Today on BRStv we are breaking out the drill!
Hi, I’m RT, one of your hosts of BRStv, with another episode of 52FAQs, where each
week we answer your questions from our popular 52 Weeks of Reefing series. Today we are answering
Sociophobian’s question from Week 5: If I am to drill a 40 gallon breeder, what overflow
should I use, what bulkhead, and how wide should I drill the glass for the hole?
Like many topics in this hobby, a lot of this question lies in personal preference. That
being said, I do have a few pointers to help you get the best out of drilling your tank.
While drilling an aquarium certainly can seem to be a daunting task I’m here to tell you
that it is much easier than it looks. In this case a 40 gallon Breeder aquarium is our subject
which is great because they make fantastic reef tanks. Not only are they easy to aquascape,
but they are also relatively easy to drill
Before you begin, you will want to make sure that your tank isn’t tempered. If you attempt
to drill a panel that’s tempered, it will shatter leaving you with a mess, and the need
to purchase a new aquarium. I’ve found that the best way to do this is to simply ask the
tank manufacturer. Once you get the all clear you can begin planning your setup.
Overflows come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and designs, and selecting one will
depend on which features you want, what gallon per hour rating you require, the room available
on your setup, and where you plan to drill the holes. In most cases on a DIY install,
the holes will be drilled in the back panel vs. the bottom pane like most factory tanks.
On my 40 breeder I'm running a CPR Retrofit overflow box, because its size worked with
my plans for the tank. Another great option is the Synergy Reef Overflow because it is
ultra-low profile, and comes setup for the Bean Animal drain method that's become very
popular in the last couple years.
To choose what sized bulkheads to use on your tank, You'll need to factor in plumbing size
based on the length of your plumbing run, the vertical height you will be pumping or
draining, as well as budgetary concerns. Keep in mind that the larger the plumbing, the
more expensive fittings and valves become. In my experience, the most common combo is
1 inch drains, and ¾ inch returns. Every factory tank I’ve ever used was built with
this combination, even the 300 Gallon Deep Dimension!
Additionally, bulkheads also come in various materials, and different layouts as well.
There are Schedule 80 bulkheads which are beefier and come in both threaded and thread/slip
combination, and ABS bulkheads which are by far the most common, and come in slip, thread,
and combination layouts. I like to use threaded where possible since it allows you to disassemble
the plumbing down the road without needing a ton of unions, however your preference may
vary.
Each bulkhead will require a different sized hole to fit it properly, and a different sized
bit to cut the hole. Luckily we’ve done all the measuring for you, and you can find
all of the necessary info regarding hole size on the bulk head product page, along with
which corresponding drill bit you’ll need in order to complete the installation.
A few quick tips: I always recommend planning out your holes prior to drilling, in order
to account for plumbing space, distance from the trim, and the water line. The easiest
way to do this is to place the overflow into the tank, and then trace the bulkheads onto
the back panel where you want them in the overflow.
You can make a jig out of a block of wood and a holesaw, and simply clamp it to the
aquarium in order to make drilling the holes where you want them much easier. We also sell
this Drill Press Attachment for Hand Drills that helps make drilling precisely a piece
of cake
Depending on the thickness of the glass, drilling the actual hole can take a good bit of time,
so I prefer to use a corded drill for specifically this reason. Cordless drills are very nice,
but dealing with batteries and charging can turn a job that should take a fraction of
an hour, into hours of work.
Lastly, when it's time to glue your overflow in place, be sure to use a reef safe silicone.
While some folks can find 100 percent silicone at the hardware store, I recommend brands
that state on the package that Theyre aquarium safe.
My favorite is our Black Aquarium Silicone as it’s super strong, easy to use, and fish
safe. Some other brands may contain mold inhibitors that can wreak havoc on your reef.
With any luck we’ve helped those of you with questions on drilling gain a bit more
understanding on how to do so. If it was helpful, let us know with a quick thumbs up and if
you are looking for a more complete look at aquarium overflows check out Week 5: Plumbing,
Overflows, and Return Pumps.
If have any questions or tips for either us or the BRS community let us know in the comments
area down below. In today’s poll we are asking all of you how you drilled your aquarium,
so please vote and see how other reefers have tackled it. I’ll see you in the next BRS
52 FAQ where we answer Daniel Schultz’ question from Week 26: “Is there a Zeovit Reactor
that can fit into a Nuvo tank?﻿”