Silicone over paint. Need help here.?

[GrampaDon]

Hi all. I'm getting a new tank and want to paint the backside [Midnight Tide]

But I am also doing my own internal weir into a Herbie drain box ,with holes drilled thru for water to pass into the rear box.

My question is about adding the drain box using silicone after I have painted the back. And will it hold as well as silicone glass to glass. ??

 

[James77]

No, the silicone needs to be directly to clean glass. Is painting after installing the box no good? Can you tape off the area you wish to have the overflow at, then use black silicone to build it?

Just a heads up, any paint that comes in contact with water will peel.

 

[GrampaDon]

No, the silicone needs to be directly to clean glass. Is painting after installing the box no good? Can you tape off the area you wish to have the overflow at, then use black silicone to build it?

Just a heads up, any paint that comes in contact with water will peel.

Thanks Jim

My buddy that works at a glass shop and cut my glass didnt think it would work out to well. [but he wasn't totally sure either]

So "Plan B" is paint the back. And add another side of unpainted glass to the outer drain box. Then using a holesaw and bulkheads to connect them together.

I dont want a large box on the inside of the tank. So with that said ,I am open to other suggestions.

 

[James77]

You could look into the BeanAnimal overflow box. It is similar to the herbie in as far as it uses a siphon overflow. The overflow box is internal, but can be quite narrow. Mine is 2 feet long, about 5 inches high, and about 2.25" fron to back. While I would rather have something external with nothing inside, it defintely beats the typical overflow. Were i to do it agian, I would try and maybe haet and flatten the street elbows I used on the inside and reduce the front to back another 1/2" or so....the street elbows are the only reason i had to make it that deep. I could have even made it shorter heightwise looking back, maybe 3.5 or 4" high....


BeanAnimal overflow:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1310585

 

[GrampaDon]

Thanks again Jim. My current tank is set up using 2 acrylic box's like how im setting up this one With 2 1.5in bulkheads connecting the box's. And It has a 3 pipe drain already.[Bean's]
And while it works fine ,IMO I don't need the extra pipe.
My newest tank will use 2 1.5in bulkheads with the drain pipe going to 1in and the 2nd stay at 1.5in. And a nice gate valve to better control it. And return flow will be my Mag 9.5 for now till I get a BB 5000.

BTW my internal box is 18x1.5x4h for the new tank. Cutting the size down a little more. So I give the coral plenty of room to grow.:fun2: