Upgrade advice

Joined
20 May 2008
Posts
78
Reaction score
0
Hey guys,

I decided to upgrade from my 200l (1.25m) to something a bit bigger (1.7m) and practical.
I bought my tank when i started out the hobby - without a hole in it for a proper overflow. So now im using 2 powerheads to get the water from and to my sump :( Where is the best place to go look (online / LFS gauteng) for a decent tank with a hole in one of the rear corners for a standpipe- i will install the "drain compartment" and pipe myself, and a hole in at the top of the tank for "Water-in". Is this the best way to go when it comes to "water to sump"?

Thanks a lot !!
 
Hi,ImAClown!why dont you just drill your existing tank,it will work out way cheaper or check in your area who drills glass
 
Mekaeel: I think he also wants to upgrade ;)

ImAClown: Dont worry about if it has a overlow drilled, you can easily get this done after purchasing a tank. Just find one at a good price or get one made for you
 
where can i get it drilled ? I've been to almost every glass cutting company and they say it cannon be done after the tank has been put together?
 
A very WARM welcome to MASA ImAClown! There are a miriad of options you can go for.... Yes - always nice to upgrade. I agree - only thing you must take into account - the bigger the tank, the more costly it is to fill with fish/corals, the bigger the skimmer, the more live rock, etc.... Just a heads up (not meant to scare you).

AND YES - you can always have your tank drilled (that's the way nearly ALL people who build marine tanks, do things in any case. So, tell those glass folks to blow bubbles....) afterwards....
You can even do it yourself, if you are brave enough - I have not done it myself, but there are MANY reefers who does this themselves.... You need a diamond-tipped hole-saw (for glass), and a battery-operated drill.... Some water, (to keep the blade and glass lubricated and cooled down), and voila - a VERY light pressure, and there you go...

You can either look at getting a second hand marine tank, custom-built tank (from LFS), or pre-manufatured tank (ie, brand-name, ex. Jebo, Jewel, etc).

The important things you want from a tank, are:
- drilled hole for over-flow
- capability to have a sump (below stand)
- strong enough stand to handle the weight of a tank, plus water, plus rock, plus sand....
- Your decision would then also have to be on what lighting you want, and this would be determined by what you want to keep (ie, fish only, corals, etc)....

Good luck mate!
 
Hello, welcome to masa, it is quite easy to drill once you have got over the idea of drilling glass, get a good quality glass drill bit take your time and keep it lubricated with plenty of water (and don't use the hammer drill):)
 
Thanks for a warm welcome and all your help guys !!

I never thought finding out that a built tank can be drilled, can be so exciting :$ yay !!
I'm still deciding whether to drill it myself or to get it drilled, think im gona do it myself though :p Going to have a look at diamond tipped drills' prices today at builders warehouse!

Any suggested reading and tips i should go through before buying a drill and getting started with the standpipe and return pipe to display tank ?

Oh, I got regal tang today, when I introduced it to the tank it looked 100% a few hours later it had loads of whitespots on it ? Is it ich ? I really didnt know it can spread this fast ? btw, this tang is very small about an 3cm. Any help would be appreciated. -sry for creating a new thread.

thanks !!
 
An alternative to drilling the tank is to build one (or have it built...) with an 'overflow weir' on one of the sides, or the back pane. To do this, you simply build the tank with the 'overflow pane' some 50mm - 100mm lower than the other panes. you then glue (silicon) a glass box to the outside of the 'overflow pane' going up to the level of the rest of the tank. The floor of this 'overflow box' is drilled, but this is easy to do (or have done) as it is a relatively small piece of glass, and not expensive, even if you break one or two pieces whilst trying...

Here are some photos that might explain this a little better:

109478381f1a984c.jpg


109478381d293d24.jpg


Hennie
 
Hey guys, I bought a diamond tipped bit and is preparing myself to drill the tank :whistling:
I'm worrying a bit though, I practised on 2 other piece of class, , both cracked just before I got through.
They pieces of glass I practised on were about 2mm thick and 15cm x 15cm. Do u guys reckon it will be easier drilling the tank ? Another thing, should I drill the bottom (then I will have to create a hole in my wooden platform aswell) or can I drill the back of the tank near the bottom?

Thanks ! :>
 
Hey guys, I bought a diamond tipped bit and is preparing myself to drill the tank :whistling:
I'm worrying a bit though, I practised on 2 other piece of class, , both cracked just before I got through.
They pieces of glass I practised on were about 2mm thick and 15cm x 15cm. Do u guys reckon it will be easier drilling the tank ? Another thing, should I drill the bottom (then I will have to create a hole in my wooden platform aswell) or can I drill the back of the tank near the bottom?

Thanks ! :>
I have never drilled a tank before but I would imagine that drilling anything thicker than 2mm would be a lot easier and less prone to cracking.
 
I have drilled a tank before, just take it SLOW and don't use too much pressure. Use a lot of water, get someone to help you spray water. If you see that you are nearly through, you can drill from the other side as well to prevent the glass from chipping. Good luck and patience, patience, patience!!!;)
 
Hey guys, i drilled the holes, much easier than i thought its gona be, though it still resulted in a massive fail. . . I wanted to speed up the drying of the tank after the drilling so i placed a small fan/heater thing next to it, when i took it away the bottom cracked into a "Y" about 20cm. Do you guys think I should try and repair it ?

All my livestock is in large containers with light, bit of LR, heater and powerhead - no substrate though. For how long will they be okay ?

I think i should just get it over with and go and buy a new tank. My 1,25m tank cost around R500. Where can i buy/order a tank with custom drilled holes or if not possible I'll drill them myself again. What price range can I expect for a average 1.7m tank?

Thanks. :>
 
Bad luck dude.

Tanks vary in price, depending on new or used and also who you getting to make the tank.
 
All my livestock is in large containers with light, bit of LR, heater and powerhead - no substrate though. For how long will they be okay ?

they will be OK, as long as they are getting Oxygen, ie: flow on the surface. You will need to do water changes as the fish's shit will eventually poison them if not removed.
 
welcome IAMACLOWN

sorry to hear about your tank. i also messed up my first tank because i was to hasty:( .


BTW i saw my foto and read the reply i thought i sent you but could not recall it????only to discover that the name Tobes is on top of the same foto that i've got.not cool man:nono::lol:
 
ImAClown - You can indeed repair your tank - ask LappiesReef - he had his tank's bases crack on him too.... You don't need to go and replace the WHOLE tank..... Perhaps get a piece of glass, about 3 times the size of the Y-crack - IF this glass also needs to be drilled, then drill the glass first - BTW: what drill are you using? AND - NO - don't use a fan or heater close-by, as this will result in the glass expanding / contracting while you busy drilling. You could also use some window putty to make a "wall" around the hole you are busy drilling, that the water is contained within the area where you are drilling.

BTW: What type of drill are you using? BAttery / rechargeable drill? Or an electric impact drill? The battery/rechargeable drills are better to use for this type of application, as they will not drill "too fast" to cause problems with the glass.....
 
Back
Top Bottom