Come with me on my Custom 77 Gallon setup

[Stile2]

With the rotozip it is this bit

And with the dremel I used the 7103 and 7134
I found them here

If I do the weir I will try it with the rotozip. I have read that it goes really fast through the glass.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

Well, I decided to go for it.

I took the Rotozip with the carbide bit and cut a 22" long by 3/4" weir long the side.

I am getting a 1"x22"x1/4" piece of glass that I will silicone in just below the weir to both strengthen and to place the plastic screen on.

I will post pictures tomorrow, my photo card reader is at work.

Keith

 

[Mr. Eko]

Looks like your off to a great start. Ill be here for the long ride.

 

[rdmpe]

So you did it! Well, looking forward to seeing some pictures of the results. Question for you - will the glass that separates the tank from the overflow remain clear glass? If so, do you anticipate any problems or issues with this?

The way my tank is made, it has a glass overflow box inside the tank, and there is an acrylic cover that slides over it and covers it. But I actually think the glass walls look kind of cool and was thinking about leaving the glass overflow walls uncovered...

 

[Stile2]

The tank side of the overflow will be a 1/4" smoked glass or black if I can get it. And the rest will be painted black. I really want a fully black back. I think that corals and fish look better with a black background.

I have a similar setup on my 29 gallon and it looks pretty bad with all the growth that you can see from inside the tank.

Again I will post pics tomorrow.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

I promised pics today.
So here they are.

I used the TC1 carbide tile cutting bit in a rotozip.

The bottom pane of glass in the overflow. My drains.

Here is the weir cut into the side of the tank.

And here is the picture of my current overflow on my 29 gallon. This is why I don't want to be able to see into the overflow from the tank.

I will be ordering an extra piece of glass today to help hide the overflow from inside the tank. I should be putting the overflow together in the nextg couple of days.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

Slight update.

I am picking a smoked gray piece of glass today to block the sight of overflow from inside the tank. The rest of the back will be painted black.

I should be able to build to overflow box tonight.

I would love to get it up on the stand this weekend, but I still have to finish painting the stand. The POR-15 is going on great, but need another coat.

I also have to pour a cement floor in my back room this weekend.

So I don't know how much I'll get done on the tank.

My goal is to have the tank setup and running with critters transfered from the 29 gallon by Christmas break. We'll see!

Keith

 

[gkarshens]

Did you cut the whole opening for the bulkhead with the rotozip?

 

[Stile2]

Yup, both holes for the bulkheads and the entire weir all with the rotozip.

I just started by tracing a fine line with the rotozip, and then slowly moving back and forth about a 1/4" to 3/8" until I worked my way through the glass and then went around the trace. I moved the rotozip up and down the length of the bit almost like a saw and it went through very quickly. I used a spray bottle of water to keep the whole thing cool.

Each of the bulkhead holes, 1" bulkheads, took abotu 5 minutes, and the wier took about 15 minutes.

This is the second tank I have done this to. The first time I used a dremel, the rotozip is way faster.

Keith

 

[scbauer]

Keith,

Why do you think the rotozip is faster? Does it have higher RPM's? Is it the bit?

The other question I have is about the holes for the overflow. I'm pretty sure that on your 29 you drilled holes, then cut to the top of the glass so you had slots instead of just holes... are you doing the same here, or is it just 40 1/4" holes? Maybe a picture of the finished overflow area?

Thanks... looking good.

-Scott

 

[gkarshens]

I really want to do that myself but I am scared to death! Maybe I'll practise on a spare little 2.5 gal tank I have.

 

[mc-cro]

Do you think by cutting the weir like that across the back of tank, you could be weaking the centerbrace's ability to hold the tank
from bowing?

I have been considering doing this eversince I saw your first thread about it on your last tank.
but I wonder about cutting out half the plastic, then the glass below the plastic, right at the center, seems like it may pop over the glass or that a thin piece of glass may snap under pressure.

I really like the idea, just a little chicken myself.

 

[Stile2]

Why do you think the rotozip is faster? Does it have higher RPM's? Is it the bit?

Scott,
I think that the rotozip may have a few more rpm, but I think it is mainly the bit. It is much rougher (for lack of a better word), it just takes more material per revolution.

On my 29 I used a dremel and just cut out a slot, without using a diamond hole drill. It has worked flawlessly for almost a year.

I was doing 3/8"holes about 40 of them on the new tank, but decided that the holes would be hard to clean. So I just cut a weir that is 20.5"x3/4" and will use a plastic grid as a guard. The plastic will be removable to clean.

Maybe I'll practise on a spare little 2.5 gal tank I have.

gkarshens,
May I suggest that you start with a 1/4" think piece of glass. The thinner the glass the harder it is to cut without breaking. I first did this with the piece of glass a was using for the bottom of the overflow on my 29 gallon. A 2.5 gallon will have really thin glass, be careful.

Do you think by cutting the weir like that across the back of tank, you could be weaking the centerbrace's ability to hold the tank
from bowing?

mc-cro,

This tank has no centerbrace. As for the tank bowing, the plastic trim is pretty weak to begin with and would not stop bowing. The plastic is really strong under tension which helps the front and back stay attached with silicone. So I am not worried about it.

That said I would be worried if you took the plastic all off, maybe you could add some eurobrace to make up for it. And I am doing all this on the short side, not the back which would freak me out a little.

Keith

 

[gkarshens]

Ok so I bought the bit and tried it on the 2.5... It broke every time it punched thru a surface. Is that because the glass was so thin?

 

[Stile2]

I would bet it is. How thick is the glass on a two and half?

Remember lots of water, and go slow.

Edit: I just thought, does the glass on the two and a half have tempered sign on it. Because you can not drill tempered glass, no way no how.

 

[gkarshens]

The glass is only like 1/8". I used tons of water and didn't put any weight on the drill. This really makes me nervous about drilling my tank!

 

[Stile2]

I would get a small piece of 1/4" and try again.

 

[gkarshens]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[thereefmaster]

Good lookin tank Can't wait to see it all the way completed! I will tag along for this one. BTW, I would go with a SSB, BB isn't that great, IMO.

 

[Stile2]

I agree, BB looks completely unnatural, IMO.

I like the Shallow sand. Get the right look without the work of a DSB.

Thanks for the comments,
Keith