass so will go through back. I have had a few SW tanks for the last 10 years but never drilled a tank so I am going to ask a lot of questions.

so my questions are:

1) what drilling configuration did you use and why? in other words where did you put the holes..haha left side, right side center. kinda thinking the center or maybe the right side.

2) I thought I read some where 3" from the side? I prob. will get one of those drilling templates. think there are worth it.

3) I remember ppl liking glass holes. it the best option to go for overflow boxes. kinda spindy any othere places? or should I just DIY my own?
glass or acrylic?


4) looks like for a 40b I should use 700 GPH overflow with 1.5" bulk heads. then a return bulk head of 3/4"? this will be a softie, LPS gorgonian tank so don't need the turn over rate of an SPS dom. tank. but think the 300 would be to little.

5) most of my tank have been RR but I did have one 55 with a CPR continuous over flow that was quite and not that much bigger they the drilled over flow box. becides the air pump added more coast and electricity ) not much on either of those. let talk about the pro and cons of drilling VS those.
one advantage for me with RR tank is you could put it flush with the wall. not so with drilling the tank.

thanks everyone for there feedback its nice to think and talk about reefing!
Cheers
Deva

[thegrun]

1. I use a coast to coast now but when I had overflows I liked the center overflow set up best as far as water flow goes, although for a 40 gallon system it wouldn't make much of a difference where you placed the overflow due to the rather small size so if you prefer the right hand side for viewing reasons that would be fine.
2. Here are the standard glass tank minimum drilling edge distances, but i like to double these numbers whenever possible:
Holes must be minimum 4 x glass thickness to edge.
Minimum 6.5 times the glass thickness to a corner.
Minimum 4 glass thicknesses between holes.
Holes must not be less than glass thickness in diameter.
Hole must not be larger than 1/3 the glass panels narrowest dimension.
3. I build my own, but gl*******s makes very nice overflows.
4. While i would use a 700GPH overflow box, a 1" drain and a 3/4" return will be fine. I would strongly recommend a second 1" emergency drain both to prevent a possible flood but also because it will allow you to restrict the flow in the primary drain with a gate valve to make the drain quiet. Never restrict the flow in your drain line unless you have an emergency drain line. I would shoot for somewhere between 200 and 400 GPH through your sump, but agree the 300 GPH overflow box would be too small.

[RocketEngineer]

1) Mine are to the left because the skimmer is on the left end of my sump. The center drain pipe goes straight down.

2) You need to have 1X the hole diameter worth of glass left over once you drill the hole. So if you drill a 50mm hole, you need to have 50mm of glass left between the hole and the edge of the tank or the hole and any other holes. The drilling jigs will really help.

3) I've never seen a purchased overflow box I would use. I prefer DIY because I can get one without teeth which results in the most efficient surface skimming possible. If its a glass tank, making a glass overflow is very simple.

4) 3/4" return is fairly restrictive.

5) Drilling a tank isn't hard, it just takes nerves and patience. While I understand why some folks have their tanks flush against the wall, my big setup has a 4" gap behind it which is very convenient for plumbing as well as running wires.

[Devaji108]

Hey Rocket! good to see you still around you have help me with my other builds. but bad I move to much..haha

yes I was thinking of DIY a glass overflow should not be to hard. so why are teeth less overflow "IN" now? ppl say there skim the surface better. but cant life stock go down the drain really easy?

so you would do 1" return? with a 1.5 coming from the overflow? but would not the 3/4" add more pressure to the return line thus creating more flow in the tank? not a big deal it's gonna be an LPS softie tank anyway...just thnking out loud.

what are the benefits of a C2C system?

thanks everyone for there feedback.

[RocketEngineer]

Yeah, still around. Got two reef tanks going at the moment. One high tech, one low.

Those of us who understand the purpose of an overflow and what it takes to achieve the best results have always been against teeth. To keep livestock out, a cover works best with some folks adding a lip just above the water surface to minimize the gap the water goes through but which doesn't interfere with the water.

Flow is a function of restriction. If you have more friction, the pump has to work harder and you get less flow. It moves faster, sure, but the volume is reduced. Since the goal is more volume moving, not a high speed jet, the larger diameter is key.

The coast-to-coast overflow box gives you the longest weir length that most folks will can practically have in their tanks. Because of its length, the only water that goes over it comes from the very surface of the tank and therefore has the highest concentration of DOC. This in turn feeds the skimmer with the highest concentrate anywhere in the tank which ensures it runs at peak removal.

[Devaji108]

AH I see a C2C does make since now. thanks for explaining it. yeah I am trying t keep this system pretty low tech. well kind I am gonna add my reef angel controller just because I have it might as well enjoy and use It, did not get to use it but for a month on my 75 before tanking it down.

also going with the 1" return makes since now to. although I am not sure if I should drill the take for it or use the over the tank elbow I have. would mean getting a 2nd drill saw and 2x the chance of messing it up//haha but wll prob. just drill for a 1" bulk head for the return and 1.5" for the over flow.

what about an emergency over flow I know a lot of ppl like them. I personally never had one on all my tanks. not saying it not a great idea, as it is. just saying I never needed one.

rocket do you have any photos of your DIY glass over flows?

[RocketEngineer]

You have three main options for drains. The first is a large Durso, say 1.5" for the 40B should be plenty. The second option is a Herbie but that's more for RR tanks that already have holes. Ideally, the BeanAnimal Drain (http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx) setup is the best. Now, it depends on how much flow through the sump you are going for. While I've known folks to use a BeanAnimal drain setup on a small tank, I personally think its overkill and would rather just do a large Durso with. With no restrictions in the line and a basic cover to keep snails out of the overflow box, it should have plenty of flow for what you are looking at. JMO.

I would recommend an over the top return. I like that my returns don't drain the display when the pump shuts off. Plus, like you said it's one less hole to drill in the tank.

My drain setup is a little more involved because of the space limits from my existing stand but it starts HERE (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1866098&page=18) and then more on page 20. I'm using an internal/external setup with a BeanAnimal drain configuration. I figure I'm pushing ~900gph after head loss. Not bad turn over on a 125g display.

[Devaji108]

so BRS has there diamond hole saw about 2X the price of amazon. are there that much better? anyone know?

Oh BTW Rocket I used your diy stand template for my 75 and a 40B that was going to be a display fuge that never made it to life :(
and going to build one again just wanted to say thanks for the info. I know it has help out a lot of reefers. a great service to the aquarium industry.

[Devaji108]

bump for the "best" drill bit to use to drill a tetera 40b?