Acrylic...two question, one is about drilling it

Octoberfest · 09/21/2009, 06:50 PM

I have a new acrylic tank that I'm about to setup and have several questions.

1. Do I need to put anything between the tank and the wood on the stand? Someone told me to use some type of thing foam (I know what it is but not what its called) that you put on a house below vinyl siding.

2. I want to drill two returns into the back of the tank so that I don't need any powerheads. Is there anything special I need to know about drilling into acrylic? Do I need a certain type of hole saw?

Aqua Keepers · 09/21/2009, 09:29 PM

1. Do I need to put anything between the tank and the wood on the stand? Someone told me to use some type of thing foam (I know what it is but not what its called) that you put on a house below vinyl siding.

It's a good idea. Just tell the boys at HD that you need a sheet of insulation Styrofoam @ least 3/4"

2. I want to drill two returns into the back of the tank so that I don't need any powerheads. Is there anything special I need to know about drilling into acrylic? Do I need a certain type of hole saw?

In an acrylic tank, just get hole saw with the most teeth you can get. More teeth = smoother cut.

However, there is the matter of technique, and I cant describe that.

RokleM · 09/22/2009, 08:01 AM

What sized tank? Typically most use 1/2-1" of styro, with a little spring to it (not too hard, not too soft). No matter what, make sure your stand is level, and the surface is perfectly flat.

You'll want to do quite a bit more research before your drilling. Again, no clue on tank size, but when people refer to replacing powerheads, most of the time they're considering a closed loop. Most of these setups consist of at least 5-6 holes in very specific locations for certain flow patter. Drilling the holes is a piece of cake, but you need a lot more research on your closed loop, what pump you plan to run, size of plumbing required for that pump, number of bulkheads that will be needed, etc.

Octoberfest · 09/22/2009, 08:07 AM

This tank is 48" wide, 24" deep (front to back), and 12" high. The tank is already drilled for an overflow but I wanted to drill two holes in the back for the exact reason you're talking about....so I don't have to use powerheads. I plan to use a Mag12 pump and was going to t-off the return line to these two lines.

RokleM · 09/22/2009, 08:12 AM

Increasing flow from a sump is not the same as a closed loop. In a closed loop, the water is taking from the tank directly, enters a pump, and comes right back into the tank. Running a very high turnover rate in your sump can cause a number of issues. It's also likely that a mag12 would not be sufficient for your sump return AND in-tank flow.

At 5', your mag12 would only being doing about 18x tank volume for flow, which is on the very bottom of the typically accepted range. Sump turnover is best matched to your skimmer, but most shoot for the 4-8x range.

09/21/2009, 06:50 PM	#1
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	Acrylic...two question, one is about drilling it I have a new acrylic tank that I'm about to setup and have several questions. 1. Do I need to put anything between the tank and the wood on the stand? Someone told me to use some type of thing foam (I know what it is but not what its called) that you put on a house below vinyl siding. 2. I want to drill two returns into the back of the tank so that I don't need any powerheads. Is there anything special I need to know about drilling into acrylic? Do I need a certain type of hole saw? __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

09/22/2009, 08:01 AM	#3
RokleM Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,687	What sized tank? Typically most use 1/2-1" of styro, with a little spring to it (not too hard, not too soft). No matter what, make sure your stand is level, and the surface is perfectly flat. You'll want to do quite a bit more research before your drilling. Again, no clue on tank size, but when people refer to replacing powerheads, most of the time they're considering a closed loop. Most of these setups consist of at least 5-6 holes in very specific locations for certain flow patter. Drilling the holes is a piece of cake, but you need a lot more research on your closed loop, what pump you plan to run, size of plumbing required for that pump, number of bulkheads that will be needed, etc. __________________ -Eric-

09/22/2009, 08:07 AM	#4
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	This tank is 48" wide, 24" deep (front to back), and 12" high. The tank is already drilled for an overflow but I wanted to drill two holes in the back for the exact reason you're talking about....so I don't have to use powerheads. I plan to use a Mag12 pump and was going to t-off the return line to these two lines. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

09/22/2009, 08:12 AM	#5
RokleM Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 9,687	Increasing flow from a sump is not the same as a closed loop. In a closed loop, the water is taking from the tank directly, enters a pump, and comes right back into the tank. Running a very high turnover rate in your sump can cause a number of issues. It's also likely that a mag12 would not be sufficient for your sump return AND in-tank flow. At 5', your mag12 would only being doing about 18x tank volume for flow, which is on the very bottom of the typically accepted range. Sump turnover is best matched to your skimmer, but most shoot for the 4-8x range. __________________ -Eric-

09/21/2009, 09:29 PM	#2
Aqua Keepers Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Clearwater,Fl Posts: 2,915	1. Do I need to put anything between the tank and the wood on the stand? Someone told me to use some type of thing foam (I know what it is but not what its called) that you put on a house below vinyl siding. It's a good idea. Just tell the boys at HD that you need a sheet of insulation Styrofoam @ least 3/4" 2. I want to drill two returns into the back of the tank so that I don't need any powerheads. Is there anything special I need to know about drilling into acrylic? Do I need a certain type of hole saw? In an acrylic tank, just get hole saw with the most teeth you can get. More teeth = smoother cut. However, there is the matter of technique, and I cant describe that.