Thinking about drilling my tank - need advice

[JonK]

Hey guys,

I have my 17 gallon acrylic tank running. I want more water volume for a more stable environment. I think it would do my tank a lot of good. I'm thinking just a Rubbermaid tub mainly used as a refugium/nutrient export. My tank currently has two back compartments. The water overflows into the first chamber... through a sponge filter, Purigen and then Chemi-Pure. Then I have some rubble rock. Then it goes into the second chamber where the pump is and is pumped back into the tank.

My first question is about drilling the acrylic. What type of bit? Would any regular hole saw work?

Any tips on drilling the acrylic? I can only drill from the back side.

2nd question is where should I drill? Should I drill high in the first chamber but below the sponge and media? What about the 2nd chamber?

What type of pump would you recommend? I have a Koralia 400 in the tank and the current pump that is in the overflow chambers is a MJ1200.

There might be more questions but these are my main concerns at this time.

 

[x2uranium]

make sure its sharp and just put the drill on low speed and dont press hard. other than that just watch making the pilot hole. when you drill acrylic when you are about to get through it it tends to want to crack if you go to fast. You may want to use something to cool/lubricate it like soap/water combo. Dont think it will matter on a 17G probably not thick enough.

 

[tnyr5]

Jon I would drill the holes close to the top, this way if the power ever goes out you don't get a lot of back flow into the sump. Try to stay at least an inch from the edges though so you're less likely to crack the tank.

 

[rigleautomotive]

The aquarium compartment boxes will act as your overflow once the back is drilled.The water level in the tank will not go below the height of the overflow(chamber ) as long as water can only enter from the top and there are no holes or slots in the lower area of the box.Drilling the back panel at a few inches below the surface will allow you to employ a elbo or stand pipe and create a more stable,quiet overflow.Acrylic drills very easy with a sharp regular hole saw bit but as said above,as you get near the point where the bit starts to break through,you need to go very slow and with little pressure.Cool the area with water while drilling .Take the bulkhead you are using to ensure you get the proper size bit which should fit with a small amount of clearance.not tight in the hole.

 

[rigleautomotive]

I like the Ehiem pumps if going internal.A 1260 will give you about 300 gph at 8 ft of head so it shall be plenty and they are not power hungry.Also the most bullet proof in the internals I know of

 

[JonK]

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Hopefully I can start picking up the parts very soon. I never thought about the bottom of the partition and if it's completely water tight. This is basically a no-name acrylic tank from Something Fishy I got a few years ago. I could siphon out the back chambers to find out. I was planning on trying to do this without dismantling the tank.

How about the drain size? 1" And then the return should be 3/4"?

I see the return on the Eheim is 3/8"

 

[rigleautomotive]

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Hopefully I can start picking up the parts very soon. I never thought about the bottom of the partition and if it's completely water tight. This is basically a no-name acrylic tank from Something Fishy I got a few years ago. I could siphon out the back chambers to find out. I was planning on trying to do this without dismantling the tank.

How about the drain size? 1" And then the return should be 3/4"?

I see the return on the Eheim is 3/8"

Yes,the 1 inch out shall be plenty.3/4 inch in will work fine also