Creativity Required - Unwanted 'hole' in tank bottom

[eme]

I've got the opportunity of picking up a 41"x24"x24" used tank . It's cheap, in great nick and because its bespoke fits its allocated placement ideally.

A conundrum though, it has a rear-center glass weir/ overflow with drilled bottom for bulkhead ( 1") etc.

I want to put in a 'Bean Animal' / Calfo overflow system though.

My first reaction was just to carefully remove the current overflow and slap a new piece of glass over the hole.

This seems like a waste of good plumbing ! Can anyone think of an alternative use ... maybe some kind of return set up ....?? A closed loop ( I was planning to get Vortechs or similar) ...?? Adapting BeanAnimal's setup to use hole ???

Over to the RC - wizards ..! What would you do ?

 

[cdness]

you could use it as your failsafe or use it as the return pump. Use a bit of loc-line to cirect the flow and use it for that... just be sure you have a valve between the pump and the tank if you ever have to work on the pump...

 

[eme]

cdness mmhh .. that makes sense ( and I would have forgotten the valve 8) ) just take away the glass and have bottom circulation .... like it ...

not sure how it would be the failsafe .. I assume you are suggesting solid pvc- tubing up to just above the 'normal' water level and remove the glass again??? Ill have to think that through

 

[crvz]

Well if you decide to get rid of the overflow box, I wouldnt bother getting a piece of glass to patch it... just stick a bulkhead on it and plug the bulkhead.

 

[eme]

crvz I have no idea .. how would I plug the bulkhead ?

I rather like the idea of using it though .. especially if it could be integrated into somehow improving how the tank looks ...