Wippit Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I did something dumb, but it was before I found this forum, so I plead ignorance. However, I'm wondering if lemonade can be made from this lemon I bought. About two months ago (roughly 2 weeks before I discovered ARC, darn it!) I decided to try my hand at saltwater, so I hopped on Craig's List, found and bought a glass 120g. It's a plain freshwater rig; no overflows, not drilled, just a glass box. I've seen other posts here where someone was trying to sell, trade, or maybe even give away a similar tank, but afaik he had no results. I'm wondering if I can make something useful out of this glass coffin taking up space in my garage, and I had a couple of ideas that I'd like to present for "peer review." - Possibility 1: Is it a huge waste of space to turn this monster into a refugium? I've seen a few posts that had the refugium set up as a "show" piece as well as the tank it serviced. - Possibility 2: Can I plumb it into (whatever becomes) my show tank? In other words, can the lack of "reefreadiness" be overcome with flow connected to the show tank? - Anyone have any other ideas for what I might do with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 You could always have it drilled to make it reef ready. You could also get a hang on overflow box. I don't think the tank you bought is a waste. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrispar Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 talk to some of our sites sponsors;Shane at Fishy Business or prof at Epic reef. both are fully capable of turning your non drilled tank into a RR system. I plan on have my 30g drilled sometime soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshman1204 Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 just because a tank is not drilled dosent mean it cant be used for SW .... some of the best reeftanks I have ever seen are not drilled. You can easily use HOB overflow boxes and still make a wonderful tank without ever drilling anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wippit Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 I should have added this: The reasoning behind possibilty #2 was that I'm finding that I like two very different kinds of fish. On one hand I'd like a peaceful community tank, but on the other I'm also drawn to some of the "big personality" varmints like triggers. The counter to this is that I think I need to go slowly and not harm any fish/inverts with my lack of knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Avoid overflow boxes like the plague. I've only heard stories of them working out for people and I've personally witnessed many overflows with them - even when they were setup right. A 120G refugium would be killer and I've seen it done it before with great success. Just make sure you have the space for it and your tank! The way I saw it done, the person had drilled a in and out bulk head on the side of the tank. It looked slick and worked well. So, i'd: 1. Take it to shane or prof and see if they can drill it and make it reef ready for you. I'd recommend a corner or rear overflow box. 2. Have the two people mentioned above drill holes in the side and use it as a refugium. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddybluewater Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I also have heard of people having problems with HOB over flows, but that being said I ran one for 14 years with out a single incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wippit Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Avoid overflow boxes like the plague. I'd recommend a corner or rear overflow box. I'm a bit confused on two points. First, I thought overflows were basic to reef tanks. Is this accurate? Second, I'm not sure what you mean by avoid overflow boxes and then recommending a corner or rear overflow. Did you mean "avoid HOB overflows"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I'm a bit confused on two points. First, I thought overflows were basic to reef tanks. Is this accurate? Second, I'm not sure what you mean by avoid overflow boxes and then recommending a corner or rear overflow. Did you mean "avoid HOB overflows"? Sorry...I wasn't clear about that. Yes, avoid HOB overflows. The in tank overflows are fine and very safe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wippit Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 The idea of getting this drilled is interesting. Is there any way to get a ballpark idea on what drilling might cost? Is aftermarket drilling as reliable as factory pre-drilled? Will I have to worry about leakage, does it make the tank more susceptible to breakage or have any other negative consequences? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddybluewater Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 You just have to be sure the glass is not tempered but should not be a problem if it is not 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 The idea of getting this drilled is interesting. Is there any way to get a ballpark idea on what drilling might cost? Is aftermarket drilling as reliable as factory pre-drilled? Will I have to worry about leakage, does it make the tank more susceptible to breakage or have any other negative consequences? After market is fine, but as muddy said, if the glass is tempered, it will shatter if you try to drill it. Usually its marked with a warning sticker, but the sticker could always fall off or get removed. I think prof charges $20/hole, but don't "" me on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wippit Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 I think prof charges $20/hole, but don't "" me on that. ~$20 is close enough; I didn't know if it would be something like $20 or $100 a hole. I've seen a few references to "the professor." Is this "professor live rock?" If I called the shop would they know who he is by that nickname? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Just call epic reef @ (512) 619-8247 and ask for Dave aka "prof". He's the only guy there so you'll get him. If you call fishy business ((512) 284-8090) ask for Shane. He's the only one there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrispar Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 and also check daves(prof) sponsor thread. he list all his services and some price info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I bought a used 135g, non-drilled tank off of Craigslist. It was just too good to pass up for the asking price. I'm going to use it as a sump for my new 240g. It will be a combination sump/frag tank/refugium/freshwater reservoir (this last one if I go the external skimmer route). On a side note, HOB overflows are fine if you set them up correctly. I have a CPR overflow box that's backed-up with an Aqua Lifter pump and a float-switch in the display tank. If the siphon were to break (which it did a couple of times before I installed the Aqua Lifter), the float-switch would prevent the return pump from emptying the sump water into the displat tank. Proper maintenance is also prudent; I test the float-switch during every water change and I clean the airline hoses periodically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I have a CPR overflow box that's backed-up with an Aqua Lifter pump and a float-switch in the display tank. If the siphon were to break (which it did a couple of times before I installed the Aqua Lifter), the float-switch would prevent the return pump from emptying the sump water into the displat tank. Proper maintenance is also prudent; I test the float-switch during every water change and I clean the airline hoses periodically. That's exactly how the one I saw was setup. It overflowed 4x in 6 months. Maybe the owner didn't have it dialed in right, but his companion got so sick of it overflowing, he got the go ahead to buy a bigger reef ready tank! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wippit Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 I'm going to use it as a sump for my new 240g. It will be a combination sump/frag tank/refugium/freshwater reservoir (this last one if I go the external skimmer route). This is exactly what I had in mind. A strange thing happened today. I had the garage door open on the side where this tank sits between my truck and the wall. A stranger rang the bell and asked if I wanted to sell the tank. Omen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 That's exactly how the one I saw was setup. It overflowed 4x in 6 months. Maybe the owner didn't have it dialed in right, but his companion got so sick of it overflowing, he got the go ahead to buy a bigger reef ready tank! Well, just to provide a counter-point. I had this kind of setup wit a CPR overflow for over a year, and I never had a flood. However, the general iffy-ness of the setup made me decide to get regular overflows so I wouldn't have to worry about it. On a tank with regular internal overflows, there isn't any single point of failure. Typically, one overflow can handle the load of the pump, so if one overflow gets clogged you are still ok. I have never had an internal overflow get clogged, though. The only thing I can think of is a really big snail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeferRob Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I would definately have the tank drilled just for ease if nothing else, however I have used Lifereef HOB overflows for 4 years on my 180 and have never overflowed it. Lifereef are guaranteed to restart in event of power outage and do not require an Aqualifter pump thanger of any kind. Just my .02. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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