TheyCallMeMr.703 July 24, 2013 July 24, 2013 I need to drill a 55 or something I can get my hands on that I can afford ... I really want a sump and have been in this hobby for a awhile now... not that long... but still. Nonetheless, I know the Beneifts for a tank with a Sump... That's running with Macro', and MicroFlora' and wall as Fauna'. Therfore... I'd like someone or some People to help me Drill a Tank... I currently have Nothing for this task.. so Wondering if Anyone out there has the Tools and Knwoledge to help me get this task done... So if anyone out there, Has the knowhow, and tools to do this... Please let me know... I want to do this in the next 2-3 week's.... Not this very weekend... So Let's Plan... ~ Sincerely Thankful, Mason C. P.S. ~~~~~~ Food and Beverage's will be provided for the time and effort ~~~~~~
Coral Hind July 24, 2013 July 24, 2013 I can help you out, I have drill a few hundred holes. I have the drills and might have a bit depending on what size you want the hole.
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 24, 2013 Author July 24, 2013 Right now... I have a 55, and I will be buying another Just incase it does not go as planned... but that or something maybe a bit bigger If I can get my hands on something that size in time... But Yeha', Maybe 1,700gph or somethin'??? 1'' hole?? What are your thoughts on it??
Coral Hind July 24, 2013 July 24, 2013 1,700gph is not going to go down a 1" pipe well, you will need several at that size. That is also a lot of water to go through a 55g. Try this drain calculator. http://www.aquariumpros.ca/index.php?pageid=overflow_drain_calc http://reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php
Origami July 24, 2013 July 24, 2013 Mason, what size sump are you looking at? I'd aim for about 4-7x turnover through the sump (and therefore through the drain). Let's say you run a 40 for a sump and a 55 display. Forgetting displacement for a moment, that's about 95 gallons. 4x turnover, then, is 380 gallons per hour through the drain.
Coral Hind July 25, 2013 July 25, 2013 drill it yourself. time to pop that cherry! I agree! I have a cracked 20L in the shed you can practice on. Once you do it you will see how easy and fast it is.
ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B) July 25, 2013 July 25, 2013 Key is keeping the hole wet as you drill IMO. I also have a ball bearing jig that makes drilling holes in glass easier as it keeps the bit from floating on startup. I got it a good while back and it certainly helps quite a bit when you need a precise hole location and particularly if you will drill a lot of holes. In the last 2 months I have drilled over 40 holes in glass tanks as we added to our fish system in the store.
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 26, 2013 Author July 26, 2013 Ok... And if I cant get my hands on a cheaper r better deal in time... Petco is doing $1 Gallon sale... But the Sides are Tempered also.. Does that matter???
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 26, 2013 Author July 26, 2013 1,700gph is not going to go down a 1" pipe well, you will need several at that size. That is also a lot of water to go through a 55g. Try this drain calculator. http://www.aquariumpros.ca/index.php?pageid=overflow_drain_calc http://reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php Thanks, I do appreciate it.
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 26, 2013 Author July 26, 2013 Key is keeping the hole wet as you drill IMO. I also have a ball bearing jig that makes drilling holes in glass easier as it keeps the bit from floating on startup. I got it a good while back and it certainly helps quite a bit when you need a precise hole location and particularly if you will drill a lot of holes. In the last 2 months I have drilled over 40 holes in glass tanks as we added to our fish system in the store. Tha'd be Awesome...
Origami July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 Ok... And if I cant get my hands on a cheaper r better deal in time... Petco is doing $1 Gallon sale... But the Sides are Tempered also.. Does that matter??? If the sides are indeed tempered, then you cannot drill them. They will shatter if you try. That said, very few of the smaller tanks that you would be considering should have tempered sides. Where did you get the idea that the sides were tempered?
treesprite July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 Drilling tanks is fun It's also fun drilling glass you aren't sure isn't tempered, because there's that anticipation and wait for the "pop" sound and the gradual crackling sound. Haha.
zygote2k July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 don't cut the new guy any slack on drilling his holes. no practice on cracked tanks. it's just like drilling a hole in wood with a hole saw. some other woodworker didn't come along and say, " hey you wanna practice on this old board first"? If you want to practice, buy a cheap 10g tank. If you can drill a 10g tank without breaking it, you can drill anything larger.
Origami July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 If you can drill a 10g tank without breaking it, you can drill anything larger. There's a surprising amount of truth in that. The glass on a 10-gallon tank is thin and, if you press too hard or if the drill bit binds, then it breaks. Thus, if you cut your teeth (no pun intended - well, maybe so) on a 10g tank, you can pretty much drill anything larger. Same skill and technique, it just takes more time.
Coral Hind July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 Yeah, the 10's are fragile. Not just to drill but after the bulkhead is installed and slight movement or pressure on the installed pipe and, "crack!" I don't mess with putty or other ways to dam up water, I just keep a hose constantly flow cool water over the site as I drill. It also helps to flush out the hole.
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 26, 2013 Author July 26, 2013 (edited) If the sides are indeed tempered, then you cannot drill them. They will shatter if you try. That said, very few of the smaller tanks that you would be considering should have tempered sides. Where did you get the idea that the sides were tempered? The other day on my trip up to Petco to see my friend and do a Frag Swap..., I was looking at their tanks, And I noticed on one of their brands. That there was a sticker on it that said, " Do not drill, all sides are tempered glass ". Edited July 26, 2013 by TheyCallMeMr.703
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 26, 2013 Author July 26, 2013 It was a 55, and I do not recall, I did notice altought, That they do have 2 different Brands...
Origami July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 It was a 55, and I do not recall, I did notice altought, That they do have 2 different Brands... That explains it. I thought that maybe you were looking at 40's or less. There are some newer 55's that apparently are tempered on all sides.
flowerseller July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 I'm pretty sure 55's are tempered which is why they sell so cheap. Try looking at it in sunlight with quality polarized sunglasses. What size display tank is this sump for? 600gph will gravity flow through a 1" hole and stuff like snails can get caught in it easier. I'd go at least 1.5" and depending on the size display tank, use an internal pump.
treesprite July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 The first tank I drilled was a 10 g and it did not break That was the first tank drilling Frag Fest Demo.
Coral Hind July 26, 2013 July 26, 2013 Try looking at it in sunlight with quality polarized sunglasses. When you do this, if it is tempered you will see uneven dark spots in the glass from the heating and cooling process. Look at it from different angles. Similar marks can be seen in a car's rear and side windows with polarized sunglasses on. If you can't carry the tank outside, you can also use a laptop or cell phone screen as shown in this link. http://www.salt-city.org/showthread.php?9542-How-to-tell-if-glass-is-tempered
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