New to saltwater/reefs

1fishjones

1fishjones

Premium member
Hello everyone!
This is my first post here, well actually anywhere for that matter. This being my first attempt with a saltwater/reef tank I have spent several months preparing. After reading a few books, several articles, and most everything else I thought would improve my successes I found your forum. I've got to tell you how awesome it is having all your accumulative knowledge and experience for me to reference. You see I'm an old dude so everything I did in the past with my fresh water fish tanks meant either a trip to the local library, or a wait for the next issue of Aquarium magazine. I hope you will all understand how grateful I am. I'm also relatively new to computers, smart phones, new technology in general so please bare with me if I have any technical questions in the future that the answers may seem obvious. Anyway, I was getting ready to buy a new tank when good fortune struck. I ran into a guy willing to sell me a 55 gallon acrylic tank super cheap. She was in pretty bad shape but after the three bottles of Novus and a couple quarts of elbow grease eight hours latter she almost looked new. The problem I have now is the tank is not drilled & I really don't want to use a hang on the back overflow box if I can get away without one. I have been looking (unsuccessfully) for somewhere or someone to drill the bottom and add an overflow box. Also I need to find a sump that will fit in a 23L x 17W x 16H space.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks everyone,
Mike (1fishjones)


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I'm sure one of the local shops by you will; however, I have used Steve at Reef Plus in North Aurora just off of I88. He drilled a few tanks for me and does great work.
 
I noticed you said you were looking for someone to "drill the bottom of your tank" just an FYI not all but most commercially available tanks have tempered bottom pane of glass. If you're not familiar tempering is a strengthening process used on glass that makes them stronger but more brittle. Tempered glass cannot be drilled. It will shatter. What size and brand of tank do you have? Your best bet maybe to drill the drain and return through the back piece of glass. Drilling glass is not all that difficult. I and many others have done it on our own. Bulkreefsupply.com has videos and the supplies but I prefer glass-holes.com they sell complete drain and return kits including glass drilling bits bulkheads and even overflow boxes that use the bulkhead to mount the box on the glass. Definitely check them out. Let me or one of the other guys like Trackfast who is an awesome guy know if you have more questions. I'd be willing to come help you out if you decide to drill yourself.


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sparky5785 said:
I noticed you said you were looking for someone to "drill the bottom of your tank" just an FYI not all but most commercially available tanks have tempered bottom pane of glass. If you're not familiar tempering is a strengthening process used on glass that makes them stronger but more brittle. Tempered glass cannot be drilled. It will shatter. What size and brand of tank do you have? Your best bet maybe to drill the drain and return through the back piece of glass. Drilling glass is not all that difficult. I and many others have done it on our own. Bulkreefsupply.com has videos and the supplies but I prefer glass-holes.com they sell complete drain and return kits including glass drilling bits bulkheads and even overflow boxes that use the bulkhead to mount the box on the glass. Definitely check them out. Let me or one of the other guys like Trackfast who is an awesome guy know if you have more questions. I'd be willing to come help you out if you decide to drill yourself.


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Click to expand...

I think he mentioned acrylic in the first post :)


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Welcome to CR Mike. If you are at all handy and have a drill, $16 and you'll have all the hole saws you will need. They're the same ones I've used many times on my tanks. Simply take the bulkhead you want to use and use the hole saw slightly larger than the outside diamter of the threads.
http://www.harborfreight.com/34-in-5-in-carbon-steel-hole-saw-set-18-pc-68115.html

Arcylic is very easy to drill. Take it slow and pull the bit frequently to keep from heating the arcylic too much, slowing it down. Otherwise, it's straight forward.
 
The tank is acrylic & now I'm having second thoughts about drilling the bottom after thinking how that might not work so well with a bulk head sitting on the stand. Would I have to drill a hole in the stand to accommodate the bulkhead?

Thanks,
Mike


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Welcome Mike! I have a 65 gallon acrylic with a built in overflow that is drilled at the bottom, the stand is also drilled to allow the bulkhead and plumbing to pass through the stand, I am actually getting ready to dry fit the plumbing this week, but I think you will appreciate a cleaner look by drilling the tank and stand.
 
I want to thank everyone for the thoughtful quick replies. I found them all this morning. Lol I had no idea where to look. I will figure the technology out I promise. It just may take me a while.


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Ok I spoke to Steve at Reef Plus & now all I need to do is find two one inch bulkheads and an overflow box before I bring him the tank. I prefer to buy from brick & mortar stores whenever possible., I know most everything is cheaper on the internet but it's really not a fair playing field.. I'm still looking for a sump that will fit in a 23L x 17H x 16H space and the rest of the plumbing. Right now I have one thirty two gallon batch of RODI and Instant Ocean Reef Crystals mixed & ready to go, working on more. About eighty pounds of rock, half of it is cycled and the rest is Carib Sea Life Rock. Two forty pound bags of their Oolite sand.. Thanks to my wife an awesome Vee Gee STX 3 refractometer for Father's Day. I also purchased a Eheim Universal 3400 for a return pump and a Typhoon protein skimmer rated for 150 gallons. I've got an old Fluval 306 canister for clean up time & a few Hydor pumps for water movement. I also have an old Sea Storm 100 from a LFS that might make the sump if there is enough room, a quart of Marine Pure for a little extra filtration in the there and a Vecton 36 watt UV sterilizer. I can't wait to get this up and running. I'm going to need so much more patience. Right now I feel like a kid at the gates of Disney and they don't open for another week. It's so hard waiting. I have wanted a reef tank most of my life. Almost sixty years now so I'm trying to make everything as close to perfect as is possible. I feel much more confident knowing ya'll are here to help.

Thanks again everyone,
Mike (1fishjones)

PS Does anyone have experience with the Sea Clone or other Bio denitrification type units?


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Glad you are excited Mike, it's a great hobby for excitement. Just like you mention, a little paitence will go a long way to prevent frustration and problems. You've got what looks like a very good start on everything you need, good luck finding the overflow locally.
 
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