Guidance on building internal overflow box?

[redcoatd]

Hi,

Adding Bean Animal overflow system, and want to build a coast-to-coast overflow box width-wise on my 75 gal tank.

What material is best to use? Glass? Acrylic?

I'm drilling 3 holes for the pipes - should I put a back on the overflow and connect it to the tank by putting the bulkheads through both?

thanks!

 

[asudavew]

1/4" glass. Silicone an L shape to the back and sides. No back.

 

[redcoatd]

1/4" glass. Silicone an L shape to the back and sides. No back.

Thanks. So get it cut exactly at a glass shop? Any particular silicone I should use? And what's the best way to make it black so you can't see inside it?

cheers

David

 

[ca1ore]

If you want black, you can either 'skin' it with 1/8" acrylic (many of the custom tank builders do this) or just make the entire box out of 1/4" acrylic and sandwich it to the back with the bulkheads (rather like the glass holes overflows). I would not try to silicone an L shaped acrylic overflow to the back wall. I did this once and then proceeded to knock it off once the tank was up and running - not an easy fix!

I'd be inclined to think for this application (not structural), with glass on glass, pretty much any of the popular choices would work, though I'm not much of a silicone expert. I've just always used the Aqueon stuff (accepting that I may be paying a 'branding' premium for nothing different) and let it cure for at least a week.

 

[redcoatd]

Gonna look strange if its not black I think...

Ok, thanks! Any recommendations on where to buy 1/4" acrylic?

I'm still not quite sure how to build it - are there more detailed steps somewhere someone could point me to please?

 

[FirstContact]

Piedmont Plastics, US Plastics ....

 

[redcoatd]

Thanks...

Is a glass overflow box really that see-thru when all said and done? This will be along the side-wall of the tank...

 

[ca1ore]

Personally I think a c2c glass overflow box is an eyesore. When I implemented it previously, I just built a long, thin acrylic box, aligned the holes and siliconed it to the back of the tank. Worked fine and was relatively unobtrusive. I just had my local plastic fabricator precut the pieces for me (though now I have a plastic blade for my table saw for just this reason) which I then welded together. If you need holes in the back, just use the pre assembled back piece as the template for the holes in the glass tank. If doing it again, I would probably not silicone the box, rather just use dual gaskets.