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Buy pre-drilled (reef ready) or drill myself?


mchunger

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Not so much concerned about the drilling myself, but I'm wondering if there are any advantages to go with one or the other?

 

This would be for a 90gal.

Edited by mchunger
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I prefer to drill them myself and install a smaller overflow box. I hate the standard reef ready overflows that come already installed, they take up too much space. What is the price difference?

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I guess it just depends on if you like where the overflow is mounted. I dont like most RR tanks because where they put the overflow. I like the overflows centered off the back wall or in one corner, squared off.

 

It also depends on if the tank is going to be in the wall or not.

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RR tanks usually have the overflow compartment from top to bottom i.e. take up space in the tank. The new overflow kits are relatively small and free up space otherwise consumed by the typical RR design. I have not heard if they are quiet which could be a detractor.

 

My vote is for drilling yourself with one of those new kits due to their smaller in tank footprint.

Edited by onux20
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i haven't looked at pricing between the two yet, but it sounds like the pre-drilled overflows are spacehogs. Also, this will not be in-wall. Just on a normal stand.

 

several folks are mentioning "new overflow kits" being smaller. what's an example of one of these? like glass-holes kits? are there others that work well?

 

thanks!

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The issue if your going to be putting it on a stand and not in wall, if you drill the back wall of the tank, you will have piping behind the tank, which will make the tank sit off the wall a few inches to compensate for the pipes, which is something to think about.

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The issue if your going to be putting it on a stand and not in wall, if you drill the back wall of the tank, you will have piping behind the tank, which will make the tank sit off the wall a few inches to compensate for the pipes, which is something to think about.

 

 

THIS. It is ugly imo. You can't drill the bottom of most non reef ready tanks either b/c it is tempered. Just go custom. You know you want too...

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Who\where makes good\reliable (not too crazy expensive) custom aquariums?

 

 

THIS. It is ugly imo. You can't drill the bottom of most non reef ready tanks either b/c it is tempered. Just go custom. You know you want too...

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I prefer to drill them myself and install a smaller overflow box. I hate the standard reef ready overflows that come already installed, they take up too much space. What is the price difference?

+1. The top-to-bottom overflow that is standard in a reef-ready tank takes up way too much space that you'll soon regret losing. Heck, I hated it when I had them in my old 180 which was 6" deeper (front to back). If you're concerned about looking at piping, paint the back of the tank blue or black, or use a solid colored tank background. Glass Holes makes a really nice overflow package that's easy to install and runs quiet.

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