Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I'm interested in possibly drilling the back pane of my tank to add return lines which are currently HOB. The holes would need to be for 3/4" bulkheads and I would need 3. Reaching out to anyone who is comfortable to drill these holes at my home in a few weeks. Willing pay in Cash or Coral, whichever your prefer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 It's easy Juiceman, just borrow the club set and do it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 It's easy Juiceman, just borrow the club set and do it yourself. If I can't find anyone with any special tools that make it safer, I will do it myself Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Your tank is custom right? Just want to make sure the back pane isn't tempered. Some of the off the shelf ones use tempered glass on the back panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Your tank is custom right? Just want to make sure the back pane isn't tempered. Some of the off the shelf ones use tempered glass on the back panel. The Overflows are already drilled on the same pane so we're definitely safe as far as that's concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 It's easy Juiceman, just borrow the club set and do it yourself.If I can't find anyone with any special tools that make it safer, I will do it myselfSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What special tools? Its just the bit you need. I used some plumbers putty, built a ring around the area cut, filled it with water, and cut away. I placed a towel inside so when I went through the glass, the puck could fall onto it.Just don't force the bit and let gravity apply the pressure. It's like a million times easier than you building that chiller enclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 If you have to do it horizontally, it's still not difficult. Cut a notch out of a small piece of wood like a 6" - 1x4 to use as a guide so the bit doesn't jump. Tape the wood to the glass with the notch exactly where the hole is going to go. Put a wet paper towel inside the bit itself and use a spray bottle to spray where you are drilling. You can remove the wood block once you get a hole started. I did several on a running tank this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 If you have to do it horizontally, it's still not difficult. Cut a notch out of a small piece of wood like a 6" - 1x4 to use as a guide so the bit doesn't jump. Tape the wood to the glass with the notch exactly where the hole is going to go. Put a wet paper towel inside the bit itself and use a spray bottle to spray where you are drilling. You can remove the wood block once you get a hole started. I did several on a running tank this way. The Tank will be empty and unplumbed so other than it's Weight, it wouldn't be hard to move down to drill vertically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Well... Either way I will need the help of a few strong "young" persons to pull the tank down and maybe outside to drill it, then bring it back in and put back on the stand.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 I've just never done it before and am a bit nervous, but I've seen it done in person and watched several videos Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 How far down should the returns be drilled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 You got me, mine is bottom drilled. [emoji4] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 You got me, mine is bottom drilled. [emoji4] As far as I can tell, the goal is to just not have the hole too close to the top of the glass to minimize risk. I can angle the Loc Line where ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I honestly wouldn't drill a hole unless it was located within an overflow. Was that the idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 You'd risk a leak that could empty a lot of water on the floor otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 You'd risk a leak that could empty a lot of water on the floor otherwise. I don't have a bottom drilled tank. So the only way to add drilled returns is to drill on the back. And no you wouldn't drill in the overflow... They're not big enough. You drill then add a bulkhead the same way you would add it anywhere else. Then thread your loc line and plumbing just like any other bulkhead. Reef savvy tanks are designed this way, same with any other rear overflowed tank. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Completely understand where your apprehension comes from. There's definitely a value to having someone on-hand to assure you of what you're doing. I've only done it once, and it's not hard, but I'd have appreciated an extra set of hands, at a minimum, and someone who's done it if only to tell me I was doing it right. Depending on date/time, I'd be up to help. Might be heading to Big D for the Red Sox series 24/25. That's a big tank to be moving around. I'd think you'll need a few extra able bodies just for A->B purposes. Return hole location: Top of hole should be roughly equal-ish to the weir height on your overflow, especially if you want to use a siphon break hole for power loss. I drilled mine too low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Completely understand where your apprehension comes from. There's definitely a value to having someone on-hand to assure you of what you're doing. I've only done it once, and it's not hard, but I'd have appreciated an extra set of hands, at a minimum, and someone who's done it if only to tell me I was doing it right. Depending on date/time, I'd be up to help. Might be heading to Big D for the Red Sox series 24/25. That's a big tank to be moving around. I'd think you'll need a few extra able bodies just for A->B purposes. Return hole location: Top of hole should be roughly equal-ish to the weir height on your overflow, especially if you want to use a siphon break hole for power loss. I drilled mine too low. I have a check valve installed on my return line and will situate the nossil close to the top for fail safe purposes also Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 That's what I ended up doing. If you're comfortable w/ check valves, then put it where you want and make it easy to be safe over sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 You'd risk a leak that could empty a lot of water on the floor otherwise.I don't have a bottom drilled tank. So the only way to add drilled returns is to drill on the back. And no you wouldn't drill in the overflow... They're not big enough.You drill then add a bulkhead the same way you would add it anywhere else. Then thread your loc line and plumbing just like any other bulkhead. Reef savvy tanks are designed this way, same with any other rear overflowed tank. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Just saying, it's riskier than having your return contained within an overflow. If there is a leak, it would be minimal water drained within an overflow. Depending on the height of the return hole, you could lose a decent amount of water out of a leak otherwise.Whether Reef Savvy or other manufacturers do it or not doesn't mean the risk is not there still. Just wanted to point out for consideration as you decide where to put holes in your tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 You'd risk a leak that could empty a lot of water on the floor otherwise.I don't have a bottom drilled tank. So the only way to add drilled returns is to drill on the back. And no you wouldn't drill in the overflow... They're not big enough.You drill then add a bulkhead the same way you would add it anywhere else. Then thread your loc line and plumbing just like any other bulkhead. Reef savvy tanks are designed this way, same with any other rear overflowed tank. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Just saying, it's riskier than having your return contained within an overflow. If there is a leak, it would be minimal water drained within an overflow. Depending on the height of the return hole, you could lose a decent amount of water out of a leak otherwise.Whether Reef Savvy or other manufacturers do it or not doesn't mean the risk is not there still. Just wanted to point out for consideration as you decide where to put holes in your tank. Ha.... The consideration is definitely there. And thank you for yours! It will decidedly be as fail safe as possible. The good news is I won't be in a hurry to fill it back up so all of this stuff will have plenty of time to cure and be water tested! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Oh, before you banish me forever for all my considerations, I wouldn't use a check valve either. They have a notoriously high failure rate in saltwater. And he ducks to avoid an object thrown at him from Juiceman. [emoji4] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Check valves fail but the bigger problem I had was it leaked. If a snail or anything small gets it in it won't close or close all the way. That happened to me a few years ago. The power went out and leaked over a four hour period and over flowed the sump. Now I just a hole below the water line. Also you have clean said hole at every water change. It will clog too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 On my last tank with the horizontal overflow, I drilled slightly below the top edge of the overflow box, probably about 1.5" from the top of the tank. With a locline return, I just made sure the nozzle was about 50/50 the height of the water level so it was an instant siphon break if I lost power. So just drill it high enough the locline can be aimed high enough to quickly break the siphon but low enough you aren't risking cracking the tank near the hole. i'd say anything over a full inch away from the edge is pretty safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Oh, before you banish me forever for all my considerations, I wouldn't use a check valve either. They have a notoriously high failure rate in saltwater. And he ducks to avoid an object thrown at him from Juiceman. [emoji4] Haha! Yeah, mine has failed several times..... But I will also put the lox line so it's not super submerged just for redundancy. I plan on altering the plumbing so it hopefully works correctly, but just in case... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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