mari.harutunian April 24, 2018 Share April 24, 2018 Hi i have a fluval m90 and would love to add a sump to this all in one tank. Maybe even remove the back paneling to be like the photo below. Is it worth it to take off the back panel or just add a sump with it there? It usually looks like this: It has a built in drain in the last panel that would be adapted to be an overflow. Not sure where return would be. Also would it be noisy? This is my first tank and I’ve never had a sump or worked with pvc so i appreciate your input! Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country April 24, 2018 Share April 24, 2018 Is there a hole through the tank where the pipe is? The back panels are probably just siliconed in and would be easy to remove. If there is a hole through the tank you could use for a overflow and either drill a hole in the back on the other end of the tank, if it's not tempered glass for a return or put an over the back return nozzle on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime April 24, 2018 Share April 24, 2018 Is there a hole through the tank where the pipe is? The back panels are probably just siliconed in and would be easy to remove. If there is a hole through the tank you could use for a overflow and either drill a hole in the back on the other end of the tank, if it's not tempered glass for a return or put an over the back return nozzle on it. No, I don't know why that person drilled through the bottom like that in that picture, not the route I would have taken. Find out if the glass on the back is tempered or not. That will determine if you can actually drill it or not. Figure out what kind of overflow you're going to use. I suggest an external box, I've been a big fan of the Bean Animal, but I'm running a Herbie currently. Read up on your different options. PVC is easy, it's like legos, plan it out, buy more parts than you think you'll need, and if/when you drill, keep it wet, and let the drill do the work. Go slow. I always suggest drilling. It's cleaner, leaves you with way more real estate, and you have way more control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari.harutunian April 24, 2018 Author Share April 24, 2018 No, I don't know why that person drilled through the bottom like that in that picture, not the route I would have taken. Find out if the glass on the back is tempered or not. That will determine if you can actually drill it or not. Figure out what kind of overflow you're going to use. I suggest an external box, I've been a big fan of the Bean Animal, but I'm running a Herbie currently. Read up on your different options. PVC is easy, it's like legos, plan it out, buy more parts than you think you'll need, and if/when you drill, keep it wet, and let the drill do the work. Go slow. I always suggest drilling. It's cleaner, leaves you with way more real estate, and you have way more control. That hole through the bottom is done before you buy the tank. It is a drain for water changes— not that i ever actually use it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl April 24, 2018 Share April 24, 2018 Like YHSublime mentioned, drill that sucker if it isnt tempered and grab something like the Ghost overflow (plenty of manufacturers out there but the new ModularMarine unit is very nice, especially for the price). I couldnt believe how easy it was to drill a tank after I did mine. Should have done it longggg ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari.harutunian April 24, 2018 Author Share April 24, 2018 Like YHSublime mentioned, drill that sucker if it isnt tempered and grab something like the Ghost overflow (plenty of manufacturers out there but the new ModularMarine unit is very nice, especially for the price). I couldnt believe how easy it was to drill a tank after I did mine. Should have done it longggg ago. I cant figure out what type of glass it is but im not very handy and there’s a perfectly useable drain hole so why not just adapt that? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl April 24, 2018 Share April 24, 2018 I cant figure out what type of glass it is but im not very handy and there’s a perfectly useable drain hole so why not just adapt that? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You certainly can but most try to avoid single points of failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari.harutunian April 24, 2018 Author Share April 24, 2018 You certainly can but most try to avoid single points of failure.What do you mean single point of failure? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 (edited) I think he means single drain and no emergency drain. If that drain becomes clogged (e.g. with a snail) then your tank will overflow onto your floor. I personally would run at least a herbie-style drain, but you could run a single durso as many reef ready tanks do. If you plan to add a sump, I would remove the back to gain the space and drill the back + add a small overflow box. Contact the manufacturer to see if the back is tempered. You can also plug the existing hole. Edited April 25, 2018 by WheresTheReef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 ...im not very handy... Drilling a tank isn't very hard and is so worth it. I would buy a cheap 10 gallon tank and practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom39 April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 (edited) Here is a very informative link to helping identify if glass is tempered or not. https://economyglass.com.au/how-do-i-know-if-my-glass-is-toughenedtempered-safety-glass/ Additionally, here is a video on how to use a laptop and a pair of 3D glasses to identify tempered glass. I am not going to vouch for or to the validity of these links but I have tried the 3D glasses one and it seems to hold true. As for the other, I can't see any reason to not believe that it is also true. But it is the internet so, it is anyone's guess. Just for laughs, here is one of my favorite commercials attesting to the idea that the internet cannot always be trusted - As for adding an overflow, if it were my tank, I would abandon the hole in the bottom and drill the back glass if possible, for a 3 pipe full siphon overflow (Bean Animal). As an example, I am currently using a Reef Synergy Shadow overflow and have found it to be very well constructed and absolutely dead silent. Drilling a tank is easy and as long as you take your time and prepare well, everything should turn out just fine. If it is still overwhelming you, I'm sure that there are a number of members (including myself) that would be willing to help you with it and even double that amount that would loan you a drill bit for just about any size bulkhead needed. Lastly, here is a video from BRS that provides fairly good advice for drilling a tank. The drilling process starts about the 1min 50sec mark. Additionally, if you are interested, I believe that I have a BRS 16" internal overflow box (used and similar to one shown in the BRS video) in storage that your are welcome to if wanted. Bonjour Edited April 25, 2018 by tom39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 Mari, determining whether or not the glass is tempered is critical. If it's tempered, the panel will shatter into a thousand pieces. An old WAMAS demo: If it's not tempered, it's fairly easy to drill. Another old WAMAS demo: The disadvantage of that lone-standpipe style drain in your first picture is that you'll have very little surface skimming action because the pipe covers such a small surface area. An organic film will likely form at the water's surface, will inhibit oxygen transfer, and be distracting (if not a little ugly). The first stage of the built-in sump has a slotted surface skimmer (on the right side of the photo). That's been lost when the standpipe was exposed. If you were to install an aftermarket overflow, the box would include a surface-skimming weir that would remove surface-clinging organics, sending them to the sump where the skimmer for removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 OMG not that video again. I hate it only because I am standing right there in plain view. Mari, drilling is not hard at all, though it can tire out an aching arm or wrist. I drill everything, including sump and refugium tanks, because there were too many times that I wished a tank that was already full of water had a hole in it. I just put ball valves on the holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 25, 2018 Share April 25, 2018 OMG not that video again. I hate it only because I am standing right there in plain view. My immediate thought, when I linked to that video, Forrest, was wondering whether or not you'd see it. (You can see the current WAMAS Treasurer, Scott Friedman, in the foreground of the second video, too.) You've got to admit, though. The two videos, side-by-side, have great teaching value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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