40 gallon setup!!

[greend247]

I am starting a 40 gallon reef tank with fish. I have a 10 gallon that will be the S/R but will have a HOB protein skimmer.Will have T5 lighting. 40 lb of live rock and 50 to 60 lb of live sand and will add more live rock to it after the first cycle.I am needing help with the overflow. Not going to drill the tank but looking in to making one out of PVC.Would 1in work?

[Maze503]

I have a 40 gal also that is 3 weeks in the cycle right now. I am currently using a Marineland canister filter (without the ceramics inside) for charcoal & floss. I was going to drill my tank but my LFS talked me out of it saying I would for sure crack it, so I backed off the idea.
Anyway I am very interested in what you are wanting to do, I will follow along!

[Austrian Reefer]

Hi
I drilled my overflow myself using a dremel tool.There are a bunch of nice how to vids on YT.No big deal if you take yor time and constantly cool the driller with water.

[greend247]

Will I know how to make the overflow but just not how big.I have some 1" up to 1.5" in the shop.

[Austrian Reefer]

I used 1 3/8 inch pipes(35mm)and a 500gph(2000 lph)return pump. Works fine in my 40g

[AB1002]

Check the DIY section for PVC overflow designs or YouTube for "DIY PVC Overflow". Lots of cheap options if you don't want to drill. Some more risky than others.

[Fish Biscuit]

I had a friend drill my 40 breeder, you can buy the drill bit from BRS. I got to run the water over the tank while he drilled so I was partially useful. There's a drain on each side & the return is in the middle. Went with a 20 L for a sump that he made for me too. Got everything filled & running yesterday w/ no problems.

The problem with drilling a tank is that the manufacturer will not cover any warranty once it's been drilled. I got mine during the $1 per g sale so not catastrophic if there was a problem replacing it.

[tanzer16]

I got my 40B at the 1$ per gallon sale last year, watched a bunch of YouTube videos on how to drill it, ordered my bits, and just took my time...... its a breeze. I felt confident after researching the process, and while doing it, I never once felt like I was going to crack the glass.

I say go for it!

If you did happen to crack it......the 1$ per gallon sale is going on now.....just in case you needed a replacement

[whiteshark]

Definitely look into drilling it. You will have to fashion an overflow box, and there will be added cost in those materials and the drill bits, but IMO it's worth it. It will look so much nicer and be far more fail safe. BRS has glass hole saws for 14 or 15$, and the bulkheads aren't too much either.

[Reeferz412]

Buy a diamond bit on ebay, get some plumbers puddy and make a circle around the area you will drill, pour some water in the circle of the plumbers puddy (it should act as a shallow bowl) and drill the hole. The water cools the drill bit and prevents cracking. Keep a steady hand! I did this for a friends tank before I had knowledge of doing it to my current setup. It worked like a charm. Also, make sure your tank glass is not tempered, if it is it will shatter.

[eacosta]

I was a little nervous to drill my tank, but it was very easy. My co-worker had a nice template that made drilling very easy since it clamps/keeps the bit in place. I found that putting duct tape on the inside keeps the hole from breaking off prematurely with less chipping. I also put bubble wrap on the inside to protect the glass in case the cut out piece of glass broke free of the tape. I prefer to run the water slowly over the hole to wash out the glass bits you are grinding off with the bit.

IMO the most important things are to plan ahead (e.g. mark the locations clearly with a sharpie) before doing any drilling. Run the bit at a medium speed and do not add much pressure. Let the bit do its thing without trying to force the drill to advance.

[eacosta]

Also, my rough measurements for my 40 breeder are here.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2211630